Watching Future OT Practitioners Bloom
The most rewarding thing in my work as an occupational therapy educator is getting to see the "OT identity" of each of the students that pass through our program develop over the time they are in OT school. Of course, that identity and the therapeutic use of self will continue to develop over the decades they have ahead of them in their careers as OT practitioners, but I think in many ways the biggest growth spurt of that is in the beginning, when they are gaining a better understanding of the scope of practice of occupational therapy, the history of the profession, and the philosophy and theory behind the practice of OT. It's reading their blog posts; hearing their questions, thoughts and ideas; watching their eyes light up when they have realizations or are exposed to something for the first time that will impact them for the rest of their careers; and seeing the projects and advocacy work they produce as future OT practitioners that make my job so worthwhile, and I app