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”]
by Anne Page | Jan 3, 2016 | Inspiration, SLP Time Hacks
This month I am focusing on time, how to become friends with it, how to enjoy it and how to use it to keep my life on track with my dreams.[spacer height=”20px”]
As a school SLP (I’m sure all you teachers relate too), I feel like I’m always juggling and bartering with the universe for more time in pretty much all areas. Time to work out, time to eat healthy, time for paperwork, time for therapy, time for planning, time for family, time for friends and oh yeah some time for me.[spacer height=”20px”]
Today, I’m thinking about food…specifically lunch. January is when we all decide to get back on track with our eating. Healthy eating takes commitment and time. Time to plan, purchase, prep, cook and eat. It’s so easy and cheap to be unhealthy, just go to McDonald’s. (I’m sorry but yuck.)[spacer height=”20px”]
Working in the schools, we don’t have time to go out for lunch. Most of us use our 30 minutes to scarf something down while we write a report or catch up on Facebook.[spacer height=”20px”]
This year I’m trying to be more mindful of my food consumption. To put healthy food in my body and to enjoy, even savor eating it. I know that’s a tall order. I’m not an expert on the subject by any means but here are some weekly habits that help me stay energized and healthy.[spacer height=”20px”]
1. Cook enough protein the night before to have a serving with your lunch. I don’t like leftovers, don’t even like the word. But I do like cooking an extra chicken breast that I can slice and put on a yummy salad. [spacer height=”20px”]
2. Meal prep on the weekend. Set aside a couple of hours on Saturday or Sunday to chop vegetables, cook meat, bake sweet potatoes, make soup, make egg bites, or salad in mason jars. If you’re feeling very Pinterest check out my Pinterest Board:
Healthy School Lunches for Me.[spacer height=”20px”]
3. Buy pre-made salads at the grocery store. Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Whole foods and even Safeway all have great little individual salads. Sometimes I buy the salad kits and leave one in the fridge at work, they last me for three days and I’ll just add protein.[spacer height=”20px”]
4. Keep an emergency stash of protein bars. It’s really important to get enough protein to balance with your carbs and avoid the blood-sugar-dropping mid-afternoon slump. At least then on those rush days you can grab an apple and have your chocolate chip cookie dough quest bar, (my personal favorite).[spacer height=”20px”]
5. Keep a healthy snack drawer. I am a snacker, I need one mid morning and mid afternoon snack every day. Mine includes quest bars, kind bars, almonds, trail mix, Almond butter packets, chocolate hazelnut packets,(to die for),Mary’s crackers, rice crackers, and good dark chocolate. (Always a must.)[spacer height=”20px”]
6. Mix it up. Try not to get in a food rut and eat the same thing every day. I avoid bread but every once in a while I bring a sandwich made from Ezekial bread or a wrap. That way I don’t get bored and decide I need to eat something from the cafeteria.[spacer height=”20px”]
7. Take a few uninterrupted minutes to enjoy your food. Did you know you can be eating the most nutritious food in the world but if you are not enjoying it your body may not metabolize it to the fullest?[spacer height=”20px”]
8. Eat with someone you like, even if that is yourself. Eating with negative people can’t be good for you and it’s certainly an energy drain when you’re busy trying to replenish.[spacer height=”20px”]
9. Get up and move! Walk around the school, stretch, get some fresh air. Our job requires a lot of desk work, take a few minutes at lunch to breathe and get some movement. You’ll be glad you did.[spacer height=”20px”]
10. Water. Period. Make sure you hydrate. So important. Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue. A 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math and difficulty focusing on the computer screen. Can’t have that while we’re doing our Medicaid billing now can we?[spacer height=”20px”]
I hope you can use some of these ideas to help your weekdays go more smoothly. By planning ahead and preparing yourself a yummy lunch, you’ll have something to look forward to and give yourself enough energy to make it through the day.[spacer height=”20px”]
And maybe even have some time for yourself at the end of the day.[spacer height=”20px”]
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Also follow me on TpT to receive exclusive monthly freebies only available to TPT followers.
by Anne Page | Dec 7, 2015 | Blog, Freebies, Therapy Materials and Ideas
December already! I am looking forward to the holiday break for some time off to spend with family and friends.[spacer height=”20px”]
It can be a hectic time at school and the kids attention spans are short because they are so excited. I created this high interest, visually fun FREEBIE activity just for these days.
Click here. [spacer height=”20px”]
Laminate each of the four pages (perfect for group therapy) and grab some play dough (so cheap and fun, I think 4 containers are under $3 at Target). If I’m working with a group I roll the snowballs ahead of time.[spacer height=”20px”]
You can work on “her”. Child says “her mitten”, gets snowball and gets to smash it on the mitten. Or you can work on “she”. Child says “She has a mitten”, gets snowball and gets to smash it on the mitten. (Same for “his” and “he” for the snowman and boy snowbaby)[spacer height=”20px”]
The next level would be “She wants her hat” (using both forms of the feminine pronoun).
The males of course would be “He wants his hat”.[spacer height=”20px”]
The sheets can also be used for labeling winter vocabulary or for increasing MLU (I see a snowman).[spacer height=”20px”]
Play dough makes everything fun so your students will love this. You will too, enjoy![spacer height=”20px”]
If you are doing some planning and want to have some materials ready for when you return, my
Winter Plurals will provide activities for two-three sessions. This is a fun way to teach plurals with an introductory flip book, practice game, and follow up flip book to support the skill. The Reading activities support
connecting the skill from the vocabulary word level to the reading comprehension level. [spacer height=”20px”]
Whatever you are doing for the next couple of weeks, I hope you can enjoy the contagious excitement and joy of season.[spacer height=”20px”]
by Anne Page | Nov 10, 2015 | Blog, Social Media
Facebook can be used for a lot more than looking up old high school friends or posting vacation pictures that make your friends envious. Here are a couple of other ways to use Facebook to your professional advantage, making you a better speech language pathologist (SLP) by helping you connect, consult your peers and have access to great therapy ideas.[spacer height=”20px”]
Many SLPs have Facebook pages that are separate from their personal pages. They’re used to share interesting links to articles, tell therapy success stories and let followers know about therapy materials (including Teachers Pay Teachers items). I use mine as a way to connect.
Click here to like and follow. As I mentioned in my last post, I am also a member of Speech Spotlight, our page is
here.[spacer height=”20px”]
SLP group membership Facebook pages are a great resource. Members connect and collaborate around a common theme. Most times you ask to join and then the administrator will confirm that you know someone in the group and that you are in fact an SLP, and then invite you to join. Here are some of my favorites:[spacer height=”20px”]
SLP Bloggers and SLPTPTSellers
The name is pretty self explanatory. Currently at 165 members this page is a goldmine. Here you can find out about linky-parties, blog hops, ask members to proofread new products for you, ask questions about TPT and learn about ASHA meet-ups. This very welcoming and supportive group has taught me a lot.[spacer height=”20px”]
School-Based Speech and Language Pathologists
With almost 17,000 members, this a a great place to ask questions and keep your finger on the pulse of the school SLP. You can share job highs and lows, ask specific therapy questions, share concerns about caseload and workload. It is amazing to be able to connect with this many SLP’s.[spacer height=”20px”]
Speech Pathology Positivity
Looking for somewhere to share good news? Speech Pathology Positivity is a newly formed group that is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging SLP’s with happy stories and awesome speech pathology experiences.[spacer height=”20px”]
And finally, here are three groups recommended by my SLP colleagues at Speech Spotlight:[spacer height=”20px”]
SLP Student Help Desk
A group of experienced SLPs from a variety of settings offer a safe, non-judgemental place for undergrads, grads and CFY’s to ask questions, share ideas and look for advice.[spacer height=”20px”]
Speech and Language Pathologist’s Role in Language and Literacy
Designed for SLP’s to discuss all things literacy and language. I just asked to join this group since I love language and literacy.[spacer height=”20px”]
AAC for the SLP
This group is to discuss anything related to AAC and to share useful information. I just joined this group and am looking forward to some discussions.[spacer height=”20px”]
I hope you try connecting with one of these groups. With so many talented SLPs using Facebook as a way to collaborate and build their tribe, a panel of experts is always just a few clicks away.[spacer height=”20px”]
Did you like this post? If you did please sign up to receive new blog posts, insider sale information, and stay connected. If there are other facebook groups that you like please mention them in the comments below.[spacer height=”20px”]
Stayed tuned for the next post in this series about the impact of Instagram.[spacer height=”20px”]
Hey there I’m Anne Page. I help heart centered SLPs and educators put the fun in functional communication. 