Every year, new prospective CFs ask what they can do over the summer to prepare for their first year in the schools. This year with COVID-19, there are additional considerations. Here are recommendations for 2020 based on what our experienced clinicians are planning:
• Relax. You have worked very hard, and you deserve to take a break. When you are ready, the work will be there.
• Consider creating a fresh Google Drive account with resources arranged by categories, goals, and areas of need. It’s quite probable that you will need to address goals through both tele-practice and brick and mortar services within the year. Creating a file system now will make adding resources throughout the year more systematic. Begin by arranging your graduate school resources.
• Consider behavior management. What are some fast, motivating methods to keep students engaged? Ask your mentors for their best strategies, and collect ideas from other sources. Hint: the best strategies are social, immediate, and often sensory-based.
• Collect ideas on providing effective therapy for groups with mixed goals. Groups focused on literacy and narrative often can accomplish many objectives.
• Tighten up your templates. Do you have evaluation, observation, and teacher feedback templates at your fingertips? Can you find resources on organizing the flow of IEP paperwork that work for your personal style?
All of the above objectives will be a work in progress throughout your first year of practice. For great practical advice we recommend the following to start you on the path to excellence:
Podcasts by The Speech Space, Real Talk SLP, Speechie Side Up
Bloggers the Dabbling SLP, the Type B SLP, Sublime Speech, All4My Child
Subscription based sources like SLP Toolkit, SLP Now, or the Digital SLP
We’re glad that you’ve joined our profession! We believe in you!
