Frenzied SLPs: When SLP Love Hurts

The Frenzied SLPs are sharing times when #SLPlovehurts

Valentine's Day is next week, and with that comes talk of love. This week The Frenzied SLPs are talking about those times when love hurts. As SLPs, we work with a wide range of student abilities, and most of our kiddos have needs other than communication which are also impacting their performance in the school setting. There are times when these needs can escalate and things can turn physical. Here is just one instance I have experienced that has made an impact on me. Some details have been altered to protect student confidentiality.

Here's what happened:
A few years back I was working one-on-one with a second grade student whose compliance and behavior could switch from angelic to physically aggressive without warning. It was near the beginning of the school year, and I was new to this building, so it was still during those first few weeks when I was getting to know my caseload.

As we walked down the hallway to my therapy room, this student seemed to be in a good mood. He asked me about what I did last night, and we chit-chatted as we walked. Once we got in my room, I started to explain what we were going to learn that day. Well, he decided that didn't fit with his plans and proceeded to walk over to my desk.

I attempted to lure him back to our work table, and he went for anything and everything on my desk. Task cards, papers, my laptop and cell phone - anything and everything he grabbed and threatened to break. I was shocked! This was not the sweet boy I had just walked down the hallway with!

Next he bolted for the door. Luckily I was quicker and got there ahead of him and was able to close it before he got out into the hallway, but then he proceeded to swear at me and kick me in the shin. Multiple times. I tried threatening to write him up, I tried actually writing him up, and I tried ignoring the behavior. But nothing was going to stop him from swearing at me and trying to kick me.

Thank goodness the special education teacher chose that moment to come back to our room. She helped get him calmed down and regulated. If she hadn't chosen that moment to come back, I don't know how far this would have escalated.

What I learned:
1. READ student files - If I had taken the time to read everything in this student's previous progress reports/IEPs/evaluation reports, then I would have learned some valuable information about what could set him off and cause him to become disregulated.

2. TALK with your team members - Prior to working with this student, I should have taken time to talk with the special education teacher and this student's paraprofessional to learn what steps should be taken if these types of behaviors arise. Many students have a behavior plan and certain phrases or action steps need to be taken to help them regulate themselves. If all team members learn the procedures, then behavior plans can be followed consistently and students will know what to expect.

3. CONSIDER becoming trained through crisis prevention intervention (CPI) - I will be taking this training in March to help me better know what procedures can be taken to help students who are showing aggression, and to help prevent the aggression from occurring in the first place.

I hope you will read through the other #SLPlovehurts stories. I think we can all agree that these moments are few and far between, and we still love our jobs despite the moments that hurt. If you'd like to share your own "love" story, you can link up using the link below, or share in the comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

Quick and Easy Meals for Frenzied SLPs

Quick Cassoulet is a speedy recipe for when you're short on time or energy

The Frenzied SLPs are back! This time we are sharing recipes that are simple and quick to make because we all know how hectic life can be for any SLP. If you're like me, you are drowning in referrals, evaluations, progress reports, and IEPs! I'm a big fan of popcorn supper if I have no energy to cook, but if you're looking for something with a little more sustenance, this meal is one of my absolute favorites. It only takes about 30 minutes start to finish, and it's super delicious :)

Quick Cassoulet

1 (16 oz.) kielbasa or polish sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" slices
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes and chilies (aka Rotel)
8-10 oz. frozen corn (can also use canned corn)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste 

Saute meat in large skillet or cast iron pan to brown sides. Add remaining ingredients. Season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Heat through, about 15 minutes. Makes ~6 servings.

Note: You can mix and match using the beans you like. We also add some diced jalapeños, cayenne pepper, or use spicy kielbasa sometimes to make it spicier. And we usually double everything except the kielbasa so we have more leftovers!

If you'd like to share your go-to quick and easy recipe to help other busy SLPs out, please join us using the link below. Thanks to Old School Speech, Speech Sprouts, and Speech2U for hosting this week!

An InLinkz Link-up

Speech/Language Learning Targets

help students understand their speech/language therapy goals and progress

Does your district require you to post student learning goals? Where I work, we follow the Marzano teacher evaluation model, which does require us to post learning goals. With special education, it's a little more tricky to post goals since everything is so individualized. And you know with speech/language students that we have dozens of different therapy goals that we work with.

I have a set of learning targets that I have been using, but needed something portable that I could take with me if I was working in classrooms or hallways, and would also allow me to quickly let students know what they are working on. My district has also talked extensively about using scales with students to give them some insight into how they are doing. Thus, this little flip book was born:

Features:
- 88 different learning targets with "I can..." statements
- student rating scales on each card to discuss progress
- blank cards for you to write your own student goals
- full-page blank targets
- tabs to make it easy to flip to the content area you are working on

You can pick up a copy for your own therapy room here. I hope they are useful for you and your students and help you score points during those teacher observations/evaluations!

It's Back to School Time!

get ready for the new school year with mega-savings

As hard as I might try to deny it, the back to school season is here. I'll pause while you scream into a nearby pillow...

Some of you are going back to work very soon (or are already there!), and some aren't starting again until September. Personally, I report back August 24th. No matter what your timeline is, there's always time for some shopping! Mark your calendars because there's a site-wide Teachers Pay Teachers sale happening August 3-4 :)

These site-wide sales only happen a few times each year, so now is the best time to stock up on everything you'll need to get the school year started off right. Everything in my Schoolhouse Talk shop will be 20% off, plus you can treat yo'self to an extra 10% off on top of that with promo code:

I'm going to share some of the things I can't wait to pick up during the sale, but first let me highlight some must-haves of my own:

Triangles of Meaning includes activities which target word relationships through visual sets of antonyms and synonyms to help students make connection between vocabulary words. Buyer feedback: "SO wonderful for my older elementary aged students who struggle with vocab and seeing the relationships between words. Engaging and user-friendly."

Articulation Puzzles: Your students will have fun putting these puzzles together as they practice their speech sounds. Bonus: six new puzzles were recently added targeting early developing phonemes (P, B, T, D, N, M)! Buyer feedback: "So cute! I love that it is different, interactive, and provides visuals for support."

Phonological Awareness Wizards: This packet has everything you need to work on phonological awareness skills while playing a fun and colorful board game. Buyer feedback: "I'll be using this with my English Language Learners as a fun alternative to our phonological awareness routines. SO CUTE!!"

Also, don't forget about Speech Therapy Rubrics for all your data keeping and progress monitoring needs! You'll also need {FREE} Speech Therapy Session Notes to help you keep parents updated about the activities in your therapy room. There are many other helpful (and free!) documents available in my store as well to get your school year started right.

The entire Schoolhouse Talk shop will be 20% off during the sale.

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I'm *for sure* taking advantage of big savings by snatching up these items on my wish list:

1. Build-a-Monster: Following Directions - by The Speech Bubble SLP

I am moving back down to preschool and elementary ages this year, so I know interactive and creative activities like this will come in really handy. Besides, I haven't met an activity yet from The Speech Bubble that has not been 150% amazing.

2. Hink Pink Word Riddles - by Speech2U

These word riddles are so creative, and they will be a fun way to practice vocabulary, synonyms, and rhyming. I love that there are differentiated levels of support.

3. Common Core Speaking & Listening Rating Scales {K-5} by Jenn Alcorn

I used and loved the 6th-8th grade edition of these scales last year, so I know the version for younger grades will be just as useful.

4. Multisyllabic Words Fingerprint Prompts - by Cat Says Meow

Eye-catching? Check! Great practice for multiple goals? Check! Hands-on practice? Check! This packet looks great and will be so useful!

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If you need additional assistance in figuring out what to stock up on, be sure to check out the 2015 Back to School SLP ebook. It's jam-packed with free downloads and must-have items from over 80 SLPs!

Also, be sure to click through the link-up over at Speech Room News to see what others are eager to buy. Happy shopping!

No-Prep Speech Therapy Activities

quick & minimal-prep activities for the busy SLP

Tis the season - for high stakes standardized testing! My district has spent the past five weeks completing state assessments followed by MAP testing. (Too much testing! But that's a whole different post...) Now, with the end of the school year quickly approaching, we're looking at special activities, field trips, music programs, awards banquets, and class events. What does this mean for me? Reduced time with students, modified schedules, proctoring tests, and trying to fit in make-up therapy sessions. Time is limited. What's an SLP to do?

Here are my top 10 favorite go-to activities when prep time is short and I still want to make the most of time with my students. The majority of these things are always ready and I can just grab-and-go.

For PreK-2nd grade:

1. Magnet Wands/Dot Pages - easy to complete while practicing any therapy goal; dot pages can turn into colorful works of art for students to take home
Recommendation: Chipper Chat

2. Flash Cards: not just for drill - play a matching game, hide cards around the room for students to find, students keep the cards if they say their target correctly and SLP keeps the cards if they don't, etc.

3. iPad Apps - kids will willingly do the same activity on the iPad that they refused to do with flash cards five minutes ago
Recommendations: Toca Boca, Lego Junior Create & Cruise, My PlayHome

4. Marble Maze - great fun for following directions, reviewing basic concepts, and building language skills

5. Board Games - who doesn't love adding in a little competition to therapy?!
Recommendations: Candy Land, Cariboo, Pop the Pig

6. Garbage Pails - pick one up at the dollar store; it's so satisfying for students to "throw away" cards or objects they have completed

7. Speech/Language Path - walk down the path and collect articulation targets, or story elements, or build sentences as you go

8. Picture Books - so many options available and you can always incorporate speech and language goals
Recommendation: wordless picture books; use book companions

9. Bubbles - they are my secret trick to get shy preschoolers to interact with me
Recommendation: buy Billion Bubbles solution - it lives up to its name!

10. Building Blocks - fun for all ages and you can target almost any speech/language goal

For 3rd-8th grade:

1. Magnet Wands/Dot Pages - these provide numerous practice opportunities and it's just so satisfying to use the magnet and collect all those colorful chips
Recommendations: free 100 challenges by Peachie Speechie

2. Barrier Games - so many language opportunities here; also great for carryover of articulation skills

3. QR Codes - students adore scanning those magical pixelated boxes
Recommendations: QR inference cards; SpeechBook from Speech Bubble SLP

4. Dry Erase Board: students love drawing on these. Draw Venn diagrams for compare/contrast activities, create word webs with vocabulary words

5. Hangman - you can easily incorporate academic vocabulary terms or spelling words

6. Board Games - serve as an excellent tool to make mundane therapy activities more fun
Recommendations: Jenga, Don't Spill the Beans, Connect 4, Guess Who, Apples to Apples Jr.

7. Write on the Table - use dry erase markers or paint pens; easy way to "keep points" for any activity. Students are blown away that they get to draw on the table!

8. iPad Apps - apps are super motivating, and with structure and guidance they really do serve as helpful therapy tools.
Recommendations: Bluster, Story Wheel, Classify It!, World's Worst Pet, Phonics Studio

9. Interactive Websites - because anything involving technology can't possibly be work, right? ;)
Recommendations: Make Beliefs Comix, Scholastic Story Starters, Newsela, Readworks

10. YouTube - pair with graphic organizers to discuss story elements, sequence events, make inferences/predictions, etc.
Recommendations: Simon's Cat videos; Speech Tube from Speech Room News

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What are your go-to no prep activities when you're short on time? Any recommendations for high school grades?

Gift Ideas for New SLP Graduates

experienced SLPs provide gift ideas for new SLP graduates

It's the most wonderful time of year for SLP graduate students - GRADUATION!! The jam-packed schedules, difficult coursework, comprehensive exams, and clinical field placements are behind them and they are ready to officially enter the work force as Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellows! It's such an exciting time!!

Help them celebrate all their hard work and accomplishments with these gift ideas:

1) external portable battery charger

This is the one I have and it is awesome. It fits in my purse and works great for charging a phone or iPad or two on the go. If your iPad battery runs low while at work, you're not stuck tethered to the wall while boosting the battery back up.

2) personalized SLP items

The new graduate has put in about 6 years of hard work to earn his/her credentials. It's time to show them off! If you're crafty, try making a personalized clipboard or note pad (or order from Etsy if you're not crafty!), or the Peachie Speechie has some amazingly cute t-shirt and coffee mug designs.

3) massage/spa or mani/pedi

(image source)

Earning that master's degree in speech-language pathology is an intense and highly stressful couple of years. New graduates could use some pampering!

4) a large tote bag

SLPs have lots of fun materials they like to use to make therapy enjoyable for their clients. Add in a few student files, a clipboard, iPad or laptop, etc. and you've got a whole lot to carry around. Especially if you're an SLP who travels between buildings or does home-based therapy. I highly recommend the Land's End extra large zip-top canvas tote bag. It's durable, a perfect size, and zips closed so nothing precious falls out.

5) glass water bottle

SLPs need to stay hydrated while running around between classrooms and meetings and using their voices all day. I love my glass water bottle because I can add lemon or put green tea in it and the bottle doesn't absorb flavors. Plus I think these bottles with the wooden tops are so beautiful, and they're really sturdy!

6) gift cards

Not sure which population the new SLP will be working with? You can't go wrong with gift cards. I would highly suggest an iTunes gift card, a gift certificate to Teachers Pay Teachers, or Super Duper.

7) Finally, some therapy materials to get their toolbox started! From the Schoolhouse Talk shop I recommend:

Speech-Language Therapy Rubrics - to make data collection and progress monitoring a breeze!

Triangles of Meaning - help students visualize those tricky vocabulary concepts

Articulation Puzzles - interactive speech sound practice for little ones

From other sellers:

Visuals for Vocabulary - These are in constant use in my therapy room. Great tools to help me explain vocabulary concepts with my students.

Language Loops - I use these constantly! The vocabulary is just the right level, and my students even request to use these!

Articulation Cans - A versatile tool for articulation therapy which doubles as a language tool and therapy room decor!

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Go see what gifts other SLPs are recommending over at All Y'all Need. A million congratulations to the Class of 2015! You did it! Go celebrate! #treatyoself

What's In My Cart {TPT Site-Wide Sale}

treat yo'self to a site-wide mega sale!

We've reached that point in the year where we all get swamped with piles of paperwork and progress reports, try to schedule therapy sessions around field trips, hold back to back to back to back transition meetings, and still try to keep therapy fun and exciting for our students. We all can hardly wait for summer break to arrive! You know what? YOU deserve to treat yo'self!

Teachers Pay Teachers is treating Teachers (and SLPs!) with an Appreciation Sale on May 5-6! Get ready to stock up on new materials to keep your students engaged for the rest of the school year, summer, and beyond. These site-wide sales are the BEST time to empty your wish list because most stores are 20% off, AND you can treat yo'self extra 10% with the promo code: ThankYou

I'm going to showcase some of the items I can't wait to pick up during the sale, but first let me highlight a couple items from the Schoolhouse Talk shop:

Triangles of Meaning includes activities which target word relationships through visual sets of antonyms and synonyms to help students make connection between vocabulary words. You and your students will love the color by relationship mystery pictures!

Your students will be masters at making predictions after using the leveled activities in Spoiler Alert!

I adore how these Articulation Puzzle Mats turned out, and your students will adore practicing their sounds as they put them together!

The entire Schoolhouse Talk shop will be 20% off during the sale.

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I'm definitely going to take advantage of 28% off prices by buying these items:

1. Secret Messages for Main Idea - by Teach Speech 365

Each reading passage in this packet includes a secret number, and after students identify the main idea for the passage, it tells them which letter to put in that number box. The holiday elves edition was fun for my students so I know these will also be a hit.

2. Spring Cut & Paste Articulation - by Mia McDaniel

I have never been disappointed by anything I've purchased from Mia's store. I could really use more articulation products to get me through the rest of the school year, and I know my students will have fun with these. Plus, you can't beat print-and-go activities!

3. /S, L, R/ Blend Flip Books - by The Dabbling Speechie

I've seen the CH, SH, J edition of these flip books and they are FANTASTIC! I can't wait to add this one to my materials. The graphics are so eye catching, and it includes multiple levels of complexity as well as writing and picture scenes (great for carryover!).

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If you need additional assistance in figuring out what to stock up on, be sure to check out the Best of SLPs on TPT Summer Catalog.

You can also see what others are stocking up on by clicking through the linky over at Speech Room News.

Happy Shopping!!

Spoiler Alert! {making predictions}

leveled activities for predicting what will happen next

Do you use Netflix or Hulu Plus to catch up on all your favorite television shows? If you haven't watched the most recent episode of a show and you hear people talking about it, do you plug your ears and hum a tune so you don't hear what happened? That's because we all hate spoilers, or when we hear what happens next. If you're reading a book or movie review and you see the words "Spoiler Alert", you know to look away because someone is going to reveal what happens in the plot.

My newest activity packet is full of spoiler alerts, because it's all about predicting what is going to happen next.

The download includes an anchor chart to help you teach your students what it takes to make logical predictions. I also use this as a learning target when we are practicing making predictions.

Three levels of prediction cards are also included. Level one includes scenarios which have only one plausible outcome.

Level two cards include scenarios which might have more than one outcome, but multiple choice answers are provided to assist students in picking which outcome makes the most sense.

Level three cards also have situations which could have more than one possible outcome, but no prompts are provided.

There is also an open-ended board game to use alongside any of the prediction card sets. Students take turns moving around the game board. If they land on a space labeled "Spoiler Alert!" they get to select a bonus card and follow the instructions on the card they draw.

At the end of the packet there are three writing sheets which are great for homework. Each page presents three movie plots. Students need to write their predictions about what will happen next in the movie.

Click here to view the packet for yourself in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop. Enjoy!

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Abby watched all 13 episodes of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix this weekend. Spoiler alert: it's awesome :)