When introducing the learning target, I make sure to link what the students are learning about with real-world scenarios as well as what they're learning in class, so that they understand how speech and language services fit into several aspects of their lives.

I use several strategies such as kinesthetic learning, direct/indirect modeling, prompting, recasting and expanding, visuals and verbal lead-in cues to effectively support student performance. Depending on the child's need, I make sure to use different strategies (e.g., a child who is learning to use an AAC device would benefit from direct modeling).

I address students' conceptions and misconceptions through my ability to scaffold and adapt my teaching approach (e.g., if a task is too simple, I make sure to increase its rigor). In addition, I make sure to clearly explain the learning target and areas that I believe may be challenging to minimize misconceptions.

I understand the scope and sequence of speech and language development and plan lessons based on student needs as well as educate parents and students on the speech and language hierarchy.

I use standardized assessments (e.g., CELF-5, GFTA-3), teacher and parent input, and informal observations to plan my instruction. In addition, I utilize student interest to make lessons more engaging (e.g., using YouTube clips of shows that they enjoy to teach a specific skill).

My lessons cater to learning gaps and academic areas of need; therefore, learning can be challenging. However, I provide my students with the necessary strategies and tools to guide them toward success.

The grouping of my students is based on grade level, academic need, and background. My instruction specifically caters to IEP goals and is individualized to meet specific areas of need.

Before each session, I make sure to display the learning target as an "I can" statement so that students are aware of the learning target and what is expected of them in the lesson. Learning targets are always based on academic and language/speech needs.

The students' IEP goals are SMART goals meaning that they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. All IEP goals are differentiated to meet the needs of students (i.e., goals are based on their specific academic needs) and the level of support is individualized (i.e., some students require modeling versus some require minimal cues or guidance).

To enhance my instruction, I utilize the knowledge of my colleagues such as the resource teachers, classroom teachers, social worker, librarian and the library technology assistant

I stay connected with my university professors/mentors and speech-language pathologists, with whom I can collaborate to enhance my instruction.

I stay updated on the most current research and best practices by following several social media accounts pertaining to my field. In addition, I am a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association, and Illinois Speech and Hearing Association, and follow accounts such as the Informed SLP, which provide me with articles that help me up to date with best practice.

I familiarize myself with several educational apps such as Padlet and Seesaw.

I share resources with students, teachers, and parents to support carryover and further learning and success. For instance, several students have a "Speech Folder" and can bring home what they have worked on in speech and are given activities to complete at home.

All student activities are aligned to instructional outcomes and cater to specific IEP goals and areas of need. Student activities are engaging, appropriately challenging, and coherently sequenced based on student needs and what specific students are ready for. All lessons aim to work towards students becoming more independent in their ability to reach instructional outcomes, therefore promoting higher-level thinking.

All student activities are differentiated to meet the needs of each student as well as cater to student interests. For example, in regards to speech, instruction is differentiated based on the level that they are at (e.g., students at the isolation level are practicing a specific sound, while students at the sentence level are practicing that same sound in a sentence).

My activities permit student choice since I provide students with the ability to choose what they'd like to practice or read about (e.g., if a group is working on the /s/ sound at the reading level, I have students choose which /s/ passage that they'd like to read).

Throughout all of my lessons, student learning outcomes are being assessed through informal observation (i.e., I have an observation sheet where I write anecdotal data that will inform my instruction). Furthermore, I use several standardized assessments to gain an understanding of individual student needs. I connect my lessons to assessment results and use formative assessments, such as exit tickets, to inform my instruction and make adjustments if needed.

Students consistently receive in-the-moment feedback as well as feedback from formative assessments for them to be aware of their performance.

Assessments are individualized to meet student needs (e.g., some students are provided with a word bank or multiple choice, while some students aren't).

When entering the classroom, students are given the option to greet me or their partner with a wave, fist bump, handshake, high five, or hug, which fosters rapport and a warm environment. Students are provided with classroom expectations that emphasize appropriate behavior, one of them is "Be Kind", which creates a culture of kindness among students. A "Positive Self-Talk" poster is provided for the students to reflect upon when they might be struggling to achieve a skill, therefore catering to having a growth mindset. In addition, all students know each other's names and collaborate in a kind, respectful, and positive manner.

Before each lesson, I make sure to check in with students and ask them if there is anything that they'd like to share so that I can get to know their whole selves and develop rapport. In addition, when picking up my students and walking to the speech room, I make it a priority to discuss all aspects of their lives, learn about their interests, and emphasize that I truly care about them.

My students are engaged and happy in my setting and are willing to learn. They openly share their feelings and thoughts with me. I consistently utilize positive reinforcement and encouragement, which builds student confidence and makes them engaged in their learning.

This year, I incorporated an "Articulation Ladder" where my students decorated a post-it note and placed it on the ladder based on the articulation level that they are at. Through this, students can set articulation goals for themselves, know where they are at, and see themselves in the classroom environment. I mentioned to my students that as they go down the ladder (i.e., reach the conversation level), they get closer to "graduating" from speech therapy.

For several groups, one of my classroom procedures is for students to greet me or their peer upon entering the classroom; students participate in this procedure by choosing their greeting (i.e., wave, high-five, fist bump, hug). In addition, I provide my students with cushions to sit on; upon entering, students are familiarized with the procedure of taking a cushion and getting ready to learn.

I maximize my instructional time and consistently review learning targets, which my students are aware of. They are familiar with the classroom routine and are productive during the limited time that we have together.

When cleaning up their workspaces, I utilize a countdown for students to smoothly and efficiently clean up their classroom space. My students assist each other in procedures such as cleaning up and getting one another ready for learning.

My schedule is organized so that I meet all of my student's IEP minutes, attend IEP and SST meetings, assess students, and answer e-mails.

My students consistently demonstrate appropriate behavior in speech and are respectful and kind. At the beginning of the school year, I clearly explained behavioral expectations and exposed my students to a "Voice Meter", which familiarized them with the appropriate voice volume for each setting. For students who need a bit more support with behavior, they are provided with a sticker chart.

Overall, my students feel respected in my setting and are provided with opportunities to use self-regulation strategies if needed (e.g., deep breaths, and movement breaks) to optimize student learning.

When I note misbehavior, I subtly point to one of the "Speech Rules" so that students can independently change their behavior and stay on task. Furthermore, when anticipating misbehavior, I make sure to collaborate with relevant team members to learn about strategies that best suit their needs and can assist with managing behaviors (e.g., learning that a student benefits from stickers, and therefore incorporating it as a reinforcer).

My classroom is well organized and contains essential furniture and materials that are required for student learning and completion of activities. I utilize containers and bins to neatly organize materials and swiftly give them to students when necessary. I have a bin of cushions, one of them being a therapeutic cushion, which caters towards students with sensory needs and those who require more movement. If necessary, students can take initiative in using a therapeutic cushion to better support their learning,

I use a variety of resources such as crayons, dot markers, books from the library and manipulatives such as play-do to support student learning. I effectively use technology when presenting videos and PowerPoint presentations on my laptop and utilize a bluetooth mouse to present material with ease. Furthermore, I utilize my iPad for instruction by incorporating certain apps (e.g., Articulation Station) and interactive activities (e.g., Boom Cards).

I display student work in my classroom through the use of anchor charts that I've jointly created with my students and that relate to learning activities.

My space is always clean and students are respectful of my classroom environment (e.g., they return cushions once the session is over, wipe the whiteboard, clean the table with Lysol wipes).

When starting my sessions, I write the learning target on the board and introduce the instructional outcome. Similarly, when ending my session, I have students repeat what we learned about in order to ensure that they understood what was being taught.

When necessary, I write directions and procedures on the board as a reference so that students are aware of what is expected of them. As I introduce concepts, I make sure to teach specific vocabulary terms that I suppose might be challenging, in order to minimize misunderstanding. Similarly, I expose them to new vocabulary terms in order to broaden their language and familiarize themselves with terms that are used in the classroom (e.g., inferencing, background knowledge).

I have students explain vocabulary terms in their own words as well as restate what was taught in order to ensure understanding.

I give analogies and explain how what they're learning about is applicable to everyday scenarios and how it is important in the real-word (e.g., inferencing is an important skill that can help you understand how someone is feeling).

I utilize a variety of questions to challenge my students cognitively, linguistically and verbally to foster growth and learning. Specifically, I use the Expanding Expression Tool, which provides students with questions in order to expand their language and describe items (e.g., "What category is the item in?" "How would you describe its features?"). The Expanding Expression Tool (EET) has also been used to foster discussion among students (e.g., when playing Headbands, the students use the EET to ask their partner questions about the object that they have in order to guess the item).

I have a "Higher Order Thinking Stem" sheet that I incorporate to assist myself and students with providing more open-ended and deep questions. I build on and use student responses to deepen understanding and scaffold instruction. When asking questions, I make sure to ask questions that guide students toward the correct response rather than immediately providing the answer.

My students are comfortable asking questions when needed, initiating topics, and contributing to discussions. I try my best to make sure that all student voices are heard and that students take turns when speaking.

My activities and assignments appropriately cater to students IEP goals and areas of need. My instructional materials and resources frequently incorporate student interest (e.g., reading stories about their favorite athlete), which leads to active engagement and learning. I incorporate materials that cater towards my students learning needs (e.g., PowerPoints for visual learners, videos for auditory learners).

My treatment tasks target learning gaps and require complex thinking by students. When necessary, I provide suitable scaffolding to address all needs (e.g., more challenging texts for those that need more rigor). When introducing a learning target, I ask students if they can explain why the learning target is important and how its applicable to their lives, which engages them in inquiry.

At the end of sessions, I have students reflect upon the learning target and explain to me what they've learned. In addition, I try to provide opportunities for self-assessment so that they can reflect upon next steps in their learning and if they've grasped the instructional outcome.

When formulating IEP goals and instruction, formative assessments such as the CELF-5 or the GFTA-3 are used.

Students are aware of their learning targets and understand the value of self-assessment. In particular, when working on speech sounds, I have students use an articulation rating scale so that they can rate themselves. If they're at 100% for example, I'd ask "What did you do to create that sound?" and if they're at 50%, I'd ask "What can you do in order to work towards 100%?" This allows students to self-reflect upon what they are doing to produce a certain sound, and helps me know if they understand what is expected.

Students monitor their own understanding through rubrics such as the "Articulation Rating Scale" or through self-assessment.

I am always willing to be flexible and adjust my lessons based on student interest, engagement, and immediate academic need. For instance, if I notice that a student is not engaged, then I'd tap into a different resource to facilitate engagement (e.g., using a video instead of a story). In addition, I make sure to adjust my teaching based on a student's mood. If I see that they are in a bad mood and not ready to learn, I will pause my instruction and try my best to assist my student and talk about what might be bothering them. At times, I work with students who need assistance with being regulated, therefore I occasionally adapt my instruction where I have them partake in sensory activities (e.g., playing with play-do) or discuss a topic that they're passionate about.

I modify tasks and activities in my adopted curriculum to make tasks more engaging by incorporating technology and materials that cater to student interest (e.g., I taught past-tense verbs that correlated to HMH using a PowerPoint presentation and comical images).

When needed, I have collaborated with resource teachers, special education teachers, and classroom teachers for assistance in reaching some students. For example, when forming IEP goals, I spoke with resource teachers in order to gain a better understanding of our student's areas of need, in order to target learning gaps. In addition, I've spoken with Anne Deahler in order to learn about specific student interests that I can incorporate in my classroom to foster engagement as well as academic needs that I can target in my classroom.

I am a reflective educator and consistently reflect upon my lessons to inform instruction and generate the next steps. I use my anecdotal data to reflect upon student learning and determine if my lesson was successful. After each session, I assess the effectiveness of my lesson and calculate student success based on informal observations that I recorded in my notes.

I involve students in the reflection of their learning by discussing formative assessments with them, such as exit tickets, when appropriate. At the end of my lesson, I ensure understanding by having students tell me what they've learned about and reflect upon their understanding (e.g., "Was today's lesson easy or hard?" "Do you understand what we're learning about?" "How would you rate your learning on scale of 1-10, 10 being that you understand all of it?").

I consistently take date during sessions to keep track of student progress and determine if they're reaching their IEP goals.

I complete the necessary IEP paperwork on time and within the required time-frames. I make sure to send parents IEP paperwork at the appropriate time so that they're informed participants in IEP meetings and in their child's learning.

When appropriate, my students keep track of their own progress through the use of check-lists (e.g., a Speech Checklist).

I frequently communicate with my families through Seesaw and e-mail. Specifically, I provide families with videos and picture updates of what we have been doing in speech. For articulation, I record videos of myself and students producing certain sounds, so that parents can replicate my teaching and practice sounds at home in the same manner.

Several students have "Speech Folders" that travel between speech and home. Children are given activities to work on at home in order to promote carry-over. In addition, parents are given "Speech logs" that are similar to reading logs in order to keep students accountable for their speech homework.

On occasion, I provide parents with speech updates via email and provide follow-up activities to do at home when appropriate.

I frequently share materials and ideas with team members to best assist our students (e.g., Off Topic/On Topic Visual, Speech Checklist Bookmark). On occasion, team members come to me for advice and they feel comfortable approaching me. I consistently approach team members for advice on students and their learning. I often share resources with Ilce and collaborate frequently during our weekly mentor check-in meetings.

At SST meetings, I frequently participate and bring up students to problem-solve and generate suggestions. At IEP meetings, I take the initiative to lead, take notes or document when necessary.

I assisted with the school play and attended all play rehearsals to engage in the school community and get to know students that I don't work with.

I began to attend social committee meetings and partook in this year's cookie exchange.

I am a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) as well as the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ISHA); through these associations, I am provided with articles and resources that assist me in staying up-to-date. In the future, I plan on attending an ASHA or ISHA conference. I collaborate (ask and answer questions) with various speech and language pathologists on professional Facebook groups, such as School-Based SLPs, Speech Language Pathologists New Grads, SLPs Go Digital, and a few more.

I partook in Goalbook Training and Having Dreams Structured Teacher Training to enhance my practice.

I arrive to work on time.

I work collaboratively with all school professionals and am sought out for advice in terms of speech and language development.

I make sure to address the concerns of my colleagues in a timely, respectful and positive manner.

I speak to students, parents, and colleagues positively and respectfully.

I dress professionally.

I respond to e-mails in a timely manner and keep student information confidential.

I am proactive in serving the needs of students by assessing students promptly when concerns are addressed by team members (e.g., I conducted speech screenings, contacted parents, and scheduled speech sessions in a timely fashion).

I constantly monitor student understanding through informal observations and take data during each session in order to inform instruction.

I take into consideration feedback from the student as well as other team members as a form of ongoing assessment to support learning.

This year, I have been working on incorporating more assessments that correlate with the HMH curriculum. This is an exit ticket that was inspired by an HMH assessment measure.

At the beginning of the school year, I had my students reflect upon what they've been learning about in speech and what their goals are for the upcoming school year.

In speech, my students and I have conversations about how tasks might be challenging but with consistent work and practice, it becomes easier and they can succeed. I emphasize the importance of having a growth mindset, which fosters a meaningful learning ethic and assists in building confidence.

When introducing the learning target, I emphasize the importance of what they are learning about and how it's applicable and useful in the real world.

My students freely advocate for themselves when they need clarification and are comfortable voicing their concerns. As students become more confident in their learning, they begin to take leadership roles and can serve as great models to their peers by prompting an appropriate response and using positive reinforcement.

My true love of teaching and having my students succeed is conveyed through my warm and positive nature. I consistently utilize positive reinforcement and celebrate all student accomplishments (e.g., giving a high-five when a concept is understood). When students "graduate" from speech and have mastered their goals, they are given a "speech prize" as an accomplishment in reaching their goals.

I frequently utilize technology platforms (e.g., PowerPoint presentations, Kahoot, Blooket) to engage my students in learning. In addition, I try to make my activities play-based to foster engagement with the learning material (e.g., I have the students compete with each other and whoever expresses the accurate plural noun first can get a chip. Then, whoever gets the most chips wins the game).

This year, I am a part of Roslyn's Equity Cohort. I have collaborated with my colleagues and attended several meetings pertaining to equity-based practice.

I assisted with after-school play practices at the beginning of the school year

Before winter break, I assisted with the first-grade team's Holidays of the Word event. I was a guest reader and read a book about the holiday of Eid and assisted with providing materials.

Towards the end of last year, I assisted with judging the Speech Tournament

Over the summer, I took a course pertaining to lateral lisps and learned about strategies to assist children on my caseload.

After school, I work at a private speech therapy practice that intertwines literacy and language development. I collaborate and receive mentorship from experienced speech therapists who have helped me grow and gain knowledge about working with children who have learning disabilities.

Over the summer, I partook in the LETRS Training Volume 1 and broadened my knowledge on the interconnection between language and literacy, and how I, as a speech and language pathologist, can assist in enhancing my students' literacy development.

I became a member of the Reading League of Illinois and stay updated on current-day research in regards to literacy.

At the beginning of the school year, Ilce, Katie, and I sent home a "Meet the Speech Teachers" information sheet

In December, we started to implement a monthly speech newsletter

This year, Katie, Ilce, and I applied for the "Helping Hands Grant" and got approved for a core board that will be implemented in the playground area for the whole school community to access and become familiarized with

Along with assisting with play rehearsal this year, I've also joined social committee meetings and assisted with coordinating events for staff members (e.g., taco lunch, after winter break brunch)

This year, I began implementing more opportunities for students to reflect on their own understanding of their goals and learning targets, which I then discuss with my students and ask questions such as, "What was difficult about that lesson?" "What could make the concept easier?" etc. I use their self-rating as a way to modify my instruction for the future.

To practice articulation and reading fluency, I made "Speech Fluency Packets" that come from my students' grade-level HMH fluency passages. I am an admin on some of my students' Schoology accounts and can listen to their fluency, along with their articulation of target sounds that we've been targeting in speech.

After LETRS training, I was provided with letter tiles that I use in combination with articulation therapy when needed. For example, with one of my students, I work on word-chaining activities that focus on "th" (e.g., make the word "thin" change it to "than", then change it to "then"). When having students practice their speech sounds, I try to incorporate spelling practice when applicable and use multi-sensory tools (e.g., letter tiles, Play-Doh to make letters, sentence strips, letter cubes/blocks)

I incorporate visuals that come from the Character Strong curriculum, which emphasize respect and kindness and enforce behavioral expectations within my classroom. As needed, the "Emotional Elements" or "Tree of Choices" visuals are used when students want to talk through their emotions or share how they're feeling.