Present Notes:
On this episode of SLP Espresso Speak, Hallie tackles the chaos of returning to work in January. In the event you’re feeling such as you want a trip out of your trip, this one’s for you. She’s dispensing sensible methods for alleviating again into remedy mode, getting your college students re-engaged (even after they’d moderately be actually wherever else), and turning that New Yr vitality into precise buy-in. Hallie additionally shares how one easy exercise can hit a number of targets throughout your complete caseload—as a result of who has time to prep 5 various things? It is all about working smarter, not more durable, and remembering that relationships matter simply as a lot as knowledge.
Here is what we realized:
- Stretching earlier than the dash—ease into the primary week as an alternative of going full throttle.
- Your college students are coming again simply as drained and unmotivated as you might be (completely regular!).
- Asking “what would make speech extra helpful or enjoyable for you?” is a recreation changer.
- One exercise can work on your complete caseload when you understand how to adapt it.
- Present college students their voice issues, and so they’ll really need to present up.
- You do not should be good—simply current, artistic, and compassionate.
RESOURCES
📘✨ Seize your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap right here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book
Be taught extra about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:
JOKE OF THE WEEK:
Q: Why do math books look so unhappy in January?
A: As a result of they’ve too many issues.
The place We Can Join:
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TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00 Hallie: Hey there SLP pals, is Hallie right here, popping in with one of the best information ever. My new guide, Secondary SLP Roadmap is formally out there. In the event you’ve ever wished for a transparent, sensible information for working with center and highschool college students, that is it. It’s filled with actual tales, prepared to make use of methods and instruments you need to use straight away. Seize your copy now. Test the hyperlink within the present notes or search Secondary SLP Roadmap on Amazon. After which after all, please do me a favor. If you end up studying it, snap an image and tag me on Instagram @speechtimefun. I really like seeing the place you are diving in. The speech room, the sofa, ready in a health care provider’s ready room, all of the locations. All proper, prepared? Go seize your copy and let’s make secondary speech really feel doable and enjoyable.
00:00:58 Hallie: Welcome to SLP Espresso Speak, the podcast designed completely for speech language pathologists who work with older college students, grades 4 by way of 12. I’m your host, Hallie Sherman, your SLP behind Speech Time Enjoyable, the Speech Retreat Convention, and the SLP Elevate Membership. And I am thrilled to deliver you conversations, methods, and insights that will provide you with the jolt of inspiration that you just want. Whether or not you are tuning in throughout your morning commute, on a break in between periods, and even throughout a well-deserved rest time. I’m right here for you every week. Let’s do that SLPs.
00:01:38 Hallie: Hey, hey, and welcome to a different episode of SLP Espresso Speak, your go-to podcast for sensible suggestions, actual discuss, and inspiration brewed recent simply on your school-based SLPs. And I am your host, and sure, we made it. It’s 2026. And when you’re something like me, first week again after break can hit more durable than like a rogue Nerf dart within the remedy room. Let’s be actual, coming again after vacation break can really feel such as you’re attempting to run a remedy session in a room stuffed with sleepy bears rising from hibernation. And people sleepy bears are sure, you and your college students. Okay, that is undoubtedly the distinction, particularly whenever you’re working with these older ones, that they’re gonna undoubtedly are available in drained, cranky, and never desirous to be there.
00:02:29 Hallie: So in the present day we’re gonna be speaking about how one can reset your self after break with no need one other trip, methods to re-engage your college students who’re nonetheless emotionally connected to their cozy winter break pajamas, and the right way to use the New Yr buzz to speak about private targets with out making it really feel like a well being class. Plus, I am gonna be sharing some ways in which you need to use one single exercise with all of your teams and the way it can all tie into my secret sauce, my speech remedy recipe for achievement, which is knowing creativity, adaptability, and compassion. So, let’s get to it.
00:03:04 Hallie: All proper, so first issues first, you. Earlier than we will have interaction our college students, we’ve got to seek out our rhythm once more. And no, consuming your fourth cup of espresso earlier than 9 AM does not rely as a method. Let’s be actual, we do not have that a lot time to go to the lavatory. So here is what I like to recommend, begin mild. Do not attempt to dive proper into progress monitoring, IEPs, and onerous knowledge very first thing. I do know you might need some deadlines however hear me out. Consider the primary week again like, stretching earlier than a run. You would not dash out of the gate until you need to pull a metaphorical remedy muscle.
00:03:42 Hallie: Assessment, join, and reset. Use that first session again with every group to do a fast check-in, play a get to know you recreation, speak about what they did over break. This is not time wasted, it is relationship constructing. Bear in mind, connection earlier than knowledge assortment. Okay, so take the time to simply have just a little enjoyable, possibly play a recreation. It does not must be elaborate to be efficient. And SLP Elevate members, do not forget you have got tons of dialog playing cards and issues like that in SLP Elevate you can all the time use when you want a fast warmup exercise that could be a little prep able to go. We acquired you coated in there. All you need to do is go into your month-to-month sources in dialog starters and you may decide a random theme and use it. Okay, you do not have to start out from scratch.
00:04:29 Hallie: All proper, subsequent up, let’s speak about your college students. Getting back from break, you’ll in all probability discover they’re quieter or not quiet in any respect, okay. They may be very chatty and wanting to speak about their break, however both method, their motivation might be someplace between meh and what is the level, okay. And that’s completely regular. Let’s be actual. They do that each one yr lengthy. So why ought to today be completely different than another day? However it’s additionally a chance. Consider their brains like etch-a-sketches, these issues that you just draw an image after which shake it and like will get redo it. A break provides them just a little shake. You get to redraw the map and get them again on monitor, okay?
00:05:10 Hallie: So listed here are three easy methods you can reboot their engagement. Contain them in setting set just like the targets of their speech periods, not their IEP targets, however ask them like what’s one thing you need to get higher at this yr in 2026? Use these like New Yr’s resolutions to inspire them, okay? Or to have conversations with them like, if speech felt extra helpful or enjoyable, what would that appear to be for you? Get their suggestions, have conversations, allow them to really feel like they’re designing their periods. They’re going to be extra purchased in and hey, you will make the remainder of the college yr so much smoother for you.
00:05:48 Hallie: And naturally, you need to use like New Yr’s themed duties, corresponding to having them write new speech, like speech resolutions. like they’re in all probability doing like… they may be even too outdated for that, however like, make it enjoyable, make it age applicable, okay? You possibly can even do like mad libs with a New Yr’s theme that you will discover on-line. There’s free on-line mills. Like have a number of New Yr’s freebies, one in my TBT retailer you can make the most of that simply permits you to ease into targets with a New Yr’s theme. Okay, you’ll be able to even create imaginative and prescient boards with like free photographs from like Google photographs and Canva. In the event you’re actually feeling artful, like you will get all artistic, okay?
00:06:30 Hallie: You possibly can even gamify it utilizing Kahoot, Blooket, Bamboozle has some like dialog starters and issues like that, New Yr’s theme stuff. Have enjoyable with it, okay? That’s my objective for you guys. All about utilizing one exercise, as many targets as attainable. So use these icebreaker video games and attending to know you video games and dealing on their targets. And for all of your articulations, college students can observe their sounds whereas saying their targets.
00:07:05 Hallie: For language, they’ll use sentence construction or sure vocabulary phrases whereas describing their targets. For social abilities, you can also make it a bunch dialogue and have debates on whether or not who has one of the best targets. For govt functioning, you’ll be able to break up their targets into steps and make a plan. There are such a lot of prospects you’ll be able to nonetheless work on targets whereas nonetheless discussing their targets for the longer term. It is all about SLP magic. Similar exercise, completely different targets, zero prep, however after all getting their buy-in.
00:07:30 Hallie: Okay, so here is the deal. Setting the targets with college students is not simply fluffy stuff. It is gonna construct their self-awareness, their buy-in, and naturally, motivation. And here is a metaphor time. In case your remedy plan is just like the GPS, your pupil’s objective is just like the vacation spot that they picked. And when college students get to assist set that vacation spot, they’re far more more likely to keep within the automobile. Even when their objective is to not hate speech this yr or to graduate from speech, that is a begin. Take it, run with it, and construct on it, okay? It is a highly effective solution to present compassion, which is one in every of my key components relating to having a profitable speech lesson together with your older college students. After we ask college students what they care about, what they need, and the way they really feel about coming to speech, you are telling them that their voice issues right here, and that’s enormous.
00:08:20 Hallie: Okay, fast recap. Head again to work after break. You are going to reset your self first, begin mild, reconnect. Bear in mind your why. Why are you there within the first place? And if it is to simply acquire that paycheck, hey, that is a why. Use enjoyable, low-pressure actions to get college students speaking. And let the brand new yr be a springboard for customized, student-centered targets and creation. And use that exercise to work on many various functions. Hi there, adaptability. And do not forget, compassion counts simply as a lot as creativity and content material, okay?
00:08:56 Hallie: And in order for you actions completed for you, when you’re uninterested in 2025, starting of the college yr, spending hours planning on your periods and college students nonetheless wanting, trying like they’re gonna throw rocks at you, be sure you try SLP Elevate. It’s a recreation changer for SLPs working with grades 4 by way of 12. Okay? And SLP Elevate members, be sure if you have not checked out your January pack, we’ve got sources for you so as to simply present up first day again, click on print and go. Okay?
00:09:28 Hallie: In case you are not a member but, what are you ready for? You’ve gotten entry to passages at completely different Lexile ranges on your college students which can be studying beneath grade stage actions, job card video games, digital sources, worksheets for engaged on major concept context clues, inferencing, all of the issues. So you’ll be able to actually simply present up and be one of the best SLP you will be on your college students. And members are saying they need they joined sooner. if that’s, when you’re on the fence, what are you ready for? Go test it out. You possibly can all the time cancel at any time.
00:09:59 Hallie: All proper, that is it for in the present day, SLP pals. Let this be the yr you cease chasing perfection and begin leaning into connection. You have acquired this. You do not have to do all of it. Only one step, one group, one breakthrough at a time. All proper, here is your Joke of the Week. Why do math books look so unhappy in January? As a result of they’ve too many issues. All proper, thanks for hanging out with me on this primary episode of 2026. In the event you cherished it, share it together with your favourite SLP bestie and you’ll want to subscribe so that you by no means miss one other episode. Till subsequent time SLPs, keep out of bother.
00:10:42 Hallie: Thanks a lot for tuning in to a different episode of SLP Espresso Speak. It means the world to me that you just’re tuning in every week and getting the jolt of inspiration you want. Yow will discover the entire hyperlinks and data talked about on this episode at my web site, speechtimefun.com. Remember to observe the present so you do not miss any future episodes. And whilst you’re there, it will imply the world to me when you would take just a few seconds and go away me an sincere evaluation. See you subsequent week with one other episode stuffed with enjoyable and inspiration from one SLP to a different. Have enjoyable guys.
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