It’s finally here….the LAST part of this blog series! I really hope you have found some useful tips and tricks for planning, collaborating, executing lessons, and more. If you missed Parts 1, 2, or 3 be sure to head over and check them out! Now….Let’s get right to it…
PART 4: FOLLOW-UP, CARRYOVER, AND REFLECTION
After a super successful (or not so successful) lesson, it’s a great idea to do some follow-up with not only your students but the teachers in the room as well. For your students, it can be something as simple as having them raise their hands if they enjoyed the activity. You could also quickly make a “chart” on the board or on paper with yes and no columns to list the students who enjoyed or did not enjoy the activity. A quick “follow-up” with the teacher and paraprofessionals after the lesson can be very valuable. Often times I will miss something during the lesson because let’s be honest, it’s difficult to conduct the lesson while using visuals, keep behaviors in line, ask/answer questions, etc. So, I like to get instant feedback from the “observers”. What worked and what didn’t work? What can I do differently next time to make things go more smoothly? Simple but very informative!
Let’s talk CARRYOVER. The nice thing about doing in-class lessons is that the teacher is right there and can easily take something away from the lesson to use later with the students. That could be something as simple as a review of the steps you completed for the activity to work on sequencing. If there is something specific you would like the teacher to work on as carryover from the lesson, you could create or find a simple worksheet/activity. This way, you know exactly what the “carryover” is and what is being targeted. Carryover at home is a little different. We all know there are parents who don’t have the time to “work” with their child or parents who aren’t 100% sure what to do/work on. Here is a good tip: Take 1 goal from your in-class activity and turn THAT into your very simple, straightforward carryover. Let’s be honest, children AND adults can get very overwhelmed when looking at an assignment that has 20 different things on it. Personally, I know I get stressed out and don’t even know where to begin when this happens. So…KEEP IT SIMPLE. For example, if you were able to choose only one assignment, which one would it be?….The one with 20 questions or the one with 10 questions? I’m guessing the majority would say the one with 10 questions (I know that’s the one I’m picking!).
If you have ever checked out any of my Grab N’ Go Packs on TpT, you may have noticed that I include B & W pages that can easily be copied and sent home throughout the year. You can check out all of those packs by clicking HERE!
Here are some ideas for simple carryover:
1. Choose 10 vocabulary words/pictures from your lesson that you can send home. This can be used for labeling, describing, defining, etc.
2. Type up 5 WH Questions related to your activity (Who, What, Where, When, & Why).
3. Send home a quick note to parents asking them to have their son/daughter explain what the activity was and how it was completed in his/her own words. This can also be “written” carryover if needed.
4. Send home a worksheet asking students to list 3-5 items under each provided category. Again, this can be done verbally or written.
5. For articulation carryover, students can practice saying sounds, words, or sentences related to the in-class activity that was completed.
Check out these super easy “carryover” ideas from some awesome SLPs on TpT!
This is a super awesome, low prep way to send home activities from the Peachie Speechie!
These Learning through Play handouts from Jenna over at Speech Room News are perfect to send home with younger students. She has a pack for every season as well!
Aside from the actual “assignment/homework” carryover, I like to send home communication forms basically stating what our activity was for the day, goals we targeted, etc. It definitely doesn’t need to be long at all, just a few simple sentences to keep parents informed. This is also a good place to add in one of those carryover activities mentioned above. Below you will see the communication form I use for my cooking/craft in-class lessons. To make life easier, I fill out all areas on the form that are going to be the same for each student such as…what the activity was (“today we made”, vocabulary, and goals/objectives. Then, make copies of the completed form (enough for each of your students). Now you will just need to fill out those sections that are specific to each student such as any important message/comments and how they “felt” or acted during the lesson.
We have finally reached…Reflection…
You may not even realize it but I would guess you “reflect” on each and every session already! As SLPs we are always thinking about what we could include next time or maybe I should target this goal in my next in-class lesson. It’s just in our blood to always strive to do our best! My tip for “reflection” is to WRITE IT DOWN! Grab a small notebook, download a “note” app or do whatever works best for you. It may not seem important at the moment or even in a few weeks from now but I can bet there will be an in-class activity down the road where you come across the same dilemma, situation, etc. This little “reflection” notepad is your way of tracking all of the things that work for you and that don’t work for you. If all else fails and you never look back in this notebook, just think, you may have a very entertaining story at you fingertips!
THANK YOU all so much for your constant support and feedback. I love sharing ideas and tips with all of you. Even more, I love hearing your ideas and what works and doesn’t work for you. Collaborating and sharing experiences are two of the MANY reasons I love being part of this SLP community.
-KRISTINE
