SLP Coffee Talk

Ready to kickstart your SLP journey? I have you covered! It’s been quite some time since I graduated, so I invited Michelle Lee onto the show to talk about life as a new SLP. Get ready for a power-packed episode where we're dishing out the juiciest tips and tricks to kickstart your SLP career like a pro! Michelle is a recent graduate and has a heart to connect with students in pursuit of thei...

It’s time to head back to school! Are you ready for the first week of speech?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with one of my SLP Elevate members, Tracie Higgins, to talk about how you can go about scheduling and preparing for your first week of speech therapy without the stress! Topics covered in this episode include: What to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed by scheduling on the...

As SLPs, many of us were only taught one way of thinking when it came to working with neurodivergent students. But what if I told you there is another way to approach working with them that could make a world of difference in these students’ lives?  In this episode, I sat down with Stephanie Boron to talk about how we can flip the script when working with neurodivergent kids. Stephanie shares some...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m doing something a little different. I’m sharing a replay of a podcast episode I recorded with Kristi and Karen from The Modern Principal Podcast. In this episode, we talked about how SLPs and principals can work better together and what principals should know about SLPs.  Then we flipped the script and I asked them a couple of questions about what they would...

How do you build connections with your students? It’s almost time to head back to the classroom and that means you are probably trying to decide what to do on your first day back. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing 5 different icebreakers that will help you build rapport and connection with your students which will set both you and your students up for a much more successful year! Top...

With the new school year approaching, I decided that over the next few weeks, I’m going to be sharing all about different activities and ways you can start out the year with your speech students!  Building the routine and expectations right away with your students is essential for having the rest of the year go smoothly, so in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing tips for establishing a gr...

As SLPs, it is our duty to advocate for our students and help them succeed in any way we possibly can.  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Dr. Shameka Stewart to talk about the school-to-confinement pipeline for students that struggle to communicate functionally and how we as SLPs can improve our services to better serve these students and, potentially, change their lives.  Dr. St...

I've seen a lot of questions about using current events and age-appropriate and motivating materials lately, and there are so many free resources out there that provide news or articles that are relevant to students that are motivating, engaging, and can be used to work on a variety of speech goals! So in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk,  I'm sharing a bunch of them with you and tips on...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Nicolette Contella to talk about her passion for AAC and how she offers AAC training to first responders with her organization AAC On The Beach. Nicolette is a new grad and started this organization and I am so excited to share her story with you!  Topics covered in this episode include: How Nicolette got started working with first responders How...

Ready to start taking some neurodiversity-affirming approaches in your therapy sessions so that you can better support your autistic students?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Adina Levy to talk about ways that we as SLPs can learn to fix the environment around our autistic students so that they can be successful and other neurodiversity-affirming strategies for therapy.  Adina...

Are you interested in learning more about stuttering?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Daniele Rossi to talk about his struggle with stuttering throughout his life and how he has taken his stutter and turned it into an opportunity to help stuttering children gain confidence and feel proud of themselves, stutter and all. Drawing comic strips and stuttering since he was four year...

Were you feeling a little burned out this school year?  I don’t know about you, but I sure was! I saw all of the signs in myself and in other SLPs I know. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Kenzie Thomas to talk all about SLP burnout and how we can beat it and find joy in our profession again.  Kenzie has become passionate about supporting fellow SLPs in beating burnout and findin...

Wondering how you can get parents more involved in their student’s progress? In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Dr. Brandi Tanner to find out how we as SLPs can promote more meaningful participation from our speech students’ parents.  Dr. Brandi Tanner is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and former special educator who founded Your IEP Source as a way to demystify the co...

Let’s talk about Juneteenth.  This episode of SLP Coffee Talk is airing on Juneteenth, so I thought it was appropriate to have a conversation about what Juneteenth is for those who might not be as familiar with it and some things that I've learned, along with ways to incorporate it into your speech practice.  Topics covered in this episode include: The cultural significance of Juneteenth Why...

Ready to get organized and save some time?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Mia McDaniel to talk all about organization, caseload management, and  time-saving tips! If you’re looking for ways to improve in these areas, you’re going to love this episode.  Mia McDaniel is a proud and passionate Speech-Language Pathologist. She was a school SLP for 24 years, and now she is working...

Wondering how you can find the right CFY for you?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Daj Mitchell to talk about how you can find the perfect CFY for you. Daj learned a lot on her journey to finding the right CF for her, and she’s sharing her tips for interviewing, questions to ask, and other things to consider so you can have the best CFY possible! Daj’za (Daj) Mitchell graduated...

Are you curious about animal-assisted therapy?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Laura Kruger to talk about how she incorporates her adorable dog, Blaze, into her speech therapy sessions. Laura’s students love working with Blaze while in speech therapy and she’s sharing all of the details of how it works with us today.  Laura Kruger has been practicing as an SLP for 9 years. She...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with yet another Orton-Gillingham expert, Elizabeth Doherty to talk about all things literacy and language and how we can apply Orton-Gillingham strategies and techniques into our speech therapy sessions.  Elizabeth's expertise lies at the intersection of language & learning. As a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and Teacher with a decade...

What exactly is the role of decodable text in literacy acquisition? In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with the fabulous Jennie Roberts Creason from Carolina Orton-Gillingham to explore this topic. Teaching reading to students is not as simple as it sounds, and Orton-Gillingham may be the perfect approach to help your students reach their goals.  With over 16 years of educational exper...

Ready to learn how to make a more inclusive classroom culture?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m talking all about AAC immersion in the classroom. I sat down with Janna Bedoyan and Morgan van Diepen to talk about why AACs need to be in the classrooms and how we as SLPs can collaborate with other professionals and make it happen.  Topics covered in this episode include: Overcoming barriers t...

Wondering how you can help your students figure out words they don’t understand?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing three online tools that you can use as online dictionaries to help your students when they come across those new vocabulary words that they don’t quite understand. Learning new words can be fun for students when they use these tools!  Topics covered in this episode incl...

Are you in survival mode right now?  It’s the final stretch before we make it to the end of the year, and if you’re looking for some quick, low-prep therapy ideas for spring, then this episode of SLP Coffee Talk is for you! I’m sharing five free spring therapy ideas that can probably cover you for the next few weeks.  Topics covered in this episode include: A great resource on Colossal Questions ...

Looking for a strategy to help your speech students have a better understanding of what they’re reading and have a better recall?  I have you covered in this episode of SLP Coffee Talk! I’m diving into my favorite strategy for helping students develop a deeper understanding during speech sessions using note-taking! I’m going deep into different ways you can teach note-taking along with why it work...

Wondering how to keep your older speech students motivated?  At my latest speech retreat, we heard from a panel of SLP Elevate members who shared how they use the resources they got from the membership in their therapy sessions. They shared how it has simplified their planning with older students and made their lives so much easier. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I’m sharing what they had to...

Are you feeling overwhelmed and overworked?  In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Jamie Sears from Not So Wimpy Teacher to talk about real strategies for working less. Jamie isn’t an SLP, but she has some tips that we SLPs could definitely benefit from!  Jamie has the honor of serving hundreds of thousands of teachers around the world by providing easy-to-use, hands-on resources, an...