Clinical Skills Confidence: Dear SLP...Love, Yourself

Graphics: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lovin-Lit

Dear SLP:

I know you are feeling tired, overworked, slightly crazed, and maybe a little disheartened. You sometimes feel that you start the day with a million things to accomplish. While you may accomplish a few tasks, different things are added or shifted and everything just piles up. Like the mountains of paperwork on your desk. Or the things in that corner that "you'll get to when you have a free moment." 

You want the best for those on your caseload. You want to see them succeed and feel a sense of pride in themselves. But sometimes you feel that you aren't doing enough.

You did not plan as thoroughly as you'd hoped for the week.

You couldn't find the pin that you KNOW you pinned a few days ago for your craft of the week.

You forgot your planner at home, which leaves you feeling completely off.

You meant to print and laminate and cut all those awesome TpT activities.

You plan your sessions, only to have it not go the way you saw it going.

You show up at a classroom, only to find there was an activity that you can't pull the students out of. 

You forgot all that Medicaid billing and now it's due tomorrow.

You have to go to meeting after meeting and some days, lunch just doesn't happen. 

It's ok. 

Stop for a minute and really think. You feel this way because YOU CARE. You push yourself to put in 120% every single day, so those days that you might only be able to give 98% feel like a failure. But it's not. 

Think about the times you showed up at a classroom and your students jumped up and said "yay, speech!"

Think about the times a parent told you how much his or her child LOVES speech.

Think about the first time a student achieved placement for the sound you've been working on forever.

Think about other therapists or teachers coming to ask your advice on something.

Think about the first time a student used their AAC device to request something.

Your job is hard. But you love it. Rest assured, you are making a difference, even if you sometimes don't see it.

Love,

Yourself