Spring time in Indiana is juuuuust about officially here. Matter of a fact I’m writing this from my patio in a sweatshirt because I just can’t sit inside one second longer. The sun is out but the breeze is still cool,and my yard is to that awkward stage of not totally needing cut but also lookin’ kinda scraggly. (Mowing the lawn is one home ownership chore I don’t hate, but not yet April. Hold your horses.) Anyway, with the onset of spring comes my niece’s birthday! Well, my first niece’s first birthday. At the start of 2016 I had no nieces (or nephews for that matter) and today I have t ..read more

So you’ve been given a graduate student intern….now what? If I’ve had this question asked of me once, I’ve had it asked a thousand times! Spring is a popular time for many school SLPs to host graduate student interns, so for the next few weeks I’ll be brining you a blog series of everything you need to know when it comes to hosting, and rocking, a student intern experience…for both of you. Before your student ever comes, there’s a few easy things you can do to make your transition a smooth one. Here’s a few tips– Be friendly–If your future student hasn’t already, reach out to her! Send ..read more

Are you familiar with One Little Word? You can learn more about the official program here, but the long and short of it is that each year you chose one word to define your upcoming year. You can have it chosen for you, meditate on it, select it at random, but somehow the idea is to chose one word to define your upcoming new year. Last year my word was “purpose” and after 2016 has come to an official close I’ll (probably) write a post about how that word shaped my year. As I began praying about my one little word for 2017, I felt like just about any word I picked would be appropriate. The ..read more

I can’t believe it’s that time of year again! The leaves have changed here in Indiana, the air is a little cooler, and we’re all dreaming of Thanksgiving and Christmas (break, that is). But before that, the ASHA 2016 conference must be held! If it’s your first trip or your 10th, these are the 7 key tips I use every year to make sure my trip is the best yet. 1. Plan, Plan, Plan ASHA is a fun time, but sometimes it can feel exhausting trying to see the sights and do all the things. Before you go plan out your sessions using the schedule of presentations you received in the mail, or use the list ..read more

And just like that, a brand new school year is right around the corner. I love the idea of brand-new, for both me and my students. We both need fresh starts, new beginnings and more chances to work together. Call it an inkling, but I have a feeling this year is going to be the best.year.ever. And so does Teachers Pay Teachers! Monday Aug 1 and Tues Aug 2 they’re giving you the chance to stock up on some really awesome resources for the new year.  I’m teaming up with my girl Jenna to show you what I’m shopping for this week! Here’s what you must have from my store to get your year of ..read more

  It happens to all of us at some point in our lives, and I feel like my time has come. My friends are having babies. I’m pretty sure it was yesterday we were sitting around listening to Backstreet Boys and taking quizzes in magazines about what kind of lipgloss was right for us, and now we’re responsible for other human lives. Woah. With every baby shower invitation or birth announcements I get, I find myself racking my brain for just the perfect gift. I mean, I talk and think about child development all. day. long. I should be able to give a decent baby gift, right? Turns out that can ..read more

Towards the end of the school year, our district put out an e-mail call for help. The short version of the story is that our district was short SLPs this year (come be my co-worker!!), so we had to offer compensatory services. I applied for the position since it was a) right around the corner from my house, and b) a chance to hang out with preschoolers, which I don’t get to do too often.  The Setup The program we’re running runs 3 days a week for 3 weeks.  I have a total of 20 3,4,and 5 year olds assigned to me, along with 3 assistants. (This was a huge adjustment for this chick who ..read more

It’s been 7 days. 7 days since I’ve seen my 85 cherubs. Since I’ve walked some of them home along with a couple other teachers a few blocks to make sure they get to the apartment complex safely. And it’s been a beautiful 7 days!  Beautiful as in, I’ve only set an alarm once and it was for a ridiculously late time. I’ve had coffee out of a normal coffee mug and stayed in my pjs until noon (or later. Shhh). I’ve spent time snuggling my new niece, chatting with friends over long lunch and having very little “plans” to speak of. But friends, it’s happened already. I’ve already sighed the wor ..read more

Think back. Think waaayyyyy back. Remember the month of May, right before graduation? You were both exhausted and excited all at once. Fumbling with that awkward Masters hood (really, who invented that. WHO. Call me–we need to talk) Maybe you had a job lined up, maybe you (still) had no clue what you wanted to do. Now that we’ve crossed to “the other side” of that season of our lives, you and I get to welcome other awesome graduates into our profession. Whether it’s an friend, student intern, or your own relative graduating  and joining our profession this year, here’s a list of great gi ..read more

Let’s be honest–finding assistive technology that works with any of our students with more involved needs can be intimidating, let alone pricey! Communication devices can come with astronomical price tags. What’s more nerve-wrecking than hoping that you’ve selected JUST the right technology for a child?! What about a child who needs adaptive switches, or switch-operated toys?! Those things just don’t grow on trees! I’ve probably said almost every one of those phrases, and so have a lot of my colleagues. Fear not. Each of the 50 states offer assistive technology loan programs, and some even of ..read more