I don't know about you, but the Fall is crammed with IEPs. I have just as many on my schedule for enrollment as dismissal. With every speech graduate, there is another eager speech student waiting in the wings. I maintain about 58 students on my caseload at a time. This equals about 80 IEPs per school year between initials, annuals, requested reviews, triennials, etc. For some reason, the first month and the last month are my busiest times. I have already had 25 meetings resulting in goals, FAPE, services and BSPs coming out of my ears.
With all this shift in my caseload, how do I celebrate these speech grads? And welcome the newbies?
For those that are exited from services, they are given an award. I have a set of these awards in my TpT store. I also have a freebie for you to get now! For free! It is perfect for that Super Boy who is graduating from speech.
The Speech Therapy Awards set includes 10 adorable awards to give again and again.
The award is presented during a little party with popcorn and juice. The rest of their speech group gets to join them. If they came alone to speech, they can invite a friend from class or just have their party with me! And, before they leave, they get to visit the treasure chest for one last time! I try to make sure it is well stocked.
When a new student is enrolled in therapy, they come to their first day of speech excited and ready to see what this place called "speech" is all about. I do my best to live up to their expectations! I begin the introduction by explaining the speech rules, describing a typical day in therapy, demonstrating speech homework and adding their name to various places around the room. I have student names on a variety of decorations, the hope is to make them feel part of my class.
Next, we usually do the planned activity for day to target their goals. We wrap things up with putting their very first sticker on the sticker chart. I explain how they will earn prizes and that if they do their homework, they get to put stickers on the chart as well. That means more prizes! Here is a picture of this year's sticker chart:
What else do you do to make your students feel welcome?
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