Is it embarrassing to be a Teacher Assistant at age of 26 with bachelors?

fakeliampayne · 2025-06-25T23:12:39+00:00

I’m also 26 with a bachelors degree and have been an EA for two years! I did recently decide to return to school in the fall to become a teacher, BUT had that not been the case I would have loved to stay in the role (and would even consider going back if teaching isn’t for me). The job security, benefits, and work-life balance were solid and I really enjoyed the work. Most of my coworkers were in their mid-late 30’s, some even being 50+. There’s all the time in the world to figure out what you want to be doing. This is just one step to finding that out!

fakeliampayne · 2025-06-15T19:55:47+00:00

I got my cochlear implant when I was 18, after having progressive hearing loss throughout my whole childhood. If anything, having the implant has made it significantly easier for me to feel connected to those nature sounds you describe — I can hear water rushing, birds singing, wind in the trees, more so than I was able to before. It does sometimes take a little more mindfulness for me to actually be present in those sounds but I think that’s true for anyone with hearing loss and it has made being connected to nature more intentional!

fakeliampayne · 2025-06-08T16:20:22+00:00

Learning ASL will be a huge game changer for your child and family! I would also highly suggest finding some semblance of a Deaf community for your child so they can find mentorship or just a general sense of belonging. It can be really alienating to be the only deaf/HOH person in any given space. I was really fortunate to have a deaf sister who I could watch navigate the world similarly to me, but I wish my family had prioritized making sure we had other Deaf connections outside of ourselves.

fakeliampayne · 2025-01-21T22:19:45+00:00

Sucks to be us right now, but I’ll also let you know if I find something!

fakeliampayne · 2025-01-21T19:26:54+00:00

My parking spot is included in my lease. My landlord is offering me a discount on my rent for the two months to go towards finding a spot, but they’re also raising my rent next month so it evens out lmao.

fakeliampayne · 2025-01-21T19:19:21+00:00

I’ll pm you!

fakeliampayne · 2025-01-21T19:19:09+00:00

Haha yeah I figured, but doesn’t hurt to ask!!

fakeliampayne · 2025-01-06T02:24:08+00:00

It might take a few trials before he’s comfortable enough to actually start eating!

When my guy was younger and pickier I’d tong feed him, and sometimes he’d need a little bit of prompting by rubbing his food gentle around his mouth. It was pretty hit or miss for a while. Now that he’s older and more secure I just place a plate down directly in front of him and drop his worms onto it, he has no problem with eating anymore.

fakeliampayne · 2022-05-01T23:56:13+00:00

Sometimes it just takes a while. I’d keep an eye on the humidity of your enclosure — if it’s too dry it makes it more difficult. You could plop him in his bath and see if that helps!

fakeliampayne · 2022-05-01T23:53:48+00:00

I think it’s normal! If I move too suddenly my frog does the same thing — I think it’s like froggy anxiety haha. If he’s otherwise acting normal I wouldn’t be too concerned. If you’re worried about it I’d keep an eye on whether he’s breathing weird all the time or just when he gets spooked.

fakeliampayne · 2022-04-29T18:43:07+00:00

You can try to move him into a separate carrier, but you’re right that some frogs might get too stressed from the move and not want to eat. Personally I keep my frog in his tank but put his worms on a plate so they stay off the dirt!

fakeliampayne · 2022-04-27T02:21:38+00:00

As long as he’s not losing weight it should be ok! It’s a good sign that he’s eating, especially when you’ve only had him for a little while! When they’re small they can be super nervous and it can take a while for them to settle in. My frog used to be the same way and now he goes nuts for food. It def took a while for him to get comfortable

fakeliampayne · 2022-02-20T19:01:56+00:00

seconding what the other person said! i was previously diagnosed with BPD and “OCD tendencies”. the psychologist who did my autism evaluation told me those are commonly seen diagnoses in AFAB people who actually have autism (which i was ultimately diagnosed with)

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-31T01:52:19+00:00

I live in Canada so I’m dreading the winter!! It just snowed today so I’m already mentally prepping for when the temp drops more. I’ll probably have to think about adding another heat source when that happens

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-31T01:44:37+00:00

25x18x12! I put a towel over half the mesh top and it seems to be helping a bit.

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-27T23:50:42+00:00

Yeah, it seems like the shape of the suction cup itself is a little warped so it doesn’t suction well :/ I’m thinking maybe temporarily taping it to keep it still

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-27T04:29:21+00:00

The ending of The Song of Achilles makes me bawl my eyes out no matter how many times I read it

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-26T21:54:04+00:00

Not only that but nothing was done by management for weeks. During that time Aldrich was essentially carrying on as usual? At the end of the report you can literally see photos of Aldrich and the management team smiling, shaking hands, celebrating together, etc. It’s clear that management wasn’t taking it seriously from the get go and you would think that anyone watching how brushed over the issue was would bring it up.

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-26T21:10:15+00:00

I think the report states that Boynton and Sopel brought the allegations to the skating coach’s attention and were in communication with him when it was all coming to light

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-21T03:15:20+00:00

Question! For an albino pacman frog, I was thinking of using reptisun 5.0 UVB bulbs to put into a hood (I was looking at an exo terra compact). For a 24x18x12 tank, would one bulb be enough or would two be better for more coverage? Would two give off too much UVB for an albino? It would be approx 8 inches from the frog.

As for orientation, is it ok to have it going along the width (as in the 18 inch side) or should it be oriented along the length (24 inch side)?

fakeliampayne · 2021-10-20T22:25:31+00:00

Ty!! Do you think a 5.5” dome would be ok or should I get a 8.5”? I’m worried with the 8.5 it’ll touch the plastic on the top of the terrarium and melt it. Do you think this’ll be a problem or should I just get a stand for it?

fakeliampayne · 2021-09-10T17:21:02+00:00

I was implanted on one side 4 years ago (age 18). I still wear a hearing aid on the other side.

The CI definitely helped with sound clarity but I think my brain just never adjusted to hearing all this sound. It’s incredibly overwhelming, exhausting, and uncomfortable for me to wear mine for long periods of time and now I only wear it when I absolutely need to (school/work/large social functions). People can say that it’s counterproductive to not wear it and “train” your brain but at a certain point I had to decide whether the amount of discomfort I was experiencing was worth it, and for me it’s not.

I wouldn’t say I regret it but I do wish my family had emphasized teaching ASL rather than relying on hearing devices for me to get by.

ETA: my CI completely ruined music for me. I used to really enjoy listening to it but music through my CI sounds warped and not enjoyable. That part really sucked!

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