What's the story, Annie?

If you lived in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut in the 70s you remember a commercial for an appliance store that used the tag line, "What's the story, Jerry?" I am nine weeks into my 33rd year as an SLP! I've been thinking quite a lot about how I got here. What is my SLP story? What makes me the SLP into which I have evolved? It comes as no surprise that my experiences uniquely prepared me for my future, but how I used those experiences to become the woman, the professional I am is worth considering. Here is my SLP story.

My childhood was complex. My parents were loving, but had significant baggage of their own. After their divorce my poor Mother struggled with finances, teenage sons, and her difficulty caring for her sixth and and seventh children while getting a graduate degree and working. Unfortunately, the result was neglect. We weren't lacking in love, just having our physical needs met. I most definitely learned love and compassion from my Mother. After losing my Mother when I was fifteen, my anxiety was tremendous and I had virtually no confidence in my abilities nor my potential. My 27 year brother and his 26 year old wife moved in with my younger brother and me. We worked hard to forge a stable family relationship. My grades in high school were good, but I never pushed myself. I did what I had to do and no more. I didn't participate in any extracurricular activities, no sports, no theater, no clubs, nothing. I wanted to take risks, but was afraid to do so. As a senior in high school there were no college visits, no aspirations, no desire to go away. I applied to two colleges, was wait listed for one and accepted into the other. When completing the applications I suspected I could learn how to do most anything, so I closed my eyes and pointed to the page listing majors. My finger landed on speech-language pathology. I suspect divine intervention! I chose to attend William Paterson College and majored in Speech Path. In May of my freshman year of college my Father died. I was eighteen. Still reeling from my losses, I commuted for four years dividing my time between classes, working at a drug store, and partying with my friends. I did work harder in college and was consistently on the Dean's List, but as a commuter, I still didn't gravitate toward campus life. I was, nevertheless, the VP of the speech pathology club and the Secretary for Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education, but what I really excelled in was playing quarters. 

I graduated in 1983 and my first year as an SLP was spent working part-time in four schools in four towns. In those days a master's degree was not yet mandatory to work as an SLP. It is hard to believe; I was 22 years old and worked in two high schools and two elementary schools. Three of my students at the high school were eighteen year old boys! I often think about that year and wish I could go back and do a better job! I was so young and had so much to learn. I remained positive despite grasping at straws at how to motivate kids who were only slightly younger than I was.

Really, during that period I wasn't sure if I was going to continue in the field, but as luck would have it, a position for a graduate assistant at Montclair State College was advertised in the paper and my brother suggested I apply. I called the number listed and waited for a response. The following day I received a call, not exactly the call I wanted, however. Evidently, I dialed the number inadvertently using MY telephone exchange and not the exchange of the graduate office. I had left a detailed message and the kind soul I contacted was thoughtful enough to return my call and tell me I had the wrong number! I remember her saying, "This sounded like an important call, so I wanted to be sure to tell you, you had the wrong number." I went on the interview and was accepted into the communication sciences and disorders program as a graduate assistant!

I continued my part-time SLP work and my job as a cashier as well as completing the responsibilities as a graduate assistant for the first year of the program. I then found a full-time school position during my second year of graduate studies. This was the period I found my passion for speech-language therapy. As you know graduate school is tough. I think it is tougher now than when I went, but it still kept me crazy busy and crazy stressed. I passed the "ASHA exam," as we then called it, and completed my CFY. I began to realize I was competent, creative, and smart. I took risks. I found my voice. I found my heart. I found my passion and like a butterfly from a chrysalis, I found my wings and I soared! 

How have my experiences prepared me for my profession as an SLP? I am able to view each child as worthy, even the ones with dirty clothes. I am able to see the smile in every child, even the ones with downcast eyes. I am able to see the leader in every unmotivated middle school student, even the ones who don't play sports or get the lead in the play. I am able to advocate for each student, especially the ones who feel silenced. I am able to ease the sadness of every child, even for merely thirty minutes, especially the ones who have little hope. I am able to state with conviction to every child that you are good at something, even if you don't believe that today. I am able to listen with a compassionate ear to the child who believes "nobody likes them" and to reply with certainty, "I do." I am able to gently encourage those students who are fearful to take a risk. I am able to explain to every child that this place is the beginning of their story, not the end. 

It's always a good practice to reflect. If you would like to share your story grab the graphic above. What is your SLP story? How have your life experiences primed you for your career? 
Write it!
Dream it!
Love it!
Share it!
Live it!
Be it!

Fun Fall-Themed Articulation Ideas From The Frenzied SLPs

https://www.facebook.com/thefrenziedSLPs?fref=ts

The Frenzied SLPs are back this week with Fun Fall-Themed Articulation Ideas. I am so excited to see what my talented SLP friends do in their therapy rooms!

When doing articulation therapy my aim to is get the maximum number of productions in a short window of time, therefore my activities need to be simple in order to give the biggest bang for the buck. The reinforcement is simply that and not the main thrust of therapy; twenty (or more) productions, then positive reinforcement.

I use laminated fall cutouts as reinforcement as well as to write articulation practice words on. These shapes are from the Listening for _______ all Year 'Round books by LinguiSystems. I printed them on construction paper. Students pick a shape and practice the word or roll a die and pick either the number or color cutout indicated. I bought the fall "gems" last year at Michael's. Students roll a die and take the corresponding number of gems. Many, many years ago I made holiday and seasonal themed lotto games that are always motivating. They are probably in need of an update!

 I found these Speech Therapy Fall Word Searches here and they are perfect do do in therapy and to send as homework. I often use page protectors and dry erase markers to complete activities during speech and then I can send the worksheet home unmarred. This has the added advantage of familiarizing the student with the activity beforehand. If students come in next time saying they didn't do their homework because "they didn't know what to do," I am able to remind them they had already done it in speech! Dot/bingo marker worksheets are also a great way to encourage articulation practice. During sessions I use them as positive reinforcement and for homework I attach words to practice. You can download this worksheet for free here.

SLPs love craftivities and I am no exception. They are motivating, fun, creative and pack an articulation and language wallop. As a straight articulation activity my students will practice their sounds and receive the corresponding number of pieces of tissue paper. To add a language element, well, you know what to do. The opportunities for vocabulary, sentence expansion, sequencing, math language, basic concepts, following directions and more are extensive.

Last year I repurposed a cup carrier to be used for positive reinforcement with any speech-language activity. Add a little paint and some googly eyes and I have a fun and versatile game. Just bounce an EYEball and see where it lands! It may be more for Halloween, but Halloween is in the fall, right? This could easily be modified by painting it red or brown and tossing in little apples or leaves.

The Frenzied SLPs would love to hear what fall-themed activities you are using in your speech rooms. You can link up here or any other Frenzied SLP host. I could go on, but I have been writing this for four (I'm up to five) hours and I really need to get myself up and out and off to the Sandwich Fair! It's a beautiful autumn day in NH and it's my favorite time of year! Enjoy your autumn wherever you are!

An InLinkz Link-up

How About a Little Civility, Please?!

There I was thinking about a topic for this week's blog post when it fell like manna from heaven. Unfortunately (or fortunately) it firmly places me back on my social-pragmatic soapbox. This time the focus of my ire is the people we come in contact with as we go about our day to day business: the salesperson, cashier, receptionist or food server.

Let me explain. I had to have a blood test today. As I registered at the hospital the receptionist wrote my name, birthdate, and email address on an index card rather than directly on a form or the computer. I asked her where she would be filing the card (a rolodex perhaps?) and she indicated she would be referring to it later. Call me kooky, but I had a moment of concern that my info was floating around her desk and asked her to please shred it when finished. Her response? "Uh yeah, it's called HIPAA," (insert snarky tone here). I simply smiled and thanked her for her diligence. Earlier I had a dental appointment. The dentist suggested I have a wisdom tooth pulled. I asked how long a process a tooth pulling is, so I could plan accordingly with work. In other words, do I need to take a half day off? A full day? Her response? Well the oral surgeon doesn't work on Saturday (insert tone of incredulity here)!

Okay, what is my point? HOW ABOUT SOME CIVILITY, PEOPLE! I am finding that so many of the people I come in contact with are poised to jump down their customers' throats. This isn't a new phenomenon. Many years ago when I was a young and sassy SLP, I went to the Grand Union. The cashier must have been very bored, because when he told me the amount of my purchase he looked off into the distance so all I saw was the back of his surfer blond head. That's right, he didn't establish eye contact with an SLP. Now what follows is probably completely inappropriate, but it does make for a good story. I malingered. I admit it, I feigned a hearing loss and told that young man I couldn't hear him. He turned the register toward me and said (and I kid you not), "What are you blind, too?" to which I replied, "I read lips." Being astute to the body language associated with mortification, I watched with pleasure, him shrinking into himself.

I am not particularly proud of my little social experiment. It was during a period where I engaged in general grandstanding, marches on Washington, and overall rebellion and rabble rousing. Ah, youth! However, even then I realized the days of customer service, satisfaction, and civility were disappearing. Treating customers with decency is even less prevalent today. In fact, according to a Consumer Reports survey, 65% of respondents were "tremendously annoyed" by rude salespeople and 64% reported leaving a store in the previous 12 months due to poor service. I have always felt that businesses could increase their customer satisfaction and profits by simply being kind, using a tone of voice that is respectful and training employees to not be so dang defensive. Remember Miracle on 34th Street? Isn't that how Kris Kringle helped Mr. Macy increase business? Now, there is a niche for an enterprising SLP, social-pragmatic training in the work place. What do you think? Anyone want to partner with me? Social Skills-R-Us here we come!!

Middle School: Materials and Motivators

My first job as an SLP in 1983 was in a high school. I was 22 years old and my students were 18 years old! Believe me when I say I felt in over my head. That became very apparent as I drove my 1973 "three on the tree" Pontiac Ventura into the faculty lot and was reprimanded and told to park in the student lot. Of course I indignantly responded that I was the Speech-Language Pathologist! Ohhhh, to be asked for a hall pass today!

I knew in that first year that I needed to engage those students or I was sunk. Many of the techniques I utilized then I still use today. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Kids love real games. I love real games. Now please don't misunderstand. I don't modify my goals to fit a game, I modify a game to fit my goals (Thank you Dr. Lissa Power-deFur for the words to highlight that distinction). Games are a means to an end and a motivator. The last thing we need is an eighth grader boldly announcing he played a game in speech! One of my past middle school students referred to my modified games as "Doyle-ified!" I now have a folder on my computer containing all my Doyle-ified games.  Favorite games include: Boggle, Battleship, Jenga, Yahtzee, Uno, Bananagrams, and Connect Four. Pam Dahm of Small Talk Speech has created the perfect compliment to Bananagrams. It can be found here.

Years ago I purchased boggle cubes and scrabble letters in bulk on eBay. My students really enjoy using these to create vocabulary crosswords around a theme. This past Martin Luther King, Jr. Day we used these to learn civil rights vocabulary.

I love the Expanding Expression Tool, but find the materials in the book a little young for my older set. In order to utilize this amazing program I often create motivating materials that "expand" the Expanding Expression Tool. Pictured below are two Uno games and some St. Valentine's Day hearts.

Sometimes it's the simple things that motivate students. Things like buzzers and bells that capitalize on a tween's competitive side. I found these game show buzzers from Learning Resources and they add just the right amount of fun to any activity. They can be found online here. Tossing objects into cups, bowls, cans, trash bins as reinforcement is also loads of fun.

While they can be labor intensive to prepare, craftivities and cooking generally appeal to middle school students. My line of questioning when using craftivities or recipes often follows Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. These activities target vocabulary, sequencing, executive functioning, higher order thinking, auditory comprehension, verbal expression and more. A creative SLP can target any goal with a craftivity or recipe. 

Find this free craftivity here.

Sometimes just doing something that a student thinks is verboten can be motivating. That's when we write on the table with dry erase markers or pop balloons or throw task cards on the floor or play vocabulary kick ball.

Expanding Sentences

I always save the best for last. Every year during the last week of school the youngest to the oldest students on my caseload play Wheel. Of. Fortune. I find all the music and sound effects used, online, and we target multiple meanings, figurative language, vocabulary, synonyms, antonyms, categorization, articulation and on and on. My students anticipate a fun-filled week and it is a wonderful way to wrap up the school year.

Motivating middle school students can be a daunting task, but I do love working with this age. They appreciate humor and when motivated can be a breath of fresh air. They can also be exasperating. I find I have to always be mindful of what is happening in their lives, socially, physically, emotionally, economically, and intellectually. Those kids, like us, entered this world whole, and their experiences, like ours, cause them to behave in the ways they behave. When working with a challenging student I remember always, "this child is a child of God."

An InLinkz Link-up

A New Year, a New System

You know what I love about being an SLP? I never do anything the same way twice! Imagine if I was in a classroom proper and I was bound by the same curriculum year in and year out!

Each year I find myself taking stock of what worked, what didn't, and what might with a little tweaking. This reevaluation keeps things fresh for both me and my students.

At the beginning of this school year I was thinking about how to modify my room and my positive behavior system, at the same time as I was unpacking my materials. I was also thinking about how I could encourage my students to be more invested in their speech program and to have more autonomy. As I was unpacking my materials and my thoughts I came upon the new Test of Word Finding-3. I typically remove my tests from the boxes because they take up less space. Now understand, I have a difficult time discarding things and garbage is no exception (check out this post). The TWF-3 box was just awesome and I wondered how I could use it.

This is what ensued. I first painted and decorated the box to match my owl-y room decor.

I then added "poly-pocketed" dividers. Using washi tape I indicated the grades on each tab, K-8. I can then keep any relevant grade level materials in the pocket.

Last year I gave each student a library pocket to store their speech bucks. The speech bucks were made by The Dabbling Speechie, but unfortunately, I cannot find the link to purchase them. I had them taped to a cabinet door, but they kept getting ripped and the speech bucks fell out. I gave each student a file folder and taped each library pocket on the inside. The pocket also has a name tag that is placed on a clip chart for behavior management. Initially, each student personalized their folder and was given an explanation as to how we would be using them this year. 

Personalized Folder by a kindergarten student :)

When students enter the speech room, they grab their folders. Inside I placed everything we might need for speech.  

I add two months worth of homework. The students can select the page they would like for the week. This gives them autonomy and I am not scrambling for homework every day.

Having students keep track of their own data helps with carryover and ownership.

Each student with articulation goals has a copy of Mia McDaniel's "steps to good speech" in their folder. I also placed a copy of my letter of introduction in each folder for the first week of school (thanks to Natalie Snyders).

Each folder contains a graph where students can plot how they are progressing in a particular goal area. This a great motivator and provides them with some accountability.

I keep several copies of Teach Speech 365's ISIP sheets to send home with students. This is a great way to communicate with parents about what you have worked on as well as letting them know that their child has received their services that day.

I am loving this new system and so are my students. They are so cute when they walk in and grab their folders, look to see if there is anything new in there and place their name tag on a clothespin! They are particularly excited about choosing their own homework. I have one student who faithfully NEVER completed homework. Since being able to choose his own he has completed EVERY one!

I wonder; am I the only SLP that changes things every year? Comment below and share some of your reinventions.

Ahoy! Talk Like a Pirate Day is Upon Us!!

Back to school has absolutely capsized me! While I was actually looking forward to a calm return, it just didn't pan out that way. I came back to reevaluations, referrals, IEPs, and the bane of the school SLPs existence; the dreaded schedule!! Alas, my social media fun was stowed like cargo and I was out to sea without a paddle.

Fortunately for me, there are creative SLPs in this big blogging ocean to help keep me afloat with material, so I am linking up with Tracy of Gold Country Speech for some pirate fun.

I love capitalizing on a theme. It makes my therapy planning easy, engaging, and productive. International Talk Like a Pirate Day is no exception. In fact, I like this one so much and I have so many materials, I stretch it out over two weeks.

I am not a prolific TpT author (future blog post topic). On the contrary I think I'm a pretty lame TpT author, however I am a pretty good SLP. I have a few clever ideas and I know how to utilize the clever ideas of others. This post doesn't contain products, just a couple of ideas that my students love.

First of all, I LOVE to dress up! It just adds a little bit of spunk to things. (I like this picture...I look thin!) Then I inject an accent here and there throughout my speech, I "talk like a pirate." Yes, for two weeks ;) I will admit I love accents. I am fairly good at them, too, except Russian. That /l/ eludes me. I have been watching some YouTube videos on how to perfect my accent.

My pirate book booty is only four books large. If I know myself, it will expand!

I found a mini Pop-Up Pirate game on Amazon last year. It was very inexpensive. Yay! Not really, it stopped popping pirates this year! Boo!

My son loved(s) his Play Mobile toys. He would spend hours creating a "set up." When he spied me bringing this to school, he got a little nervous. I had to assure him that I wasn't plundering his collection. He's 15.

I have a subscription to Vocabulary A-Z and I love it! I created data sheets (if you would like the data sheet, comment with your email address and I will "ship" it off) for intermediate and middle school students and pair the vocabulary with articles from Wonderopolis and Newsela. My middle school students have been reading the Wonderopolis article, which I pasted into Google Read and Write, watched the corresponding video and then designed their own pirate flag. After creating the flag they wrote a "biography" of their pirate using the Expanding Expression Tool. I suppose now you understand why this takes two weeks!!

Of course, I use the myriad of materials I have amassed from the SLP fleet of amazing and talented folks in addition to the aforementioned. Here are a few of the items that are part of my pirate arsenal: Jenn Alcorn , Sparklle SLP, Speech Snacks

Well, It's time for me to lift anchor and set sail and I promise, no more pirate puns!

R.I.P. Pen and Paper

As the controversy over whether students should be taught cursive rages on, I thought I would celebrate what is quickly becoming a lost art, putting pen to paper. I have previously mused on the benefits to heart, mind and soul from writing (Writing Heals) and my predilection to collecting (The Ties That Bind). Among my hoards of "stuff" I possess varied writing journals that serve varied purposes! I have my vocabulary journal, my verse mapping journal, my childhood journals, my journal of positive thoughts, and on and on. It is remarkable to reread entries. It's my autobiography! I have wept when I read about my sadnesses. I have laughed at the comedy that has been my life. I have looked at my foibles with eyes crossed and wondered at what a doofus I have been. I imagine my future as an old lady and dream of contentment.

Today I decided to feature a guest blogger, writer. Grampa Joe, my dear friend's father, is determined to keep letter writing alive, so encourages his grandchildren to write him letters. He occasionally writes to our son. Mack is always excited to receive a handwritten letter, although it is not easy for him to read the cursive. I also am excited! What follows is a recent snail mail treat.

Dear Mister Mack,
The use of pen and paper is becoming a vestigial skill among your generation, as most have now evolved into thumb twitchers, screen strokers and keyboard tappers. For years G.A.S.F. (Grampa's Augmented Stimulus Program) has provided an incentive to grandsons and others to learn and retain this skill- not unlike the ability to send a cedar shaft with turkey wing feather fletching on target with a wooden bow as opposed to the carbon fiber, plastic fletched arrows released by a mechanical wrist gizmo from an engineered pulley bow. Your reward is enclosed.

It's good to hear that you and Deadeye Dad will wear your bobcat bones this season and look forward to learning how things work out. My cervid [NOTE: this word is now in my vocabulary journal!] population is sparse and mostly nocturnal but apple trees heavy with fruit this year and clear trails through the yet un-mowed pastures are welcome signs. I plan to place tree stands this week.

Thank Annie Doyle for her note as well. It prompted me to visit her blog with _______'s help on her computer. You are fortunate to have parents with useful skills to share with you. Be well.

It is so enjoyable to hold paper in my hands and slowly read and reread. What is the cost to our fast past texts and emails? As pen and paper goes the way of bag phones, Spencerian Script, and disco so does spelling and proofreading! Society has two seconds to fire off a text or an email with little time to thoughtfully proofread for typos OR content or to even write cleverly.

A birthday present for our daughter! They"abe" cool!

Really? Needs no caption!

Grampa Joe is clever! After a weekend away with his friends and their family, Mack returned home with an artifact. He had "won" it for figuring out the riddle pictured here. Do you know what this picture represents? The first person to comment with the answer to this riddle can choose any item in my TpT store. My store is not the best, I will admit, but free is free, right? Have fun and good luck!