Hooray, it’s almost summer! You’re a hard-working SLP, and you’ve given your all for the past 9+ months of this school year.
It’s easy to want to leave it all behind you and run towards summer break, but following these 5 tips will ensure you actually make the most of your summer off as an SLP. You owe it to yourself!
- Finish well
- Get ahead
- Reflect
- Disconnect
- Have fun!
Make the Most of Your Summer
Finish Well
Actually finish the year!
Finish filing. Throw away those papers you aren’t sure what to do with that you’ve looked at all year (or find a place for them). Put away spring-themed materials.
If you like to send home summer packets with your speech students, grab this already-made-for-you resource.
Get Ahead
Get ahead for the new school year!
Pull out or make your back-to-school resources easily accessible so you have less to do when it’s time to come back.
Your future self will thank you for doing this step (even more so if you go ahead and make copies too!)
Reflect
Take time to reflect on the year.
What was the most difficult part? Where did you not feel as confident or prepared? What materials would have made sessions easier for you or more fun for students?
These questions can help you create a shopping list when back-to-school rolls around and let you take advantage of sales.
Reflection can also help you choose what continuing education courses you might want to accomplish next.
Check out these courses:
Disconnect
Turn off your work email!
It will only take a few minutes, but these minutes will be so worth it.
Nothing’s worse than your phone buzzing or having a million notifications all summer long with things that can truly wait…
Don’t know how to do this? A quick Google search or call to your school’s tech person will do the job!
Give yourself permission to invest in your mental health and truly disconnect from all things “school” during summer break this year.
Have Fun!
Immerse yourself in relationships and activities that fill you.
This will be different for everyone, and sometimes it’s even different for each person depending on what season of life you’re experiencing.
Consider what you’re really craving deep in your soul…
Relationships
Take time to invest in relationships dear to your heart.
Are you longing for time with friends or family who you haven’t seen in too long? Give them a call or book a trip to see them.
Maybe you need to devote time to your relationship with yourself. A solo camping trip or night or two in a hotel might do the trick!
Activities
Try something new this summer!
If you’re craving adventure, do something wild– go skydiving or sign up for a tour of exocitc foods in a new city.
If you already know what you love, give yourself permission to spend time doing those things.
- Read a good book (or series!)
- Catch some sun
- Play your favorite sport
- Travel to your favorite place
Whatever you decide to do, relish in your hard-earned time off!
Wanting More?
One of the beautiful things about being a school-based SLP is that you have the time to see summer students if you want (or need!) to.
There are a few different options for seeing kids over summer break:
- Continue with your school contract
- Sign up with a short-term placement agency
- See clients on a private basis
Continue with Your School Contract
Schools need SLPs to provide summer therapy for some students, so why not make that person you?!
You’ll likely see some familiar little faces, and there’s something so special about the different routine of “summer speech”.
Sign Up with a Short-Term Placement Agency
Explore a new city by relocating over summer break with a short-term placement agency.
Telehealth is an option as well! Such a win– you still provide much needed speech services to students but from the comfort of your own home or favorite coffee shop.
*To keep things HIPAA-compliant, invest in a subscription to a VPN and favorite headset if you choose to work from a public place.
See Clients on a Private Basis
Seeing clients privately requires you to handle more logistics like taking payments and scheduling, but it gives you a lot of flexibility too!
You’re in charge of how many clients you see and how many hours or weeks you work.
It is also most likely to offer the highest hourly rate.
Read more about seeing summer students here.
Don’t forget– you are more than enough! Invest in YOU this summer!
You may also be interested in:
Summer themed speech resources
Summer Speech Schedules that Keep You Sane
Back to School | Speech Therapy Attendance & Data Collection Forms
