The role of an educator is something I have pursued throughout my life. While I never desired to teach a core subject in a traditional school setting I have sought in my life other opportunities to work in such a capacity. For me, my primary interest in audiology stems that this profession would allow me to serve as an educator to individuals with hearing loss as well as their families and the community at large. While this aspect of audiology has become more apparent as I have gone through coursework, I first discovered this essential function when I was fourteen years old. Prior to this point in my life I had never heard of an ‘audiologist’ but my own circumstances of developing progressive hearing loss facilitated my introduction to it.
While the clinician I worked with gave me a condensed explanation of her role as someone who tested hearing and dispensed hearing aids, I learned as a client that there was more than that. As I was treated by a team of professionals who supplied me with hearing aids, a considerable amount of time was spent equipping me with strategies and advice for how to best compensate for difficulties in any listening environment. Though my experience most directly provided me with a greater ease of communication what I took from it the most a sense of empowerment. With what these clinicians provided me hearing loss became something I could not only live with but thrive with. It is this, which I hope to be able to impart to others in my capacity as a clinician. In my undergraduate career, I have discovered additional facets of audiology to which I feel I am well suited. The reliance on mathematical and scientific concepts appeals to me as I have excelled in these subjects throughout my schooling. Additionally, I am drawn to this because it represents to me a field that is incredibly dynamic and has a potential for advancement and further discoveries. It excites me that throughout my graduate and professional career I would be able to engage in and contribute to research topics. Outside of my own classes, I have focused my energy working as a preceptor and peer teacher for linguistics classes within my program. In these experiences, I have demonstrated strong collaborative and leadership abilities. Furthermore, in working with students from Temple’s diverse population, I have been able to develop my communication skills and patience in response to the varying learning speeds and backgrounds I encountered. As an individual with hearing loss, I feel my own personal experiences will benefit me in working with clients. The educational aspect of the field in combination with my background serving as a preceptor to my peers is part of why I believe myself to be a match for the profession. As I look towards starting in a doctoral program it is my hope to discover more about the experiences of people with hearing loss through working with a diverse base of individuals. In addition, I am excited to discover more about the field through involvement in research projects that examine vestibular disorders or cochlear implantation. Overall, my life and experiences thus far have contributed to the development of the resilience, communication skills, and patience that would make me thrive in doctoral program for audiology.
An interest in the field of speech-language pathology was ignited in my mind and my heart at the young age of 9. It was career day in Mrs. Garrett’s third grade class and our school speech pathologist was speaking to the class about her profession. I knew at that moment that this was my calling. I was fortunate to have a support system that focused on helping my passion flourish, so my wonderful teacher arranged for me to spend a week with our school speech pathologist, during this time I was able to see how she helped students communicate. During high school, I was given the opportunity to spend two days per week volunteering with the elementary school speech-pathologist in our district. These experiences continued to shape my goals and dreams for the future. Unfortunately, my dreams soon came crashing down around me. As I prepared to apply for college, I realized that my parents had spent my entire college fund during a financial hardship. I was devastated by the setback, but decided to attend a community college instead, planning to transfer after two years. During my time at community college, I faced yet another setback, my parents were getting a divorce and soon I found myself without a place to live. Consequently, my grades and GPA suffered as I bounced
Growing up, I have always known that I wanted to work in the education field. I believe helping students learn and grow is my purpose in life. I believe the purpose of education is to see students develop and grow. I believe the role of the student is to come to school and learn new information that they can apply to their lives. I believe the role of the paraprofessional is to be the assistant for the teacher and provide assistance to the students. I believe the community plays a major role in education, especially the parents and guardians. They are a part of their child 's education and provide support for them when they need it most. Education is not going away anytime soon, so we need to look at what education
Hearing loss is a major global public health issue. Hearnet (2017) defines hearing loss as “a disability that occurs when one or more parts of the ear and/or the parts of the brain that make up the hearing pathway do not function normally” (para. 1). There are many different types of hearing loss, which can have multiple causes, giving each individual experiencing the issue a unique hearing loss case. These types include Auditory Processing Disorders, when the brain has problems processing sound information; Conductive Hearing Loss, a problem with the outer or middle ear which prevents sound making its way to the inner ear; and Sensorineural Hearing Loss, when the Cochlea or auditory nerve is damaged and cannot
One objective of pediatric audiology is to estimate hearing thresholds so that hearing loss can be identified, quantified, and remediated during critical language-learning years. Although the goal is to closely estimate hearing thresholds, not all infants and children are able to provide behavioral responses that are close to threshold. Because audiologic test methods may not result in threshold estimates, Matkin (1977) coined the term Minimum Response Level (MRL), which is now widely used in the field of pediatric audiology. Matkin recommended using the term MRL to refer to audiologic behavioral responses obtained from pediatric clients when using techniques such as visual reinforcement audiometry “…until the reliability and the validity of the initial test findings are evaluated over time” (pg. 130). The use of the term MRL, according to Matkin, implies that the response behaviors may not be audiometric thresholds but may improve with the child’s maturation. Matkin provided an example, from an unpublished pilot study, when responses may not be indicative of audiometric thresholds. He stated that if a child is “actively involved in a play activity, response levels tended to be 20 to 30 dB poorer than those obtained when there was no sensory input competition”. Karzon (2007) mirrors this definition by recommending that MRLs be used, to represent the “best” response obtained rather than a threshold, when stimulus-response control is not achieved during visual reinforcement audiology (VRA) and/or conditioned play audiometry (CPA).
I'm so excited to be taking accelerated English in your class this year! I've heard so many good things about you and your class. I'm not going to lie though, I'm more of a math and science person than an English person. I feel that this year with a fun class, I'll be able to accelerate in English.
I am interested in being granted the “St. George’s Scholarship” because it will allow me to expand my education. I wish to one day become a Speech Language Pathologist. In order to do so I must finish my Bachelors degree of Arts in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology and eventually enter a Speech and Language Sciences Master’s degree program. This will allow me to broaden my education with speech language disorders. As an aspiring speech and language Pathologist, I wish to improve patient’s communication skills, while also reducing social isolation that may accompany someone with a speech disorder. Currently, I am pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology as well as minoring in Developmental Disabilities.
Becoming an educator for such an important career is not an easy task and requires a lot from those who are looking into pursuing it. It will take a lot of time and dedication to figure out what one specifically wants to do. It is a lot of pressure knowing that pursuing a career as an educator will put one
When deciding on my major, I knew there were two criterias: I did not want an office job and I wanted to have a positive effect on someone's life. I needed a job that would not leave me burnt out and sad, but instead show me that I'm making improvement in a patient that needs help with something so many take for granted. Being able to talk is something that normally comes naturally and is just expected. Being able to help with such complications and seeing my patient grow will be one of the most rewarding feelings. I also realize that speech does more than just help speech impediments but also swallowing studying and cognitive thinking. By going to Misericordia’s Speech Language Pathology camp over the summer I even learned that a Speech pathologist
I believe educators are one of the most important careers out there, without them where would we be today? Would you be reading this paper? Would you still be able to read, write, or have an educated conversation? Do you know how to pay for things at the grocery store, and know if you’re receiving the correct change back? Do you know how to tell time, so you can manage your day?
Going into the teaching profession was very natural for me. I want to make an impact on students lives and outlooks, and for me, there is no better way to do that than to become a teacher. As a future Special Education teacher, I truly believe that every student, no matter their ability, is capable of successfully learning, you just have to find a way to teach them. I work to get to know each of my students, as an individual and make them feel comfortable in my classroom. It is so important for me to find the way my students learn best and utilize their learning style in my classroom. I also always show my students how great their potential is and constantly motivate them to always do their best. I am unique from other teachers because I am
Through my own experiences, and as enforced by others' opinions in the profession, I have found that teaching is one of the most rewarding careers. Not only are you placed in the position of instructing and guiding children and young adults through the life long learning process, but you are able to give back to the schools and communities which have supported your early education and experiences that opened you up to a bright future. In becoming an educator, I hope to someday share the knowledge and lend the helping, supportive hand that I was once given, allowing students to formulate their own perspectives of the multicultural society and world around them. Teaching is a career I have been interested in pursuing throughout high school, and as my experiences and study in the field expands, I feel that my desire to teach will grow stronger and develop more soundly.
Teaching is a complex occupation that requires as much empathy and emotion as it does educational skill. I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher, and realized after having my own children, that I would not truly be fulfilling my purpose in life if I did not pursue this dream. As a volunteer at the elementary school in my community, I loved the environment and took tremendous joy in watching the children learn. I felt that I had the ability, along with the dedication and desire, it would take to become a full time educator. To achieve this goal I will strive to give my students a positive beginning, provide confidence in their individual abilities, and prepare them for different aspects in life.
I chose education as my career path because I hope to be able to make a small difference in a child’s life. Time and time again I have seen children being educated poorly and/or not having appropriate role models in their life. I feel that an educator must not only be able to convey to the student the classroom material, but also be a counselor, coach, mentor, and a parent. Failing to fulfill these roles gives a child the chance to slip through the educational system without having the opportunity to influence them to some degree.
As we reminisce and reflect back either on our childhood or academic career, we tend to have that one teacher who was memorable to us in some way - for their sense of humor, their stellar personality, or perhaps having that charisma and charm no other teacher had to make a difficult subject and it 's concepts fun to learn. While knowledge is power, I firmly believe that it is rather the exchange and distribution of knowledge that is power. When one can educate the masses there is no doubt that together we can accomplish great things. Becoming a teacher would mean the opportunity to be able to witness the shaping and molding of the minds of the future generations and the satisfaction knowing that you have helped your students set themselves onto the right path and provide guidance towards the creation of a better tomorrow. Choosing to become a teacher will allow me not only to educate my students, but also educate myself to be a better teacher throughout my career. I believe it is a function of human nature to want to change the world for the better. In adulthood, I have learned that the improvement of the welfare of the world must begin with
Teaching is a daunting task that I do not intend to take lightly. Becoming a teacher has been a dream of mine for several years. I always knew that teaching would be the career for me, especially when I began working in the school system as a substitute secretary. I loved working in the school environment; coming in contact with children everyday made me realize how much I would enjoy teaching a classroom full of students.