Thursday is the end of my summer break. It’s always a little bittersweet when summer ends. Lazy days, entire days spent with my husband, fewer distractions, fur baby snuggles, pool days, books, books, more books, and the list goes on and on and on. But, as this summer ends, Thursday I start my 10th year as an SLP. Wow! Where did the time go?
So, today’s post is a little, okay a lot, different than what I normally blog about, but hey, I feel like my 10th year is something to celebrate!!!! So, here are my 10 confessions…
1. I still get that back-to-school feeling I had as kid-the anxiety, the excitement, the fear!! I lay out my first day of school outfit the night before and try to get some sleep, which never happens because I’m too anxious.
2. Even now, starting my 10th year, I feel like a brand new SLP! It’s like the longer I’m an SLP, the less I know and the more I need to learn.
3. I hate spontaneity and live and breathe by my schedule, planner, and to-do lists. I can’t give up my paper planner so, I use both paper and my Google calendar.
4. I have a weird obsession with pens and only use certain pens and colors for certain items. And, I only use pens I’m willing to part with during conferences-you know they walk away and you can’t risk losing your favorite pens!
5. My work system may look like meaningless stacks, but I can tell you exactly where to find said paper in the stack-you know- “It’s in the stack on the file cabinet, 3 pages down.”
6. I always keep the thermostat and volume on an even number-odd numbers give me anxiety even though I was born on 9/3, married on 8/29, and my husband’s birthday is 5/9. We just don’t talk about those! 😂😂
7. I talk so much during the day, that when I’m alone I enjoy complete silence-no T.V., no radio, no noise. My husband thinks I’m weird because I’ll drive in the car with the radio off!
8. I learned very quickly in my first job-a preschool SLP-that you’d better not say something you’re not willing to backup! Those three-year-olds were a little intimidating 😂😂
9. I have this deep-seated fear that I’m going to get to the end of the school year and discover I missed scheduling a student for speech! I haven’t done this YET, but it definitely gives me nightmares!!!
10. My therapy room is the same therapy room I went to as a student and it was one of my Dad’s elementary classrooms. The old, faded balloon curtains and chalkboard are gone-thank goodness-but there are still some window clings that refuse to give up! I’m not sure what they’re hanging on for, but even Goo-Gone isn’t taking them off!
I was going to give one bonus confession, but that would mean ending on an odd number so, you get two more! 😂😂
11. I had a severe tongue thrust as a child and even now I don’t use the appropriate “tongue resting posture.”
12. The best compliment I ever received was from a fellow SLP. A former student brought me some papers from his teacher, had a quick conversation with us, then headed back to class. Once, he left I told her I’d had him in speech and she stated she never would’ve known he’d had any articulation trouble!
Being an SLP is my career. Helping a child find their voice is my passion. Without the ability to communicate, what do we have?
I was told early on by a great teacher that the school is one of the last mission fields, my work was important, and to keep going. Her words of wisdom still ring true. I am definitely not the best SLP and I may not ever get a child to correctly produce that pesky /r/, but my ultimate prayer is that not one student leaves my therapy room not feeling loved by me.
The days have been long, but the years have definitely been short. So, as my 9th summer comes to a screeching halt and my 10th year starts, I pray for patience, peace, knowledge, and guidance. If you or your children are heading back to school this year, I pray you have a blessed school year, as well!!!
Are you an SLP, teacher, or you’ve been in your career for many years? Now, that I’ve basically bared my SLP soul-is there anything you can relate to? Or, am I the only one with crazy confessions, haha?!
Blessings,
P.S. Most of my blog is about waiting and the struggle through infertility. So, if you’re a fellow infertility sister, I’d love to hear your story and add you to my prayer list. Infertility is lonely in a world full of babies so, it’s nice knowing you’re not alone.
P.P.S. If you’re a teacher, parent, or just need some extra prayers right now, I’d love to hear from you and add you to my prayer list, too.
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