AmandaOT

Baby it's warm outside!

Hit 80 today. Didn't know it was going to be that warm. Significantly over dressed. Yeah 80 in February!

posted by amanda @ 7:18 PM 2 comments

Being a professional is expensive

So this OT/O&M combo is going to be expensive. I'm hoping that I can land a job that will help cushion all the spending. I had to join another professional organization this month on top of my American Occupational Therapy Association renewal. I joined the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired today. It's only one of 2 or 3 I will probably join in the next year. By the time I'm all graduated and out of the grace periods that come with being a new grad, I'll be looking at a minimum of $1000 a year in professional organizations and licensures. Between Illinois, California, and Ohio OT licenses, AOTA, AERBVI, national O&M credential, CA and IL O&M credentials--it's gonna be expensive. Part of me says to let the CA stuff expire, but the plan is that Alan and I will be moving back to CA. When? No idea. But if I let me teaching credential in CA expire, who knows how much hassle it is to get it back. Here's to crossing my fingers that I can afford it all.

posted by amanda @ 10:49 PM 0 comments

Congrats!

Congrats to April and Mike on their bouncing baby girl Michaela Rose born this morning!

*CORRECTION* Makala Rose not Michaela

posted by amanda @ 9:36 PM 0 comments

Some interesting events that have occured during student teaching...

So student teaching is interesting to say the least. Never a boring day. It's almost as entertaining as demented folks!

One day A. and I were traveling north on Vemont near Hollywood. A. was preparing to cross Melbourne and was analyzing the intersection. She had just figured out that it was a traffic light and was going to look for pedestrian buttons. As she walked away from me, a lady crossed Melbourne talking loudly. I figured she was on a Bluetooth. Apparently not. She stopped talking and went up to A. and asked her if she needed help crossing. A. told her 'no' but the woman was persistent. She then insisted with following A. across the street. By this point A. had a deer in the headlight look and I came over to save her. I told the loud lady that A. was with me. Loud lady seemed to be satisfied with that for 1/2 a second before she went on her Scientology spiel. Ugh!! I told the woman we had to go and took A. away. Stupid Scientology!!!

Another time we took P. and J. on a field trip. We drove to Rite Aid on Sunset and Vermont. We walked to the bus stop and took the bus to Santa Monica then continued walking to Melrose. Near Melrose we stopped for lunch at Jack n the Box. Then we went to Braille Institute. One thing we did at Braille was go to the student store. At the store, J. put all her money (which she had no clue how much that was) on the counter and asked what it would buy. After we explained to her through chuckles that she needs to have at least some idea of what she wants, she bought a talking watch/key chain. Then we went to the Office of Special Services at Los Angeles Community College and talked about what the college offers students who are blind. By then we were all beat. We walked back to Santa Monica and got on the bus. J. and I sat down next to a guy who was in an electric wheelchair, was totally blind, and had been born deaf and now had a cochlear implant. On our short ride to Sunset we learned a little about him and offered to help him cross the street at Sunset to get on the Metro (subway). Holy cow! Getting off the bus included trying to teach J. and P. what to do to keep them safe and giving our new friend safe on the wheelchair ramp. With only 3 wheels on the ramp, he forced his way down it. Then he drove down the sidewalk way too fast for someone with vision. I was scared to watch. When he got to the corner, he lined up on the wheelchair ramp and we verified for him it was time to cross. He started veering into the intersection so we called for him to come back toward us. Still traveling really fast, he headed toward a slow moving lady with a walker. Again I didn't want to watch. Somehow everyone got across the street without being hit by wheelchair man and we directed him to the elevator. They guy was truly amazing to watch.

posted by amanda @ 4:27 PM 0 comments

Some recent events....

I found out that I will be going to Palo Alto, CA (south of San Francisco and west of San Jose) for my intership. I start the day after Easter and end June 5. Two other classmates are going too. We are trying to get into a house with 3 bedrooms while we're there. $900 a month each (blah). Good news--we get paid $500 a week for 10 weeks. Yay! I'll have a week off from school before I have to move.

The other day 2 of the student with low vision were late showing up to class (like 20 minutes late). The teacher asked them where they were. They said they were in the bathroom putting on makeup because they had to look good. C- piped up, "Why? No one in here can see you anyway!" BURN!!

Student teaching is slowing down for me. Because I'm at a year round school, the kids are split into 'tracks' A, B, and C. Only 2 tracks are in session at a time. Right now B and C are in session and A is on break and intersession (summer school, but not summer school because it's not summer! Confused yet?) Most of my kids at this school are on A track. We're teaching them during intersession, but intersession is over soon (Friday). This entire quarter my master teacher has had me do more teaching than I'm supposed to do because I will be losing several hours of teaching for my last 3 weeks (oh darn!!). Last week was especially bad and I got behind. This week I have so much more time!! It's great! My goal is to get some of my final projects done now so I don't have to work on them in New York.

Speaking of New York...I go on a field trip to NYC soon. Yippee!

That's all. I'm tired. This 5 AM crap is for the birds. Next week is some sleeping in!!

posted by amanda @ 10:59 PM 0 comments

Annoyed

So I have to do a research project for school. My group has to survey 20 people that don't know anyone that is blind or know anyone who works for the blind. I spent an hour today walking around trying to get some participants. I got 1! That's it! ONE! I talked to 10 people. 4 said they'd participate but they knew someone that was blind or worked with the blind. And 5 just rejected me. I don't have time to spend 6 more hours on this. Oy vey!

posted by amanda @ 5:20 PM 1 comments