by Anne Page | Feb 17, 2016 | Inspiration
We speech language pathologists (SLPs) work really hard. We put in long hours, manage billing, write evaluations and keep up with our continuing education. That’s reality.[spacer height=”default”]
What keeps us coming back for more every day? For most of us it’s a love story. The ability to help children communicate is a huge gift. From correcting a list to expanding vocabulary to fostering communicative intent, it’s all golden.[spacer height=”default”]
I love that I get hugs and high fives everyday. Kids are so real and authentic. I love hearing a previously nonverbal boy say “my turn” in context for the first time. I love hearing a student say “Hi Miss Anne” when he used to say “Hi Mits Aaa”. I love hearing a parent say “Thank you for helping my child.” Most of all, I love the feeling that the work that I do really matters.[spacer height=”default”]
Tell me in the comments below why you love your job![spacer height=”default”]
Make time for what you truly want,
by Anne Page | Feb 2, 2016 | Inspiration, SLP Like a Boss
How do you SLP like a boss? Someone who SLPs like a boss, is professional, compassionate, organized and inspirational. An SLP boss gets things done![spacer height=”default”]
In this series I’m interviewing SLP boss women who work by day as speech language pathologists, but at night (and on weekends), they are business builders. I’m talking about running websites, writing blogs and creating therapy materials for their fellow SLPs and teachers. They not only serve as advocates for their clients (students); they are advocates for our profession. These are the strong, amazing women that I admire and who inspire. [spacer height=”default”]
I am thrilled to kick off this series with the amazing Kim Lewis from the award winning blog
Activity Tailor. Just two short years ago, Kim was my introduction into the magical world of blogging and Teachers Pay Teachers. Her products are innovating, creative and kids love them. Kim consistently writes articles and posts that are thought-provoking, helpful and supportive of our SLP/teacher community. She inspires me to strive for the utmost professionalism, to write creatively and to be generous. So let’s dive right in to my interview. [spacer height=”default”]
Tell me about yourself in seven words: “Creative, passionate, determined, hard-working, big picture.”[spacer height=”default”]
Where did you go to grad school?: University of Virginia[spacer height=”default”]
What are your top three SLP must haves (other than your own amazing materials)?: “I use miniatures, little plastic animals and common objects all the time. Play-mobile Advent calendars and the bins at Party City are two of my resources. I use them with a big tupper-ware container full of magic sand. I do use the iPad a lot for articulation drill and for motivation. But I try to limit the screen time and not just use the iPad during the session.” Here are Kim’s most used TPT materials:
Listening Skills Resource Pack by Crazy Speech World,
Therapy Popcorn R Articulation by Speech Therapy 101,
Articulation for Reading and Conversation by Nicole Allison,
Articulation Menus by Speech Musings, and
Fluency Treatment Pack by Lauren LaCour.[spacer height=”default”]
What do you love most about what you do?“The kids that I see are all mildly to moderately impaired. I like tweaking what I’m doing with each child to fit their needs and interests. These are kids that really need to know how to advocate for themselves.”[spacer height=”default”]
Tell me your advice for the newly minted SLP: “Keep learning. Read. Attend a lot of CEUs. Keep asking questions.”[spacer height=”default”]
Tell me about your blog: “I get a lot of pleasure and relaxation in writing. I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of writing for the ASHA Leader. This is a fun, creative outlet…it’s a mix of musings and easy to implement activities.”[spacer height=”default”]
Tell me about your TPT store: “I focus on products that I need and use regularly. There’s not a lot of cutesy stuff, the kids I work with don’t want items they think are “babyish”. I try to avoid a lot of visual distractions because of my kids with attention difficulties. I like visually clean materials.”[spacer height=”default”]
What SLP-boss inspires you?: “Amy at
3DSLP. She is so passionate about what she’s doing. Her subscription boxes have great attention to detail. She’s a true entrepreneur. And what she’s doing is so different from what I do. She works with voice and even does endoscopies.”[spacer height=”default”]
What is your favorite children’s book?:“I can’t pick just one. I like a lot of the young adult books. Secret Garden. Charlotte’s Web; I read that till there were practically no pages left. Mandy is a book by Julie Edwards, who is THE Julie Andrews. I was trying to remember the book to recommend to my daughter and I loved it when she discovered it on her own.”[spacer height=”default”]
What about picture books? “Chrysanthemum and Lily’s Plastic Purse are some of my favorites.”[spacer height=”default”]
Inspirational right? Thank you so much to Kim for taking to time to chat with me and continuing to inspire me. I’m am looking forward to when our paths cross again. [spacer height=”default”]
Who inspires YOU to be your best? Leave a note below in the comments, I’d love to know.[spacer height=”default”]
SLP like a boss,[spacer height=”default”]
P.S. Did you like this post? Subscribe to my email list so you don’t miss out on any of the fun.
by Anne Page | Jan 26, 2016 | Blog, Inspiration, SLP Time Hacks
I know a lot of SLP’s that work at their day job, have families and have second jobs as SLP bloggers/TPT sellers. How do we manage big caseloads and endless reports at work and take care of our families and find time to write a blog and create therapy materials? Can I just say I probably have more questions than answers? [spacer height=”default”]
It can be quite a balancing act with no perfect right answers. These are questions each SLP just has to answer for herself.[spacer height=”default”]
What I can do is provide some ideas and battle plans that have worked for others. I can get pretty scattered here so I had to choose my top seven. [spacer height=”default”]
1. Be crystal clear on your priorities.
For me my spiritual foundation comes first, that has to be in place and nurtured for me to be able to give to others. Next is my family, spending time with them and letting them know they are loved is everything to me. The rest is a little harder to separate. Health and fitness. Work. Adventure. Friends. More work. Following my dream. It’s kind of like the Stephen Covey rocks in a jar example: spirituality and family love are the rocks and the rest is the sand.[spacer height=”default”]
2. Perfection is the enemy.
I really battle with perfectionism. I consciously and daily ask myself “Does it need to be perfect or does it need to be done?” Don’t give me wrong, I have high standards, I just choose my battles. My bed probably doesn’t need to be made perfectly every time, so it’s okay if my husband makes it (haha).[spacer height=”default”]
3. Schedule everything
Make your list and then write the items down in your calendar. That is how they get done. There is some kind of magic in taking this action. Schedule little chunks of uninterrupted time to write blog articles and create TPT products. If you’re like me, this time is hard to come by. Guard it from the time-wasters.[spacer height=”default”]
4. Ask for support.
Don’t try to do it all yourself. If you’re working really hard on a deadline, ask your husband to make dinner or get takeout. Hire a housekeeper. I did that last year and it has been one of the nicest things I have ever done for myself. If you are stumped with a problem at work, reach out to your SLP colleagues. There are some really supportive Facebook groups link here and SLP Instagram community is very supportive as well.
Click here to read my post about Facebook groups.[spacer height=”default”]
5. Think outside the box.
Do you always do laundry, groceries and errands on the weekend? What about throwing in one load on Tuesday night when you have an hour to blog? Try online order and delivery. I used Prime Now for the first time this weekend and saved myself three trips and probably an hour of time for a seven dollar delivery fee.[spacer height=”default”]
6. Use social media-don’t let it use you.
Cut back on social media time. Noooooooooo! We SLP’s are social creatures, it’s so easy to just pop over to Facebook to check if someone replied to our post or to see what’s new on a group board. I started limiting my social media time to certain times of day and I give myself a time limit. As a result I feel less scattered and I can concentrate on what I’m doing. I love connecting but now I do it on my own time (turn off notifications, you can do it!)[spacer height=”default”]
7. Take care of yourself!
If you don’t do it no one else will. Save some time just for you. I know this is probably the hardest one but it’s the most important. You have to fill the well. Write it down, negotiate it with your people, beg borrow or steal it, but do it. Give yourself that time to dream, reflect and just be.[spacer height=”default”]
These are my tips gleaned from wise friends, life experience and countless books. Take what resonates for you and leave the rest behind.[spacer height=”default”]
And from the bottom of my heart kudos to all of you for having the desire and determination to push through boundaries and follow your dreams.[spacer height=”default”].
You make the world a much brighter place,
P.S. Did you like this post? If you did sign up for my email list to be the first to know about new products, freebies and sales. Also follow me on TpT to receive exclusive monthly freebies only available to TPT followers.
by Anne Page | Jan 19, 2016 | Blog, Inspiration, SLP Time Hacks, The Organized SLP
Life as an SLP is all about time, it’s one precious commodity! I’m always looking for ways to streamline my schedule so this week I asked some of my smart SLP friends for their expert advice. Here’s what they said:[spacer height=”default”]
Mia Reed McDaniel
Hmmmmm Time is my enemy. I’m always struggling to stay on schedule and use my time wisely. The biggest time eater for me is people stopping by my room to visit. As much as I love my co-workers, I had to resort to putting up
a “Do Not Disturb – testing” sign from time to time just so I can make the best use of my time. Also, I
keep TWO to-do lists, “To-Do NOW” and “To-Do LATER” which helps me prioritize and focus on what I need to do FIRST.
Putting Words in Your Mouth [spacer height=”default”]Looks Like Language
I am always late in therapy- too involved- but not in real life! What saves me is organization! Life tip-
get lunch ready and clothes out the night before. Work tip-
use page protectors to keep similar worksheet originals in one spot and store the page protector sheets in a binder labeled with the skill.
Looks Like Language [spacer height=”default”]
Felice Clark
I have my speech schedule tucked in the front of my data/therapy binder. For a while, I used to
use a timer to help me know when that last 5 minutes hit, so I could wrap up therapy. If we didn’t finish our lesson, then I would collect all the papers, crafts, etc. and store in my file folder for next session.
The Dabbling Speechie [spacer height=”default”]
Susan Berkowitz
Prepare in advance. When I was in the schools I was in 5 different schools each week, which meant multiple schools each day and never enough drive and park time in-between (especially in the snow). I always tried to
prep in advance (on a weekend) so that I had everything I needed for each group, all organized and together by group and stowed in the back of my van and ready to grab and run. My van was my office, so I had to keep it organized or life was a mess. I
color coded the groups and could quickly see and grab. I also always kept
a pile of good language games in the van, too, so that in a pinch I could always grab a game quickly if I needed to. But, like everyone who runs between schools I always was late and running – never enough time in the schedule.
Kidz Learn Language[spacer height=”default”]
Lisette Edgar
My biggest plus for getting to work on time is that I live 1/2 mile from school! Other than that,
prepping the night before helps. I have a small fridge in my room, and I
bring meals/ sides for the week an store in there, so I am not fixing my lunch each morning. I usually eat a yogurt for breakfast first thing at work while I am checking e-mails…. Multi- tasking!
Speech Sprouts[spacer height=”default”]
Sarah Wu
I have a couple:
on Sunday night check your work email. It’s a pain but that way you can come to work in Monday and know you have “inbox zero.” My administration likes to send emails on Sunday and I don’t like coming in on Monday knowing there are emails I need to get through. Also,
buying a black fleece jacket with the school district’s logo on it has been a lifesaver. There’s a “company store” on the school district’s website. I leave the fleece at work and I can throw it on if I encounter variable temperatures throughout the building and still look professional. I also
leave a plain pair of black leather shoes at work under my desk during the winter so that when I wear my boots to work, I can quickly change out of boots and I don’t have to lug nice shoes along with everything else I carry to work! Phew!
Speech is Beautiful[spacer height=”default”]
Kim Lewis
I can second a lot of what has already been said. I prep my lunch the night before (and as much of breakfast as I can–coffee is always set so it’s ready when I arrive in the kitchen) and my clothes. I
almost always prep all of my sessions for the week on the weekend. I also
use Dropbox frequently. This means if I have a few moments (if a session is cancelled, for example), I can work on progress notes or a blog post or something more productive than checking social media! I run late all the time. I will
set the timer on my phone to make sure I wrap things up in time. My students and I have to walk back and forth to my “house” for speech–great on nice weather days, a huge pain when it’s raining–but I often underestimate how much time little legs need for travelling. I’m always saying, “let’s use fast feet” 😉
Activity Tailor[spacer height=”default”]
Tracy Willock Morgan
I have been concentrating on finishing what I start. It is very easy to get into the pattern of starting, stopping, re-starting, etc.
Having to re-start something multiple times is a total time thief. Please don’t hate me, but I am one of “those” who is always on time. IDK-I think I’m just wired that way.
Gold Country SLP[spacer height=”default”]
Jennifer Bradley
I pre make lunches and pack my materials/files bag the night before. To get my husband to stay on time, I set his clock ahead by 10 minutes (he still doesn’t know!)
Such great ideas! I would have to say my biggest timesaver at work is Evernote. I have it on my laptop at home and at school and it is synced to my iPhone and my iPad. It’s my giant digital file cabinet. I keep present levels and evaluation reports in a “notebook”. Evernote is organized by notebooks and notes. For getting to work, I have lunches ready (I’d say in 4 out of 5 opportunities as measured by therapist data…haha) and I have my outfits for the week lined up in the closet. [spacer height=”default”]
My biggest tip is to find a little bit of time just for you everyday, even if it’s in the small hours of the morning before everyone else is awake. I try to stick to that because it really keeps me grounded and positive.[spacer height=”default”]
I hope you can use some of these tips to make your days run more smoothly. I know I will. Be sure to click on the blog names to be taken straight to more SLP blogger tips and insight. Such a great community! [spacer height=”default”]
Did you like this post? If you did sign up for my email list to be the first to know about new products, freebies and sales. Also follow me on TpT to receive exclusive monthly freebies only available to TPT followers.[spacer height=”default”]
by Anne Page | Jan 11, 2016 | The Organized SLP
Today I am happy to be linking up with The Frenzied SLPs to make our lives more organized. Kelly at
Speech2U is our lovely host. Here are 3 of my top tips that will make a big difference in your everyday work life![spacer height=”20px”]
Schedule Everything. Write all progress report due dates for the school year in your calendar. Then go backwards and schedule when you will write the reports. Make an appointment with yourself. Figure out what will work for you. I would rather eat a spider than sit and do them all at once. I prefer working in smaller increments of time and grouping. For example, I provide therapy to a functional skills classroom as a group; so I write all of those student’s progress reports in one sitting. I spread the report writing over a week or two, scheduling 30 to 60 minute intervals. Click
here to learn more. [spacer height=”20px”]
Use an IEP checklist. If you are a new SLP (or a busy one), make an IEP checklist for yourself. I have a checklist of all the areas that I need to complete on the IEP’s that I’m not the main provider for. This includes present level, accommodations, service minutes, and all of the various boxes that I need to check. I have a separate checklist for SLI only students. It’s so easy to forget something, this is just a way to avoid those errors.[spacer height=”20px”]
Give some thought to how you store your TPT products
You want them to be easily accessible. I use Globe-Weiss clear plastic envelopes with colored ziptops (from Amazon). I print the product cover page and place inside to use it as a label. These are really sturdy and can stand on a shelf.For more ideas on how to use TPT products to keep you organized click
here.[spacer height=”20px”]
So there you have it, e easy ways to help you be organized and effective. Which tip will help you the most?What are you going to try this year? Link up with the Frenzied SLPs to give us your best tips for living a less “frenzied” life.
Leave a note in the comments below.[spacer height=”20px”]
Happy Organizing,[spacer height=”20px”]
Hey there I’m Anne Page. I help heart centered SLPs and educators put the fun in functional communication. 