1. Organize your digital materials, so you can easily access them in a session. Create YouTube playlists for certain types of videos that you use most often. Organize your no print or PDFs that you like to use digitally on your iPad by folders in your Google drive.
2. Make copies of all those IEP forms, checklists, health and developmental forms, etc. so you have a copy handy when you need to quickly put together a packet for a family. Have extra copies of homework sheets, graphic organizers you use often, or parent handouts.
3. Make a binder for something you have to reference often like your speech referrals. When everything is in one place, it is easier to pull speech referrals or give forms to parents and teachers.
- Include parent consent forms, a log to list when you screened a student, developmental norms, and whatever else you might need.
- Make a binder or therapy resource box filled with all the materials you need for a certain skill. You have those students/groups where you have a plan in mind for therapy, but prepping items for them each week is time consuming.
4. Block out time in your week that is devoted to preparing materials that will help reduce lesson planning time all year long. If you don’t dedicate and schedule in that time, it will either never get done or you will stress doing it at home after a long day. Only prep those materials you need right now, or grab n’ go materials for future sessions. If you are limited on time, don’t prep the WHOLE resource if you only need part of it for the week.
5. Make cheat sheets for books, sensory bins or toys that you use all the time. This will help you remember what vocabulary words you want to use or words that have your students’ speech sounds. You will have wh-questions handy and won’t have to think on the spot.
6. Organize your materials by theme for the whole year. When SLPs have a place for materials, you will be able to easily access them as you change themes. Make a bin that is filled with all of your sensory materials. Each month, pull out all of your themed resources and keep by your therapy table to grab as needed.
7. Organize your Google calendar for at least the next three months. Take time to look at upcoming assessments and IEPs you have. It is important for SLPs to schedule in when you are going to test those students on your calendar. When you have your day/week scheduled out, you will know how to plan better for the week. Schedule all your IEP meetings on the calendar, so you can start preparing those documents weeks ahead of time. You can also make a month at a glance calendar to see all the meetings/IEPs you need. That way each day, you can write down the top three items you need to do for that day or week.
