"Reading Therapist"

As most of you know I am attending grad school for Early Childhood Development & Special Education. I am currently taking 2 classes, which at my school is full time. When I transfer 4 classes will be full-time, but I digress.

Anyways one of my 2 classes is not typically a class you take in your first semester [Early Lit], but it doesn't come around every semester and it just so happened to come around during my first semester and my graduate advisor told me to take it so I didn't get screwed come time to graduate, and I cant, b/c of this one class. I said okay. She knows best. My first few weeks months in this class I came home and just cried. I was beyond overwhelmed. the work load was huge.

I was not the only one who felt this way. But I was one of the only students in more then 1 class. Me and ONE other student were in 2 classes.

But I sat down one morning with a spiral NB and figured out how I was going to make both my classwork loads work. I knew it wasn't impossible. I mean when I was PREGNANT on BEDREST I took 7 classes [online] to finish my bachelors degree while going through a nasty divorce. I knew I could handle 2 [grad level] classes.

I just needed to write myself a daily schedule. Thats how I operate. So I wrote out everything, down to when E would nap. I changed her nap times, b/c she was getting up earlier, so she was going down for her naps earlier so in turn she was getting up from them earlier. I started showering at night so I didn't have to worry about that while she was napping, more time for school work.

Needless to say, I made it work, and I lowered my stress level, somewhat.

As the semester progress & I stopped dreading that class, b/c I had a handle on it, I began to really enjoy it. I also really liked my professor. I also realized that I am really good when it comes to children and reading. Which is the premiss of EARLY LITERATURE.

I began thinking, I don't want to teach Middle or High School, my heart is with young children but I would like to specialize in reading. So I got talking to my professor last week & I asked her what I can do on the early childhood (pre-k through 3rd grade) front dealing with just reading? and she, one of the biggest reasons I am going to miss my college when I leave, said that I can be a reading therapist.

To do that you have to have a Masters or beyond, so I am on the right path. So when I transfer I will continue to do ECD -or- Ex. Ed. depending on what program I get into (I can't get a dual cert. at the University near my hometown), but I will take my electives in childhood reading and I will get certified after graduation. I will do what I NEED TO DO.

Usually special needs children need the extra help reading & reading therapists step-in and give that extra help. So I will get to fuel both of my loves. There are also centers that help children that are having difficulty reading (ie: Sullivan). Some schools hire RT to come in to co-teach in the classroom or pull-out during the reading block. You help the lower readers and you help propel them; the goal is to get them on grade level.

I can't wait to help!--I am even more excited for the future now.

...

I teach my Pilgrim Lesson tomorrow & I am so excited!!

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

xo
-Kandid Kelli