The Weekly Advisor

I have really enjoyed sharing my insights with you!

I would like to conclude this series with a couple additional tidbits of valuable information. We are all striving to make the best decisions given any situation we are faced with. During graduate school, you were paired with strong SLPs who have guided you, critiqued you, and shared with you all the knowledge they have to help you grow professionally. You have gained great experience in preparation for your first job as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

If you have spent time in a school placement with a large caseload while obtaining your clinical clock hours, you know that in addition to having a great case management system to help you stay on top of your deadlines and student minutes/services, it is important to also have a workable schedule.  As you start your CF experience, you will be factoring in teacher schedules, student availability and your own demands such as case conferences and evaluations. It will take some time and several adjustments to your therapy schedule in the first few weeks to get a final product that you feel you can work with.  You may even tweak it throughout the year.

Many school districts are wanting SLPs to utilize the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) when developing goals and objectives for students on their caseload.  You may have received information in your graduate-level courses and have had or are going to have a school-based externship. It will be important for you to find out how the SLP you are placed with addresses these issues as s/he provides services to the students on the caseload.

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.

How are you going to keep track of everything without going crazy?

I have been providing Clinical Fellowship Mentoring for more than 20 years now.  I have learned a lot along the way from each experience. I would like to take a moment to share with you some of the methods I utilize which I feel assist in making the process run smoothly.  Your Mentor may also have suggestions so I encourage you to inquire about those as well. We all benefit when we share our experiences with each other!

Documenting On-Site and Other Monitoring Activities is a large part of your CF Experience. So let’s take some time to look at this process.

Establish goal-setting and feedback parameters in the initial meeting between you and your Mentor.  I cannot emphasize enough the importance this will have as your progress through your CF experience.

Your Clinical Fellowship Experience- Setting Expectations

ASHA has several pages of information and valuable content pertaining to your Clinical Fellowship.  ASHA’s 9 Steps to Completing the Clinical Fellowship Experience is a great place to start.

I know it’s hard to imagine… You are so close you can almost taste it!! -- You are completely finished with your college experience! Amazing, isn’t it? For the last few years, you have been surrounded by a group of fellow students, professors, and supervisors who have all been actively engaged in your learning experience.  How will you quench your thirst for knowledge now that you are leaving academia and venturing out on your own?