The 9.5 Year Degree Path

From the time I was five, I just knew  I wanted to be a teacher. Sure I peppered in other dreams along the way—ballerina, drummer professional piano player. My dreams were always creative. I’ve never been good at any of the STEM classes, but I love doing stuff with my hands, making something unique. My senior year of high school I started working in an afternoon preschool classroom, and when I graduated I moved right on to prerequisites preparing me for a teaching degree. Then, one day in the middle of my sophomore year, I realized teaching wasn’t what I wanted after all. I was so confused, my dream had been lost and I wasn’t sure what I was doing or who I was. I began a long (read: loooooong) road of working, going to school, dropping out, changing majors, going back to school, etc. Long story short, I interacted with a speech therapist for a couple years when I worked in a special needs preschool classroom. It was perfect! I had stayed in preschool for years because I knew I loved working with kids, I just wasn’t sure which path to take. But the first time the therapist gave me speech papers for me to reference with my kiddos, I was hooked! I still have those papers 7 years later! Nine and a half years after graduating high school, I finally graduated from Northern Arizona University with my degree. And let me tell you, I LOVE my job. I love it!

A midget in a long gown
Over the past two years it’s taken a lot of trial and error to realize what type of therapist I want to be, what style of therapy I like to do. I know I’m organized—I work in private therapy so there are no lesson plans involved, but that doesn’t stop me from making my own for fun! It just helps my mind feel more organized! I love to do thematic units and base them around books whenever I can. I love adorable materials, because duh. After doing years of preschool, I just like everything being…precious.

This year a friend of mine began working as a 2nd grade teacher. She’s surrounded by awesome teacher friends and mentors who help her grow and learn. They also introduced her to the world of selling on TpT. I’ve been using TpT products for a while now, but I always felt making that kind of stuff was waaaaay out of my abilities level. However, when my friend decided to start selling on TpT, she kept encouraging me to try it out. She was giving me tips and tricks, and eventually I jumped in and decided to give it a try. I am obsessed!! Making my own products is exactly what I was looking for. It’s creative, it helps me theme everything I do in my speech room, it helps me hit the exact goals I need for each patient, and I can make it all precious! What’s not to love?!



 
I’m so thankful for encouraging friends, and my friend is the best. She encouraged me into the world of TpT selling, she encouraged me to get an Instagram for my store, and she’s the reason I’m writing this blog today. I’m so excited to grow in my skills both in my therapy room and in product development for my store. I’m excited to share the fun I have in the therapy room and the fun we having using our precious and practical products. But most of all, I’m excited to have you reading the Speech Bee Blog today and joining me on this journey that’s buzzing with fun and possibilities! 

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