The past few months have been quite different for me. I decided to become a certified substitute teacher. Shortly after getting certified I received a call from the director of the Tuscaloosa Regional AIDB (Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind). Their KinderPrep program had been without a teacher for a few months. The AIDB KinderPrep program is a preschool for children ages 3 years to 5 years who are vision and/or hearing impaired. Some of the other workers at AIDB had been "filling in" when available, but the children needed stability. In other words, the director asked me to become their substitute until the end of the school year.
I started on March 6 and have been there ever since. Now, I'm by no means a teacher, however, I am an audiologist and have a very sweet spot for disabled children. I was hired to teach the children and hopefully I did my job, but I really think they taught me as much or more! Erica, the teacher's aid for t e past 6 years, is a wonderful asset to the program and an inspiration to me. She's taught me many things, including basic sign language and effective teaching and behavior management methods. Because of our love for children, Erica and I bonded quickly. The funny thing is I sort of knew Erica before I started at AIDB. She and I were in several graduate school classes together.
Very soon (May 17) my time with my KinderPrep preschoolers will be ending, and I must say it will be tough for me. These precious little preschoolers have captured my heart. I will miss them profoundly. The last day of class will be this Thursday and KinderPrep graduation will be Thursday evening. We have 4 preschoolers graduating, but the whole class will be participating in the program at the graduation. We've been practicing for many weeks, and I can't wait for their parents to see them!!
So that's what I have been up to these past couple of months. That and taking pictures in the afternoons after my KinderPrep gig and on Saturdays. What will I do with myself after May 17? Well, that leads me to the next part of the post.
Since several of my preschoolers receive treatment and therapy at Children's HEAR Center at Children's Hospital, I became very interested in the HEAR Center. On a whim I checked the audiology employment opportunities at Children's and couldn't believe my eyes when there was a listing for a PRN Audiologist. Perfect! The short story is I applied for the position and went for an interview. I was offered the position on Tuesday and I accepted! I went yesterday for a background check (my 4th in 3 months!) and a drug test. I should start working the first week in June. My schedule will include working every Monday and filling in as needed on other days throughout the month. There's several moms working there, so I feel like I'll get called pretty regularly. The best parts are that I will get to learn more about cochlear implants and pediatric audiology and keep up with some of my little preschoolers! :)
So 4 background checks doesn't really add up. Hopefully, I can explain this in another post very soon!
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