Sometimes it Takes a Village

At least several minutes out of every hour, my mind is on a trillion different things.  When I write I attempt to focus on what I'm writing but that doesn't always work out.  This time I have had this in the back of my mind for several days and feel this is a great time to blog about it.  Sometimes it takes a village to make things come together and not just for the love of what is being done, but for the support and connection of professionals who believe in the same thing.

I love my work and the area of specialty I serve - children with a hearing loss and their parents.  Part of this love is my supporting an organization I believe in greatly.  En Voz Alta, which in Spanish means, 'In a Loud Voice'.  It is a group comprised of parents and professionals that strive to educate, advocate, and support the area community of hearing impaired individuals or parents of children with a hearing loss.
This group has sponsored two bi-national medical symposiums focusing on distributing information to those parents and professionals who had been looking but couldn't find what they needed in regards to help and contacts within this area.

There is so much more to rave about when it comes to this dedicated group - but if you need information and/or want contacts.  Here is the link:  http://umcfoundationelpaso.org/ - look on the left hand column and click Focus Funds, then find En Voz Alta - it will give you more than enough to get you started with contacts. 
Because Sometimes it Takes a Village

A New One

"Why wish for the Privilege of living your past life again? You begin a New One every morning."

Robert Quillen

You begin anew every morning.  I really was taken aback when I first read this and then this smile came across my face.  Wow - the thought of starting over everyday has never crossed my mind before.  I could easily keep up the same thing from day-to-day; or even review things from last week.  Or. . . 

what a concept! Start fresh everyday!!  

I guess it's all a matter of how you approach the day and the things that need to get done.

One of the things I need to get done, new lessons and approaches for the children I have in my therapy sessions.  I love the activities I teach and there are those lessons I wouldn't trade for any new activity with all the 'bells and whistles'.  I have activities I know will get the child's attention and keep it all through the session. . . .well, most of the time. . . then there is the child in which no activity engages them.  Start anew!  Think of something!  I can't always think of something - my mind does not always work as fast as some kiddos!

New lessons every morning? Well, no - but how about new apps after the activities have not worked and you're looking around to decide what to try next.  Sometimes I forget that I, being the dinosaur in a generation of constantly changing technology, have the answers at my fingertips.   Recently, I learned the art of apps for students to learn, and I'm learning the art of apps for listening and spoken language.

My strategy for all lessons is auditory first, visual if needed, and then return to auditory to build memory for the student/client.  The second strategy for all lessons is Observe, Wait, Listen and find out what the student/client needs or seeks.  If my activities are not working for the student then I use the apps that build off of my activity, and they all involve listening - yea!!!  I just had to take the time to start anew and think about today's new life.  On top of that - sessions move smoothly and clients are interested.

Starting anew everyday for me is moving outside the box-that is for me- the dinosaur box, and begin using what is fresh and new for the times.  There are educational apps for speech, language and listening to develop the auditory means and language gains that go with auditory learning.  Some of those for children are free and easy to find - use your Internet and go surfing.  I love . . . 'Moo Box', 'Little Farm' and 'Where's Mommy?' for toddlers and Pre-k kiddos.  Parents can find the apps under the name; Approved4Kids for their elementary child and there are so many stories and language games for Kindle and/or The Nook.  Even adults can use audio books and music memory tunes to keep their auditory memory, discrimination, and perception keen and fresh.  

So. . . . 'why want the past over again, when you have the opportunity to begin new every morning'

Managing: Work, sleep, and thankfulness

Oh my - work has taken over my life!  Something I promised myself would not happen again.  Alas, some areas of my life become sooooo consuming if not 'stayed on top of '.  Work, unfortunately is consuming - so many items to be taken care of and so little time.

Managing areas of life is a part of all of us - don't you think?  My area of work in which I don't do well is managing the paperwork and time lines associated; which causes the domino effect.
I do believe we are all victims of the domino effect in our lives in one way or another.

As parents managing our children and their life's - we can definitely feel the domino effect.
The entire reason I do parent classes and/or include parents as part of the therapy session, is for them to see why it is so important they change their persona and become teacher.  So they do manage - and do not feel the domino effect with their child.  If a parent does not take the teacher role during rehabilitation of their child's speech and/or language, if they wait and say the therapist/teacher can do this part; sooner or later,  the domino effect will rear its ugly head.  A child has to feel the parent is not only vested in the therapy but that the therapy is worth the practice to make the child better.  A parent should know and understand, if you don't 'buy in' 100% - 24/7 - in child and practice - time will release the domino and their child will continue to have problems that may manifest itself into more difficulties - in more areas - and more challenges.

My area of work releases the domino to sleep and soon I am exhausted because I am playing the 'catch-up' game and not resting.  Even my blog is effected!
A parent will see - hopefully sooner rather than later - their child is effected - in so many ways.

Thankfully, vacation days come.  At this time of year I am thankful -for so many things.  This year I am thankful for the days to 'catch up'.  Shame on me for doing it that way, but this year - it works.  As a parent, those vacation days come in handy at some time or another.  I urge parents to take advantage of them every once-in-awhile.  I also point out, it should not become the answer.  Time is of the essence for children with a handicap to overcome.

This year, I have noticed on social medias, the idea of using each day to make a statement about being thankful for something.  Mine is still a list, a reminder I have so much - hopefully, you do as well.

I am thankful for: family who cares, friends who never disappear, work that is always there, and sleep that may or may not appear.  I am thankful for: An army of men and women who watch over us constantly and a country I am concerned over regularly, doctors who find cures to illness purposefully and patients who live their lives fully.   I am thankful for: my beliefs, my morals, my life - no matter how mismanaged I make it at times.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

October!! You're Kidding!!

No way! October already? Last time I had some time (which I don't right now, but I miss the blog!) - it has been well over a month; school was just getting started; and then everything began moving like a tornado!  School life really makes you lose track to time, and school life plus private therapy really makes you lose track of life! Hahaha. . . .

But as I have said in previous blogs, my family is what makes me realize life (and work) can make the living so much more fun and it's the balancing act that counts!

I love this time of year. Things begin to change and children can just feel it in the air.  Holidays are around the corner, going to school now means dressing a little bit warmer because mommy puts a sweater on you in the morning, and color changes remind you that summer does not last forever!  And
I get to help teach the children about the fun sounds they will hear and learn for this time of year.


For the young child just learning to use their listening skills - we do a great deal of singing to teach and learn about the rhythm, pitch, and intonation of speech.  The rise and fall of song also takes place with mom and/or care giver in the raise and fall of speech during interactions with child.
As you take a nature walk and notice the leaves falling from trees you can sing: (to the tune of 'The Farmer in the Dell') The leaves are falling down! The leaves are falling down! Red, and orange, and yellow, and brown, the leaves are falling down!  Or another tune to have fun with. . . (to the tune of Row, Row, Row your Boat)  Falling leaves, falling leaves, falling from the tree.  Rake them up then jump right in - have fun with falling leaves!
Point out leaves on the ground and the few leaves left in the trees.  Point out the crackling sound they make as you step on them under your feet or crackle them in your hand.  Have your child listen as you rake leaves in a pile.  Have them listen as you put them in a bag, basket, and/or wheelbarrow.  Push, push, push your child around in a wheelbarrow, or wagon with fall leaves.  Wheeeee!
For the young children in the classroom - play musical chairs with those songs.  As they listen, they walk around - when you stop singing - they sit down!  Or. . . what I really love - is singing this song as the children are playing in a pile of leaves (you can buy a couple of bags of fall leaves in any hobby or crafts store in the artificial plant/flower area) and when you stop singing. . . they stop raking, or jumping, or throwing the leaves!  Go on. . . . have some fun!

I love this video - thanks to http://www.sallybus.net

Summer Shifts to School (Life)

It has been some weeks since I have been able to blog and I do find myself missing it and missing the read. . . 

These weeks have caught me off guard, trying to get back into the swing of my full-time job with my part-time job.  Whew!  As I try to make my life balance out again, I found another quote that brings a little clarity.

There are obviously two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.   ~James T. Adams

My thoughts; one should teach us the learning process and the other how not to forget to live fully.   Along with the balancing act, I am reminded along the way that life goes on and we need to enjoy both the learning process and the process of life. 
My students remind me of two items.  1) Summer is a time of fun and we have 'some catch-up' with listening and language.  2) We will get it done.  On the flip side, my family reminds me of two more items.  1) How not to forget to live.  2) How not to forget to listen (to language).

Pragmatics is the social communication of language.  Children whose hearing is intact get the pragmatics of language with every interaction they have from the time of birth.  Children whose hearing has been compromised from birth or seeking habilitation for a hearing impairment are taught pragmatics.   This is an area I work very heavily with parents and students.  It is an important aspect we can't forget during summer months and I can't forget during family time.
Interaction between two individuals is full of language - give and take, lean in and lean out, push and pull, listening and talking, talking and listening.  The easy way out when our life is busy - is give and take or push and pull.  Is there any listening or talking involved?  Think about it.  Listening and talking takes time.  We have to observe a situation, wait for our communication partner and really listen to the language.  Children in the summer - push and pull because they want what they want and they want fun now!  Adults push and pull because life goes on and they are busy and they want their children to have fun now!  We don't always remember to expect language in return. In comes school and I want listening and language that was intact before school let out for the summer.  That does not always happen.

Yet my family does find the way to tell me, school is education and when you are home, family is life. It is the combination of the two that makes life full of living.  Always trying to remember the listening and the language play a part, and always trying to remind my parents to incorporate while I try to remember to love both parts equally.

School Time for Me and Everyone Else

I have so many new things awaiting me this year.  Now I know what my students feel like when they begin a new year with new teachers and the possibility of making new friends.  The program I work with is now on a new campus with new teachers and I, am not only on this campus with new teachers, but have a whole new staff to work within my program.  I wonder if I am asking the same questions as the children.  Will they like me?  Will they work with me?  Will they listen to me?  Will I hear what they say?  Remember, I work with children with a hearing impairment and as they become aware that they are a little different - these questions are very real for them as they are for other children, but magnified because of what they feel is different.  And then I think of their parents - What questions do they have going through their mind?  Will they make friends?  Will they have a good day?  Will they be able to listen and hear the teacher?  Will my child know what is going on around them?  Sound familiar?

I guess it does all feel the same in different ways.  I have to remember when I counsel my parents I tell them their children are waiting to come alive with communication.  We just have to give them the tools to make it happen.  Listening comes first, localizing that sound and finding it.  (Listening to others comes first, localizing the people that want to learn with me and making friends)  Then we move into modeling the sounds and language for them, and the child quickly takes the cue to copy those sounds and words.  (We show the friends are new program, or we show people we can listen and model what they want from us.)  Then we move to turn-taking and sharing of information. (You've seen me write about this before - it never changes with the situation - new school, new program, new friends that share information and ideas and fun.)  What is the difference with how I feel and how parents feel and then how the children feel?  Sometimes I feel the world is cold. . . my parents sometimes feel the world is cold. . . children feel the world is cold and we teach them to make it their business to build fires - taken from Horace Troubel

I do hope everyone has a great beginning of another school year!

Another Day. . . . another ????

Okay, you fill in the blank - so much has happened since my last blog and in two short weeks I will be returning to school/work along with some family members and all the other people that love working with children as much as I do.  It is just getting ready for it that I dread and then thinking about all the side notes of teaching and therapy that boggle my mind!  Can anyone say paperwork!!!

Anyway,  these past few days have opened my eyes to changes again and the feeling of being lost in everything that comes about. . . but then that feeling of change is also always followed by the fact that G-d commands those changes and it is not my path to follow but His - there is a reason for what is about to come.  For me, that is a calming effect and I focus on not panicking.  From what I see, I am not the only one with changes coming their way.  My husband has begun a new path in his job, he is very excited.  My son has challenges everyday, for life in general; he's young and life for him brings ups and downs.  But I got to spend a glorious weekend with him and we challenged the thought of all those roller coaster rides.  I have family coming home and I have family celebrating, and my friends are all making some kind of change - job or family.  What a summer!!

What does any of this have to do with Another day?  Well - to me - it has to do with learning and with what you make of another day.   Samuel Johnson said;

The chief art of learning is to attempt but little at a time.  The widest excursions of the mind are by short flights frequently repeated, the most lofty fabrics of sciences are formed by the continued accumulation of single propositions.

. . . which to me has a couple of meanings.  Our lives are so busy that we don't realize the constant change, and when we do - it sometimes takes our breath away that time passes us by.  Not really, those changes are the short flights frequently repeated and G-d must have a plan for me learning it.  The other meaning I try to explain to my clients and parents as much as possible, it makes so much sense when we realize it is a part of our lives.
As our children try to overcome whatever obstacle that has 'stalled' their learning - practice, practice, practice - and then practice some more!  If that part of the brain didn't grow, or got the wrong signals, let's make a new path of learning by showing our children over and over again, in sooo many different ways, the new information they need.
For me, children's paths are also governed by G-d and as parents and teachers/therapists, we can help correct an obstacle they need to overcome for their path.  Perhaps you were meant to make the 'flights repeated' so they may make the 'continued accumulation' into a single 'Aha!' moment.
Isn't that what it is all about. . . another day and another ????