School System Semester

As you all know this semester  I am at Lafayette Lower and Upper Elementary Schools for my placement. I go three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) from 7:30 to 3:00. I wanted to wait and write my reaction to the school system until I had adequate time to really grasp the experience. I have now been at LLES and LUES for 3 weeks and it's safe to say that I am not enjoying the school system placement. Overall, I find it boring. I spend roughly six hours, three days a week doing the same exact thing. Articulation therapy. This is what we call teaching kids how to say sounds. And it is NOT what I enjoy. I don't feel challenged at this site, and I definitely don't feel like I am really making a difference in the lives of these children. I miss having interesting disorders and syndromes to work with. I miss being challenged and doing things that require me to work hard. I miss the medical part of speech pathology. It's funny though... I always kind of thought that I would be a school system SLP. The schedule is ideal for being a mom (which we all know is really all I want to be) and I definitely feel drawn towards working with the pediatric population. But now that I am actually in the school system I find myself... well... bored to tears. I am 90% sure that I want to be in some type of medical setting, whether it be outpatient rehab or acute care in a hospital. I also miss my little ones. I LOVED my early intervention at Regional Rehab, and I still plan to search for that type of job when I graduate.

This all being said, never say never. If I have learned one thing over the past few years, it's that life rarely turns out the way we plan. So for now I am making the best of my school system semester. I know that God has things to show me and teach me while I am at LLES and LUES this semester. I am learning as much as I can and trying to give 100% effort each day. These kids deserve an SLP who is fully devoted to their needs, and I plan to be just that. I will put a smile on my face each day and try to find the positive.  Although I may already have a countdown until my last day (November 9th) going... :-)

I took some pictures of the speech "room" I use. I say "room" because it is a closed in hallway made into a large closet that my supervisor was moved into this year. Her old room is now the bookroom. I guess that's more important than speech pathology...

Anyway....

Here is the table I sit at all day. The bookshelves behind me are full of games and materials we use for therapy.

Our sound wall.

Another view of our "room". My supervisor sits at the desk. She is a great supervisor!  I couldn't ask for a better one!

This is the view from my chair. My kids come in groups of three, so they sit at the three chairs.

Yet another view. Please excuse my lunch.

So here's to making the best of less than ideal situations! I am still thankful for the opportunity, and know that I will be a better SLP one day because of this placement.