TEN Professionalism Tips for Your CF Experience & Beyond

I’ve had the pleasure of supervising many CF-SLPs over the years, and I eventually created a handout for them- just a handy list to keep them on track. This is basically THAT LIST for you- even though I didn’t get to be your CF supervisor 🙂

One thing I learned from being in this field is NEVER to assume. By that, I mean, never to assume someone was taught something in their undergrad or graduate school program- or taught something by their parents. No matter how brilliant of a CF-SLP you are (because I’m sure you are), everyone benefits from mentoring, support and feedback. I suppose I’ve been a bit of a mother hen CF supervisor, but that isn’t a bad thing (at least in my mind).  I’m not called “Momma Mia” for nothing!

If you (yes, you reading this) are a CF-SLP, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You’ve done the work, earned your degree, and you are ready for the professional world! I love that new SLP smell (it smells like enthusiasm and gung-ho-ness), and I’m excited to share 10 tips with you that will serve you well during your CF experience and, really, your whole career!

 

 

During professional meetings, in-services, trainings and so on, you should only use your phone or laptop if instructed to do so by the presenter. Internet browsing during in-services is unprofessional and disrespectful, and the veteran SLPs in the bunch will get annoyed and possibly even vocalize your browsing to your supervisor. Even if you think your actions are going unnoticed, that is not always the case.  I once had SLPs tell me that my new CF really liked shoes…as evidenced by her shoe shopping during my entire back-to-school meeting. The fact of the matter is, first impressions matter; your reputation is forming the moment you arrive at the job. Think about what you want your reputation to be?  While I’m talking about first impressions, I should mention this, too; you should never chew gum on the job. Big no-no! You’d be shocked how many job applicants come to interviews chewing gum. Before they sit down, the interview committee has completely written them off.  Just don’t do it.

 

 

Any email you send while logged in to your organization’s equipment or server can be accessed by authority figures in the organization. What’s more, any email sent within a public school district is basically accessible to the public. Parents can request to read interorganizational emails – specifically any email that mentions them or their child – and it will be approved. TRUE STORY. Do not send any email that would not be okay for the whole world to see. As a former sped adminstrator, I know firsthand that parents do make this request on ocassion…so be cautious and aware. 

 

 

I highly recommend that you thoughtfully plan IEP goal related lessons prior to therapy sessions. I actually require it for my CFs because it’s an invaluable habit to get into, and it simply makes for BETTER THERAPY.  How do I know? I know because somewhere between year 10 and year 15, I quit planning. I “winged it,” and my therapy suffered. I could feel it, and it didn’t feed good. I felt like a hot mess on a daily basis, and my morale plummetted. In my later years, I went back to weekly planning, and the improvement in my therapy sessions was astonishing. Not to mention, I felt good about my therapy at the end of the {frantic} day. N0 matter how good you are, you’re not ready to “wing it.”  I personally recommend planning on Friday afternoons for all SLPs regardless of experience level.  

 

 

If you are lucky enough to have an actual planning time, you should spend it planning, doing paperwork, collaborating with staff, managing your caseload, etc. I am a social butterfly, and as a CF you should be, too,  in order to build relationships, but if you can make your planning time sacred (at least on most days), avoid distractions and use it to the fullest , you’ll be you will be less stressed, happier, and more productive. I’m the first one to admit, I have spent my planning time scrolling through social media, snacking, and/or venting with my besties. THEN, almost immediately, I regreted it because it always came back to bite me in the butt (for lack of a better phrase). I got behind on paperwork, had to take work home, had to stay late, etc. because our workloads are a beast!! If you stick to planning time and make it productive,  you’ll be an SLP rockstar checking off your to-do list like a BOSS!

 

 

Make an effort to be involved in school wide improvement. Work hard to earn the respect of the staff, and then humbly offer your expertise to them regarding your mutual students’ needs. New kids on the block don’t earn respect easily; there definitely is a period of having to prove yourself. When you’re comfortable, share your knowledge (in a respectful & kind way) because staff can benefit from your knowledge…and that will ultimately benefit your students. Along those same lines, be a team player. Volunteer to help the teachers who teach your students, take a turn taking students to lunch, or pull a duty for a coworker. No matter what, always treat everyone on staff as if they were just important as the principal. Collaborative relationships is a recipe for student success! 

 

 

Computer use during school hours should be for work purposes. Personal, non-work related use should can happen during your designated lunch time. This is what you NEED TO KNOW – If you work in a school district (or for company), all websites that you visit (and times at which you accessed those sites) is easily tracked.  Shopping, browsing, checking social media, etc., should happen during your personal time. Trust me when I say, if you are suspect or not meeting deadlines or expectations, someone will check. This is your friendly heads up. Chances are you won’t have time to do any of those things anyway, and if a coworker sees that you do have time, that probably won’t result in a positive working relationship.  Shop on Amazon and check Facebook at home. 

 

 

While using your smart phone as a timer or accessing an app during therapy is very common these days, using your iPhone at work (aside from your personal lunch time or off duty times) should be limited to urgent situations, emergencies, crucial staff communication, etc. I’ve spent the last decade working closely with administrators, and their biggest complaint about school staff is “people who are always on their phone.”  You do not want to be lumped into that group. At many schools, phone use around students is forbidden, and in my opinion, you should not use your phone around students unless you are using it as part of the lesson. For instance, I use it to show videos included some of the language comprehension products I use. That’s legit. Posting on Instagram isn’t.  Believe it or not, when someone posts on IG or FB during the work day, someone screenshots it and sends it to your boss. I’m not kidding. I got screen shots sent to me weekly. 

Oh, and about parent contact…while I contacted parents on my phone, it’s something I wouldn’t choose to do again if I had a “do over.” It can result in calls, texts, and voicemails during the day, night, weekends, and even school breaks. Use Google Voice or “Remind” instead.  Consider sending out your pertinent information and contact info. to parents in a “welcome to speech therapy” letter when the school year starts! 

 

 

On school campuses, you are a part of a child’s IEP team. At a clinic, you are also likely to be on a team co-treating a client.  Part of your job is to communicate and collaborate with your students’/client’s team. For example, teachers and other team members should be informed about what you are working on with each of their students. Then they should be kept abreast of progress, and of course, informed of their students’ accommodations (if any) and how to implement them. You should communicate with teachers and make recommendations that help facilitate carryover of your students’ skills. Likewise, you should know what skills your language students are working on in class (if you are not in the classroom) so that you can facilitate carryover of classroom skills into other settings. If you are providing services in the classroom, you may want to read these three posts about push-in (also called inclusion) and co-teaching models.

 

 

Be the commucation expert your degree says you are!  Flaunt your communication skills on campus on at your clinic by always communicating courteously (both verbally and nonverbally) with your new coworkers. When it comes to parent communication, it should be polite, patient and professional. Be extra careful about email communication with parents and staff- if you think an email could be miscontrued or read in the “wrong” tone, go the extra mile to call the parent or walk across the campus to talk with your coworker face to face – especially if you’re asking a favor!  

 

 

Number 10 is the most important of all — ask questions. Never hesitate to ask your supervisor or other trusted SLP questions.  I’ve noticed that some CF-SLPS are so intent on impressing their supervisor or on looking like a superstar that they avoid asking questions. Later, I’ve found our their asking others or I discover that they’ve royally messed up an eval or IEP because they “hated to ask.”  I’ve come to realize that some people view asking questions as a sign of weakness, but I think it’s a sign of having a sincere desire to learn and of conscientiousness. Your CF experience is your time to learn. If you won’t ask questiont then, when will you?  You must keep growing in your skills and knowledge, and in order to do that, decide to ask questions as much as needed. Believe me, your supervisor would rather you ask than guess!  Others can’t know what you need help with unless you communicate it, and who better to communicate it than us?? By the way, if you are not the only SLP on a campus or at a facility, you should definitely practice teamwork with your cohort(s). Having another SLP’s  knowledge and experience right at your fingertips is a gold mine! 

 

 

I hope you have the best possible CF experience! If you’re not, ask for or find a new supervisor. I’m proud of of ASHA for recognizing that walking out of college graduation does not equipt someone to practice independently. It’s a time to hone your skills and grow! May you become the tallest sunflower in the field!

Supervisors, do you have more tips? I’d love to add them! Please add them in the comments or email me at miamcdaniel@gmail.com!

CF-SLPs, (and any veteran SLPs or SLPAs), don’t leave my site without signing up for my growing Lagniappe Library full of free speech and language resources right at the top of ^^^ this page ^^^ or just click HERE.

I hope the library saves you time and makes your #SLPlife easier!