Stepping Out Beyond Our Four Walls {Talkin With Twang}

Today I’m continuing our series “Stepping Out Beyond Our Four Walls.” Earlier this year, Jenna from Speech Room News, Desiree from SLPTalk and I presented at OSLHA on ways we were getting out from our therapy walls and promoting our wonderful profession to our districts and communities. We received such a great response I thought I would ask a few of my friends to share ways they are also making a big difference in their districts. Today’s guest post is from Talkin’ With Twang. Kristin’s experience as a teacher gives a great perspective on how to truly build relationships with those in our districts. And I love the simple, yet brilliant idea of getting to know teachers’ favorite candy and treats!

A big thank you to Nicole for opening up her beautiful blog for us to share in this series.  I’ve enjoyed reading through the posts and seeing how other SLPs get outside of the speech room to build relationships with their school teams.

Building relationships is the main focus of my post.  I was a teacher for seven years before I became an SLP, and I have to be honest with you…I don’t even remember the names of most of the SLPs that worked with my students.  Actually, I don’t think I even really learned their names at the time they were serving my students.  For SLPs who travel between schools like me, it can be really difficult to build relationships with the teachers and staff we work with.  We may only be on a particular campus a couple of days a week.  How can we get to know our teachers and staff with such limited time?

Here are a few simple, yet effective tips to help:

1. At the beginning of the year, make a point to make your presence known on campus.  I like to pop in during the week before school begins or during my teachers’ conference periods for a brief hello.  I usually bring some kind of treat for them (chocolate is always good).  I also like to find out what their favorite candy and beverages are (for future treats).  Keep these brief and lighthearted!

2. Try to eat lunch with the teachers at least once a week. I don’t always get to eat lunch with my teachers, but when I do I enjoy it very much.  It’s nice to have conversations and get to know each other better.  There’s nothing better than bonding over food!

3. Schedule a time to visit your students’ classrooms at some point.  I know a lot of schools are moving towards “push in” therapy in the classrooms, but we still use the “pull out” model for therapy at my schools.  This means I don’t get to see how my students are actually performing in the classroom.  I try to make a point to visit the classrooms every now and then so I can see how my students are doing and  touch base with their teachers.  This is a great way to help the teachers know that you are on the same team and see how you can best support the students.

4. Last but not least, I keep open lines of communication with my teachers.  I want them to fully understand what my role is and how I can help support them and our students.  I work very hard to keep a regular schedule as much as possible, communicate with teachers about goals, progress, and concerns with our students.  I want teachers to see the value in my services, rather than see it as a nuisance.  One of the ways I communicate with my teachers (and parents) is with these communication forms I created.

They are free in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Click HERE to download.  I hope they are as helpful for you as they are for me!

Thank you again to Nicole for allowing me to share with you.  If you haven’t read through the previous posts in this series, you must!  There are some great tips and you will be inspired to move beyond the speech room walls for sure!

Kristin

Kristin Immicke is a school based SLP and the author of Talkin’ with Twang.
You can visit her blog at www.TalkinWithTwang.com or her Teachers Pay Store: Talkin’ with Twang
You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram