Liebster Award!

Hi Friends!

I've been totally MIA the past two weeks… work has been complete insanity. I have assessments on top of assessments going on right now, and truly not enough hours in the day! I apologize for the lack of posts but I'm hoping to be posting more regularly very soon!

Anyway, I hope your week is going well! I'm so excited to say I've  been nominated for the Liebster Award by Noralyssia, from Yo Amo Speech (Thank you so much, Noralyssia… and apologies for taking so long)! The Liebster Award is an award given by current bloggers, to new bloggers with less than 200 email followers. The goal is to help them get their blog started and welcome them to the blogosphere. Anyone who is nominated is then asked to nominate others. To accept the award, the blogger must answer 11 questions posed by the blogger who nominated them.  Here we go…. 

1. Why and how long ago did you start blogging? I'm extremely new to blogging! I just started at the beginning of January 2015!

2. What one word sums up the heart of the blog and why? Intentional. It doesn't sound like a "buzz" word at first, but it truly sums up what I'm trying to do here and really what we are all trying to do in our life as SLPs. We are trying to be intentional professionals, everyday. We are trying our best to provide the most effective and engaging therapy to our students in order to help them be successful. I've already seen in the last month (plus a couple weeks) that by sharing my lesson plans with you all, it really requires me to stop and think through what I'm doing and why. It is another motivator that pushes me to continually evaluate if what I'm doing in therapy is the best I can do. We can get so caught up in the day-to-day paperwork and craziness that we can forget to stop and do that. So, being intentional is what my blog is about. It's for me and for you! :)

3. Is there something that you learned late in your blog journey that you wished you had known before? I'm still very early in my blog journey… but I think I'm learning to reach out to others for support and to promote others when I can. We are all in this together!

4. What is your favorite pastime other than blogging? I love spending time with my husband Sean and our pup, Olive. I have an amazing group of family and friends, so I truly enjoy any time I get with them as well. I love a good girls night, wine, Moscow Mules, dancing, yoga, Netflix marathons and enjoying the beautiful scenery around our home... we live so close to the beach that it is a crime to not enjoy it!

5. How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog? Right now, I dedicate only about 2 hours per week to my blog but I have been dedicating a lot of time toward making materials on TpT and posting on social media. I think this is mainly due to not having collected enough ideas for posts, not having a big following yet, etc. I'm getting the hang of it though. :)  

6. What category of blog posts do you enjoy the most? I really enjoy seeing what others are doing in therapy for the week! It's so fun to see the themes that other SLPs choose and what materials they tend to gravitate toward. I also like seeing personal posts because I feel like a lot of us SLPs are very similar personality-wise. :)

7. Where does your blog inspiration come from? My blog inspiration comes from my kiddos, honestly. As I mentioned above, I strive to make our sessions engaging and effective. I also strive to not be bored as a therapist during sessions…. if i'm not having fun, they probably aren't either.

8. What post have you written that you are most proud of? I don't have many posts to choose from at this point, but I really am proud of my "Look at my Lessons" posts… I put a lot of work into prepping for the week and it's cool to get to share that.

9. Is there any post that you have been planning to do but keep postponing? I'd love to do a post that addresses therapy with cleft palate and craniofacial kiddos. I've had some great training in that area and I have found that many other SLPs do not. I'd love to share what I know and point people in the right direction for resources. I'm sure that post will come along soon enough. :)

10. What is your favorite aspect of blogging? I love connecting with people and sharing ideas! It makes me feel excited about my field every day when I see a new blog post, Pinterest pin or Instagram photo about a new therapy material, idea or even a silly kid quote. It honestly makes me feel "warm and fuzzy" about our field pretty often… that's a big deal when life gets crazy. I'm loving the experience so far!

11. What are 11 facts about yourself?

1) I'm a Southern California girl, born and raised.

2) My husband and I were together for 8 years before we got married.

3) I am a cancer survivor.

4) My chocolate lab is 2 years old and her name is Olive.

5) I've been working as a speech-language pathologist for almost 6 years and I can't imagine doing anything else!

6) I am horrible at math.

7) I love to dance!

8) I was Varsity Cheer Captain in high school.

9) I am pretty type-A and may be classified as a worrier. :)

10) I love country music.

11) I have small feet. 

Well, that was it! It was fun to share some things about me... I hope you enjoyed learning about me a little more too! I now nominate Jennifer Bradley from Speech Therapy Fun, for the Liebster award! I'll be sending her ome questions to respond to and I can't wait to see her post! :)

P.S. 

I will be doing a "Look at my Lessons" post this weekend for the beginning of March, but if you're ahead of the lesson planning game and you're interested in some St. Patrick's Day materials, keep an eye on my TpT Store! I currently have an open-ended St. Patrick's Day Packet in my store and I have St. Patrick's Day Carryover Paragraphs in the works… it should be posted by the weekend. :)

A Look at my Lessons 2/8/15

Hi Friends! 

I hope you're all doing well! My weekends always seem to zip by so quickly… so I am not feeling ready for work tomorrow… but rumor has it MANY of you have this Monday off for Lincoln's Birthday! I'm jealous just because I'm tired tonight, but I can't complain…. I actually have this coming Friday (the 13th) off and Monday the 16th off for "President's Weekend". :) It will be so nice to have a 4 day weekend soon!

Today I'm doing my third "A Look at my Lessons" post! :) I'm linking up with Old School Speech for her Week in Review linky, as well!

So…here's a "Look at my Lessons" for the week!

DISCLAIMER: I know everyone has caseloads made up of varying ages and abilities… so my lesson plans may not apply to everyone. However, I often use open-ended reinforcement activities and those can be utilized for many different therapy groups. I should caution that I've listed mainly the materials I'm going to use- I don't include behavioral strategies, prompting and modifications in my lesson plans… they are VERY general. But, they give me place to start when it comes to therapy for the week!

I've listed the names of my lesson plan activities below and where you can get them! :)

Valentine's Day Articulation Carryover Paragraphs by SLP Chelsea (me)
Valentine Heart Challenge by Peachie Speechie
Valentine's Token Boards by Tech 'n' Talk SLPs
Box of Chocolates by SLP Chelsea (me)
Friendship Hearts by Queen's Speech
Valentine's Day Inferences by Expressly Speaking

And, I technically don't plan to use this packet THIS week because I'm overwhelmed with Valentine's Day stuff that is just too cute to pass up, but… I have a President's Day packet that I'll be using next week. I'll go ahead and share this with you now in case you'd like some President's Day materials this week. :)

President's Day Print 'n' Go Packet by SLP Chelsea (me)

Throughout my work week, I often post pictures of what I'm doing in therapy on Instagram! It's my favorite way to share, so be sure to check it out!

I'm getting the hang of this blogging thing slowly but surely… so bear with me. I am only doing regular link-up type posts now since I haven't had much time to do anything else. I'm hoping to post about other things soon… maybe over my long weekend I'll have some time to write. :) 

Have a wonderful week, everyone!!! 

Quick Tip Tuesday #2

Hi friends!

Today, I'm linking up with School SLP for another Quick Tip Tuesday Linky! 

 

This link-up is designed for SLPs to share a quick tip related to the speech and language world. The goal is to share information in a short-read format.

Here you go….

I realized that my "A Look at my Lessons #2" post last night included plans for Valentine's Day crafts and they are pictured in my Instagram photo as well. So, my quick tip this Tuesday is…. take a trip to a craft store for easy, affordable and adorable foam crafts to use in therapy! 

I get most of mine at Hobby Lobby and sometimes I get them from Michael's. I ALWAYS choose the foam crafts that don't require any gluing… it's easier that way and much cleaner, especially for the little ones! I can't even tell you how great these little craft sets are. I use them as open-ended reinforcements during therapy sessions and even during assessments if a child needs additional motivation! The kiddos love taking the crafts home to show them off. I also love that it keeps their little hands busy while waiting their turn in-between tasks during therapy sessions. 

Hobby Lobby always has cute season-themed crafts and they almost always have them at a discounted price! Here's a look at the just a few of crafts I've used during therapy over the past couple years:

I'll be posting more cute little crafts as my kiddos use them, on Instagram, so you can check them out there as well. Get your crafting on, friends! The kiddos LOVE it and you will too! :)

I hope that was a helpful quick tip! Have a wonderful Tuesday!

A Look at my Lessons 2/2/15

Hi Friends! 

I hope you're all doing well and enjoyed your Super Bowl weekend! I was thankful to squeeze in some much needed girl time on Friday and Saturday… but I spent most of Sunday working on my mile long to-do list! Booo! I have a marathon IEP day this Friday, in addition to some other big IEPs this week…. so to say I've been busy is an understatement. 

Today I'm doing my second "Look at my Lessons" post! I was hoping to get this post up over the weekend but I obviously didn't get to it. Sorry about that! I'll be better next week! :) I'm linking up with Old School Speech for her Week in Review linky, as well.

So…here's a "Look at my Lessons" for the week! If you follow me on Instagram you know that I'm fully prepared for February with a TON of Valentine's Day themed activities. (If you don't follow me on Instagram… you should! I post there the most!) 

DISCLAIMER: I know everyone has caseloads made up of varying ages and abilities… so my lesson plans may not apply to everyone. However, I often use open-ended reinforcement activities and those can be utilized for many different therapy groups. I should caution that I've listed mainly the materials I'm going to use- I don't include behavioral strategies, prompting and modifications in my lesson plans… they are VERY general. But, they give me place to start when it comes to therapy for the week!

I've listed the names of my lesson plan activities below and where you can get them! :)

Roll a Valentine's Day Cupcake by SLP Chelsea (me)

Valentine's Day Compare and Contrast by Speech Made Simple 

Valentine's Day Articulation Carryover Paragraphs by SLP Chelsea (me)

Choose the Right Valentine by Pam Dahm

Box of Chocolates by SLP Chelsea (me)

Valentine's Day Bingo by Crazy Little Projects (not on TpT, but FREE!)

If you happen to stop by my store to pick up some materials, make sure to FOLLOW ME! That way, you will be notified whenever I post new products! Also PLEASE leave feedback if you've used my products, free or paid. I love to hear your input AND you get TpT credits if you provide feedback… those credits can actually be used to buy products on TpT!

I just want to say, I am so thankful for everyone's support in this new blogging and TpT adventure! It's been wonderful so far and it really has made me even more intentional about my day-to-day work. :)

Stay tuned for a "Look at my Lessons" next week- I have even more Valentine's Day fun to share with you! I also have a cute new President's Day product in my TpT store that I'll be using!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!!! 

Handling Stress

Hi Friends,

After the work week I've had, I find myself thinking a lot about the stressful aspects of our jobs. Sure, working with these kiddos can be a whole lot of fun and amazingly rewarding, but we all have days where we get overwhelmed and are reaching for strategies to help us cope. I personally had a very draining day yesterday and frankly, an exhausting week overall at work. I am thankful that at the end of the day, I love the core of my job... because if I didn't then this week would have been much harder.

 

I find my most stressful times involve intense IEP meetings and piles of paperwork. The kiddos themselves are rarely the thing that stresses me out. So after an intense week of IEPs, assessments and paperwork, I'm looking back and sharing the functional and not-so-functional ways I coped with my stress.

 

1) Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" Memes always seem to make me giggle and I instantly feel a little better. Wine helps too.

 

 

2) A run outside with my happy pup really helps me put things into perspective and appreciate all the good things.

 

 

3) I sometimes cope with stress by being sassy. Yep, that's the not-so-functional way to cope. It doesn't really solve anything but it makes me feel a little better sometimes, honestly. :)

 

 

4) A night with girlfriends  is also a great cure for a stressful work week. Especially if some of those girlfriends happen to be SLPs. I'll be doing that tomorrow night, actually.

 

 

5) I lean on my husband. Even when he is stressed out with his own stuff, he makes time for mine. Even if he just lets me vent and says nothing back, it's nice to cuddle up next to him and feel heard.

 

 

6) I pray about it. I pray for patience, I pray that I can take something positive from a stressful experience. I have to admit that this isn't usually my first line of defense when I'm stressed, but it should be.

 

 

 

What are the most stressful aspects of your job as a special education teacher, general education teacher, OT or SLP? How do you cope with stress?
 

Quick Tip Tuesday

Hi friends!

Today, I'm linking up with School SLP for her Quick Tip Tuesday Linky! 

This link-up is designed for SLPs to share a quick tip(s) related to the speech and language world. The goal is to share information in a short-read format.

Here you go….

If you have kiddos that are easy to drill when it comes to articulation targets, using a tally counter or "clicker" is an easy addition to therapy sessions. Whether your students are at the carryover level and using their sounds in conversation OR they are at the phonemically loaded sentence level, it will surprise you how much a "clicker" will excite and motivate your students.

I use  a "clicker" in therapy regularly with my Speedy Speech students (2x10 individual drill sessions with 3rd grade and up). The kids love to see how many productions they can make of their sound and they especially love to try to surpass their previous total. I use this tool during conversational tasks as an auditory reminder and a way to tally the amount of target sounds my students use when we chat. I use a "clicker" alongside reading level tasks with seasonal books or paragraph level reading prompts. I also use it with a Super Duper book called "See it, Say it Artic Reps". Each page results in the reader saying their sound 100 times! 

You can get a "clicker" or tally counter on Amazon. I'm actually looking into buying some of the fun colored ones. :)

I hope that was a helpful quick tip! Have a wonderful Tuesday!

A Look at my Lessons 1/25/15

Hi Friends! 

I hope you had a great weekend! My husband and I used our weekend to relax and recharge with friends in the mountains. We all had a great time, but it went by so quickly! It was Sunday before I knew it! 

Now, I don't know about you, but on Sunday evenings I tend to get a little anxious about what is waiting for me in the work week ahead. I've found that making basic lesson plans for the week tends to make my Sunday anxiety lessen. After a while, once I've gotten used to the process of writing up lesson plans, it becomes pretty easy. I think it will also be awesome this time next year when I have lesson plans to work from (and just tweak a bit) as opposed to reinventing the wheel.

I've decided to start sharing these lesson plans with you! These posts will be titled "A Look at my Lessons". I'm already making them for myself so I might as well share… if it helps someone feel a little less anxious about their Monday morning, that makes me happy! :)

I know everyone has caseloads made up of varying ages and abilities… so my lesson plans may not apply to everyone. However, I often use open-ended reinforcement activities and those can be utilized for many different therapy groups. I should also caution that I've listed mainly the materials I'm going to use- I don't include behavioral strategies, prompting and modifications in my lesson plans… they are VERY general. But, they give me place to start when it comes to therapy for the week!

I've listed the names of my lesson plan activities below and where you can get them (if they are available on TpT). :)

Roll a Super Bowl Football by SLP Chelsea (me)

Football Challenge sheets by Peachie Speechie

Football Chip Board by Karen Dickson

Super Bowl Prediction Sheet by Hannah Martin

Describing a NFL mascot by Speech Room News

Unexpected vs. Expected: Super Bowl by SLP Chelsea (me)

Let's Plan a Super Bowl Party by SLP Chelsea (me) --- It's FREE!

The activity for my Speedy Speech kiddos titled "I'm Going to a Super Bowl Party and I'm Bringing…" is just what it sounds like. You may remember this game from car rides growing up… I know I played it on many a road trip. I do this activity with my kiddos that are at the carryover level. We simply write down their sound on a piece of paper (so I can point to it as a visual reminder throughout the activity and they can remember to only use words with that sound) and we take turns stating "I'm going to a Super Bowl party and I'm bringing __________". The game gets pretty difficult because they have to remember what was said and they have to remember it in order. So, I wouldn't suggest it for your kiddos who will have trouble with that. Here's an example---

Target sound - /R/

Me: I'm going to a Super Bowl party and I'm bringing tortilla chips.

Student: I'm going to a Super Bowl party and I'm bringing tortilla chips and roses.

Me: I'm going to a Super Bowl party and I'm bringing tortilla chips, roses and paper plates.

Student: I'm going to a Super Bowl party and I'm bringing tortilla chips, roses, paper plates and a parachute.

As you can see, it gets difficult pretty fast but it also gets pretty silly. I tell the kids they can "bring" any item as long as it has their sound in it. :) 

I hope this was helpful! I love doing themes for therapy- the kiddos obviously love it, the themes help me plan easier and they make me look forward therapy sessions! When work gets crazy with IEPs, assessments, scheduling, etc…. having my lessons already planned out helps out so much!

If you happen to stop by my store to pick up some materials, make sure to FOLLOW ME! That way, you will be notified whenever I post new products! Also PLEASE leave feedback if you've used my products, free or paid. I love to hear your input AND you get TpT credits if you provide feedback… those credits can actually be used to buy products on TpT!

I'm linking up with Old School Speech for her "Week in Review" linky! Check out her page for more weekly lesson plan ideas and/or link up to share yours!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!!!