Skye

Notice that there is an "e" at the end, making this Skye an actual person.  You will not be reading a post about sunshine or clouds.  I went back and looked.  I could cheat and write a thank you to an inanimate object.  At this moment, I am certainly tempted to write an ode of rapture to the goddess "Weekend,"  but I will be good and stick to an actual person.

Skye is a fellow SLP in my very large urban school district.  For the last two years, she had the building I now have.  For the first two months all I heard was "What happened to Miss Skye?"  "Miss Skye gave us candy," and "Why don't you give prizes like Miss Skye?"  After the first few weeks I figured it was okay to see how I measured up.  I asked my student with all the enthusiasm I could muster "Don't you like me as much as Miss Skye."  I was hoping for a Mary Poppins "Nearly perfect in every way" kind of answer.  I was was met with a solid "no."  All the funnier because it was followed by a "Well, it's just I don't know you well enough."  That is the EXACT thing our mother would say each time we brought home somebody she hated.  They like me a little better now, although they have made it clear they would like me much more if I gave out candy and prizes. 

The caseload is a little tricky.  I was explaining the setting to a speech therapist at another district and she said, "Wow!  That's the kind of caseload that takes you three years to really wrap yourself around!"  She works in a much smaller, wealthier in every way, school district where you might actually be able to spend three years doing that.  This brings me to Skye.

I know she misses her old building.  Yet, she has been very kind in helping me navigate and settle into the position.   I have talked to her several times about various issues and concerns.  She has been a generous sounding board.  I had the chance to work with her this week in a different capacity.  She was very kind in thanking me for taking the time to collaborate, which was nothing more than exactly what I'm supposed to be doing to earn my paycheck anyway.  She also took time to talk to me about my students again.  Is this why you did that?  What about when....  Am I doing the right thing with....  Being the only SLP in a building can be a little lonely.  Nobody else does what you do.  Many people don't even understand what you do.  Worse, they don't understand what you DON'T do.  It can make what is already a challenging job feel a tiny bit overwhelming.  I am very thankful to my colleague for taking the time to reassure me.