One day, I will probably write a for real post about this. But for now I will just share this: I just realized I haven't heard the term "evidence-based practice" used in conversation in months. Which is kind wonderful/sets off a panic all at the same time.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Are monsters too scary?
Since the day I heard the words, "You're hired!" I have been excited to plan my classroom design and layout. I am certainly lucky since I have my own classroom that is actually pretty large (for an SLP anyways, we all know the horror stories of SLPs treating in maintenance closets). I have known all along that I wanted my classroom to truly feel like a classroom and not a treatment room. My desire is for each of my students to come into my room and feel like they belong although they may only come in once or twice a week. I want it to be comfortable and cozy. I want the transition from their classroom to the speech room and back to be very smooth every day. This is of course idealistic, and since we SLPs spend absolutely no time reflecting on classroom design during our training I have no idea of how to do this (I realized that there are actual theories and stuff about classroom design last night while conversing with some teacher friends, like, there is actually a lot to think about!). However, I am so excited to get started! I can't wait to see how my classroom evolves.
One thing I have been able to plan is my decor. It didn't take long for me to settle on the theme of monsters (see Furry Friends at http://www.trendenterprises.com). Mostly I am just using lots of bright primary colors, but I did order a calendar, some stickers and post-its to incorporate the monster theme. My mom has also been researching some ways to bring in some cute monster stuff. I had this all decided and planned in my head and then WHAM a few days later I thought, "If I call these things monsters, are my kids going to be totally freaked out?" So, I've tried to transition to calling them Furry Friends, but it's honestly just not as much fun. I think I'm going to stick to calling them monsters, and if a kid freaks out and starts screaming and crying one day I'll just deal with it then.
Something that has been hard to do is to try to not buy too much stuff for my classroom. I'm trying to wait and see what I really need. Every once in awhile I break down and buy something (like this way cute lamp from Bed Bath and Beyond that I got today http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17182684 ). When I get in the zone it is so hard to remember that I haven't gotten a paycheck since December and that I am also planning a wedding. Some things I'm still hoping to get for my classroom is a nice rug, some comfortable chairs/beanbags, and another lamp or two (I had hoped to use natural light and lamps to light my room, but alas I have no window). I also have a SuperDuper gift certificate that is absolutely burning a hole in my pocket! I'm hoping to get started putting my classroom together next week and can't wait to see what it looks like!
One thing I have been able to plan is my decor. It didn't take long for me to settle on the theme of monsters (see Furry Friends at http://www.trendenterprises.com). Mostly I am just using lots of bright primary colors, but I did order a calendar, some stickers and post-its to incorporate the monster theme. My mom has also been researching some ways to bring in some cute monster stuff. I had this all decided and planned in my head and then WHAM a few days later I thought, "If I call these things monsters, are my kids going to be totally freaked out?" So, I've tried to transition to calling them Furry Friends, but it's honestly just not as much fun. I think I'm going to stick to calling them monsters, and if a kid freaks out and starts screaming and crying one day I'll just deal with it then.
Something that has been hard to do is to try to not buy too much stuff for my classroom. I'm trying to wait and see what I really need. Every once in awhile I break down and buy something (like this way cute lamp from Bed Bath and Beyond that I got today http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=17182684 ). When I get in the zone it is so hard to remember that I haven't gotten a paycheck since December and that I am also planning a wedding. Some things I'm still hoping to get for my classroom is a nice rug, some comfortable chairs/beanbags, and another lamp or two (I had hoped to use natural light and lamps to light my room, but alas I have no window). I also have a SuperDuper gift certificate that is absolutely burning a hole in my pocket! I'm hoping to get started putting my classroom together next week and can't wait to see what it looks like!
Paperwork Junkie
I have a love/hate relationship with all things that paperwork. Nothing will set an SLP graduate student to shaking in their boots than the vision of their working folder suddenly reappearing in their swing-file covered in red pen marks (or purple glittery pen marks if you have a really nice supervisor). Revising SOAP notes and treatment plans dozens of times a week is simply seen as a rite-of-passage for the SLP graduate student.
By the end of our time in graduate school, the damage has been done. Keeping up with clock hours, SOAP notes, treatment plans, treatment reports, etc. has turned us all into slightly obsessed paperwork junkies. Over the past couple of days, I have realized the ridiculousness of this due to a couple of instances:
Situation #1: I am currently waiting on my teacher certification to go through. Now, I spent hours filling out this paperwork (checking and re-checking spelling and addresses, etc.) and promptly filed this with my University. Instead of just sitting back and letting them take it from there, I have been frequently emailing my employer asking if they have received my certification yet. People are very nice at first, but after a while, they do stop responding to your emails.
Situation #2: I fully intended on today being a lazy day, instead, shortly after waking up, I began to freak out about the location of my signed Program of Study paperwork. Now, this is a very important piece of paperwork that I will need to send to ASHA when I am applying for my CCCs next year, but my response was completely ridiculous. My adrenaline was pumping, I dropped everything I was doing, searched for the little piece of paper for 30 minutes before I finally ended up finding it in the first place I looked for it to begin with!
Situation #3: After the above scenario, I then proceeded to take another hour to go through all of my clock hour and CACFAR paperwork. Now, if you are completing grad school, again you know how important it is to have original copies of all of your clock hours etc. However, during graduate school I took this to the extreme. Not only do I have my original copies, I have multiple copies of the originals. I had to let go of the copies, and it actually wasn't that hard. I now have a very organized clock hour folder (locked away in my fire-proof and water-proof safe, for real I am not kidding) and have thrown away enough copies of the originals to probably save a tree.
The saddest thing is that all of this happened in the last 24 hours. For real. I told you I was damaged.
By the end of our time in graduate school, the damage has been done. Keeping up with clock hours, SOAP notes, treatment plans, treatment reports, etc. has turned us all into slightly obsessed paperwork junkies. Over the past couple of days, I have realized the ridiculousness of this due to a couple of instances:
Situation #1: I am currently waiting on my teacher certification to go through. Now, I spent hours filling out this paperwork (checking and re-checking spelling and addresses, etc.) and promptly filed this with my University. Instead of just sitting back and letting them take it from there, I have been frequently emailing my employer asking if they have received my certification yet. People are very nice at first, but after a while, they do stop responding to your emails.
Situation #2: I fully intended on today being a lazy day, instead, shortly after waking up, I began to freak out about the location of my signed Program of Study paperwork. Now, this is a very important piece of paperwork that I will need to send to ASHA when I am applying for my CCCs next year, but my response was completely ridiculous. My adrenaline was pumping, I dropped everything I was doing, searched for the little piece of paper for 30 minutes before I finally ended up finding it in the first place I looked for it to begin with!
Situation #3: After the above scenario, I then proceeded to take another hour to go through all of my clock hour and CACFAR paperwork. Now, if you are completing grad school, again you know how important it is to have original copies of all of your clock hours etc. However, during graduate school I took this to the extreme. Not only do I have my original copies, I have multiple copies of the originals. I had to let go of the copies, and it actually wasn't that hard. I now have a very organized clock hour folder (locked away in my fire-proof and water-proof safe, for real I am not kidding) and have thrown away enough copies of the originals to probably save a tree.
The saddest thing is that all of this happened in the last 24 hours. For real. I told you I was damaged.
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