The movie character that best represents your SLP confidence is…
BRIDGET JONES From “Bridget Jones’s Diary”
You’re delightfully hilarious and witty on the outside, but you’re still winging it at work — taking it one day at a time.
“Oh, bollocks” ← that’s what most days feel like when waking up on your side of the bed. But despite your multiple snoozed alarms, you manage to make it to work on time, with only a stray hair out of place.
You’ve definitely used the words “hot mess” to describe yourself in the past…
But nothing ever really stops you from showing up with a smile on your face (you’re pretty good at faking it!), even if you *do* have to work with a Hugh Grant that doesn’t totally respect you.
Much like Bridget, people love to be around you and want you around (whether you show up in a bunny costume or not), because you can keep it together at work.
You’re incredibly strong for your students and continue to stand up for them, but what you really need is for someone to stand up for YOU.
With a full caseload and more students than you’d like to have on your hands, you’re trying *so* hard to not let overwhelm get the best of you — because you’re in this field to really make a difference, and the thought of giving up feels far worse than learning to cope.
Let’s take a moment to dig into what makes you so…
Compassionate
Kind
Hilarious
Charismatic
What part of your Bridget personality traits are major SLP strengths?
Just like Bridget, your innate talent and intelligence show through that outer layer of stress. Is every activity a success? Absolutely not (hey, Bridget didn’t nail every news segment, either). But your smarts and willingness to try new things set you apart.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve cried yourself to sleep the night before writing in your diary (with a glass of Merlot in hand, thank you very much), you continue to show up day after day committed to your students — and your peers respect you for it.
You let your whole personality shine (totally normal awkwardness and all). Students find you relatable and your colleagues love to open up to you.
Willing to go the extra mile (like Bridget in spin class) every time, the field is lucky to have you.
So, what’s standing in the way of *feeling* 100% confident as an SLP?
Even when you have all the right ingredients, sometimes you end up making blue soup instead…
After years of trying to prove: “I’m okay! I know what I’m doing!” to your students (and your administrator), you’re starting to realize that the mental strength it’s taking to make it *seem* like you have it all together just isn’t sustainable for the long run.
When you’re not at work, it’s not uncommon to cry in your car from time to time (or on a weekly basis) — because you’re secretly, frantically, trying to get everything done without burning out so your students get what they need (and it drives you crazy every time you hear: “can we play a game?” *facepalm*).
If you’re going to move forward to become the calm, composed and prepared SLP (yes, they do exist!) you desire, something has to change, stat!
I’m guessing that you’re really hard on yourself and resent the fact that you’ll never have enough prep time during a school day (prep time? What’s that??) — and that it’s looking impossible to do anything without the help of someone else.
You need a Mark Darcy to swoop in and save the day.
Well, I’ve got good news to make sure you never say: “why does this always happen to me??” ever again…
Dig into these fun, low-prep ideas to plan engaging lessons with total ease!
1. QUICK WIN: AVOID THESE COMMON SLP MISTAKES WHEN WORKING WITH OLDER STUDENTS
We might be SLPs, but we’re human first! We all make mistakes, and that’s okay. Working with older students absolutely comes with different challenges than working with a younger bunch because they have such different needs and behaviors! After over a decade of working as an SLP, I’ve seen firsthand the common mistakes that are often made when working with this group (myself included), and I know you can learn from them.
2. JOIN SLP ELEVATE TO MASTER PLANNING WITH EASE & CONFIDENCE
You have innate talent in the classroom — but often feel overwhelmed. Some monthly Mark-Darcy-level support would be a huge boost to your confidence. And even give you back time for friends and family!
If you want to *seriously* step up to the plate and banish that everything’s about to come crashing down feeling, SLP Elevate delivers...
- A monthly bundle of awesome resources for older students Coaching on HOW to use resources and WHY they’re relevant for different goals
- Everything you need to quickly plan the majority of your monthly lessons (including a “how-to-plan” video!) as you develop your understanding of deeper SLP concepts.
- An active community of SLPs for encouragement and questions, monthly training and support from me, and more bonuses!
No more feeling like you don’t have time to do it all and don’t have a support system to turn to for SLP guidance. Feel the stress melt away as you stop winging it — and instead watch your students laugh and learn!
MEET HALLIE
Lover of all things purple, Starbucks coffee addict, author of Ella Bella Just Can’t Tell Ya, Bravo binge-watcher and full-time in the trenches with you as an M.S. CCC-SLP in New York.
Since 2007, I’ve worked with children from preschool to high school, in both schools and home-based agencies. I’ve been at my current New York public school district for almost a decade, handling a caseload of 65+ fifth and sixth graders every year.
What I’ve found is that both new and veteran SLPs are struggling.
Our caseloads are staggering, our resources are thin, and we can’t find enough ways to reach our students. On top of that, we have to juggle everything else: bus duty, paperwork, progress meetings, PD, activities prep, and our own personal lives.
Ever see a GIF of a hamster that gets flattened on their wheel from running so fast and out of control?
That’s us!
Makes me want to just curl up with my Cabernet, Hershey’s chocolate and binge watch Real Housewives all night. Why work so hard for so little results?
Like me, I know that YOU are incredibly passionate about what we do. Helping “our kids” reach their goals is beyond fulfilling! I knew that there had to be a better way than that hamster wheel…
But how can we plan for what each student needs in the moment without spending hours on individualized prep?
Back in 2012, I realized that online resources were practically non-existent, especially for those of us with older students. You might be able to find a few cute activities here and there on Pinterest, but nowhere could I find low-prep, engaging activities – and more importantly, info on how to use them!
So I started putting together fun, engaging lessons that I simply modified through my questioning as needed. Many times, I was able to use one lesson, with one prep, for an entire day.
Boom. Game changer.
Before I knew it, I was creating resources that give SLPs exactly what they need: low prep, effective, engaging activities that work with all students, even mixed groups.
And that’s how I became an accidental entrepreneur!
As Speech Time Fun grew, I saw the impact I could make on SLPs like you.
I’ve discovered how to make it simple yet effective by creating low-prep activities that truly work with older speech students, and now I’m devoted to helping other SLPs succeed through low prep, engaging therapy options that keep your students motivated and that keep you sane.
Here’s to helping you reclaim your time, increase your confidence and banish overwhelm!
Hallie
