Why Lesson Plans?
1)
Lesson plans can be an outlet of how we
communicate our services to others. By others I mean, the special education
director, paraprofessionals, teachers, or parents. This is important for not
only our jobs, but helps us stay on the same page as the rest of the team.
2)
It keeps us organized and on track as we set
goals for services. We can set what our objective will be for each session. I
love doing this because it makes each session meaningful.
3)
It validates that we are providing quality
services with our treatment delivery model that matches our style as a
clinician. Yes, we each have our own style!
4)
They promote problem solving when dealing with a
challenging case. By simply writing it out, it can allow you to really look at
what is working or not working and reevaluate.
5)
Creates a ‘road map’ so to speak of ‘if this à then this’. When
creating a visual ‘road map’ it allows us to follow a system that is consistent
with the rest of the team. For example, IF a student avoids a task, THEN prompt
for one successful trial and take a break.
6)
It allows us to take a PROACTIVE approach rather
than REACTIVE approach. Obviously, we want to be as proactive as possible but
we will inevitably have to react in some situations. Lesson maps can actually
allow for more flexibility in this case.
7)
Allows us to be more intentional. This can be a
struggle when we’re seeing kids back to back for 5 hours a day. If you’ve taken
the time to think through a session, you will automatically become more
intentional.
8)
Lastly, if you ever supervise a CF, grad
student, or SLPA, it allows them to see how you structure your sessions. It
creates teachable moments of how and why you do certain techniques in your
therapy room.
There are so many different lesson
plan templates and research that backs their efficacy. However, I believe a
good general plan of your sessions can be sufficient for the majority of your
caseload. When I take the time to plan my sessions at the beginning of the week
I included a few basic ideas…
1)
Intro
– This includes what activity we’ll be doing and the goals that each student is
working on specifically.
2)
Instruction
– This is when I TEACH the skill we will be learning or probing for.
3)
Production/Practice
– This is when I take data on how the student does on their objective.
4)
Closure
– Provide the students feedback and ideas on how they can work on this goal in
class or at home. Sometimes I give them a “challenge activity” depending on the
students level.
A few tips to keep in mind…
A few tips to keep in mind…
*Too detailed of a lesson plan
runs the risk of making therapy too rigid.
*Make sure you hold the goals,
skills, and needs of the student in higher regard than the materials.
*Lesson plans drive documentation.
-Lacee
Marisha from SLP Now Membership has some great tips and tricks as well!
-Marisha
-Lacee
Marisha from SLP Now Membership has some great tips and tricks as well!
When I started planning for therapy, my sessions were more
productive. But I know what you're thinking!
• "I don't have time for that!" There are ways to do
this without having to invest hours and hours of your time every week.
• "Won't planning make me less flexible in therapy?" I
don't stick to my plans 100%. But--by having a plan--I'm better able to problem
solve in the moment. Having a plan allows me to be more flexible and to better
adapt to students' needs.
Lacee shared some great planning ideas in this blog post! Even
if we have a great system, we might still struggle to come up with fun,
engaging activity ideas week after week. We also need time to find and prep
those activities. That's why I created the SLP Now Membership. It includes a
database of therapy activities for easy planning. From the themed
activities (e.g., book guides, crafts, and open-ended activities) to the skill
packs (to help you teach and scaffold new skills), the majority of planning is
taken care of. You just have to pick which resources you want to use on any
given week. Better yet, the membership includes an awesome community of SLPs
who are there to offer encouragement and help you problem solve on "those
days." I also share tutorials on how to work smarter (not harder!) and
make the most of the membership resources.
I enjoyed reading thhis
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