Jennifer Cravens is School Partnership Clinician with PresenceLearning. Jen started her career with PresenceLearning as a contracted speech-language pathologist in 2013. Jen explains how she made the transition from contractor to employee and offers advice to those looking to advance their career with PresenceLearning. Can you tell me about your background and how you came to work with PresenceLearning? I have over 20 years of school-based experience as a speech-language pathologist. I spent 14 years in schools and medical settings and 6 years as a Clinical Instructor at the University of Illinois. During this time, I realized how I could reach more students by practicing online and I quickly learned how to teach online. I taught an online course and over 700 students were able to attend my class (the classes in…
Michelle Brownlee is School Partnership Director with PresenceLearning. Michelle started her career with PresenceLearning as a contracted speech-language pathologist in 2012 when she was living in Japan. Michelle explains how she made the transition from contractor to employee and offers advice to those looking to advance their career with PresenceLearning. Can you tell me a little about your background and how you came to work for PresenceLearning? I have been a licensed Speech Language Pathologist since 1991. For several years, I lived in Japan. Although I speak some Japanese and was employed part-time teaching English, I was unable to work as an SLP. The year prior to my big move back to the United States, I decided to take a look at what opportunities were available…
Erin O’Connell, an online school psychologist with PresenceLearning, and her family are currently living on the Naval Air Facility Atsugi (NAF Atsugi) in Japan where her husband is stationed. Despite being more than 5,000 miles away from her students, Erin is able to continue her professional career via teletherapy and, importantly, help students succeed. Preparing to Move Erin originally began working as a school psychologist in Florida, but she knew her family would be moving frequently and that she would need to expand her career and certification to other states. In preparation, Erin became a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Later, when she worked in Maryland, she was allowed to practice part-time without expanding her state certification, but when a subsequent move brought the O’Connells…
Many clinicians turn to teletherapy due to life changes: some need time to care for children or family members, some are looking for more freedom, and some move frequently due to a spouse in the military. Brittney Franklin, an occupational therapist, got involved with teletherapy when she and her husband decided to move from a city on Lake Superior to a city on the Atlantic coast. She is now in her fourth school year with PresenceLearning, and we are thrilled to have her as part of our network. Brittney, thank you for all that you do for your students! Q. Why did you decide to try your hand at online therapy with PresenceLearning? A. My husband and I took a life adventure. We moved from Duluth,…
Changing gears from being a school-based SLP to starting a private practice can be a big change, especially when your new practice is online. PresenceLearning has a wide range of ways to support independent telepractitioners including an assigned onboarding specialist, technical support, mentoring, and professional development opportunities. However, moving to the online world does mean learning new technology and finding the most effective way to communicate with school staff, parents, and peers from hundreds of miles away. Janet Courtney, an SLP who has contracted with PresenceLearning as an SLP for five years, shares her insights on what it takes to be successful in telepractice and what she likes most about working online. Janet, it is great to have you in our network, and thank you for all…
"If your brother should sin against you, go and point out his sin."� �Matthew 18:15, our translation
Jesus prays that His Church would be one as He and His Father are one (Jn 17:21). Jesus has exceptionally high standards for unity in His Church so that the world would believe that the Father sent Jesus (Jn 17:21). This may come as a surprise to us, for our experience in our local churches may be that of denominational and factional disunity. Yet Jesus never changes His standards. He insists on His Church reflecting the unity of the Trinity.
To prevent disunity, dispel disunity, and build unity, the Holy Spirit works in the following ways. He gives us:
the responsibility and wisdom to correct our brothers and sisters in Christ (see Ez 33:8; Mt 18:15),
the charity and discipline to keep our differences with another brother or sister between the two of us (see Mt 18:15),
the deeper presence of Jesus and the power of prayer when Christians gather in unity in Jesus' name (see Mt 18:19-20), and
The Holy Spirit enables us never to have to settle for less than the best unity in the Church. However, we must be docile to the Holy Spirit and follow His ways of reconciliation and unity exactly and sacrificially. Come, Holy Spirit of unity! (see 1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:3) Come and give us a new Pentecost of unity!
Prayer: Father, free the Church to accept her participation in the unity of the Trinity, as soon as possible.