For a living, I work with a team to evaluate children for various issues affecting their education. Then we write reports about what we have found out about their functioning and what it means for their education. And sometimes what it means for their lives. What we find out is that sometimes it's the environment or the educational approach that is exacerbating an underlying learning difference resulting in poor progress on academics or poor behavior. But often we discover they have a condition that is more complex and had not been fully identified, if at all. That is when we, mostly I, kick into the next gear to further assess, research related issues, and write up the result summary tying all the information together for the benefit of the child.
To do this work more effectively, and because childrens' education depends on this, I had to get some new learning in order to better identify what's going on so that our team can better recommend solutions. That has taken up most of my spare time in the past two years. First, I was learning intensively while still working and then I was applying skills intensively in my work while still learning and gaining new experiences. This past school year has been the most intensive and time consuming of my life. I haven't had the cognitive energy left over in the past 18 months or so to write much more than the random social media posts on the usual suspect websites.
Also, because I work in the public school world, I am paid about half what I would be paid for the amount and quality of work I did this year. I did get my best ever evaluation (using a supremely bad evaluation system) and a decent raise (doesn't make up for 5 years of pay freezes though) but even with that raise, I will still make far less than my peers in clinics and even in other school districts. So, some of my very little free time has been in servicing clients for by side financial business for extra cash. I haven't seriously added clients in over five years, but I am dutiful in providing service when my current ones ask. I'm very responsive, just not that proactive in anticipating their needs anymore. And I'm just pooped. Now I'm going to surf the net for mindless entertainment. Please feel free to comment on what is new with you, my one remaining reader...heh
