Sharon Nichols

Pamagat: Speech-Language Pathologist
Site ng trabaho: Enchanted Lake Elementary School
Mga taon sa HIDOE: 18
Mga taon sa posisyon: 18

Q: What was your career path like?
A: Being a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is a second career for me. My undergraduate degree was in business and marketing. After having my second child, I was introduced to the field when my son received speech therapy services, and thought this would be a fulfilling career. When I decided to return to work, I went through the master’s program for Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Hawai‘i. I was fortunate enough to receive a stipend that covered the cost of my education. I was required to commit to working for the HIDOE for three years, and 18 years later, I am still here.

Q: Ano ang iyong mga pangunahing tungkulin?
A: SLP duties in the DOE include providing therapy to students, monitoring and reporting on progress, collaborating with parents and other team members, evaluating students and reporting results, determining their needs and creating plans to meet their needs in the school environment.

Q: Paboritong bahagi tungkol sa trabaho?
A: The kids and the progress they make. I love working in an elementary school, because I have built relationships with the students and seen them grow; some from preschool to sixth grade.  

Q: Pinaka-challenging na bahagi tungkol sa iyong posisyon?
A: Paperwork is a big part of an SLP’s job. It can be challenging keeping everything organized and balancing therapy with the administrative duties.

Q: How does your job support students?
A: Language and communication are part of everything people do each day, whether in or out of school. SLPs have a broad scope of practice. Some of the ways we support students are to help them express their ideas, comprehend information, learn social skills, support vocabulary, teach articulation and phonology (produce accurate speech sounds) and work with nonverbal students to use technology to communicate.

Q: Anong payo ang mayroon ka para sa mga taong isinasaalang-alang ang posisyon na ito?
A: Being a speech-language pathologist is a very gratifying career. There are a wide range of responsibilities in this job and being open to learning new things is important. It is also helpful to have organizational skills to keep track of scheduling and completing paperwork.

Q: Fun fact about yourself?
A: I hiked to the top of Olomana once. Never again!

Watch a video of Sharon working with students as a speech-language pathologist.