|
MY BRILLIANT CAREER Speech-language pathologist Special educator Writer |
|
With a name like Jane McLean (it rhymes)--if you’ve got the name, why not play the game and have a career based on language?
I was an incredibly picky eater as a child. My mom despaired as she thought of people perishing during the Depression and World War II: “Oh, Janie, what are you going to do when you grow up?” Me, self-assuredly: “Be a schoolteacher.”
I come from a long line of teachers. It’s in the blood. My son Morgan is a fifth-generation teacher.
I had a combined career: speech-language pathologist, supporting people with communication challenges “from womb to tomb” while concurrently a preschool special education teacher. This was a perfect combination for me, appealing to both my punctilious nature and my adventurous, curious, fun-loving side.
The apple, butterfly, caterpillar, dog, ducks, fish, fox, frog, gingerbread, jack-o-lanterns, kittens and mittens, ladybugs, naughty monkeys, rainbow, star, toadstool, and Things 1 and 2 represent stories and songs from the therapy room and classroom.
I used sign language daily and gave lessons to staff members. I supervised interns, was an administrator, gave professional workshops, interacted with many wonderful people, and laughed every day.
While co-authoring textbooks with my husband, I discovered my true writing talent: not the Great American Novel I had been pursuing for years, but technical non-fiction. Over the years, I have churned out numerous newsletters, articles, and instructional manuals, as well as two illustrated histories for Arcadia Publishing, Helderberg Hilltowns and Belfast.
I retired in 2014 because I didn’t want to drive all over the countryside anymore. I loved my profession, but I do not miss getting up and going to work one iota.
I was an incredibly picky eater as a child. My mom despaired as she thought of people perishing during the Depression and World War II: “Oh, Janie, what are you going to do when you grow up?” Me, self-assuredly: “Be a schoolteacher.”
I come from a long line of teachers. It’s in the blood. My son Morgan is a fifth-generation teacher.
I had a combined career: speech-language pathologist, supporting people with communication challenges “from womb to tomb” while concurrently a preschool special education teacher. This was a perfect combination for me, appealing to both my punctilious nature and my adventurous, curious, fun-loving side.
The apple, butterfly, caterpillar, dog, ducks, fish, fox, frog, gingerbread, jack-o-lanterns, kittens and mittens, ladybugs, naughty monkeys, rainbow, star, toadstool, and Things 1 and 2 represent stories and songs from the therapy room and classroom.
I used sign language daily and gave lessons to staff members. I supervised interns, was an administrator, gave professional workshops, interacted with many wonderful people, and laughed every day.
While co-authoring textbooks with my husband, I discovered my true writing talent: not the Great American Novel I had been pursuing for years, but technical non-fiction. Over the years, I have churned out numerous newsletters, articles, and instructional manuals, as well as two illustrated histories for Arcadia Publishing, Helderberg Hilltowns and Belfast.
I retired in 2014 because I didn’t want to drive all over the countryside anymore. I loved my profession, but I do not miss getting up and going to work one iota.
Copyright Jane McLean, 2023