Show Notes:
SLPs, can you believe it? 2024 is in the rearview, and Hallie is kicking off the new year with an episode full of reflection, celebration, and a glimpse into what’s next for Speech Time Fun!
She highlights the triumphs of 2024, shares favorite moments, and showcases how her resources continue to inspire creativity in therapy. Plus, get a sneak peek at what’s coming in 2025—new resources, fresh therapy ideas, and more ways to save time while delivering impactful sessions.
Tune in to celebrate the past and embrace the possibilities ahead with Speech Time Fun! 
Here’s what we learned:
- Speech Time Fun became ASHA-accredited, a milestone achievement.
- Continued growth of SLP Elevate, including expanded resources and a revamped bonus section.
- Engagement with SLPs through live and virtual events, creating meaningful connections.
- Encouragement to join upcoming Speech Retreats and stay tuned for the book launch.
- Successful hosting of three Speech Retreat conferences with diverse, impactful speakers.
RESOURCES
Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:
Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here!
JOKE OF THE WEEK:
Q: Why should you put your calendar in the freezer?
A: To start off the new year in a cool way
Where We Can Connect:
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TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00 Hallie: Hey there SLP, working with grades four through 12. New school year, new you. Let’s not go into this school year feeling overwhelmed and behind on paperwork. Let’s not worry about students asking why they are coming to speech. Let’s not have students shrug in their shoulders and looking at you saying, why am I here? I don’t wanna be here. Let’s instead have your students excited to come to speech, ready to take on the challenges you provide and make massive progress towards their goals.
00:00:30 Hallie: If you are ready to make this school year, the year that you leave work promptly at the end of the day, plan in an hour or less a week and go into every session confident that your students will grasp the session objectives, then SLP Elevate is just what you need to make this school year a successful one. Either go to slpelevate.com or send me a DM on Instagram with the word club, C-U-L-B, and we can discuss if SLP Elevate is right for you and your students. Now is the time to get your time back. And now is the time to get your students excited to come to speech. SLP Elevate is perfect for you.
00:01:15 Hallie: Welcome to SLP Coffee Talk, the podcast designed exclusively for speech language pathologists who work with older students, grades 4 through 12. I am your host, Hallie Sherman, your SLP behind Speech Time Fun, the Speech Retreat Conference, and the SLP Elevate membership. And I’m thrilled to bring you conversations, strategies, and insights that will give you the jolt of inspiration that you need. Whether you’re tuning in during your morning commute, on a break in between sessions, or relaxation time. I am here for you each and every week. Let’s do this SLPs.
00:01:56 Hallie: Hey, hey, and welcome to another episode of SLP Coffee Talk and the last episode of 2024. Wow, how did we get here? I don’t know about you, but 2024 flew. A lot has happened in the world of speech time fun. And I wanted to share with you guys here on the podcast because maybe some of you were not even aware of some of these things or maybe. You want some just memory of it as well.
00:01:56 Hallie: So this year was wild and crazy. Some major, major highlights. Number one, Speech Time Fund became ASHA accredited. Yes, that was a huge, huge accomplishment in 2024. It was something that I’ve been wanting to do for the Speech to Treat Conference for a really long time. And finally, we did it. We got the paperwork in, we got approved, and got the, not only just approved as an accredited provider, but got, ran the November 2024 speech retreat was offered ASHA CEUs. All you had to do was opt in. This way we weren’t just submitting to the registry for everyone.
00:03:14 Hallie: Well, we had such an amazing turnout and response to being able to finally submit your credits to the registry. Now, granted, you know, I’ve always, you know, stood firm on that you don’t need the registry in order to get your CEUs. ASHA does not require it. Yes, it’s state by state, but ASHA does not require it. And I was holding out for a really long time because I felt passionate about that SLPs don’t need the registry. But after hearing from so many of you and so many concerned that are in states that require credited CEUs, we did it.
00:03:51 Hallie: So moving forward, all speech retreats, you’ll have the option, you can always do CMH, PDH hours, but you have the option to opt in for ASHA CEUs. As of now, it is only for live attendees, just because in order to do the replays, you have to register the event separately, and there’s a lot more complications and things like that. So…
00:04:15 Hallie: Also, the magic happens live. So let’s be real. So yeah, so that was a big, big highlight of 2024 was getting it done and announcing it to all of you that we did it. The Speech Retreat and Speech Time Fun is now an accredited provider. Moving forward, I’m looking forward to hosting ASHA accredited events inside of it for SLP Elevate members. Stay tuned for more information on that one in due time.
00:04:45 Hallie: That said, we hosted three amazing speech retreat conferences with amazing speakers. We had our first keynote speaker in July 2024. Hayward was amazing and inspired so many SLPs up with his story and his passion about, you know, it’s more than just a job, the impact we’re having on all of our students. And I know I was touched by his words and I know so all the attendees did as well, but for all the speakers that spoke at March, July, and November 2024. You guys mean the world and the fact that we all got to learn so much from so many amazing speakers.
00:05:27 Hallie: And we have so many amazing more speakers in store for you guys in 2025. We already have released the lineup for the March, I think it’s March 8th, whatever, Saturday, March 8th, I think it’s 8th 2025 is, so feel free to head to speechretreat.com to see the speakers and topics on that one. But the dates for July and November have been released. So feel free to go check those out. If you’re unsure of them and want to see the dates, either head to speechretreat.com or check out my Instagram. The Speech Retreat Instagram will have all those things as well.
00:06:02 Hallie: All right. So that was huge, huge between the Speech Retreat getting accredited. That was super huge. What else happened in 2024? I did, instead of going to the ASHA conference this year, I decided to do the state conference circuit. And I had a lot of fun at presenting and exhibiting and meeting so many of you in real life. There was giving hugs and taking selfies and being able to inspire. I played blue kit with so many of you in person. I was in Tennessee, I was in Mississippi, I was in Ohio. Where else did I go?
00:06:38 Hallie: I presented live in person to a local school district here on Long Island and I have one or two more booked for 2025, so I’m super excited to do that. I also presented virtually for New Jersey in June. I also presented for Baylor University and AT Stills in Arizona for their grad students. I had a lot of fun presenting virtually to those grad students sharing tips and tricks for those doing their school practicum and sharing tech tools and ways to incorporate literacy-based therapy and working smarter, not harder and answering their burning questions. So I had a lot of fun with that.
00:07:22 Hallie: If you know of any universities looking for speakers, feel free to reach out to me. If you are a local district on Long Island or wanting to just book a virtual presentation at speechtimefun.com. I have a button on my site called like for speaking. It says like book a training or something like that. Feel free to click that button, fill out that form and so then either myself or someone on my team will reach out to you to get some more information. That is something I’m looking forward to do more of in 2025 is getting to meet more of you in person and presenting and getting out there to provide some relevant and practical, professional development.
00:08:03 Hallie: I love being able to inspire so many of you. That’s why I’m here doing this podcast. And I have not missed an episode in, I don’t know, four years. So that is what I am so passionate about, being able to inspire so many of you. And I loved being able to meet so many of you in person. You know, just for example, in Ohio, I met Michelle who gave me a deck of cards, like jokes. Because you guys know I tell a joke of the week on the podcast. And I love that. That was the sweetest thing ever. Really moved me. I met so many of you in Mississippi.
00:08:40 Hallie: A lot of all the states that I went to, I really, really loved meeting so many of you in person. So that was something that was huge for 2024. And I have already been in the works of booking some travel and conferences for 2025. So stay tuned for information on those. I can’t go to all of them, of course, because I had to have two young children at home with busy schedules, dance competitions, and things like that. But I am trying to make my rounds as much as possible. And that was something that was important to me.
00:09:14 Hallie: So I decided to skip ASHA in Seattle, which also was a little, it was my birthday in the middle of that ASHA conference. So I didn’t really want to travel and do that. So, but I thought it was worthwhile since I think so many of you more go to your local state conferences. All that said, I was also at the Long Island Speech Association Conference in Long Island in October, had an exhibit booth there. So got to meet so many of you there as well. Got to share my Ella Bella, Just Can’t Tell You book with so many of you in person. I had some card decks that are exclusive only for when I go to events now.
00:09:51 Hallie: But yeah, I love being able to share the fun of SLP Elevate and Speech Time Fun in person. So that was something big for 2024. What else happened in 2024 that impacted you guys in 2025? I haven’t talked about this yet probably on social media or even anywhere, but I signed a book deal. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So I think we’re due to release the book in May.
00:10:20 Hallie: As I am recording this episode, which is like, I’m recording this one on Thanksgiving, so I try to get a little bit ahead. I’m almost, almost done writing it, and the book will go, the book should be published in, or released in May, 2025. I am working with a publisher, and it’s all gonna be the roadmap to secondary speech students being motivated. I forgot the name of the title. Something along those lines.
00:10:48 Hallie: The title is still at this point of work in progress, but it’s like the roadmap for secondary SLPs. So stay tuned for information on that. It will be available in May and it’ll be on Amazon. I believe it’ll be Barnes & Nobles maybe. And then eventually it will be an audio book whenever I get to that, but it will be released as a book book first. And I cannot wait to have so many of you have your hands on that.
00:11:15 Hallie: My goal is that it’ll be just those of you getting new jobs. They’ll be on your holiday wish list for 2025, although hopefully you get it sooner. Those new grads, you can ask for it as a graduation gift. It can be a book study for graduate students. It can just be something like a guide that you can have on your bookshelf to refer to when you need a tip or trick for working on specific comprehension goals. How to motivate your students, how to determine the goals, how to work with mixed groups and all that fun stuff. So stay tuned for more information on that.
00:11:56 Hallie: You’ll be hearing me talk about that a lot as we get into the spring 2025, but you guys are hearing it first now, so get excited. I’m excited, especially since I, like I said, as I’m recording this, I’m finally almost done writing it. By the time this episode is airing, I hopefully have submitted my manuscripts. I think I have about four weeks, three weeks-ish. So I got this. I’m holding myself accountable by, I recorded this now, it’s official, right? All right, what else happened in 2024?
00:12:31 Hallie: Let’s see, I started putting out more YouTube videos because I wanted to be able to share more how to work on specific skills. I put out some more, I put out a secret podcast. I don’t know if you’ve had access to that. I will put a link in the show notes or just send me a DM on Instagram, which says secret 2024 for access to my secret podcast. Since I know you like podcasts, since you are listening to this one, I released a mini audio training that’s basically on a podcast or in a podcast that you can’t search for. You have to like sign up for it.
00:13:04 Hallie: And it’s six short, quick episodes, which are talking about my six best tips for working with older speech students. So if you haven’t checked that out. I released that in 2024. Like I said, I’ve been putting out some YouTube videos and hope to do that more in 2025 is releasing YouTube videos on it, like walking you through how I teach different skills, how I use different tools and speech, things like that so you can visually see it. I love this podcast, but the negative of it is you can’t… I can’t show you anything. I can talk about it all I want. I can’t show you anything. So stay tuned for 2025 where I’m gonna continue to release some more YouTube episodes of your YouTube videos.
00:13:48 Hallie: So if you’re not subscribed to my YouTube channel, make sure you do that. So you are up to date and notified when I release them. Like, I’m probably not going to be as regimented with this. Like I am with this podcast, like podcast. It’s easy to like schedule it out. And I have not missed an episode in how many years. Hopefully podcasts I can release at least once a week.
00:14:11 Hallie: But hold me accountable, guys. Send me your request of what you hope to see, what episodes you like, and that will hold me accountable there. What else do I have in store for you? I already have some podcast episodes scheduled to go out in 2025 with some great guest speakers that I cannot wait to have you listen to. So more and more content is coming out here on the podcast, so make sure you check that out. And yeah, new resources are going to be, oh, what else?
00:14:44 Hallie: In 2024 in SLP Elevate, we released, we added to the high school hub vocabulary for science and math, like virtual digital vocabulary flashcards related to the curriculum or standards and stuff like that of high school math and science. We added some more life schools resources in there. We added an entire AAC section in the bonus section with adaptable adaptive books and other things with visual aids for AAC. We added an entire teletherapy section.
00:15:20 Hallie: We also revamped the entire bonus section so that it’s really super easy to find. More skills included, more resources from my TPT store has been added to the bonus section. Members are ecstatic. So that was big for 2024 inside of SLP Elevate. What else? Oh, we also started the weekly voice. So every week members have an opportunity to fill out a form and let us know how they are doing, what support they need, how their students are doing, what resource requests they want, if they want anonymous help from the community.
00:15:57 Hallie: So this has been super, super beneficial and members have been getting so much value out of this. I’m loving seeing the feedback from members, the questions they’re asking. It’s been really helping us shape the new resources. We’ve been releasing so many new resource types that I’m super excited about that have released in 2024, but more common in 2025, more and more for the high schools sector of the membership. So I’m super, super excited.
00:16:27 Hallie: If you are a member and you’re listening to this, make sure you submit the voice. Also, members are getting an opportunity to win Amazon gift cards and prizes just for filling it out. And it takes minutes to do on a Friday. Something they can do while watching like Real Housewives or whatever. The love is blind or whatever they are watching. Whenever you guys are watching on the weekends, you can fill it out. It takes a couple of minutes. And it’s a way for us to make some trainings and support you guys and answer your questions. It’s almost like…
00:16:56 Hallie: It’s our way to be able to plan for you. I can’t be on your shoulder or in your back pocket at all times while you’re lesson planning. I wish I can be there for every single member, but instead if you are in a bind on a Friday, fill out the voice and either we will post it in the group for members to help you or we will submit, I’ll send you some pointers on how you can work on specific goals, work with specific students, challenging cases all that fun stuff. That’s something that has been, that was something I was so, so super passionate about, making sure that we give you guys the help in 2024.
00:17:36 Hallie: And that’ll be continuing in 2025, is making sure that every SLP Elevate member feels like they are not alone. Not only do you get access to unlimited resources and so many amazing themes coming your way, oh my goodness. But yeah, that’s my ultimate goal is, it’s more than just the resources, you’re also getting access to a community and support. You are not alone because I know what it’s like to be alone in your speech therapy room, unsure of who to turn to when you need help.
00:18:08 Hallie: And that is why I’m here. That’s why I created SLP Elevate. I wanted more than just my TPT resources. That said, the themes, the highlights of themes in 2024, what themes do we have? Let me look. We had cell phones. January was fast food. February was cell phones. March was coffee shops. April was weird plants and insects. May was snacks around the world. June was summer Olympics. July was cool cars. August was the solar system. In September, we had cool science. In October, we had drones. In November, young entrepreneurs.
00:19:01 Hallie: Oh my goodness. And then of course, in December, we had Minecraft. But I loved hearing the members share the students’ reactions and feedback from the young entrepreneurs theme. When we came up with that, when we didn’t know how that was gonna go, members were sharing that they were writing letters with their students, these different companies like Zollipops are a 14 year old who created a lollipop.
00:19:25 Hallie: And all these and they were sharing different like shark tank videos that they found and follow and other things and the students are coming up with their own, you know entrepreneurial idea and it’s just really showing them that really they can do anything they set their minds out to. So I’m loving presenting new and different themes each and every month and I can’t wait to share with you the themes we have in store for you in 2025.
00:19:52 Hallie: So there you have it. Hopefully you’re listening to this while you’re on Christmas breaks, while you’re walking your dog, doing laundry, or maybe you’re listening to this when you enter back to school and catching up on episodes you missed. But know that you can always rely on me. I have not missed an episode yet. So stay tuned for SLP Coffee Talk in 2025. Make sure you’re following me on social media, checking my emails, I will be heading to some new states in the spring of 2025. So stay tuned for information on that.
00:20:27 Hallie: I’m already, like I said, in the process of booking some of those. Stay tuned for my book being released in May, 2025 as well. Speech Retreat, if you are not registered yet for the March, 2025 one, head to speechoretreat.com, register for that one. We accept purchase orders. We now do, what should we call it?
ASHA, provide ASHA with CEUs. And yeah, remember we also take purchase orders for SLP Elevate information on both of those. You can get it at slplelevate.com or speechretreat.com or just send me an email and we are happy to help and work with you and your district.
00:21:06 Hallie: Again, also, if you’re looking for speaking, you know, booking me for speaking, that’s like I said, I’ve done some of that in 2024. Head to Speech Retreat, head to speechtimefun.com where you can get more information on that. But I put all that information in the show notes as well. But if you’re probably driving, you’re not going to look in the show notes. So just head to all that stuff you can find on my site. So I always end my episodes with a joke because jokes are fun, built humor, and it’s filled with tons of language. So of course I have a New Year’s themed one.
00:21:42 Hallie: Why should you put your calendar in the freezer? To start off the new year in a cool way. Ba dum ching, feel free to steal that one to use with your students as you enter back to work. After the holidays, I hope you had a nice, restful Christmas Hanukkah. Both of them are at the exact same time this year. I hope you have a restful New Year’s. Enjoy every moment. You deserve it. And I will see you guys in 2025.
00:22:23 Hallie: Thanks so much for tuning in to another episode of SLP Coffee Talk. It means the world to me that you’re tuning in each and every week and getting the jolt of inspiration you need. You can find all of the links and information mentioned in this episode at my website, speechtimefun.com. Don’t forget to follow the show so you don’t miss any future episodes. And while you’re there, it would mean the world to me if you would take a few seconds and leave me an honest review. See you next week with another episode full of fun and inspiration from one SLP to another. Have fun guys!
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