Marisha

10 Tips to Survive Your SLP Clinical Fellowship in the Schools

August 15, 2015 by Marisha 18 Comments

On the last day of my internship in grad school, I literally packed up my car and drove over to a small town in Western Washington to start my first year of working as a speech-language pathologist at an elementary school the very next day. The beginning of the year was definitely a crazy and stressful time, but I made it through (and you can too)!

What’s a Clinical Fellowship?

According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Assocation, the Clinical Fellowship (CF) is “the transition period between being a student enrolled in a communication sciences and disorders (CSD) program and being an independent provider of speech-language pathology clinical services.”

Here are some of my top tips for new SLPs working in the schools…

1. Consider Joining a Few SLP Groups on Facebook

They are a great place to ask questions. It was also helpful to see the kinds of questions that other people were asking. Here are three Facebook groups that I follow:

• SLPeeps
• School-Based Speech and Language Therapy
• Preschool Speech Language Pathologists

2. Follow Other SLPs on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest

All three platforms are a little different, but they are great sources of therapy ideas, materials, and freebies. Jenna Rayburn has a LONG list of SLP Bloggers on her website (click here) and Meredith from Peachie Speechie also put together this wonderful resource (click here).

3. Stay Organized

Figure out what works for you. If you need ideas, there are TONS of organizational materials on Teachers Pay Teachers (and here on my blog!). It’s also helpful to ask other SLPs in your district what strategies work best for them. If you can stay organized, it will make busy IEP/progress report months much easier.

4. Make Friends with Your Janitors and Office Staff

These people can be incredibly helpful. Get them on your side. I definitely was not above bringing them treats a few times.

5. Get to Know Your Teachers

It makes such a big difference if you can get teachers on your side. Consider starting the year off on the right foot by involving teachers in the scheduling process with a Speech Scheduling Party. Join them for lunch. Participate in some school activities. Check in on how they (and their students) are doing. I promise it’ll make a difference!

6. Consider Joining SpeechPathology.com (or Find Other Ways to Get Help)

I used this resource A LOT. Whenever I got a new student on my caseload that I wasn’t quite sure about, I would look up a webinar or two and play it while I was prepping materials. I got great therapy ideas and updated evidence to back up why I chose a certain approach. Since I’m more of an auditory learner, this was much more palatable than digging through research articles (although I tried to keep up with some articles, too). It is $99 per year, but it’s worth it!

There are some FREE resources out there too.

• SLP Summit – A free online conference for SLPs!
• Autism Internet Modules – Fantastic autism resources. They have videos on hundreds of topics (e.g., social groups, the Incredible 5-Point Scale, video modeling).
• LEADERS Project – There are SO many model evaluations and video modules on this website. It’s amazing. Check it out.

Another strategy is to talk to other SLPs. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Set up meetings with other SLPs in your grad school cohort (or in your district) to share ideas. No one says you can’t meet over dinner and wine!

7. Don’t Feel Like You Have to Buy All the Stuff

I definitely bought WAY too many materials last year. I probably didn’t even really use half of them.

Check out this membership for SLPs. It will save you so much time. It includes TONS of resources, as well as support from other awesome SLPs.

8. Take Advantage of Freebies/Giveaways

Here are a few resources to take advantage of…

• Speechie Freebies Blog
• SLPs on TPT Newsletter
• Smart Apps for Kids – They frequently post free iPad and Android apps. Fridays are the big freebie day.

If you follow your favorite bloggers on Facebook and Instagram, there are plenty of giveaways there, too.

I also made a list of essential freebies here.

9. Make Time to Have Fun

It’s easy to let your new job take over your life, but sometimes you just have to stop (even if everything isn’t perfectly done)! You’ll be a much better SLP for it.

10. You Can Do This!

You just spent so many years studying all this speechie stuff. You had intense clinical rotations/internships. You got through it all (alive, at that!), and you got your degree! If you are working in a school, you will likely know more about speech and language than anyone else on staff. Even if you don’t feel like it now, you are an expert. You know A LOT!

Now I have some questions for you!

For the CFs: What are you most nervous about? What are you most excited about?
For the CCCs: What advice would you give to an incoming CF?

My Favorite Teachers Pay Teachers Products

August 15, 2015 by Marisha 3 Comments

Freebies are great, but there are some paid products that I have found to be especially helpful. They really helped make my job a lot easier last year! Here they are…

1. K-5 Common Core Standards Supporting IEP Goals for ELA {Editable}

This is amazing! It saved an incredible amount of time when writing IEPs.

2. Curriculum Based Language Assessments for Grades K-5 Aligned with Standards

I used these assessments before nearly every IEP. The assessments are comprehensive. The data from the assessments make updating present levels and goals incredibly easy.

3. Listening Comprehension Screenings Bundle {Grades K-8}

These screenings are so functional and relate to what students are expected to do in the classroom. They have helped me “bridge” some communication gaps that I was having with teachers. Prior to using this bundle, teachers would *kind of* describe what was going on, but there was always a bit of a disconnect. I went over the results with a few teachers, and they were so impressed with how the skills assessed were representative of what they were seeing in the classroom. We were on the same page!

4. Ultimate Data Collection Binder for Speech and Language

What a lifesaver! I used this for progress monitoring all year long. It made keeping data and writing progress reports so incredibly simple. This packet aligns perfectly with the goals in Nicole’s Common Core IEP Goal packet (#1).

5. Back to School Baseline Data Tool

The only thing that I felt like was missing from the Ultimate Data Collection Binder was pictures for the articulation words. This baseline data tool is the perfect supplement. Lauren’s packet includes great clip art and “worksheets” at the word, sentence, AND paragraph level.

Back to School Baseline Data Tool for Articulation

6. Leveled Grammar Intervention & Leveled Vocabulary Intervention

So far, I’ve listed a lot of goal-setting/progress monitoring tools. Did I do any treatment? You bet I did. These two binders were a “go-to” for me. The visuals, explanations, and leveled exercises made it effortless to teach new concepts to my students. The kiddos liked it so much that they requested to work in these binders. I put the pages in sheet protectors, and the students got to use a dry erase marker to do the activities. Check out Nicole’s video about the Grammar and Vocabulary packets to “take a tour.”

7. Context Clues in Color

I loved the Listening Comprehension Screenings (#3) so much that I was frantically searching for more well-written, not-too-long passages to start using in treatment. I came across this bundle, and it was the perfect fit. You can target WAY more than just context clues (although this bundle is great for that). I made a quick handout with questions similar to those in the screenings, and I suddenly had reading passages that I could use to target numerous goals.

8. Interactive Vocabulary Books

I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to these books! I bought so many of them this past year. Jenna has interactive books for everything under the sun (phonology, social stories, fall, winter, spring, summer, weather, prepositions, nursery rhymes….). They are fabulous for younger and/or less verbal students. The visuals and interactive pieces are great supports when modeling/eliciting language. I’ve gotten some of the most language from my emerging communicators in the autism preschool using these books. Jenna has two FREE interactive books in her store (Playground and Mother’s Day), so you can try it out yourself.

9. Story Grammar Prompts

This is the perfect tool when targeting narrative skills. The visuals are fabulous and really help to teach/support this skill. I put the “story map” in a sleeve protector and let my students draw pictures/write key words using a dry erase marker. They loved it! I was happy, too, because they ended up producing beautiful narratives. Win, win!

10. The Invincibles Save Figurative Language

You have to check this out. The idiom puzzles in this packet work so well. I would buy the packet for the puzzles alone. That’s how great they are. Check out the listing.

Check out more of my favorite products here.

Want to hear about my favorite resource for SLPs?

After talking to many of you, I created a membership for SLPs. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or having a hard time coming up with fun, engaging activities week after week, this is perfect for you! The membership includes lesson plans/activities for year-round themes and skills. Check it out here!

My Favorite Free Teachers Pay Teachers Products

August 15, 2015 by Marisha 1 Comment

Teachers Pay Teachers saved my life a million times last year. Truth.

I spent way too much money on Teachers Pay Teachers. Truth.

You have to spend all of your money on Teachers Pay Teachers too. False!

There are so many great freebies on TpT, and I wanted to share five of my favorites.

1. Theme Calendar for Speech Therapy
This is a newer freebie that I didn’t use last year. I think it will be SUPER helpful though. One of my goals is to incorporate more themes into my treatment next year, and using this freebie will definitely help make it easier to achieve that goal.

2. Shamrock Challenge
This is a great way to motivate kiddos to produce 100+ sound productions in one session. Peachie Speechie has dozens of different challenges (e.g., M&M’s, jelly beans, hearts, etc.). Check them out here.

3. Down the Field Reinforcer
A lot of my students LOVED this game. It’s super simple to prep and not too time-consuming to play. Great reinforcer!

4. Speech Sound Cue Cards
These are great visuals to use in therapy (and to send home with students)!

5. Stoplight Self-Rating Scale
I printed this out and laminated it. I used it A LOT last year. I most often used it with older articulation students so that they could rate their own speech productions (but it could be great for other language skills, too). I also let students rate my speech productions. Let’s just say they loved the opportunity to give me a red light! It’s also a great way to give visual feedback when fading those verbal cues.

I made a board on Pinterest with more of my favorites, so feel free to check that out if you want more!

If you want even more free materials, sign up for free trial to SLP Now! You’ll have instant access to our library of 6,000+ evidence-backed therapy materials, and you can download 5 materials for free! Here are some of my favorites:

How to Get Organized with the Ultimate Organization Spreadsheet

August 14, 2015 by Marisha 7 Comments

This spreadsheet was a lifesaver for me last year. I started the year using a hard copy form, but I had to make so many edits. I can’t tell you how many times I had to print out a fresh copy and re-write everything! The Excel sheet I made definitely isn’t as pretty as the other beautiful printables out there, but it works for me.

Let me show you what this little guy has to offer…

It includes the following:

To-Do List

Caseload List

Goals

Screening Log

Evaluation Log

Parent Contact Information

Parent/Teacher Contact Log

CEU Tracker

Test Inventory

Materials Inventory

My Four Favorite “Features”

1. Being able to sort the columns (i.e., in alphabetical order, by date) – I can sort my caseload list by grade, name, date of birth, teacher, IEP minutes, IEP due date, and evaluation due date. So useful! I especially loved this feature when scheduling IEPs/evaluations each month. I just hit the “Sort” button, and I could immediately see which IEPs were coming due. It was also convenient to be able to sort when the principal or special education coordinators asked me for a list of my students.

2. Being able to copy and paste student information in between sheets

3. Being able to click on email addresses and automatically open a new email

4. Being able to easily print copies as needed

Because this is a spreadsheet, you can customize this to fit your needs. Feel free to copy and delete columns/pages as needed.

Want some help getting organized? Check out this resource library for some FREE tools! This organization spreadsheet is included in the library!

How to Make Scheduling Easy: Scheduling Party for SLPs

August 12, 2015 by Marisha 12 Comments

So, it’s about that time again! Some of you have already started school, and some of us are still holding onto those last few days of summer. Soon we’ll all be getting into the swing of things–including our yearly scheduling fun. This task was very daunting at first (especially as a new SLP), but an experienced SLP in the district shared this idea…

Instead of pulling your hair out and playing scheduling Tetris for hours, why not involve teachers in the process? Hm… How can we do this? With a scheduling party, of course!

How Does a Scheduling Party Work?

Before the scheduling party, I drew a week-long calendar on a big poster board. I made slots big enough for sticky notes. Then, I got several colors of sticky notes. I color-coded by grade, but you can use whatever “system” works best for you (e.g., speech-only students vs. students who receive other services might be helpful). I wrote students’ names on the sticky notes and put students in a group on the same sticky note. The teachers then came to the party, picked up their sticky notes, and put the sticky notes on the time slots they wanted. We had a schedule made in about 10 minutes! It was so simple, and I got positive feedback from the teachers. They really liked being more involved in scheduling therapy times.

What about Scheduling Conflicts?

My main job during the party was to double check the times that teachers selected. I starred students with other possible conflicts (e.g., resource room, occupational therapy), so it was easy for me to see who I would have to check. I printed the other therapy schedules and also reminded teachers to avoid double-booking their students. A reminder that double-booked students would be re-scheduled by me was also helpful.

What about Scheduling Groups?

I tried to keep groups within a classroom, but there were a few “inter-classroom” groups. Most teachers met beforehand to discuss times that would work between them and were ready to pick a good time at the party.

How Do I Set This Up?

Last year, I sent an email to all of the teachers and let them know that I was having a scheduling party. It went something like this…

It’s about that time again! I will be holding a speech-language therapy scheduling party on Friday, September 12th at 8:30 in the speech room. At that time please bring your plan books and schedules so that you can select a treatment time for your student(s). I will have schedules for other special education services posted. This way, we can all work together to avoid ‘double-booking’ students.

A list of student(s) to be scheduled (along with any group specifications) will be provided no later than Wednesday, September 10th. If applicable, please coordinate with your grade level teammate regarding days/times for services.

Scheduling will be on a first come, first serve basis. No early birds – door opens at 8:30.

FYI – Several time slots are already booked due to the time constraints of half-day kindergarten, ECAP, and OT/SLP co-treat sessions. Feel free to stop by and check availability.

**Treats will be provided**

A little closer to the date of the “party,” I delivered slips to all the teachers, listing all of the students in their classes who would be receiving speech services.

Of course, no “party” is complete without some treats, so I offered coffee and donuts.

Click here to download the scheduling party packet. It includes an overview of the process, a calendar template, and a printable letter to send out to teachers.

Behind the Scenes: How I Organize My Articulation Materials

August 11, 2015 by Marisha 4 Comments

I used to have an entire filing cabinet (yes, all 3 drawers!!) filled with articulation worksheets. They were a hot mess! Even though I had thousands of options, I could never seem to find what I needed for my students–whether I was looking for a certain complexity, word position, or a combination of speech sounds.

I decided to stay after school for a few days. I painstakingly organized the worksheets by sound and complexity…

I thought I had it all figured out.

But I still had trouble finding what I needed when I needed it!

And forget about keeping up with copies!

I decided to try something different…

A New Approach to Articulation

I created some activity templates. I want a small set of worksheets to pull from. I decided to keep the original and a few copies in a sheet protector for easy access.

I use the templates to individualize practice for my students by…

1. Writing in words from a word list.

I could pull the exact words that I wanted from a list.

Better yet…

I started involving my students in the process.

They walked around the room and identified words that included their target speech sound.
They identified words with the speech sound in a book… or reading passage… or really anything they were reading in the classroom.
So many possibilities!

This wasn’t the perfect solution for all of my students, so I created another tool to make my job easier (and better help my students)!

2. Using articulation stickers.

I created articulation stickers for the different speech sounds. I have plenty of options for each speech sound (in initial, medial, and final word position), with varying levels of complexity.

Need an activity with simple initial /k/ words? No problem!

Need an activity with CVC words? No problem!

Need an activity for generalization with /l/ in all word positions? No problem!

The stickers make it really easy to create individualized activities.

Students also happen to love the stickers! They are fabulous reinforcers.

It’s fun and functional! The process of creating a worksheet (peeling sticking, placing, and coloring stickers) allows for repeated practice opportunities.

Many of the activities are game-based and can be used for several sessions (or sent home for homework).

Here’s a peek at a quick activity in action:

Want to see more? Check out this video for a quick walkthrough that I shared with SLP Now members!

Interested in purchasing these templates for your speech room?

You can access them through the SLP Now Membership (or purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers).

You can purchase the labels here. (I print my stickers on 1” circle labels, but you can also print on regular paper for a “cut and glue” activity!)