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 The thought of a new year is very exciting! It is means a clean slate and time to try new things.  Did you try some things in therapy this past year that were a hit?! Did you try some that flopped?  I can definitely answer YES to both.  So this year here are my speech-o-lutions…

1. Be More Organized

It’s cliche’ I know but I always think I could be more organized.  I like to think that I am pretty organized with my sessions but there are some days where I just look back and think, ‘What happened?’. I hope it’s not just me.  For me, I think I need to plan my sessions farther out.  I will usually plan my sessions out about 2-3 days before hand, but as we all know things can get in the way.  For me, planning more in advance means more of a safety net and time if I need to do some rearranging.

2. Work on More Writing

Writing is EVERYWHERE in the schools now.  In speech, my kids are rockstars! They can speak with correct subject /verb agreement and the appropriate verb tense. I am giving myself a mental high-five! Then, the teacher shows me their writing and my selfie high-five stops in mid air. These days teachers are looking for transference into writing more than anything, so why shouldn’t I expect this from my students in speech?  Working in more writing is going to be big for me so finding some fun activities to use will be key. I think I am going to head to Pinterest for some inspiration 😉

P.S. If you are interesting in working on more writing in the new year, click HERE.

3. Address Narrative Skills

We work on predicting and inferring, but sometimes narratives fall to the way side.  Since I have discovered Story Grammar Marker I feel confident in my ability to help my students more efficiently and effectively  develop their narrative skills. This means better summaries and a clearer understanding of what they did over their weekend!

4. Use More Books

I try and use books as much and possible and my love of book companions is no secret, but I still want to try and use more books, especially with my older students. Maybe find a way to work in Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

5. Challenge My Students

My students see me because they have difficulties.  They need support and that can mean materials and explanations at a simpler level, but, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be challenged!  Once I see they are getting our target, I want to try and take it a step farther. True, maybe they will show me it was to much, but maybe they be successful!  For me, finding the right way to challenge my students will be my goal.

6. Reminding Myself I am Only One Person

All to often I find myself stressing out about my very long to do list that never seems to get shorter. Screen these 5 kids, evaluations on those 2, find spots in my schedule for the 4 new RtI kids, get ready for my Annual Reviews, cook dinner, go the to store, feed the dogs, etc.  Sometimes it’s enough to make you go AHHHHHH!  I need to remind myself I am only one person.  Everything I need to do will get done, so stressing about it  won’t make a difference.  I am not saying I won’t ever have those moments when it seems that my to do list is never-ending. I am just saying I am going to take some perspective and try not to have them as much. I decided to get back into running to help myself with this.  Just taking that bit of time for myself  was amazing and I miss it.

 

What better way to start out the new year than with a GIVEAWAY?!  Do you have any speechie resolutions?  One winner with get to choose any item from my store to help them hit the ground running with their speechie resolutions.

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Meet Maureen

Hey there! I’m Maureen Wilson, a school-base SLP who is data driven and caffeine powered. My passion is supporting other pediatric SLPs by teaching them how to harness the power of literacy and data to help their students achieve their goals…without sacrificing time they don’t have.

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16 Responses

  1. Thanks for your resolutions post! We all strive to always be everything for our students and families, but it’s refreshing to hear that other SLPs sometimes feel the need to take a step back and a deep breath too! Your resolutions are inspiring – the new year is always a rejuvenating time!

  2. Most of my resolutions are the same as yours! I also want to start using the Story Grammar Marker this year, focus more on writing practice (loved your post on that btw!), be more organized and incorporate more literature in my therapy planning. I also want to start being more consistent with taking data, especially doing baselines.

    Good luck with your resolutions!!

  3. My speechie resolutions are to finish my last semester of grad school strong and to also research more about things I am not very confident in and also read more research articles to implement better therapy!

  4. My first goal is to begin using the EET program – or at least a version of it. I am finding that almost all of my kids really struggle with describing completely and giving important details. It shows in their expressive communication and their writing

    I am also revamping my reinforcement system this semester. I have been doing the sticker every session thing and it’s just not working.

    I have had the very same thought this year so far as you….I am only one person. Everything will get done – but maybe not today. I have begun prioritizing my to-do list so I don’t feel so overwhelmed.

  5. I just posted a similar post on my speechie resolutions as well! After reading yours, I just might have to make my list longer!! Lol 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Lauren
    Busy Bee Speech

  6. I could improve in many of the areas you’ve mentioned, but I think my biggest goal is to put more time into planning ALL of my sessions. I have a tendency to “wing it” with some kiddos…

  7. My resolution this year involves figuring out how to do more with less help. I have had a paraprofessional working with me one day a week that was a HUGE help entering my data and doing mass artic practice
    Not going to have that option starting next week, so I resolve to be more organized and POSITIVE that I can do it!!

  8. Thank you for your inspiring post. I share some of your resolutions; but I think my most important resolution is to love myself more. I tend to get overly stressed with the workload, work late and take work home too often, feel guilty about not being able to do it all as great as I think it should be, and lose far too much sleep. I resolve to give myself a break, recognize and appreciate my own efforts, and do things that will pamper me and lower my stress levels. Not only do I deserve this, but so do my students.

  9. Hello, thanks for the post! I’ve been meaning to do one on my speechie new years resolutions, but I’ve been procrastinating thinking about work again until the last minute possible! However, I do have four new years resolutions that I can think of on the spot. 1. Organize my materials (I use the excuse of traveling to explain away the mess, but I know I can do better), 2. Actually use all my TPT purchases, 3. Actually use all the fun apps I’ve bought and downloaded (I find it difficult to use apps with big groups at times) 4. Get a better data tracking system…my current one is okay but too time consuming!

  10. My resolutions are to improve my data collection in the area of language, plan sessions more in advance so I can make them more fun and creative, and take more continuing education courses.

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