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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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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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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
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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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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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16Sep

5 Ways to Feel Less Stressed this School Year

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Stress Management
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less stressed this school year

One of the things that happens at the start of the school year, is that you dive into it with the thought of “this year will be different” or, maybe, “I hope this year will be different”. Chances are the year before ended on a highly stressful note, even amongst the joy and bittersweetness of the end of the year, and you have spent the summer trying to decompress, often by ignoring the work, pushing it away, or continuing it work to “get ahead” for the new year. 

And, yet, despite all of this work and positive thinking, the year usually ends up pretty much the same, or even worse if your stress never really turned down at all from the previous year.

As an SLP who is back working in the schools after a (long) hiatus, I am seeing a lot of this happening in the way we go about our work and daily routines. Mostly, because it’s the only way we know how, and it’s how we teach each other.  

It’s no wonder so many SLPs face burnout and chronic stress (even before the pandemic). 

Chronic stress is what happens when those small, daily stressors begin to grow or last longer, and you have less time between them to process and regroup. When they start to become more frequent, or the importance of them grows, your brain doesn’t have the time to work through it and recover before another stressor hits. And with each one, the stress grows and your brain looks out for more things that could be stressful, kind of like being on “high alert”. 

This is where so many of us SLPs leave each day and feel stuck in. 

And, when this is left unchecked, the only place it can go is into burnout – a place where stress grows so much that you no longer feel driven or motivated to work through it and you kind of give up and disconnect from your work. And this can be really, really challenging to work through and come back from – but it is not impossible. 

If you are in burnout or chronic stress, you can begin to shift out of it by setting up your day to support yourself and looking at your stress management and resilience building strategies a little differently. This will help you come out of burnout, and stop chronic stress from growing further, while you start to turn it down as well. 

As you move into a new school year, and are looking for some ways to create some real changes in your stress this year, here are a few things you can try. 

5 Ways to Feel Less Stressed this School Year

Take time for yourself 

Ugh, this has been the most overused phrase of the last two years. Mostly because it is thrown out there with the hopes of being helpful, but in reality is just a phrase that is pretty useless without some action behind it. It’s not the message itself that doesn’t really help, but giving it without any way to actually do it. 

Because, truly, this is one of the most important things you can do to help keep stress low, to build resilience to it, and to work your way out of chronic stress and/or burnout when you find you’ve somehow landed there. 

Take 5 minutes at the start of your day, and end of the day, to check-in with yourself. See how you are doing, maybe grab a drink or snack, go for a quick walk or stretch, or turn out the lights and have some quiet while you breathe. And, if you need a moment or two during the day, pause to breathe for 5-10 deep breaths. These actions seem small, but they can make a big difference and help counteract the “rush” and “push” mentalities that can add to stress and build it. 

Pause before you react

Similar to pausing for a breath to take care of yourself, you can use this to help with reaction. There are many, many times when, yes, the stressor itself is stressful, but it is our reaction that adds to the stress and takes it to another level. This is when we see ourselves and other SLPs or professionals getting really worked up when a session doesn’t go exactly as planned, when a student doesn’t show up or someone forgets to send them, or when you have to change the plan completely for the day at a moment’s notice. It is so frustrating and the reactions we have can add to our stress – fuming, sending an angry email, etc. These are natural and human responses, so it’s not that you should ignore them. But you could take a mindful approach to observe rather than react to them. They are not you (which is also part of the next segment). They are the reaction that you are having at a really challenging and frustrating moment. 

So, before you react to the situation, pause and take a few deep breaths, or even step away for a few moments. Taking this pause gives you a moment to think, to find clarity, to ask yourself “what has this brought up for me”, and shifts you into a place where you can observe, explore, and let the stress of it go – another place of action. 

Remember – Stress is not you

It sure does feel like the stress is you, and that is part of your makeup, but it is not you. Stress is real and it is a survival mechanism. And the things we consider “stress” are really the triggers of the reaction in your brain and your body. It is an automatic thing that happens, for some more than others, depending on your circumstances, past experiences, and how much you are already trying to process and filter through in that moment. AND the tools you have been given to cope and work through (with) it in your life so far. 

So, while it does get really big and scary and seems like it is going to take over everything…it is not who you are. YOU are not Stress. Stress is happening TO you and within you. You can look at it as the enemy, or look at it as a survival instinct that is a natural part of being a human, and then try some strategies to work through it and manage it from here on out. 

Make friends with breaks and downtime

One of the biggest challenges I have heard about from SLPs is the guilt and uncertainty when there does happen to be a break or amount of time in the schedule that is not direct therapy sessions scheduled. I haven’t really had a problem with this before (lol), but there has been a little inkling or two when I look at my schedule and see space – even after I have scheduled over 30 students for 3 partial days.  

Having a break or a moment to breathe seems wrong, especially if you are used to a jam packed schedule, tons of testing, only being paid for direct time, or high productivity rates. 

But these small breaks are incredibly beneficial for you. For one, they give you space to shift your schedule, to test or write reports or hold a meeting, to plan and prep for the next sessions or day, and to collaborate. And they also give you time to get up and move, to take a walk, to stretch. Time to breathe, pause, check-in. To eat, hydrate, or go to the bathroom. And to sit back and process and recharge before you jump back in. 

Breaks don’t make you weak or lazy or inefficient, they make you better able to do your work. 

Remember we are all humans (even you!)

This school year, remember that you are human, You are not a computer or a robot or anything that runs perfectly (and, honestly, these aren’t perfect either). You might make mistakes, need to try things and make changes, or just have a rough day. It is ok and does not mean you have failed, things will stay that way, or that you are a terrible SLP. It means you’re a human, going through a human experience. And if others seem to have a rough day or are not perfect, remember that they are also human. We all make mistakes and can greet them with curiosity and compassion. 

As you move into the school year, give these 5 strategies a try. When stress starts to build, take a break, pause before you react, and remind yourself that the stress is not you. Utilize some downtime that you have when it shows up and remember that you and all those you meet are humans, trying to figure it all out, too. 

Which one of these can you see yourself using this year? Share in the comments!

For more resources to help manage and lessen the stress you face this year, make sure to sign up for The Resilient SLP Toolbox. It’s a free resource library full of tools such as yoga classes, meditations, journal templates and more.

Subscribe below for instant access!

With Love and Light, 

Jessi

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22Mar

5 Ways to Create More Freedom in Your Day as an SLP

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Journal Techniques for SLPs Stress Management
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When you are working as an SLP, whether at home or in your facility, it can be easy to feel that you are on someone else’s schedule, routine and daily needs. This can make it feel as if you have no control or freedom in your day, which can lead to an increase in stress and overwhelm, and that can lead to chronic stress and burnout. 

In my first few years, I often felt this. There was no room in my day to stop and breathe or not be productive constantly. Even if they were acceptable, taking a break was still seen (even if only from myself, due to what I learned in school and other experiences) as not acceptable. There was always something I could be doing And if I could do, it, then I should do it (hello, Perfectionism, something so many SLPs are faced with each day). And when I took my breaks – to eat lunch, read a blog or two, or just not do anything – I often kept it a secret and tried to hide. And that led to feeling guilty and a bit shameful, like I was doing something wrong by trying to mentally feel better. 

And when I came back after a 5 year break , I felt like I finally found my groove and enjoyed my work. So if I was asked to do more, I gladly accepted. “Bring it on! I’d love to help.” became my go-to. I added on more hours, had less time in my schedule to get up and move around between sessions, or at least not sit at my desk for hours in sessions, and started to feel that sense of stress and burnout creep back in. I was mentally and physically exhausted, again, and knew it was that sense of freedom that was missing and starting to wear on me. 

Can you relate?

As my best friend put it once “Of course you are stressed. You hate feeling like you are trapped”. Sometimes it takes someone else to help us see things more clearly. 

When you feel like you are trapped to a strict schedule, with absolutely no wiggle room or room for life circumstances, it can make you feel like you have no freedom or control to your work, and that things will always be this way. As this continues, it becomes more and more difficult to find ways to break away form work when you need to, and you often end up doing even more, in order to find a moment to breathe, and working endlessly, or mentally focusing on work, all there is left to do, and how to not be so stressed out from it, long after your work day has ended. 

If you are feeling like you are stuck in your schedule, or perhaps even trapped, you are not alone and there are some things you can do to create more freedom in your day. 

create more freedom in your day as an SLP

Here are 5 things you can do to make some changes and create more freedom in your day as an SLP:

  • Plan for space: It is really easy to forget to have some wiggle room in your schedule, even just 5 minutes here and there. I’ve done it (so I could have a bigger lunch break, but then felt so drained by the time lunch hit), and you probably have to. Tiny moments in your schedule are much needed. They give you space if you are simply running late or need to check on something or someone, but they also give you a moment to yourself to regroup and check in. Look at your schedule and give yourself at least 5 minutes here and there in your day, so you can get up and move, eat, pee, breathe, stretch, etc. It will make all the difference. 
  • Take actual breaks too: Breaks are not supposed to be negotiable. These are necessary and you deserve them. Plus, breaks will help you work better, be more efficient, and enjoy your work so much more. Taking a break of 10 minutes or longer (like for lunch) gives your brain the time to recharge and refresh, and it gives your body a chance to move differently. This helps to eliminate and ease up both mental and physical tension, which makes it easier for you to focus, make  less mistakes, process faster, and be more present to what you are doing. Plan for mental and physical breaks in your day for 10 minutes (more for a meal), aiming for a break every 90 minutes, so it is easy to schedule and remember. 
  • Create a routine or end of day ritual: This is so crucial, especially when you work from home. You are going to need something to help you mentally transition out of work mode and into “rest of life” mode. If you are used to a long commute, that might be your time. If you aren’t getting that anymore, you might notice that you are feeling like your work brain follows you into your home and you continue to think about work and issues that have come up or are planning for tomorrow. Have a routine or ritual that mimics your commute – go for a walk, stretch, sweep your office (if you like this kind of thing), listen to a podcast, read a blog post, etc. Take a moment for yourself, to do something each day at the end of the work day, to help signal to your brain that work is over. 
  • Spend time in your mornings and/or evenings that isn’t dedicated to the logistics/planning for the day ahead or next day. This is really difficult to do, but can set you up for a more relaxed, mindful, present day. If you tend to wake up and rush to get ready and make it to work on time, give yourself a few more minutes to lessen the rush, but also to have some downtime before you head in. This way, your day can start with some ease instead of instant panic and rush/stress. Same for the evening. If you tend to plan, prep and pack for the day ahead and then head to bed or check out for a bit, take 5 extra minutes (or more) to do something for you. Give yourself some space that isn’t about work or planning for work or thinking about work or purposely ignoring work. Take a few moments for yourself to start and end your day, so you start and end with more space and freedom. 
  • Leave work at work (or in your work space): It’s hard, but it’s necessary. If there is so much that you are constantly working late or bringing your computer from your office to the couch, it is time to reach out for support. Salary does not mean working all the time. Hourly does not mean working off the clock (I know some places only pay for direct time, and expect you to work out your hours around that. This is really hard as well. For this, you might have a set amount of hours you work, some billable, some non. Don’t work later than necessary on the non-billable hours). You can’t find freedom in your day if you are always working (mentally as well as actually doing work). 

Do you relate to or struggle with any of these? Share your triumphs or challenges in the comments. 

Want to journal through this on your own? Download the “Create More Freedom in Your Day” worksheet/journal, available in the SLP Toolbox, a resource library full of tools to help SLPs reduce and manage stress.

You can sign up for access, it’s FREE, below. (No spam ever. I promise!). 

Much Love, 

Jessi

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