Day in the Life of a Student OT-based Therapist

My fieldwork level II is going amazing! I am currently at an elementary school in a small district. I really enjoy working with kids and I am learning so much. Each day, I am able to apply what I have learned into practice. 

I start my day by leaving my house by 7:30 AM to get to the elementary school by 8 Am. When I get there, my supervisor and I run through housekeeping things, print activities, and or complete student consultations with the teachers until 8:30 AM. 

We work with kindergartens and 4th-6th graders. In addition, we have also been implementing an 8-week kindergarten program which is a whole class intervention. This program works on hand dominance, grasp, hand/finger strength, and handwriting. We see our first student at 8:30 AM and then continue seeing students or a kindergarten class every 30 minutes. In total, we see about 13 students every day. Lunch is between 12-1 PM, which can vary depending on the student's attendance. During lunch, we document while we eat and have some time to document from 3-3:20 PM. After school, we see two early intervention kids on alternating days so one student a day from 3:30- 4 PM. Then I drive home and I'm usually back between 4:30-4:45 PM.

When I get home, I eat dinner, finish documenting, and plan for the next day. Currently, I am on week 7 and I am treating more than half of our caseload! It has been a lot of fun planning different interventions and activities to target each of my student's needs. I have been able to complete evaluations using the BOT-2 and the Berry VMI. This experience has given me a lot of knowledge in how the school system works, how to document, write reports, and complete evaluations. 

This past week, the students completed Valentine's day activities with my kids which everyone loved. I wanted to do an activity with self-talk which is something that I noticed needs to be discussed more in elementary schools. I had them write something that they love about themselves and decorate it using stamps, markers, and stickers. This activity targeted writing mechanics, cutting skills, distal finger control, motor planning, and hand strengthening. 

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