There is no denying that this year has been rough. The world has changed and with it, many of us may have felt like we had to figure our jobs and lives out, with every day bringing new challenges. Here are some ideas of truly great accomplishments that we can celebrate as this historic year comes to an end.
Not since grad school has my brain been so full! Unlike grad school, this new knowledge isn’t presented in a distraction-free classroom but instead is being learned on the fly in busy living rooms and make-shift workspaces.
You have learned new terminology, new technology, new platforms, and new approaches. It has been overwhelming at times but by the end of 2020, it is something to commemorate!
This unchosen but necessary switch to distance learning, teletherapy, and hybrid schedules has opened up new modes of working with students. Speech sessions, paperwork, meetings - everything looks and feels different. Yes, it’s been challenging, but your creativity has exploded.
You have been flexible to change and are growing our therapy tool kit and you should recognize this accomplishment.
(This free download link takes you to a new Google Slide™ activity with real photos for expanding sentences.)
The depth of connections to students and families you have made
You are virtually in your families’ homes, working with children and parents in new ways. You are connecting with texts, videos, assignments on Seesaw - more often and with more potential quality interactions than ever before. The video feedback from students, the quick return text from a parent, the ability for the SLP to model a chosen technique in a video model - all are at your fingertips.
More families connecting to speech resources and techniques is a win for you and something for which you can commend yourself!
I am guessing that Seesaw, Schoology, and Google Classroom are here to stay in the life of an SLP. You have been forced to get comfortable using these tools to advance your practice in a more inclusive way. These invaluable resources can keep student’s learning from home even during a typical year.
You have learned how to improve student learning and results by including the home learning environment. This feat alone is impressive enough to give yourself a nice pat on the back.
(Here is a link to a free PDF activity to keep those skills developing at home.)
New skills in balancing life and work
Boundaries have become even more important than ever, as work has seeped into our own homes and it feels like we can work 24 hours a day and still not get everything done.
You have learned to take stretch breaks, set limits on working during evenings and weekends, and you have learned just how valuable your personal time is. Time-savers in therapy prep don’t just make your workday run more efficiently but have become imperative to maintaining your sanity.
As 2021 approaches, you have learned what to take on and what you need to say no to so that your life can continue to function. What a victory!
(Here are links to a couple of my most downloaded Boom Cards of 2020. These Boom Card decks are incredible time-savers and ready-to-go for resources to use for multiple ages and skills in speech.)
This year, the ground has been shaken from under us, yet we have accomplished more than we may have realized and much more than this list includes. Let’s look forward, not just hoping to return to how things once were but let’s decide what invaluable practices we want to bring with us into 2021. Let’s celebrate and congratulate ourselves for all we have done!
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