Blog Prompt - Did you go to college or have vocational training - where and when?I went to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina for my undergraduate and graduate degree in Special Education. Special education was still a new field and not many people had heard of it before. Back home, people thought I was going into Physical Education and were amazed because I was so klutzy and uncoordinated that they couldn’t figure out why I would do this. I used to volunteer with disabled students when I was in high school and knew that I wanted to work with them as a career. I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher too. The big thing for me was that I had to decide which disabilities I wanted to work with when I came to college. I used to read books by Tobey Haydn where she tells about her experiences working with autistic children and emotionally disabled so I wanted to be just like her. I did get certified to teach emotionally disabled and learning disabled students. Yet over the years, I have taught students with all disabilities and learned that a label is just a label and that I really just teach students with difficulty learning. (This picture is when my husband and I double-dated for the prom with 2 of my students. For dinner, we went to Travinia's fine Italian restaurant. We had a wonderful time! ) I never regretted for a minute that I was meant to do this. I think sometimes we forget that God has a plan for us and we just need to have faith and follow that plan.
4 comments:
I love Haydn's books and her way of truly seeing the children she works with. I love that you saw your path so early and yet allowed experience to mold you into the wonderful teacher you are today!
You are a wonderful teacher Pat and I'm glad you were there for those children all those years. We need many more teachers like you. Big hugs.
I just wish there were more of you teaching. You are an extraordinary person. :)
Your passion and dedication to your kids is wonderful to see. Educators get a bad rap these days, but you are downright inspiring.
Ok, so you kindly asked about knitting. Congratulations on sock knitting, btw! The iPod cozy is simply a tube knitted in roughly the same dimensions as the gadget you'd like to cover. I started at the top, knitted about 5 rounds, made a hole for clipping to by making a "yarn over" (that's an extra loop on the needle, as when you make lace) then continued on with the body. The closed end can be sewn shut, or grafted like a sock. The lanyard is made out of knitted iCord, but a two-strand crocheted chain would accomplish the same function. I recycled the spring clip off an old lanyard and attached with a lark's head knot to the cord. I can use this cozy for my cell phone when I don't have pockets, too.
Hope this helps. I made mine in about 3 hours and I use it every day.
Take care, Pat!
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