1. Talk with the teacher. If you have a clear plan on what you want and what the teacher wants out of inclusion, it will work out well. Know in advance what will be going on in class when you are in there. Have the teacher share her lesson plans with you (I get them emailed to me weekly) or even better, plan together.
2. Be flexible. Days can be unpredictable, we all know that. Be flexible and understanding when the teacher has a special activity or is running late in his or her daily schedule.
3. Make sure the teacher is aware of the students’ IEP goals. This way he or she can find the best time available for you to work with the students you share. For example, if you are working on comprehension goals, literacy centers or the reading block may be a great time for you to come in.
4. Make sure the teacher is aware of your job description. This may sound silly, but if he or she doesn’t truly know what your job entails, you may end up being the “tutor” in the classroom. Make sure the teacher is aware of your purpose in their classroom.
5. Be creative! I have found that teachers love when I add something to a lesson or send something to them that I have used before that relates to their lesson. As SLP’s we tend to look at everything through a “language lens” We often see a way to present information and look at things differently.
Kristin Cummings is a school based and private speech language pathologist from St. Petersburg, FL. She is also the author of the [simply speech.] blog. You can contact Kristin by:
Email: kcummingsslp@yahoo.com
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