Milestones

My road in life took a while to figure out.
My first teaching job was with 8th grade Reading / Language Arts. That was really challenging, and after 2 years I didn't like who I was becoming--stressed, sarcastic, and angry.
I reached out to my principal and asked to be moved to teach 6th grade ELA. That age group was a much better fit for me! I was happy at work, but unhappy in my personal life, so I decided to move.
I moved from Houston to Waco and got a job teaching 5th grade ELA with GT / Pre-Ap students. I had a really hard year, and I started to realize I was overwhelmed with teaching in general.
I looked into graduate school to be a counselor. I decided to go to Tarleton and to focus on School Counseling and LPC work. I resigned from Waco ISD and started looking for a part-time job.
I moved to a charter school and was able to teach 6th grade part-time. It was the BEST year for me! I went to school full-time, and found a really good work-life balance.
After my first year of grad school, I took a year off so I could teach full-time at the charter school. It was more confirmation for me that I wanted OUT of the classroom!
I got married in the summer, and we moved to a new city. I decided not to work at all and focused solely on grad school. We ended up moving again, and I took another year off of work.
I was finally able to get a School Counseling job. I'm in my 3rd year, and I like it. I'm almost done with my LPC-Intern hours, and I plan to work part-time next year as a Contract Counselor.

Career

School Counselor

I am the Counselor at a Title 1 elementary school.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People

Day to Day

I start my morning in the cafeteria to monitor students before the bell rings. Then I make sure students are in their classrooms before I go to my office to check my e-mails and start on paperwork. Through out the day I'm available to talk with students who are upset or struggling. I also attend meetings on a regular basis: 504, ARD, RTI, Leadership Team, and Grade Level. I am the Testing Coordinator and in charge of everything with STAAR. I never know what my day is going to look like.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for professionals

It is extremely important to network. It helps if you are a teacher in the district you want to work in (School Counselor), but if you're not, then try substituting to develop relationships. As for LPC work, get to know other therapists in your area. Take them to lunch to pick their brains, join Insurance Panels, make calls to doctor's offices to get your name out there.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Family:

"I was told there was no money in education. I was also told I shouldn't want to work in low-income schools because they are "dangerous" and just "too hard". "

Challenges I Overcame

Anxiety and Depression