The movie character that best represents your SLP confidence is… 

MIRANDA PRIESTLY From “The Devil Wears Prada”

You’re the SLP rockstar that’s setting the standard for high fashion SLP’s everywhere.

Holy moly! You’re the Chief of Planning Way In Advance — just like Miranda, you review The Book of all your lesson plans the night before (except you’re the one doing all the work, not a trusty assistant like Andy — we can all dream though, right?).

 

You start your mornings put together like a perfect Prada suit (fresh-pressed and unique, just like you), fresh Starbucks caramel latte in hand (no foam) and slinging a fabulous coat of confidence over your shoulder. 

 

The second you step into the office or your classroom, everyone pays attention! It’s clear how hard you work to show up so intentionally everyday, and you act the part to earn every bit of praise that comes your way.

Let’s take a moment to dig into what makes you so…

Confident

Driven

Precise

Competent

Moment of truth: Miranda didn’t make it to the top by having an extra negroni with her assistants at 2AM or being late to the Chanel show in Paris. (And she always, always takes her makeup off before bed!)

 

You’re just as focused — and you always have been.

 

Laying out your clothes for the next day, prepping for your lessons and staying one step ahead has not only put you ahead, but it’s also been necessary for your sanity. You know you can give more to your students and colleagues when you feel READY.

 

As a result, your peers and students adore and respect you. 

 

Just like Miranda, you’ve proven that your voice matters. Everyone wants to hear your opinion, listen to your take on things and admire the way you willingly change tack if you see that things aren’t exactly groundbreaking in the classroom (much like florals for spring). 

 

You’re the queen of pivoting and handling it if a lesson isn’t going well — because at your core, your mission is to ensure that your students are succeeding and progressing every single day.

 

Truth be told, the field is SO lucky to have you!

So, what’s a confident SLP like you to do… Next?

Well, we both know that even Miranda had a couple of blind spots and worried about running out of ideas… 

 

As prepared as you are every single day, you might still be running into your own mental roadblocks (I get it, being a perfectionist isn’t easy!).

 

Whether you’re an experienced SLP or not, let’s face it: we ALL get so bored with the same old activities and desperately need some inspiration from time to time.

 

Even if you’re doing your best to plan super motivating and engaging lessons, you wish it didn’t take you *so* long to pull them together. Feeling ready for the next day is a blissful feeling, but it sure would be nice if you could come home everyday feeling like you don’t have to do ANYTHING, right?

 

You’ve got it together, but you might be sensing that there’s something missing for you to REALLY impress your administrator and pull out all the stops and help your students truly fall in love with their lessons.

Want more fun, foolproof ideas to plan engaging lessons with total ease, clarity and even MORE confidence?

1. USE VISUAL AIDS TO INCREASE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Anything that involves thinking deeper about material is what counts as critical thinking — and being the achiever you are, I know that this is something you’d like to incorporate more. Our students benefit from a multi sensory approach, which is why the right visual aids are so important. They need to see, feel, and touch the information and they need repetition. The more they are exposed and in a variety of ways, the more they will understand and use independently. With visual aids, it can be beneficial to break it down so they can see the various ways questions can be asked and various ways answers can be given. If you want to help your student progress even further and knock one prep item off your to-do list…

2. KEEP STUDENTS MOTIVATED WITH READY-TO-USE EDPUZZLES

One of my all-time favorite SLP tools is EdPuzzle, a free tool that allows you to insert questions into YouTube videos and save them for later. The only kicker? They take so much time to create and put together! But when done right, they’ll support you with endless ways to work on inferencing (plus, tons of more goals!). You probably know how to keep your students motivated already, but one more tool never hurts! If you want to add something new to your lesson plan (without creating it yourself)...

3. IMPRESS EVERYONE WITH SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

We all have a couple of students who, despite your efforts, just resist every new activity you attempt to engage them with. Science experiments are the way to their heart! When you’re sensing that your students want to skip worksheets, games and handouts, consider science experiments to be your ultimate backup plan moving forward — and you barely have to do anything at all to implement it in your classroom. If you want to introduce a hands-on, cost-effective *and* time-efficient activity that everyone will love (plus, impress your administrator)…

4. LEVEL UP WITH SPEECH TIME FUN MINI-COURSES

No matter how long you’ve been in the field, you know that sometimes it’s worth pressing refresh to shake up your approach and feel extra-ready to take on your caseload for the year! After years of helping SLPs like you succeed, I’ve pulled together fun and functional ways to help you implement new activities for:Social skills, Life skills, Vocabulary, Mixed groups, Summarizing, Older students (who need more motivation) … Plus, lots of additional low-prep ideas to help you use what you already have! If you’re ready to move the needle and earn some CMH hours while you’re at it…

MEET “MISS SPEECHIE”, 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

P.S. Here’s what you can expect, now that you’re part of the Runway editorial team — sorry, I mean a fellow confident SLP… 

I want to help you get all the answers you need to ensure you continue growing and supporting your students without burning out or running out of ways to motivate your students.

I’m guessing you took this quiz because you wanted affirmation that you’re doing a great job, and you were curious to pick up some new lesson ideas along the way!

Keep an eye out for the next few emails from me, where I’ll continue to show you how to do all of the above — and more.

Catch you in the lunchroom!

— Hallie

 

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