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13Dec

5 Benefits of Using Mindfulness in Your Speech Room or Classroom

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: mindfulness in speech therapy yoga for kids
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benefits of using mindfulness

Have you ever had a moment when you felt immense pressure, and needed to recall some information (maybe in a debate, in grad school for comps or the praxis, or when your supervisor asked you what your plan was), only to find that your brain emptied out, you felt panicked, and you could not focus, explain, or 

Or maybe you’ve felt that after taking a pause to regroups and find some silence, a cup of tea/coffee/diet coke, or to go outside, you felt completely recharged and able to focus on our work again. 

Perhaps you have felt unsettled, scattered, and like you couldn’t process another single piece of information, but then you got up and moved or wrote down some thoughts or took a few breaths, maybe squeezed a fidget, and felt like you were able to sink into the moment and be present again?

These moments of stress, decreased focus, and dysregulation.

All of this happens to us pretty regularly as adults, and we are learning how to manage this and reduce the overwhelm that comes with it. You have probably had a few of these happen and have tried some of the strategies – either consciously or out of habit. 

If you really take a second to look at them, they are all based out of mindfulness.

And they can help you,a s an adult, but also can help students, who are feeling some of these same pressures, lack of focus, and dysregulation. 

Going through each of these can make it really, really hard to learn – not only due to inability to focus, but the inability to retain the info and use or build critical thinking skills. And if a student is already struggling with language disorder or learning disability, this will only make it that much more difficult.

It is one of the BEST reasons to bring mindfulness into your Speech Sessions and classroom. To help give students some tools to use so they feel more prepared and ready, to the best of their abilities, in their bodies and brains. 

Mindfulness is a powerful resource, made up of many different tools, that helps the brain, in both adults and children, to turn down the stress response, turn back on the parts of the brain that help problem solve, recall, and learn, and to build new pathways that help get these strategies on board even easier. 

Here are 5 benefits of using mindfulness in your speech room or classroom:

Stress: When you think of stress, you think of it as being an adult or late teen/early adulthood issue, and not something that younger children are having to deal with. But, unfortunately, they are, too. It could be stress from the amount of school work, and issue with their peers, or the upcoming testing. When you are stressed, your brain has gone into a “survival” mode, where the parts that process information, help you recall, and store memories and learn new info, are turned down and even can shrink over time. And this can happen for kids with their developing brians, too. USing some mindfulness, such as deep breathing or movement breaks, can help to reduce the stress they face by turning down the stress response and helping those other parts of their brain to  turn on and grow. It could look like taking a few moments to breathe during the day (start or before a big activity) or taking breaks to stretch or get some wiggles out. 

Focus: It is really easy to lose focus, and kids, as I am sure you are aware, have a hard time with this too. It is not always due to an attention deficit or challenge, sometimes it is just a really tiring day. Kids can feel drained and mentally exhausted, too, especially if they are on the go ALL day or don;t have much time to take a break. Or they might be tired, hungry, or thirsty, or need to get up and move, and so they feel more foggy-headed. Mindfulness comes into place in two ways here – you can be mindful (more of a mindset) of these moments and notice them, and then be able to give a strategy. It is also the tool or strategy you can use. Do a mindful activity like deep breaths, going for a walk around the class, or pausing to check in between activities to help give the brain a reset and a break. 

Regulation: When there is a lot of information, or just life, students can feel dysregulated. This doesn;t always mean hyperactive. It can also mean low energy. Either way, they are dysregulated and might start to show “behaviors” in order to try to bring the energy up or down. They might need some kind of sensory input on the regular, or in that moment. Doing something like moving and stretching, deep breaths, squeezing, or belly breathing might be what they need to reset and regulate. (Um, I am totally not an expert in this field and am constantly learning more in this aspect. SO please, be mindful of that fact, and know it is a LOT to learn). 

Language/Communication: Mindfulness helps to turn down the stress response, even in kids, which helps your brain to function easier (as mentioned above). This means that when you are stressed or anxious, it is a LOT harder to use those parts of the brain that communicate and use language skills, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (which is developing in kids). By using mindfulness, you reduce the stress response, and allow thesis parts of the brain to work at their highest, or at least higher, capacity, as best the student can. It gives them the best chance and the ability to really use these skills. 

Fun! : It might be one of the most important reasons – kids like it and it’s fun! Mindfulness, and the different activities that you can use with it, are a little different and new. It can be fun, exciting in a good way, and give them a moment to pause, reset, and to let go of learning and thinking and just be, so they can come back to the learning feeling fresh and renewed. 

What are some of the benefits you have noticed or wonder about with mindfulness? Share in the comments and let me know.

Ok, now that you are interested and ready to bring this on, want some resources to help you out? Sign up below, by entering your email, and you’ll get access to resources for yourself and that you can use to bring more mindfulness in your classroom or speech room!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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7Dec

Gratitude Activities for Speech Therapy

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Gratitude Mindfulness mindfulness in speech therapy New SLP yoga for kids
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gratitude activities for speech therapy

Gratitude season is upon us, with Thanksgiving happening here in the US, and the rest of the holiday season to follow. While not everyone celebrates, or celebrates the same way, it can be a wonderful time to pause and practice gratitude – something that we can all benefit from and connect with, no matter what we celebrate, where we live, or what our traditions are. 

Gratitude is a mindfulness practice and a big part of positive psychology, which looks at strengths and shifts your brain to notice the things that are good, positive, and working well. Your brain, and mine, is trained to naturally look at what is not working or going well, to help protect you from threats and stress. It can create a cycle where the more you see, the more you are looking for, and turn these into the pathways that you are using consistently. Gratitude helps you tune into the opposite. When you do this, it helps to create new pathways in your brain that see the parts that often go unnoticed – the things that are positive, bring joy to your world, and are going well for you. It helps you to pull away from the stress and not get stuck in it, so you can feel more at ease, more at peace, and for your brain to work more optimally. 

And it can do the same for your students, specifically with the parts of the brain that help with learning, cognition, executive functioning, and language – all things that we work on in speech therapy and in school. 

Gratitude doesn’t have to be anything super complicated – it can be as simple as thinking of 3 things that are positive in your day, or maybe writing down three things that went well for you. These small practices can build up and create big shifts in your outlook and mindset. 

With students, this can be a fun way to engage with them, help them to put this into practice, and create or share some wonderful practices that will help them their entire life. 

Here are Gratitude Activities for Speech Therapy or your Classroom:

Gratitude Books: Books are always a great option, because they promote and help support so many things, in speech therapy and beyond. You can use them for articulation, literacy, vocabulary building (expressive language skills), inference and wh?’s (receptive language skills), fluency, and more. Gratitude books are extra fun because they can help share gratitude practices, give unique topics to talk about, and lead into another activity, like a craft, gratitude list, or mediation.One of my favorite books is “Zen Pig”, which share s the journey of a pig who seems effortlessly happy to others, but really has the practice of gratitude to help him out.

Gratitude Crafts: I am not crafty, but I do love a good gratitude craft. The focus on these is usually to make a list of things you are grateful for, but make it more fun than just a “list” for the students. Turn it into a Thankful Turkey or a Positivity PIg (perhaps after reading Zen Pig), or a gratitude rainbow. You can take the things you are grateful for and attach them somehow. For a gratitude/thankful turkey, you can put together the body of it (great for following directions and sequencing) and then place the feathers. For each feather, you can write down one thing you are grateful or thankful for. You can then use these to target the students goals, either language or articulation. And If they celebrate Thanksgiving, you have a fantastic decoration to send home – which parents will appreciate 🙂

Gratitude Meditations: You could even use a gratitude meditation to start/end your session, to help bring in more mindfulness, and help promote that less stressed state, which enhances learning and the brain’s functioning. Maybe focus on different parts of the body ( i am grateful for my strong arms that carry my books, etc), or focus on things they are grateful for (they can silently name them in their head). 

Gratitude Games: You could also get creative in a non-crafty way and use gratitude for a game, targeting your goals. Maybe use it to create a word list and then do your drills from there. Or create  a list of things you are grateful for and play pictionary/charades, drawing or acting each one out, then practicing your specific skill. You could even create a word search or worksheet activity of some kind, if you need a little more downtime with it. 

No matter what, at the end, be sure to pause and talk about gratitude, bring it back to a place to notice and breathe and reflect. 

How do you incorporate gratitude into your speech room or classroom? Share below!

Want more resources to help you bring mindfulness and gratitude to your speech room or classroom? Enter your email below for instant access to my resource list, full of my favorite tools, tips, and places to find all things mindfulness. You’ll find anything from books to use in speech therapy, to yoga dice, to fidgets and more. 

With Love, Light, and Gratitude, 

Jessi

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22Sep

Top 3 Ways to Bring Mindfulness into Your Speech (Class) Room

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: mindfulness in speech therapy yoga for kids
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Want to know what really irks me?

When I see things like “mindfulness” being taken out of schools, called “indoctrination”, and Mindfulness can kind of be over-thought. A lot of the time, we think it is this huge, serious thing that either you are striving for, or that you are running fmr as fast as you can. And when you hear that it is something you can use with kids and students, it can seem even stranger and harder to grasp. 

It can be seen as this religious or spiritual practice, when it is really a way to help your brain and body speak to each other a little better, and a way to help you move through your day and your experiences with more ease. 

And a way for your students and clients to do the same. 

bring mindfulness to your speech (class) room

Mindfulness is defined in a lot of ways, as a lot of things, and is a big buzzword in the last few years. I like to think of it as this – pausing in the present moment with more awareness and acceptance, to help you move forward.

For adults, this might mean feeling less stress and overwhelm, and more connected to your day, work and life. 

And for kids and students, it can mean this, too, but even more it usually means a way to help be more steady and ready for meeting each part of the day. It gives them a tool for working through the stress of their day, being able to regulate, and to help their bodies and brains be ready to learn, grow, and thrive. 

Exactly what we as school SLPs (and teachers) are all about. 

And with that thought, mindfulness is a perfect match for binging into our school day and speech sessions. 

So how do you do it?

It’s not like a yoga class or a 30 minute meditation are exactly feasible, or wanted, in the curriculum of the school day. And it can be really difficult to share ancient lessons and teachings, and they probably aren’t appropriate anyway. 

Instead, you can take the principles and ideas of mindfulness and use them in the ways that work for YOUR speech room or classroom, as little or as much as needed. It’s kind of the great high about mindfulness – a little goes a long way.

If you are looking to bring more mindfulness into your speech session and classroom, there are a few ways you can go about it.

Top 3 Ways to Bring Mindfulness into Your Speech (Class) Room:

Infuse it: Using mindfulness does not have to be a super direct or explicit moment of your day It can be infused into it, so that your entire day has the vibe, or feeling, or mindfulness. IN this way, it is incorporated into the foundation of your speech (class) room, and in all the things you do. You might have moments infused in your classroom whether you pause to breathe and get centered, have fidgets for them to use if needed, or check-in at the start/end of each session. With this, there are mindful practices and tools that can be used throughout the day and session, not necessarily as the session itself. (For me, this is the way I use it most. Play a straight up game of hungry, hungry hippos, using flashcards to drill articulation skills, and then have these mindfulness components sprinkled throughout).  

Make it your session: You could make it the main part of your session. Not using the teachings as a lesson, but using them for the lessons. Have a yoga game or poses that you use for your speech target words and then say them as you play them. You can plan your activity using some yoga poses or a game that incorporates mindfulness, and make it the session. Again, the teaching is not mindfulness or yoga – it’s speech and school, not yoga class – but the lesson activity is using them.

Use it as needed: Take it or leave it when you need it or don’t. There might be days when you don’t need to use it, and there might be days when you use a LOT of mindfulness tools for your session. These could look like having brain breaks (super handy during looooong evals) , breathing breaks (can help recenter and refocus a group that is getting rowdy), or maybe a calm corner (a safe space for your students to go to when they are feeling overwhelmed and need to step away to pause, breathe, or grab a fidget). 

Mindfulness can be a simple tool that gives you a foundation, that you can use as needed, or that can become part or all of your activity for the session. Find the way that works best for your needs and your students, and give it a try. 

Which one are you going to try? Share in the comments.

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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7Sep

5 Types of Mindfulness Activities to Use in Your Speech (Class) Room

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: mindfulness in speech therapy yoga for kids
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mindfulness activities to use in your speech room

Mindfulness is not something I ever learned about or even thought of using when I started out as an SLP in 2008. Yoga and mindfulness were things I dabbled in but they were hard to come by in my community and absolutely not talked about them where I worked, let alone used in a classroom or speech room. But things have changed, and as these have become more mainstream and the benefits of them are more well-known, they are used more often.

Last year, I started branching out and teaching some yoga for kids classes, and finding ways to use mindfulness in my speech room, and sharing strategies with others. It is what my new course “Mindfulness in your Speech Room”, launching later this September, is all about.


If you have ever thought about using these in your class, needed mindfulness activities to use in your speech room, or wondered how to incorporate them into a speech session, it is probably a lot easier (and more fun!) than you ever imagined.

Here are 5 Types of Mindfulness Activities to Use in Your Speech Room:

Games: If you like to play games in your therapy or class, to help foster receptive language skills such as following directions, with social.pragmatic groups, to build up some vocabulary, or as a simple reward/positive moment, there are several ways to bring in yoga and mindfulness. One way is to play a game like “Yogi/Simon says”, using yoga poses. Call out a pose and demo it, and see if they follow when “yogi/Simon” says. You could also try using some yoga dice and take turns creating a mini sequence. Another fun game is to have a hoberman sphere have students take a few breaths with it or name a pose then throw it to another student to do the same. It builds community, works the brain, creates play, and can be something new for the students.

Breathing Breaks: If you need something to help students find their focus or to regain self-control or calm, breathing breaks can be helpful. You can use tactile cues, like a hand on their chest/belly, toy on their belly, a hoberman sphere, or color-changing apps. It can be a pause that helps students to regroup, much like it does for adults.

Yoga Poses/Names: If you are working on articulation or language skills, using yoga pose names can be a fun way to practice sounds and build sentences. Write down a few on a board to choose from, grab some yoga cards, or give the students a new pose to try doing and name.

Check-In: Having a mindful moment when you first step into the class can be a great way to check-in with students and help them get settled for the session. It could be breathing, choosing the “color” they feel emotionally, or shaking it out on a wiggly day.

Books: If you love to incorporate books into your speech therapy sessions, there are a TON of yoga and mindfulness books that you could use, and then create activities, movement, vocabulary, articulation, etc from. You can search on google, head to the library, or reach out to me for some suggestions. Personally, I like the “I am” series by Susan Verde.

There are so many ways that you can infuse yoga speech sessions with mindfulness, either a little bit here and there or with the activity itself. They can help students to find a new way of learning, a new way of having fun, or to get settled and prepared for the session, shifting their brain for speech time.

Which one do you think you are going to try? Share in the comments and let me know! Or DM me on IG at 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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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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1Aug

#1 Thing that made the BIGGEST difference as a School SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Podcast Stress Management
Comments Off on #1 Thing that made the BIGGEST difference as a School SLP

biggest difference as a school SLP

This was NOT my first year working in the schools, but it was my first year where I really leaned into being an SLP, and truly enjoyed my work. Out of any setting and any work I’ve done in the field of being an SLP, this was the one where I felt like I had landed. There was work and stress and things that were hard, but it wasn’t dreadful or pushing me towards burnout. 

So what was the thing that made it different?

There were a lot of factors, and I know that I have done a lot of work and practices to get where I am with stress and work, but it was perhaps more. For me, it the thing that made the biggest difference, as a school SLP, was connection. 

Connection with the students and team made all the difference. I don’t know how it happened – luck perhaps, or maybe manifesting after years of not being where I wanted, finally not putting up with it anymore, and then finding the right place – but it happened. I landed in a work setting that I actually really enjoyed and , for the first time truly, I enjoyed working as an SLP. Part of this was absolutely the setting itself – a very positive, uplifting, welcoming place – but also that I showed up as I was, comfortable in my abilities and lack of skills, and was there to do what I could. I started with the summer to see if I liked it – a bit of a test. There was no pressure. If I didn’t like it, it was only for a few weeks and then I would know for sure I was not goin in this direction. But if I did like it, I could offer to stay on. And I loved it. And then I realized as the year went on, that I enjoyed it even more than I had over that summer. 

Part of what was so great was being allowed to say “ I have no idea how to do this” or “that did not work like I thought” and not expect miracles from me, huge sweeping changes in skills for those I worked with, or that I would know everything It was ok for me to say “I’m not sure” and then to find out how to do it. 

Being honest, and being able to be honest, was what made the difference and grew connections, between adults I worked with but also with the student I worked with on my caseload. If I could say, “Um, that didn’t really work like I thought” or “Let’s try something and see how it goes” then they knew they didn’t have to be perfect, do it all right away, and could take the pressure off as well. It wasn’t an excuse to sit back and do nothing, but rather an invitation to show up as they were that day and use it in a realistic way to work on their skills. 

The Thing that made the BIGGEST difference as a School SLP: Connection.

Here are a few ways that helped me grow this connection:

Being honest about not knowing

As I mentioned in a previous episode, there was a LOT I did not know going in, and I felt it was super important to own that, not fake that I knew it, and ask questions to clarify, because that was the only way I was going to learn and know what to do with it. It wasn’t always easy to fess up to, but it ALWAYS helped with stress in the long-run, and helped me feel more connected and honest with the people I was around. 

Offering to help and mean it

There is a lot that we do and we don’t always have time for things other than straight SLP work. But when I could, I’d offer to help, or to let them know they could ask me if needed. Sometimes, it was being a sounding board for an upcoming meeting, or helping out at field day (my favorite day), or shifting my schedule so I could be in a class when they had a sub instead of my usual time. If I could, I would offer and mean it, because I considered myself part of the team and not just the SLP stopping in. 

Showing up to learn and grow

If I showed up to be just as I was, it wouldn’t have left me any room to grow and learn, and it wouldn’t have left me room to communicate, share, explore, and build that connection with my students or co-workers. Instead of showing up as “I know it all”, I showed up with “what can I learn from this” – sometimes a new skill in therapy, sometimes learning what I did NOT want to do, and sometimes learning that something would or wouldn’t work for me. 

Not expecting perfection or super-structure from my students

I kept things loosey-goosey some might think. It was not unusual for my students to get up in the middle of the session to change their type of seat, to stand up and walk around, or to go grab a sensory item. If you stopped by my room, someone was bound to be moving. I know it is not for everyone, but if a student needed it, I was ok with them getting up to move around, as long as it helped them participate and not distract from them or others learning. And I had a class motto where we talked about how, in speech, we make mistakes, we try again, and we are not trying to be perfect, just to keep learning. Having that foundation for some growth mindset was part of my room and building connection and rapport together. 

Cheering them on no matter what – everyone puts in what they can, not 100% expected each time

Adults have plenty of days where we do not feel 100% – and it is hard for us to acknowledge it, but even harder, at times, for us to understand and accept it in our students. In my room, I had a meditation-ish/calm area that students were allowed to sit in if they were feeling overwhelmed or needed to just step back for a bit. I few used it, and would come join in when they were able. I also made sure to cheer everyone on for their effort – not the percentage they got correct – and to thank them for coming to my class and participating. The more you are connected, the more you get out of the sessions, for you and the students. There is trust and comfort and that is so needed for learning. 

In any upcoming year or work, I will take with me some of these lessons and experiences to help me find connection, and know that, for me at least, it is such a driving force to keep stress from building, to feel connected to the work, and feel part of it. It is not always easy, but it is so worth it. 

When was a moment that you felt really connected to your work or a student/client/co-worker? Share in the comments or 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 speech room 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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