OTS 199: From NBCOT Struggles to School-Based OT
- 3 days ago
- 36 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
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Welcome to the show notes for Episode 199 of the OT Schoolhouse Podcast.
Transitioning from OT student to practicing clinician isn’t always a straight path—and in this episode, Chandler Sarkozi shares her real, unfiltered journey into school-based practice. From taking the NBCOT multiple times to navigating job options and ultimately choosing a travel-based school position, this conversation highlights the challenges many new grads face but don’t often talk about.
Chandler dives into what it actually looks like to start mid-year as a contract OT, including figuring out housing, building rapport with students and staff, and working through imposter syndrome. She also shares practical insights on the interview process, key questions to ask employers, and how a strong support system can make all the difference.
Whether you're a new grad, exploring school-based OT, or curious about travel therapy, this episode offers honest guidance and reassurance. 🎙️ Press play to hear how Chandler learned to trust herself, stay flexible, and grow into her role.
Learning Objectives
Identify strategies for transitioning from OT student to school-based practitioner
Learners will identify key considerations when choosing between contract and district school-based OT roles
Determine essential interview questions to assess support, caseload, and job expectations
Guest Bio
Chandler is an occupational therapist who began her career as a travel school-based clinician, supporting preschool, middle school, and transition-aged students up to age 22. Prior to graduate school, she worked at a nonprofit school for autism that utilized the DIR/Floortime model—an experience that deeply shaped her relational and developmental approach.
During her training, Chandler served as a SOTA board member and led an interprofessional competition, further strengthening her leadership and collaborative skills. Through her clinical work and global travel experiences, she has developed a culturally responsive approach grounded in compassion, curiosity, and collaboration.
She approaches her work with a holistic lens, recognizing that meaningful progress happens when children, families, and educators are supported together. She prioritizes authentic relationships and inter-professional collaboration to create cohesive, goal-aligned support systems that are sustainable and contextually responsive. Chandler is passionate about strengthening caregivers as a way to strengthen entire communities, and she aspires to one day develop innovative, developmentally informed schools in underserved areas—creating environments that empower both children and those who support them.
Quotes
“I didn't come this far… to not fully finish what I started.”
— Chandler Sárközi, MOT, OTR/L
“Trust yourself… you're going to learn from it regardless.”
— Chandler Sárközi, MOT, OTR/L
“Trying something is better than assuming”
— Chandler Sárközi, MOT, OTR/L
“You don’t need to stress too much about knowing all the assessments before you get hired.”
—Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L
“Everything is figure-out-able.”
—Jayson Davies, M.A., OTR/L
Resources
👉LinkedIn - Chandler Sarkozi - Connect with Chandler for questions about travel school-based OT
👉NBCOT - National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam
👉Furnished Finder - Housing resources for travel therapists
👉Episode 172 with Doug Vestal - Recent OT Schoolhouse Podcast episode about student loans and financial planning
Episode Transcript
Expand to view episode transcript
Jayson Davies
Hey there, and welcome back to the OT school house podcast. This is episode 199, thank you so much for being here really quickly before we get started. I apologize if this intro and the outro later feels a little amazingly. I am overcoming a little bit of a cough cold, whatever you want to call it. And yeah, but that's not going to stop us. We are going to get through this important episode. So let's go ahead and set the scene starting a new school based ot job can feel like being dropped into the middle of a story that you're unfamiliar with, and when that unfamiliar story includes a travel contract in the middle of the school year, and maybe you just recently passed the NBC ot exam on your second, third, or maybe even your fourth try. That does not sound fun, right? Well, today's guest knows exactly what that is like. Chandler Sarkozy is an occupational therapist and assistant producer here at the OT school house podcast and one of the community managers of our school based ot collaborative community. Chandler began working with me while she was still in occupational therapy school a few years ago, and she recently made the leap from student to full time contracted school based practitioner, taking on a full caseload here in February, navigating IEPs she didn't write of course, and learning the ropes while balancing a long commute in the realities of travel therapy. In this episode, Chandler opens up about her transition, the financial decisions that led her to contract work, the support systems that saved her, the imposter syndrome that showed up anyway, and the strategies that helped her to survive and feel more confident in her new role as a school based ot if you're a new grad weighing your options, or a soon to be new grad wondering if travel therapy is right for you, or perhaps even a seasoned practitioner, curious what it's like to start mid year as a travel contractor. This conversation is for you. Let's dive in with Chandler Sarkozy,
Amazing Narrator
hello and welcome to the OT school house podcast. Your source for school based occupational therapy, tips, interviews and professional development. Now to get the conversation started, here is your host, Jayson Davies, class is officially in session.
Jayson Davies
Well, Chandler, here you are on the OT school house podcast. You are one of the most familiar people with the OT school house podcast, so it is going to be fun having you on the opposite end here as kind of being a guest on the show as opposed to kind of being the producer behind the scenes of the OT school house podcast. So welcome. How are you doing today?
Chandler Sarkozi
Thank you, Jayson. I'm doing good, a bit nervous, but cool to be on this side. So yeah, thanks for having me, and I'm excited to be here absolutely.
Jayson Davies
You know people who have attended the back to school conference or part of their two school house collaborative are familiar with you. People really appreciate how, how you bring value to I mean, at the back to school conference, mostly in our chat, really helping provide resources for people and at ot school house collaborative, everybody knows how involved you are there with making sure that professional development is going on and providing resources there. But here, we're here today to talk about you and your recent transition from being a student as an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy student moving into a full time school based ot position. So with that, before we dive into all that, I just want to hear a little bit from you how you kind of came into the world of occupational therapy.
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah. So I knew I always wanted to help people. I just didn't know what that looked like when I was younger. And so my mom actually, she worked at a school and was friends with the occupational therapists, and she was like, I think ot would be the most perfect job for you. And I didn't know what ot was. So I was like, okay, like, I'll go check it out. I'll go shadow her friend and see what it's all about. And so it was at a school in elementary school. And so, you know, we saw kids in her small, little office, she had, like her desk, and then just like a little small trampoline, and then like a little crash pad. And it was, it was very small, but I'm like, Oh, wow, this seems so fun, like you're playing with kids all day. Like I'm sold. So that was kind of the beginning steps of me learning what ot was. And I had no idea that ot was in other areas as well. So I applied to OT school was all for, like, the working with kids being at a school, and then to find out there was all these other aspects to it, like in the hospitals. And I was like, that's not for me, but I'm here for the kids. I'm here for for learning. And so yeah, that's how I kind of learned about OT and. Applied to OT school. I, when I was doing that, I was actually getting my undergrad in human services, so another field of helping people, and then I transitioned to the OT aspect, awesome.
Jayson Davies
So what were some of the things that during school or OT school, that kind of helped you to solidify that maybe you wanted to go into school based occupational therapy. I know you mentioned, you know, that's kind of your roots in understanding occupational therapy. But as you mentioned, there's also many other areas of OT. So what was it that kind of solidified I want to go into school based OT? So we
Chandler Sarkozi
So we had our, we actually got to go into a school. So it was like an underserved school. working with those kids, it was really cool to see that dynamic. And the principal, I remember her so specifically. She was so upbeat and so just engaged with the kids. And she'd call everybody love. all the kids, even like us, the students our professors and everything.
(6:01)
And so going there and actually working with the kids, that was a really cool hands-on experience that we all did. And ⁓ then my fieldwork, I was at a school district doing evals for Playbased.
and then one day a week we would go see the students. But I really liked the play-based evaluation aspect to that. And then my other placement was at a nonprofit that had a school, it had a clinic, and it had an adult section. So it was very cool having those three different areas and going to the school, seeing the transition students, which was different than what I had experienced before working with younger kids. So seeing that, I really liked.
that aspect too. So just having a wide range of different experiences, even if some of them were short, just seeing the kids through their lifespan and how it is different working with each age range.
Jayson Davies
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, our level our level one and level two field works really shaped what we understand about OT, I think a lot. And, you know, I never had a school based ot level one or level two, and obviously went into schools. But I know it seems like a lot of cases, people end up in one of the areas that they do a level one or level two, just because it really does shape us. And so it's so nice when you have a good level one, good level two experience that helps you, kind of get you through ot school and then into your career. And so let's go ahead and talk about that point then, because you know you go through your ot program, you go through your level ones and your level twos, and then it's kind of like, boom, you are out in the rural world here. So coming out of OT school, what was your thought process around completing the NBC, OT and then starting to work? I mean, I know nothing ever goes as planned, but, you know, go back to that moment that you graduated, what was your thinking that that, I guess, what was your thinking in terms of completing the NBC ot test and then going on to work?
Chandler Sarkozi
So my thinking plan was a little bit different than I think most people's, because as soon as I before I graduated, I knew that I was leaving the country. I left the country on a one way ticket. I didn't know when I was gonna come back, and so I didn't study my I had a plan that I was gonna study, but that ended up not happening. So it was months that I was gone, I didn't do what I originally said I was gonna do, oh yeah, I'm gonna, you know, study these days and make time for it. That didn't happen. So upon coming back, I was like, Okay, I want to take it as soon as possible. So I gave myself, I think, around four weeks, and I was like, I just want to take it. I want to see how I'm going to do and get it over with. So in those four weeks, all of my my cohort had already taken their exam, had already had jobs, so I had no one to study with. So it's just me alone trying to figure out the best way to study. I didn't know really what I was doing, how I needed to best study, and so I took it, and I failed by three points. And so that was super frustrating, because I was like, Oh, I was so close, but yet, so far. And so then I was like, okay, well, I need to figure out a different strategy to see if that'll help. And so I did, I studied for, I don't know how many more weeks and once again, passed, didn't pass by missing a few points. And so, you know, it just kind of got even more disappointing, like, ⁓ man, like, am I gonna get this?
think I took it four times. On the fourth time I passed, And that time, I was, like, already looking for jobs. I was like, Okay, I'm passing this time. There's, there's no doubt about it, I'm staying in a good mindset about this. And so I was applying to jobs, doing job interviews, and yeah, then I found out that I finally passed and I saw those little, those little confetti things when I opened up the email, or whatever it was, and I was like, finally, I, like, texted my mom and everybody's, like, early in the morning when I got the news, and, yeah, it was finally, like a relief lifted.
Jayson Davies
But I think I remember that Google Chat coming in that you passed. I mean, this is, I know not everyone listening understands this, but Chandler and I meet on like a once a week basis. You know, on and off. We've skipped a few sessions every now and then, but we we meet very regularly, and I got to watch as you went through all these different emotions, per se, all these different failures, and then lifting yourself back up, and you could see how you were changing your plan in between each attempt. I mean, I remember sometimes you were going like hard at the library. Other times you're more, you know, just cuddle up with with a book or something at home. But things changed over time, and I guess, for from your perspective, what helped you, you know, once you got that email, the first three times that you know, wasn't great news, I guess. What was that experience like? Both kind of as you got that email, but then turned around to, you know, what I can do this.
Chandler Sarkozi
I've always not been a quitter, so I knew that no matter how many times it takes, if I keep failing, I'm gonna keep pushing through until I make it and like, I didn't come this far. I didn't go through ot school. I didn't go through all the tears and the hard times to not fully finish what I started. So, you know, I gave myself permission to feel disappointed and feel my feelings, but then I, you know, I have to pick it back up and keep going. And I think something else that helped was, by that time, my mentee from ot school, she had graduated, so she was studying for the exam as well, and she lives down the street from me, so we decided to make a study plan and start meeting up at the library. And so having her helped, you know, hold us both accountable, and we could quiz each other and ask each other questions. So I think having that that time also really helped and kept us both going, because we were both just like, Oh, we're just ready to both pass the test and be done with it.
Jayson Davies
Yeah, yeah, no, I totally understand that. One more question about this before we move on, because I think it's something that's not talked about very often, and that is, from your perspective, it's kind of a two part question. We'll start with part one, did you get a sense from other people in the profession, whether it be you know, even myself, that you know we met occasionally, or people from your cohort that you you know, kept in touch with, you know, did anything change relationship wise, when you let people know that, you know, I hadn't passed NBC, OT, you know, I missed it by a few points. And did that change? And the reason Matthew is because I want people who are listening to be able to kind of understand that from from the perspective, who's someone you know, who, who did have to take it a few times. Did you get a sense of anything changing when people found out that you didn't pass? Or was it similar? Were people very supportive? Did you have any hardships?
Chandler Sarkozi
I felt like I was, you know, incompetent when I would tell the people that I didn't pass. But nobody, you know, everybody was supportive. Nobody like said anything bad or anything like that. So I definitely tried to limit who I told each time as it went forward, just because I if I did fail, I didn't want to have to say it again or explain it. But then by that time, I'm like, You know what? It really doesn't matter. Are like, I'm taking it. If I fail, I fail. I think I got more confidence in myself to realize that either way, I'm human, I'll make mistakes, but that doesn't lower my worth. Yeah, yeah, awesome, yeah. I'm glad you've
Jayson Davies
had positive experiences, and I'm sure you know I always say that ot practitioners, especially are some of the kindest people and what the kindest people, and what the ethical people, and we all support one another. And you know, we just hope that that's always the case, because, you know, the NBC OT is not easy. I mean, they purposefully the pass rate, the pass to fail ratio is somewhat high, because it really is designed to make you think critically as you take the pass it or take the test. And so, yeah, you know, I couldn't be more happy for you once you pass, and I'm excited. And now, what that was back in December,
Chandler Sarkozi
that was in Oh, when was that?
Jayson Davies
Several months ago? We're just gonna months ago, yes, yeah. So that was back several months ago. And you know, like you said, once you were planning for this fourth test, and you knew you're going to pass it, you started looking for jobs. And at that point, walk me through some of the different options that you were considering, because in school based OT, I think you knew that you wanted to school based OT, or at least pediatrics. But what were some of the different options that you were weighing?
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, so I applied to some pediatric clinics, I applied to some schools, and I applied to early intervention, so all of them working with kids, I felt I hadn't done ei before, so I was, like, unsure about that one, but still, like, I was excited, because I would love to work with babies, but basically, I did some interviews with the clinics and honestly, once they told me the salary starting as an OT, like 65,000, I I feel like I've, I had so much time to think about this as I was not passing the test and as I was traveling. So those ones were out, Okay, I love traveling. I've been hesitant to look into travel therapy because something stuck in my mind if you starting out in travel therapy is not the best because they just throw you in to it. And so that kind of deterred me from doing that. But I was like, You know what? I'm gonna I'm gonna see my options. Let me just reach out to some recruiters and see what it looks like. And so I found some companies talked to them. And the one lady that I ended up talking to the most, and going with, she was very kind and understanding of all my wants and needs, because I I was very straightforward and blunt with everything that I wanted. And so she told me the options, and there happened to be an option that was close by to my house, well, not very close an hour away, but for a travel position, at least it's still in my state. So I had an interview with them, and everything seemed great. I asked a bunch of questions. They seemed very supportive, which was something really big on my list as a new practitioner coming in. I really wanted to make sure that I had a good support in the school, and that kind of right there sold me among just it, being in Illinois, being close to family as my first position, so I'm not super far away and and so, yeah, I was just weighing my options between EI and that. And I was like, and financially wise too, like, that was a big factor of mine, and so they were both on the same page financial wise. But I was like, I think having that support system and knowing that I've already been in schools, I'm comfortable there. I'm comfortable with the age ranges. So I was like, Yeah, that. That's what I'm going with.
Jayson Davies
All right, yeah, and then it sounds like you went directly to talking to contractors at any point. Did you apply your interview with in house districts or in house schools as a ot practitioner?
Chandler Sarkozi
I did, yeah, I applied to the school that I did my field work in that was actually earlier on in the process, before I even passed the exam, like maybe the second time I took the test, thinking that I was going to pass. I looked like one time prior and but I at that time, I wasn't sure about doing full time so, and they were looking for full time, so I didn't pass, and that ended up not working out regardless. So yeah, then that was pretty much when
Jayson Davies
it came time that you were ready after you did pass. Were there any particular reasons that you ended up going with a contract company over a school based company, whether it be an internal decision that you had made or an external in the sense that there just wasn't available positions, I guess. Why go contract route, the travel route, as opposed to in house with the district?
Chandler Sarkozi
For me, it was mostly about flexibility. In case I wanted to switch it up, I would. I knew that I would only be at one placement for 13 weeks if I liked it. I could continue, if the contract allowed for it, if they needed that, if I didn't, then I knew, Okay, after 13 weeks, I'm done and I can try something new. I can go into a pediatric clinic. I can go into EI I can do other things. So I felt like it gave me that flexibility of not feeling stuck in the beginning and being able to see what's out there, as well as having a stipend that's tax free money and making, you know, good money to begin with, in the contract field. So I think those were big determine, determining factors. For me,
Jayson Davies
I think that's a big one. I mean, aside from the financial aspect, the side that you know you can go in, you know that you have a placement for 13 weeks, you kind of get to decide if you like it or not. You also, and we're going to get more into this in a moment. You also started your contract position at a school district in like February or March, which is late in the year, as we all know, for the US public schools. So we'll talk more about that in a minute. But I think it's a good I don't think it's a bad idea. I should say, to try out contracting for the specific reason that you know, it's kind of an easy you can cut ties if you don't like it at the end of the school year or at the end of your 13 weeks. So yeah, where is there any opportunity to move further away from Illinois? And did you give that real consideration?
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, so I was really considering one of the placements in Texas, but I think I was like, I I want to be close to home for my first one, just because I don't know what to expect with everything. And I just felt like it was a good way to start, because it is a big change. It's a big transition, going from being in school to starting your career, and so just kind of slowly easing myself into it, and I thought that was a good way to start by staying in Illinois, being semi close by, and still getting the travel experience of having the travel contract, And then being able to branch out once this one's over, if that's what I decide to do,
Jayson Davies
yeah, yeah. I Yeah. I remember you talking about the Texas one a while back. And, yeah, when you bring up talking about the family, I've never done the travel myself. I've never lived more than like, 30 miles from where I grew up. But yeah, you know it would be an interesting experience, and I'm sure some people absolutely love it. And yeah, you what's nice is that you are going to be wrapping up your current travel contract, and just like we were talking about, you now have the flexibility. Should you decide to travel this time or in another 13 weeks after your next assignment, or whatever it might be. So that's what's nice about those short term contract jobs, is that if you like it, there is oftentimes an opportunity to stay, and if you don't like it, it's very easy to move on.
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, like I've been talking to some of my friends who are in OT and even my mom. My mom. Is a breast stenographer, I've been trying to get her to do travel therapy to to make the same amount of money in like half the year. and then she has free time to enjoy life and get to because she's always talking about, you know, just she doesn't have time and and, you know, she gets home from work and she's exhausted, I'm like, Well, this will free up your time, it'll give you more money, and you get to explore new places and see new things. And same with my friend, because she graduated with me, and I'm just like, you're young. Now's the time to try it, when you have that freedom and flexibility of maybe not having young kids or a family. So I think even for it works for young people who are just graduating, who maybe don't have a lot of responsibilities, as well as people who are older, who have older kids that already are grown, and they can now kind of live their life and do their own thing. So I think it's a wide range of people who should give it a chance and think about it and be open to the idea of seeing if it aligns with their life.
Jayson Davies
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And you bring up a good point, I think this is turning out to be a good follow up episode to our recent episode with Doug vestill, right? Like you can use a travel position or a few different travel positions to help you potentially get ahead on those student loans, or to help save that six months worth of emergency fund before you know, maybe taking on a position where you can afford to get paid a little bit less because you have that cushion built up, or maybe now you have a little extra funds to start your own business on the side, which I know Chandler you kind of have aspirations for in the future, potentially, right? So like by taking on a job that might be a little bit tricky, we're going to get into that in a moment. The financial reward might be worth the short term hardship. In the event that you do have a hardship with that type of position. So yeah, I think that's a perfect opportunity for us to move on to this next question. Because, you know, everything is sunshine and roses. When we apply for that job and we get the news that, yes, we're going to take that job, they're happy to have us. But after that, what came next? What were some of the immediate not necessarily, I mean, I'm going to use the word consequence, but not in a bad way, just what were some of the immediate decisions that then had to be made knowing that you were taking this job, I think you said it's a little over an hour away from you. So as a travel therapy job, even though it's only an hour away, you still have to make some decisions. What were some of those decisions?
Chandler Sarkozi
The biggest decision is figuring out where you're going to live. So weighing Okay, do I want to get an Airbnb? Do I want to find an apartment on furnished nurses or furnished housing, or some website like that. Or do I want to stay in a hotel, like, like, figuring out what would be the best option. Or do I stay at home and commute? Or some days commute, and then some days stay in, like, a hotel and and kind of break it, break the drive up, so figuring out what works best. So in the beginning, I was like, Okay, let me just, let me test it out. Let me see how the drive is. Because I hadn't I work remotely with Jayson, so going to a full time job, driving two hours there and back, was just, it seemed like a lot. So I'm like, let me just give it some time and see how this goes. So figuring out that and yeah,
Jayson Davies
I remember one of the things for you, too, is just trying to weigh if it was worth moving all your stuff. You know, it was an hour away where it was, like, far enough that you didn't want to have to drive an hour, but also close enough that an hour didn't seem too far. So I really remember you like having to weigh do I want to move just for 13 weeks? And then I think the other problem I remember you talking about, too, was that it was really hard to even find an apartment that you could rent for such a short term.
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, I think because I was in such a remote area of Illinois, there just wasn't many options that were suitable yeah,
Jayson Davies
So based upon that, right, knowing that there ended up being a little bit of a hardship trying to figure out if you can move somewhere, because maybe there's limited places to live. Is there anything that you might have wanted to get information from the recruiter or someone in the process before making the decision to go to that job? Or do you feel like did you have support with this? Was it all on you? Do you. Wish you had more support with it.
Chandler Sarkozi
I think my recruiter did a nice job of trying her best to give me the options, like she showed me the website, and just trying her best to support me in whatever ways I needed. I did a lot of looking on my own and just things were expensive, and I was just like, it doesn't seem worth it to spend that much money in the middle of nowhere when I'm closer to home. So I was just kind of Yeah, weighing what I should do.
Jayson Davies
And yeah, I mean, I was driving an hour and 15 minutes to work every day for five years. So I totally understand that lots of podcasting time. Yeah, so Did, did the company offer you a stipend if you were to move?
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, so the stipend, the stipend was for food and and living, yeah, housing, so when you work over a certain amount of hours, like full time, you get the stipend if you are a certain amount of miles away from your house.
Jayson Davies
Okay, so it all has to do with miles away from where you currently live.
Chandler Sarkozi
Basically, gotcha, at least my placement, my All right,
Jayson Davies
yeah, was there anything else in the actual process of getting hired and getting started that was just a little tricky, a little difficult, or just anything, any stories, or anything that happened that you just have been sharing that you think was whether it was tough or easy, just general things about the process.
Chandler Sarkozi
I feel like the process was really smooth. It went very quickly because the position needed to be filled as quickly as possible. So it was like, I'm going to get my physical, I'm going to do the TB test. All of this within like, a span of maybe, like a week and a half. I had to get all this done, but everybody made it a smooth process. And I really don't have any bad things to say about it, other than it was just quick and like, it needed to be done and the process needed to be to be completed so I could start the job, because they wanted someone ASAP.
Jayson Davies
Cool, sometimes it's, it's nice when things move fast, and then you get a little like, oh my gosh, what's going on here? And the next thing you know, you're thrown into it. But if it's what you want, then it's good.
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, I think if you have a different starting date that is later, then it wouldn't have gone that quick. But I knew that it was going to be a quick turnaround. but I knew that I was starting pretty soon, so I knew that it was going to be a quick turnaround. But I don't think that happens for everybody. So depends on when you are planning to start and when you want to start, your recruiter will find you a job for that time
Jayson Davies
that you want, yeah, and they think you wanted to start pretty quickly, so that just kind of worked out for you. Awesome. All right, now let's dive into the actual work life, I guess we can call it, and that is jumping into a school district as a contracted school based ot in the middle of February or March, whenever you started. That's already giving me a little anxiety, having to jump into a position in the middle of the school year. But yeah, tell us a little bit about your experience.
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah. So I felt like I was just being, like, dropped into, like, a story, and halfway through, and I didn't know what was going on, and it was just like, Okay, I I'm new, luckily, though I had a team of OTs and PTs, so they were super helpful. Even the first day I got there, the PT, Teresa was showing me around and just helping me out with any questions I had. And so it just, even though I was scared and nervous and thrown into it, that support system, like I said in the beginning, was everything, because I knew that I had them to ask questions, to figure out how to do things. So yeah, shout out to Nancy, Valerie and Mary, all the other OTs that have just helped me tremendously in this whole time span, and they're still continuing, continuously helping me, like even today I asked a bunch of questions, so that's been very helpful, having that support, but going in like not knowing the students names, what their goals are, like just being thrown into the classroom and just trying to figure out, okay, all these kids, who are they? What are their goals? Schools just trying to build rapport with them. And some of the kids were also new as well. So they're acclimating. I'm acclimating. And so also, just like feeling like an imposter, like I don't feel like I know what I'm doing, how am I good enough to make these decisions for these kids when I'm new, I'm just learning. I barely know them. I've been here for a month and a half, two months, so it just was a lot of like overwhelm and just feeling imposter syndrome and really just not, not knowing how to navigate it on my own. So, yeah, I guess that's just been a difficult thing to to deal with. But I just had to keep telling myself, like everyone, everybody starts somewhere. You'll you'll learn as you go. You'll learn from people like I was lucky to have those other OTs that let me shadow them in the beginning and see how they work with their kids, because I was taking on some of their case loads. So I got to see how they did things in the classroom, so I could keep things as similar as possible when I started and went into their classrooms. So I think that was very helpful to see how different OTs do different things, how different teachers and different classes run their classrooms. And so it's I'm finally getting the hang of things and understanding, okay, how each classroom is different, how I structure my time in there, the tables that I go to with the kids and and my weekly group projects that we do, and then the individual sessions. So it's all coming together eventually, but it definitely took some time to feel more comfortable and understand the routines and get to know the staff and the other OTs, PTs, SLPs and teachers and everyone,
Jayson Davies
yeah, and I have a lot of followers, but I guess the first one here is, do you feel that the difficulties getting started at all were related to being a contract therapist as opposed to an in house district therapist, or was it simply just starting a new job? It was going to be crazy no matter what.
Chandler Sarkozi
Maybe a mix of both, because I think coming in at the end of the school year, I don't think that's typical for an in house district employee, I don't know, but I think just being in the middle of it all at the end of the year, when all the IEPs are and it's just a hectic time of the year to come in, so all that added stress of like, okay, here's your Kids And now and now you have IEPs to do. You have evaluations to do, so all this additional stuff that is kind of being thrown at you, more so than maybe if you start at the beginning, when there's less IEPs and and just more, you know, you're getting to know the students. it's the beginning of the year, everybody's new, everybody's coming in fresh. So I think that, and then of course, just being a new practitioner coming in and just
not being fully confident in your abilities and knowing how to do things. because, like, I feel like I know kids. I've been working with kids since I was a teenager and and I've done school based and I listened to the to OT school house. I use resources and the gold banks and everything from the collaborative so, like, I know I have a good understanding, but it's just like when you're in it, it's a little bit different when you're starting. So it was, it was a transition, and I think a mix.
Jayson Davies
How, how prepared Do you feel the district was for having an OT come into their program in the middle of February? Did they it sounds like you have kids that were on the caseload of other ot practitioners that are still working there. So I know sometimes when a contractor comes in, especially for a short time, is to cover a maternity or paternity leave or something like that. But it doesn't sound like that was the case, or maybe it was.
Chandler Sarkozi
So one of the OTs was on maternity leave, so she was there up until, I don't know, a month in or whatever. So okay, he was there to support and now she's fully gone taking care of her baby, the other one, the other ot went to part time to focus on something else, just for a short time. And I think she. Be back full time. So I took some of her caseload, and then I took some of the other OTs caseload, on top of additional students that were just given to me.
Jayson Davies
Gotcha? Okay? I guess the reason I'm asking is because if you come in and you're taking over a caseload for someone who's going on maternity or paternity short term leave, I feel like that can be to a degree, nice, cut, dry and easy in the sense that they had a caseload of 50, you're taking on their caseload of 50. Pretty straightforward, those 50 kids are now your 50 kids, their evaluations are now your evaluations, but to a degree, it sounds like you've kind of taken on some from this person, some from that person. And I don't know, do you just feel like that it was well laid out when you came into it as to who, what kids you were going to be seeing. Or did that kind of get figured out as you were coming in and were already there? Does that make sense?
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, so I feel like they did structure and they did organize it well, because I came in with a schedule like they had it planned out what day I was gonna see each kid, just as like a tentative schedule. It didn't have to be set in stone, but that was very helpful. The OTs put that together, the ones that I work with, and just so I could, you know, have it laid out, understand, okay, Mondays, my pre K, morning, afternoon, Tuesdays, middle school. So everything was just laid out, which I think was very helpful.
Jayson Davies
Yeah, good. Okay, now you've been in this role for about two months. It sounds like you have developed a little bit of a support system with the OT PT practitioners in your district. How are you feeling two months later? Is it getting better? Is it still as hard as it was day one? Just kind of in general, give an idea for those who are listening, maybe thinking about taking a contract or therapy job by God in the middle of the school year that still gives me chills. Like, does it get better? And how are you feeling?
Chandler Sarkozi
Yes, I definitely feel more confident and more comfortable in the position. I definitely don't have as much overwhelm, but I've also taken the time, because in the beginning, I was not doing any self care. I just felt so exhausted. I had no time or energy to put in any time for myself. I would come home and I would watch TV, and that's something I rarely do that. So when I do that, I know that I'm very, very stressed. So I just like, wanted to, like, numb out and not think about anything after the end of the day. And so now I've kind of re established my routine, and it's getting nicer outside too, which also helps. I can go outside, I can take a walk, I can do my journaling, my reading outside. So it's gotten more calm, and I feel more calm internally, and more at peace. So definitely, with time, it does get better. It is definitely stressful in the beginning when you don't know the kids, you don't know anybody's name, you don't know where you're going. I got lost in the middle school one time and just went in like a big circle looking for one of the classrooms. So you figure your way around and you you learn names, you you learn the kids, you learn what they're working on. So you know you just have to be patient, and know that it will get better, and it'll take time, but you'll get there and just push through it. And having that support, once again, is has been everything for me, just knowing that I can walk back into the OT room and if I have a question, they're right there to ask. So I think that's very important when you are taking a position to know, like, are you working with other OTs, or are you the only one in the district? Are you the only one at the school? Because it's so much easier having another ot at the school that you can communicate to, even if there's others in the district, but having them right there and accessible is just a lot quicker and easier. So having those questions that you ask at your job interviews to see if it's going to align for what you want, and if you're going to have the support that you need, because I think everybody has a different idea on what they want, what they need, and so knowing knowing yourself and knowing that, and then going forward with that and figuring out, is this something that will work for me? And. And, yeah, I don't know if I just kind of went off on a
Jayson Davies
I think you bring up a great point, though there at the end is, you know, being okay with asking questions at the interview. And sometimes they don't give you an opportunity to ask questions, but if they do, there are some questions I think you should ask, you should ask, you know, to help you understand if this job is going to align with your values. I know some questions that I've asked and that others have asked as well. Is asking them is ot ingrained into the MTSS or RTI program? Do you use a caseload or workload model? What is that caseload expectation? You know, how long do evaluations take? Our OTs expected to go to an IEP. I mean, all those are different questions that you can ask about in the interview. Are there any questions that you have kind of thought back now in two months that you kind of either a wished you would have asked, or maybe you did ask and you were happy that you did.
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah, so one was seeing if there's like, other OTs at your actual school that you're going to be at. How does the process look for like onboarding and like chat, like, Will I have a chance to shadow other OTs to kind of see what it's like, since that was something that I got to do with the OTs that were there with me, since I was taking on their caseload. So if you are taking on someone's caseload and they're still there, like, that's a good opportunity to see if you can kind of see how they do things. If you, you know, want to get some more knowledge and learn some more things, or see how they do it. How many schools will you be going to? I think that's a big one to ask, because that luckily, I'm only at one school. It's the middle school and the priest the pre K attached. So I could just imagine going to multiple schools and just how hectic that would be. So planning for that, seeing if, if that's a thing, and if you're going to have to and if that's something that you're going to want to do or not. Are there like mentorship opportunities? Are there people that you can go to to talk to, and is your caseload already set? And kind of seeing what your caseload number is, and if you know, if they know if you're going to be in a middle school and a high school, kind of getting an idea for where they would place you. So I think those are some important questions,
Jayson Davies
yeah, is there any one particular topic, subject, idea, evaluation, treatment modality, that you wish you would have maybe done a little bit more studying up on prior to starting at your job? And of course, this is specific to your job, but anything in particular that you wish you had gone in knowing more about before you got this job,
Chandler Sarkozi
I would say, just refreshing myself with the evaluations that are used and because it was so long since I had been in school and done any of these things that I think that was just be helpful to remind myself, because it just has always kind of scared me doing evaluations. So I think that for me, would have been a thing to refresh on,
Jayson Davies
okay, and follow up question to that, is it okay that you didn't study all that before you got this job? And are you surviving?
Chandler Sarkozi
Yes, yes, I am. I am once again, because of my support system and having the other OTs there to ask and to help me get through everything that I need. So, yeah, I've survived and and I'm on upward of thriving,
Jayson Davies
awesome, yeah, I kind of wanted to ask you that question for that exact reason I think you can figure out right? Like I wanted everyone to realize they everything is figure outable. And even if you don't know everything before you get your job, you'll figure it out once you're in that position. And so you don't have to stress too much about knowing about the Peabody, the VMI, the bot, two, three, or whatever version they use, and SPM and the sensory profile like these are things that you will learn on the job, and that's okay. You don't need to know it all before you get hired. So, yeah, Chandler, you are figuring it out, and I'm sure everyone else listening will figure it out as well. Let's go ahead and wrap this up here with just one little piece of advice that you have for maybe a new grad who's Wayne school based OT, or travel school based OT. G maybe they're in a position to a degree similar to you, where you're thinking about some of those finances a little bit long term, and they have a long term vision. What's some pieces of advice you have for them?
Chandler Sarkozi
I would say trust yourself, know that whatever decision you make is going to be the right decision for you in that moment, and you're going to learn from it, regardless, and even though you may not think you're doing everything right or you just don't feel confident in yourself, with time that'll come and you will feel more competent, and just show up with compassion and a willingness to learn from others, learn from your mistakes, and just stay open and believe in yourself even when it's hard,
Jayson Davies
yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think that's great advice. You know, especially that you're making a decision based on a snapshot of where you are right now, and things will change just like they changed yesterday. They'll change tomorrow, and that's a great idea. Again, with a contract position, it's kind of even more true because you're taking on a 13 week or even if you're taking on a one year contract position, it's still a relatively short time in the grand scheme of things. And so you're making the decision based upon right here, right now, and who knows what will happen 13 weeks or a year from now? So absolutely, Chandler, go ahead.
Chandler Sarkozi
I was gonna say trying, like, trying something is better than assuming, like, you can always pivot if you need to. No decision is permanent, so give something a try and you, I don't think you'll regret it. You can always pivot if you need,
Jayson Davies
yeah, absolutely, Chandler, I want to thank you for coming on the show. You've been behind the scenes at the OT school house for so long, and you know everything about the podcast, but you have yet to be on the podcast. So I'm so happy you did this. I know you're not a professional speaker, or, you know someone who goes on podcasts ever, but I appreciate sharing, yes. So is there anywhere where people can go to learn more about yourself, or if they have questions for you?
Chandler Sarkozi
Yeah. So the best way to connect with me is on LinkedIn, and then I also created a free resource for anybody who's curious about travel based, travel school based, OT, and it's a PDF that you can get in the show notes if you're interested, and feel free to reach out or message me if you have any questions. I love connecting with other OTs and students. So yeah. Thank you so much, Jayson. I'm happy to be here and happy to get to talk to you about this.
Jayson Davies
Absolutely. I'm so used to saying I will put those in the show notes for you all. But in this case, I get to say we will put the show notes for you all. So yeah, once again, channel, I thank you so much for coming on sharing all your knowledge and your experience about this transition for you from student to being a contracted school based ot practitioner. Really appreciate it. I'm sure many who are listening will appreciate it as well. Thanks again. Hi. Thank you so much. All right, that wraps up our conversation with Chandler. Chandler. Thank you so much for being vulnerable and sharing your journey from ot student to contract a school based practitioner. It's one that many of us have experienced, including myself. I started off as a contracted therapist before moving into a district, so I totally understand how that feels. Thank you also for your honesty about the real challenges that you felt during this time. It's really easy just to kind of sit here and say, yeah, things are going well, even though you're struggling and working through some things. But you know, you're showing that, yes, this isn't easy, but yes, it's also rewarding. You're doing amazing work, and I'm excited to see where this journey takes you next. Also, of course, thank you so much for being an amazing team member here at the OT school house. You've really brought so much value to 1000s of practitioners who follow along at the OT school house. And I really appreciate all your support, all your stories, all your things behind the scenes that you do that no one listening right now even knows. Really appreciate it, of course, to everyone listening like yourself, if you are a new grad or even a seasoned practitioner looking for support resources and a community that gets school based ot I'd love to have you join us inside the OT school houses, school based ot collaborative. It's where school based ot practitioners like yourself come together for practical professional development, mentorship and all the resources you need to feel confident. In your practice. Head on over to OTSchoolHouse.com slash collab To Learn more and become a part of our community. Thanks again for tuning in to this episode of the OT school house podcast, and I'll catch you next time.
Amazing Narrator
Thank you for listening to the OT school house podcast for more ways to help you and your students succeed right now, head on over to OTSchoolHouse.com Until next time class is dismissed.
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