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1Sep

4 Pieces of Advice for first time School SLPs and Teachers

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Uncategorized
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first time school slps and teachers

Being a school SLP did not go well for me my first time through, or my second. Or kind of my third. 

I was super uncomfortable and disconnected my first few times working in a school. I didn’t feel part of a community, like I had in my previous jobs in a SNF and hospital, and I felt a little lost. It was like there was SO much to know, about policies, procedures, meetings, IEPs, protocols, and therapy, and I felt like I really didn’t know much at all. 

I had gone through a school placement, had even been offered the job when my supervisor moved at the end of the year, but I still felt so unsure of what I was doing.

It was definitely one of the things that led to me feeling like I had chosen the wrong career, and ultimately, leaving the field for a few years. 

I eventually came back and worked in teletherapy for a few years, which was new to everyone involved, so it helped to lessen the idea of not knowing equaling not being good enough, and gave me the confidence to ask questions and learn as I went. 

This last school year, I found myself back in a brick and mortar site, in person, and, again, had NO idea what I was doing, really. 

But, instead of allowing it to make me feel disconnected, I used it to build connection, foster growth, and learn a few things along the way. 

Here are a few things you can do in your first year – either as a new SLP or teacher, or just new to the setting.

4 Pieces of Advice for First time School SLPs and Teachers

It’s ok to ask questions: Asking questions does not mean you should not be doing the job that you have or that you aren’t good enough to be there. You earned the degree with a LOT of hard work, you passed the tests, and you are the person qualified to be there. You don’t have to know it all. It is so different from what you had to do in grad school – know it all. It is ok to not know it, but to know where you can learn it. (This was my main takeaway from grad school, honestly). It is tok to say “I don’t know the answer to that, but I can find out and get back to you” or “I’m not sure what this is or how to do it, can you show me or do you know where I can find more info?” or even “That is not my specialty, but I can connect you with someone who works on this”. It’s part of growing and doesn’t make you weaker but stronger and more a part of the community. If your leaders are not supportive of that, then maybe it is not you who is the imposter/problem, and maybe they are scared a little too. 

Your students don’t know your plan: Just because a sessions doesn’t go the way you planned it to, or a student isn’t progressing the way your textbooks say they will, it is ok. Or if you don’t have a plan and you grab some materials on the fly to make the session happen. If it ends up going differently, they will be none the wiser. This was a big lesson I learned in my yoga teacher training, that has helped me tremendously as an SLP. I am the only one who knows what I have planned for the session, or how I want it to go. No one else. In yoga, if I forget a pose, mess up the breath count, or skip a song, no worries, no one else knows. If you skip part of a session, grab the wrong game, or use different success, no worries, your students will get a lot out of it, and you will get done what needs to happen. Even if it wasn’t exactly the plan. 

Keep it simple: There is so much out there for you to learn, so many styles and therapy “shoulds” and “should nots”, and so many fun things you can bring to your class. And it can quickly get overwhelming or feel like FOMO. It is ok to keep it simple, and keep it more enjoyable and your style. And it is even ok to not really plan it all out precisely (see the above point). You don’t have to go over the top with planning sessions or lessons. Most of the time, elaborate plans or things set out way in advance don’t do much to help your students and can add to your stress. And many times, the plan doesn’t go exactly as planned. Keep it simple and keep it human – allow for space for you and your students to shift and change as needed

Be yourself: You do not have to do things the way your professors or supervisors did. You do not need to do things the way the internet says you do. There is more than one way to be a therapist or teacher and to help your students learn and grow and thrive. Bring yourself to the sessions and it will foster deeper connections, trust, and growth. Your authenticity will shine through and make it a better experience for all. It can take time to find your footing or style, but allow it to come through, with your personality, and your “vibe”, and you’ll all be the better for it. 

So, first time school SLPS and teachers, what is something you plan to use? Or maybe you are in your 10th year or are shifting around settings – I’d love to know! Share in the comments below or send me a DM on IG jessiandricks. 

Want to bring some mindfulness to your classroom? If you are looking for some fun and out of the box ways to connect, that can help you to feel truly authentic and supportive of your students, make sure to sign up for the waitlist for my newest course “Mindfulness in Your (Speech) Room”. It is a course for SLPs and educators that will share who you can bring mindfulness and yoga into your classroom, as little or as much as you’d like, and how it can change everything – for the better. You can sign up for the waitlist here (and snag an exclusive discount when doors open later in September). 

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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17Aug

5 Things that are Working for me as a School SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Podcast Stress Management
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working for me as a school slp

The 2022-2023 school year was my first full school year as an SLP, even though I graduated in 2008. I worked in the schools before, either in teletherapy, where I felt a little disconnected with the school itself, or covering portions of school years. In both of those, I felt a lot of stress and didn’t really feel connected in the way I did this year. This year was not perfect – I learned a lot, made mistakes, and have some things I want to tweak and shift moving forward. I’ve spent some time reflecting on these things and on how I can take it into the year ahead. 

However, the focus doesn’t always have to be on what you can shift, change or do better with. It is amazing to reflect on what you learned and how you can grow from it. It is also pretty darn amazing to stop and notice your strengths, what you did well, and what totally flipping worked for you. 

And, in truth, there was a lot that I liked and wanted to keep doing. 

My reflections of this year are that a lot of things went well for me. I had a great place to work, one that welcomed helping people thrive and grow. I had students who were happy and wanted to come to speech, and thought of it as a fun place and a safe place. And I enjoyed being there each day. That’s not to say sometimes I wouldn’t have rather been chilling at home. But I wasn’t dreading it, searching for any way to be anywhere but there. It was a pretty big shift from my last two times working in the schools, both in person in a school and in teletherapy. 

When I look back, it was the things that worked for me, that helped me to want to be there and to feel less stress and overwhelm. 

5 Things that are Working for Me as a School SLP

Here are a few things that worked and that made a big difference for me, and that I want to keep doing:

Ditched tables and plopped down on the floor:

I had several tables and stations in my room. One was a “horseshoe” table, where I had a few (wobble) seats set up around it. Another was a square table that had 4 seats. I also had a rug in the middle of my room, and a few throw pillows and a shag circle rug, and THIS is where the majority of sessions were held. Not in the seats at the table, not even in the wobble seats (although we did pull those over to the rug from time to time). The students were allowed to sit or lay down while we played games and did our work – as long as it didn’t distract them from participating more than it helped. I had one or two groups who preferred sitting at a table, and I used the horseshoe one for evals. 

Used the materials they were using:

If I pushed into a teacher’s class, I would use the items they were already using or had on hand. Most of the time, that looked like using whatever materials were at the station the student was at. If there was a certain station that worked better for speech therapy, I would try to see the students when they were at that one. If it was different materials each day (preschool), I would dive in and play with them for the session. It wasn’t always perfect or my ideal material, but I didn’t have to worry about supplying any or lugging them around, and it was more in line with what they were actually doing in the class  – because that’s exactly what it was 😉

Word lists over flashcards:

I do love flashcards, I really do, but it was also fun to have the students help me come up with some target to work on and just have a wordlist that we wrote down together. It helped them feel more excited about using the words, and then we would use them as the main part of the activity or drill before their turn for the game of the day. And I didn’t have to hunt down a pack of flashcards in the exact sound I needed for that day 🙂

Community and connection:

I mentioned before that connection made such a difference. It was how I connected with coworkers, but also with my students. I made sure to connect with my students, and let them know it was about growing, not about being perfect or “fixing” them.  We had the “foundations” for our speech room listed on our wall, and would refer to them if needed. Everyone is different here, but the vibe was that they were a part of “team speech” if they came to my room, and I was part of their class if I went to their room. 

Mindfulness mixed in:

This is not what you might think. I absolutely did not do straight up yoga or meditation or breathing for the speech session. It was not taking a yoga class and twisting it to become a speech class. It was more infusing the classroom and the activities with mindfulness (which is exactly what Mindfulness in Your Speech Room is all about). I would use some of the tools (like some deep breathing) if needed, especially on days where I noticed that attention or focus was drifting. I had an area that students could go to if they were feeling overwhelmed and needed to pause before joining, or to grab a fidget or sensory item. And we referenced our class motto/foundation based around Growth Mindset. And I am excited to bring even more of this into my room in the upcoming year. 

It is really easy to look at what you need to do better or change, or even shift because you learned something. But it is also important to look at what worked for you and what went well, so you can continue to use it, not let ist get pushed aside, and to help recognize that, yes, you are the SLP and you did some really awesome things and worked with some awesome humans.

What went well for you this year? Share in the comments or DM me @jessiandricks on IG

Want to bring mindfulness to your class or speechroom for the upcoming year? Make sure to sign up for the waitlist and be the first to know when my new course on Mindfulness in your SLP Room opens, plus snag an exclusive discount on enrollment. Click here, enter your email, and confirm your sign up for all the details!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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8Aug

4 Places I’m Making Shifts as a School SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Podcast Stress Management
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making shifts as a school slp

As one school year ends and another begins, one thing I am absolutely sure of is that I don’t want to be under a pile of paperwork at the end again. While I know this is not absolutely realistic, there are a few things that I plan on doing next time that I didn’t do this year. They are not deal breakers or things that HAVE to be done (maybe would be better to get done), but that if I can, I will try to shift to more of this in the upcoming year. 

As I end this school year and get ready for the next, one thing I am absolutely sure of is that I don’t want to be under a pile of paperwork at the end again. While I know this is not absolutely realistic, there are a few things that I plan on doing next time that I didn’t do this year. They are not deal breakers or things that HAVE to be done (maybe would be better to get done), but that if I can, I will try to shift to more of this in the upcoming year. 

I had some good systems set up, but, being my first year, there was a lot of learning to do and set up for those systems, so things got a little clogged up. For example, I had a spreadsheet for every grade, with a separate sheet for each person. It included their goals and services times, so I could plug in each day, materials if needed, and then my note. This took forever to set up, and will be faster now that I can copy/paste them and change the info. 

4 Places I’m Making Shifts as a School SLP

Little side note – this is not about perfection or to make you feel you have to “go for type B to type A” or that you have to do this or you are not good enough. SO not that way – these are just some strategies that I am going to try and thought I would share in case you are looking for ways to try or in case you have one that I could try, too. 

Consult: Ah the students who are on the caseload but not direct therapy. I for sure need a more solid plan for checking in, keeping track, and getting these efficiently done and entered. I had a few spreadsheets and plans to enter notes, and ways to check in, but I also had a few ideas that never developed. I wanted to have them on a separate spreadsheet, rather than grade level. And I also wanted to have set check in times throughout the year, with reminders in my calendar or spreadsheet if needed. I never got around to it, but I know I can easily plan for this in the upcoming year. For this, it’s not an overhaul or change, more just refining. 

Notes: This year, I entered them into a spreadsheet, from a bunch of sticky notes, not exactly right away. And then form that spreadsheet into the system way, way, way later than was needed. I kept thinking I’ll do it when_” but then “when “ would show up, pass by, and another thing would pop up – evals, screens, sicknesses, etc. I ended up way more behind than ever and it took a long time to catch up. Not super awesome. Not the worst, but not how I want to do it again. My new plan: Enter in at the end of each week. Daily would be ideal, right? But I do not see that as absolutely possible. So having a solid time set aside to get these notes in is my plan. I know that sometimes things will pop up, but if I have a nearly non-negotiable time set up, then I know, notes at this time and then other things later. Realistically, this will not always happen and things will come up, but most of the time, I’m aiming for weekly. (Ask me mid September how this is going, lol). 

Progress Reports: My strategy this year was urgently waiting until the last minute or few days, and feeling pretty overwhelmed. This definitely got easier as the year went on. I remember that first batch took me days and an entire weekend to get done. Later in the year, it took a few parts (large parts) of my days to get done. I have no real change or efficient way, besides starting earlier. That’s all. No huge overhaul or system, just start a few weeks earlier, if possible, instead of the week of. It might work, might not, but that’s my slight shift with this one. 

Evaluations: My current style – not scheduling them in or writing them up right away, not entering them into the system until the end of year. For evals, I’m not a drop everything and do it now kind of person, unless it is an urgent request. Then I’m all for it and it is fine. Otherwise, I kind of wait and get backlogged. So trying to have an eval day or time in my schedule, or to see when one comes in where I can schedule it, rather than keep it in my head, could be worth trying. Mainly though, I plan on entering these when they happen, rather than waiting until the end or much later. It will be more efficient and not a hard thing to get done. 

There is definitely more, for sure, but this is my start and my reflection on what I learned after a year of working in the schools, and the shifts I plan to make in the upcoming year. My plan next year is this – not rush at the end to do what I could have done at the beginning (because yes, I still had some filing from the summer to finish up at the end of the school year, lol), and to use the tools I set in place before to be able to use them more efficiently this year. 

What is a small shift you are making going into the upcoming school year? Share in the comments or DM me @jessiandricks on IG

Want more resources to help you as you move into a new year (or if you are still in it)? Subscribe below for FREE resources in the SLP Toolbox, including meditations audio, movement videos, and self-care tips and templates. 

And, if you want to gain a skill in bringing mindfulness to your class or speechroom for the upcoming year, make sure to sign up for the waitlist and be the first to know when my new course on Mindfulness in your SLP Room opens, plus snag an exclusive discount on enrollment. Click here, enter your email, and confirm your sign up for all the details!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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26Jul

What I learned from my first full year as a school-based SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Podcast Stress Management
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first full year as a school slp

Well, as of this writing, I am officially done with my first full year as a school SLP. I’ve been at this, off and on, for over a decade, but somehow, this is the first year that I consider a real, true year in the schools. Yes, I have worked in the schools, but for two half years (one end and one start). Yes, I worked a full school year or two in teletherapy, but it wasn’t quite the same as going into the building and knowing my groups and doing the traditional set up of school-based theory (in some ways it was easier and in some ways it was so much harder). And yes, I worked part-time this year, but it was 3 days, sometimes 4 or 5, and I never felt like a “contractor” or “part-timer”, I just felt like part of the school.

And with this being my first full year, the one where I really felt I was connected and “in” it – sometimes a pile of paperwork, a shit-storm of evals, or just loving every moment – there are so any thoughts and tidbits and things I want to share with you. Things that worked, things I learned, things that I will try differently, things I want to do more of, things I want to keep doing, what I loved, what I could do without, and why I enjoyed it so, so much this time around. 

So in the next few posts and episodes, this is exactly what I’ll be doing, sharing all about my first full year as a school SLP, specifically my experience as someone who really and truly loathed being a school based SLP a decade ago and absolutely love it now (I cried on the last day of school… a lot). No secret tricks or magic “just do this”, because that is all bullshit, but instead my experiences, my thoughts, and what I would like to share with you if we sat down together for coffee (or tea, because caffeine has been kicking my butt lately!). Nothing for you to do or change, but maybe just something to help you feel not alone, to give you some hope, or to inspire you for the next school year.

There were so many things that I did that I wouldn’t necessarily call mistakes, but I would try to do them differently the next time around. As I sit here writing this, I have COVID, for the second time this half of the school year, and my plans to go in and finish filing and paperwork on the teacher workday are awash and I will be going in next week, if the buildings open. It will make it a true full YEAR, since I started working last summer doing comp services, and will be finishing up the year in the same week, a year later. 

Paperwork, not knowing where the records room was until the last three days of school (eek!), scheduling and not checking the cancels, waiting until progress report week to start progress reports – there are a lot of things that I would do differently. They aren’t mistakes – just part of seeing how it worked and making some notes to shift it the next year. 

I found myself sitting one day, ready for a meeting, waiting on the LEA to sign in. I waited, chatted with the teacher, chatted with the parents (thankfully we were virtual), and then realized the LEA had marked they weren’t able to attend and I had overlooked the email that was sent out. Ouch. It was a little embarrassing and not a great first (second?) impression to be making with the parents. So what could I do? I had to just fess up, apologize for them stepping away from their day to sign in, and make a plan with them for when we would meet the following week. I sucked it up (my embarrassment), made a plan, and confirmed with all the team members that we would be able to meet on the next date scheduled. It was not perfect, was utterly un-smooth of me, and, for a moment, made me feel like an idiot. 

But then I realized, we all make small mistakes, we are human, and we don’t have to be perfect. Nothing happened. No big bad fairy came down and deemed me unworthy of being an SLP. No one scolded me for messing it all up. Honestly, it  wasn’t just no big deal, it was not even a blip. Rescheduled, got it done, thanked everyone, and moved on. 

There were a TON of little things like this that probably happened throughout the year – not knowing to file something, forgetting to send something home, not knowing that I needed to hold an ENTIRE PART OF A MEETING and then needing to go back and do it all again. It happens. 

It helped that the district SLP’s motto for us all was “Don’t look back and try to fix it. Once you learn something, use it going forward”. No need to dwell on the past, just do it from now on. 

What I learned as in my first full year as a School-Based SLP

Here are a few times I majorly goofed, but really it was just a learning lesson:

Forgot to hold an entire part of a meeting and had to go back and hold it again

In my first Speech-only IEP meeting, I unknowingly skipped an entire part. I had to do a three year re-eval. I gathered all the previous info and present levels. I held the re-eval part of the meeting where we determined we would continue with therapy. I held the annual IEP meeting and updated it. And then it wouldn’t clear from my system or show it was completed. So I looked through a few things and realized I forgot the important part – where we do the actual checkboxes and submit that, yes, they are still eligible. Facepalm for sure. So I called my supervisor, a bit embarrassed, and she reassured me, letting me know that even people who have been working for years make mistakes and goof up. She said to just own it, hold that part, and move forward. So I did and I didn’t miss that part again for the rest of the year. 

Didn’t realize not all team members had confirmed until we were in the meeting with the parents and had to reschedule. 

Oof. Later in the year, I thought everyone had confirmed, or at least not declined, an IEP meeting. 5 minutes into, still waiting for the last member, I realized they had declined and I missed the email. So once I found myself mucking up an IEP meeting. I apologized, we rescheduled, and I made sure everyone confirmed and was onboard the next time we held the meeting and all was well. 

Had no idea about folders until the end of the year.

You can’t know what you don’t even know you should know – or something like that 😉 I didn’t realize until well into the 4th quarter that we were supposed to file everything in two separate places. So, I had two choices – being super embarrassed and awkward about it, and feel bad for myself, OR, own it, laugh about it (while being awkward for sure), and get it done. Next year, I know I won’t have to wait until the end to file AND I’ll know exactly where to go each time. 

Probably another thousand things that I will continue to learn about as the years go on, no matter what job or where I am. For one, things are constantly updating and changing, so everyone is learning. But also, it’s a lot to learn. If you expect yourself to be perfect, or your leaders expect it, then you will never live up to it and always feel you are not enough. 

Why even bother sharing these muck-ups? Because I know I am not the only one, and I know that in the past I would have criticized, internalized, and felt like a complete ass about them. And you might be feeling that way, too. Graduate school and clinicals like to push this you – be perfect, no mistakes, be the best and by best we mean idealistic. You don’t have to be that way, and you will still be a damn good SLP.

Instead of looking at these as mistakes and places I failed, I look at them as things I learned and grew through. They are all the things I learned in my first full year as a school based SLP. They are new skills, new tools, and new insights that I can use and don’t have to struggle with going forward. 

What is a place you faltered in and learned from this year? I’d love to hear! Share in the comments or send me a message on IG @jessiandricks

Want more resources to help you as you move into a new year (or if you are still in it)? Subscribe below for FREE resources in the SLP Toolbox, including meditations audio, movement videos, and self-care tips and templates. 

And, if you want to gain a skill in bringing mindfulness to your class or speechroom for the upcoming year, make sure to sign up for the waitlist and be the first to know when my new course on Mindfulness in your SLP Room opens, plus snag an exclusive discount on enrollment. Click here, enter your email, and confirm your sign up for all the details!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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