I love the ocean - the power, vastness, mysteries, beauty, ebb and flow. At the same time, the ocean terrifies me. The recent North Carolina natural fauna, coast shark bites, videos of sharks in such shallow water near unsuspecting thigh-deep swimmers, record riptide rescues (and tragic failures). I haven't gone back yet. That said, it's a matter of time because the ocean is in my blood.
The same applies with school. I accepted a random one-day substitute teaching assignment in an elementary English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom and fell in love with the kids (from Israel, Africa, Mexico, Iran, you name it!) - all attempting to assimilate. I later covered a 3-month maternity leave for one ESL teacher over the summer, and covered maternity leave for another ESL teacher the following summer. Put a pin in this.
Previously I had a CRASH course in ADD, speech and developmental delays with my own academically gifted and also challenged kiddos. I learned so many acronyms navigating the waters of special education in North Carolina I believed my brain would reach a fatal overload and shut down forever, but they kept throwing them at me. Now I "talk the talk, and walk the walk."
Today I find myself in graduate courses at NC State in diversity and learning disabilities. Do I have SO MUCH to learn? Absolutely and I am grateful. Do I have something to contribute? Yes! It's crazy to me that my seemingly random experiences are suddenly valuable. I might obtain a master's degree in secondary (high school) English if I keep turning everything in, but my learning in ESL classroom studies and so many years of IEP and 504 meetings is so valuable. Pin out: The time I spent learning with and from my ESL learners for a couple years is the most valuable by far!