94 Kids and Counting...

Mid-way through the first semester and my caseload has grown from 70 to 94 and counting.  I recently saw a Facebook post that asked what caseload counts were...and was surprised to see that mine was one of the highest, especially considering my small district.  I suppose that stems from being the only SLP pre-K thru 12, but some SLP's carried caseloads of 30!!!!  I have a set therapy schedule but find that now I am struggling with keeping up on the paperwork!  I can't keep bringing it home!!  My student's IEP's are written using the 3:1 service delivery model.  I always feel guilty though missing a week of direct therapy with my students!  And some teachers don't make it easy with comments of  "I wish I had a job where I could pick and choose when I see my students"!!!!  Talk about frustrating.  I have now taken to emailing my planned consult week to my principals and then in turn forwarding their very supportive emails to the classroom teachers.  It is a new year though, and the teachers are more familiar with me this year, so hopefully my much needed consult weeks will not be taken with such pessimism.   Now if only I could do something about the students making me feel guilty with their "why didn't you pick us up :( " comments! 

Fourth of July Activity

Independance Day is almost here, so I decided to try my hand at creating some materials to use with my ESY students.  The concept of the game , Sparkle, is quite simple.  Draw a card, say your target the number of times on the card.  There are some foils (Kaboom) cards and some bonus turns, to keep it interesting. 

I am going to attempt to share * Sparkle Game * in this post...I really hope that it works!  I have gotten so many amazing free materials, I want to give back a little! I found my cute graphices...free...at http://www.homemade-preschool.com/. 

Here goes nothing!!

I decided to start this blog so that I have a place to organize tips and ideas that I get from all of the other blogs I read and Pinterest postings I sift through. I am not the most creative SLP, but I know how to do my research to find those who are! I have been an SLP for 14 years! The first 5 I spent as a contract therapist, working mostly in Adult Group Homes and Long Term Care, and Early Intervention. I found that my calling was in Early Intervention…I just loved working with the little ones and their families! For 8 years I worked as an Independent Provider in our states First Steps Early Intervention Program. In 2010 too many changes to the program and the job that I loved became a an insecurity and the cause of too much stress. I was approached by my school practicum supervisor about interviewing for a school position. The local Special Education Co-op who served the three nearby counties was disbanding, and a small rural school district was in need of an SLP for the following school year. I thought why not! I currently considered going to work every day a JOB, it was no longer something that I enjoyed doing. If I took a school job, I would have summers off, sick-time, and snow days. Since my kids were then 16 and 12, I didn’t really need the flexibility that early intervention provided. I would actually be able to spend more time with my kids, who are growing up way too fast. I was concerned though because of all the areas an SLP can work in, being a school based SLP was one which I had NO EXPERIENCE! I was hired for the position in April 2011, and started in August. This first year was a whirlwind of learning and adjusting. I am the only SLP in our small rural school district. I serve 3 elementary schools (pk-6), Jr. High, and High School. Somehow I made it through the first semester, and in January I started exploring blogs and Pinterest (I was getting bored with flashcards and Uno and I know my students were)! I am doing ESY 2 days a week this summer, and in my spare time I am constantly looking for new ideas. I am hoping to use this blog as a place where I can keep my sources and ideas organized, and if someone else comes across it and it makes their life a little easier, then that is a bonus! Thanks so much to all of the wonderful blogging and pinning SLP’s who have helped to revive my boring therapy sessions!