Being a new SLP can be challenging in the beginning as you start to establish yourself as an expert in your field. This can become frustrating because you have worked so hard over the last several years to gain the knowledge you have and are excited to share that knowledge with your colleagues. While you may not have all of the years of experience let’s say perhaps a seasoned teacher or SLP might have, you do have a great educational foundation which includes current best practices, evidence-based information, and access to the latest technology in our field.
Winning over any skeptics might seem challenging, but I have several suggestions as to how you can begin to demonstrate to the staff your areas of expertise!
- A great way to build a rapport with your fellow teaching staff is to offer to do a presentation about speech and language services in the school setting. This could be incorporated into a professional development day during the school year or even training prior to the start of the school year. ASHA has a great PowerPoint presentation prepared for you to use. This presentation also gives you the opportunity to talk about the referral process and answer any questions that teachers have.
- Share prepared handouts with teachers, other staff, and parents about developmental milestones concerning articulation and language skills. Explaining this type of information lets them know that you are aware of developmental norms and what to look for if a student is not meeting those.
- Find teaching staff who are interested in collaborating with you on language-rich or social/pragmatic skills activities. Once teachers know the depth of your knowledge, your willingness to collaborate, and how you could enhance their classroom activity they will become accustomed to seeking your input throughout the school year.
Become an essential person in your school right from the start!
