Units

I am trying to be more purposeful in planning my SLP sessions. I can often try to look for the perfect activity to do with a group, change my mind repeatedly on what I want to cover, or grab something at the last-minute.   None of these activities are an especially good use of my time.I’ve tried a variety of ways to organize activities I like.   The trick is sometimes to remember to look at and use them.

Previously my organization has focused on IEP goals (the skills I want students to learn with me).    Now I would like to try organizing it by unit.  That way if I have a group of students working with goals they are all doing a similar activity. I’m hoping to have a comparing, category, story telling, r, s, chart/graph, and listening comprehension activity for each unit. I think it will also help make my sessions more like school rather than having them work on an isolated skill without connecting it to anything else.  It may also help me from either grazing over vocabulary and skills without giving the students enough time to learn the material or stay too long on one topic or word list waiting until the list is “mastered”.   Another purpose is to avoid the habit of using the same game or book repeatedly throughout the year. While repeating materials or topics have some merits, it should be purposeful.

I have a ton of ideas for themes:  weather, geography, sports, famous people, space, human body, time/calendar, seasons, physics, etc.  Right now I’m focusing on food, animals, and sports.  That way I am not spread too thin and have a chance of getting a usable unit.  So far I’ve sorted through some of my picture books into these groups.  So far the animal unit is in the lead.  I’m hoping that it will also help me to become more purposeful with buying materials.  That way I don’t buy as much stuff that  I think I will use but sit on the shelf.

Off to relax with my husband before a hopefully  productive day.