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SLP Coffee Talk

A speech and language podcast to motivate and inspire school-based SLPs. Just the tips, strategies, and low prep therapy ideas you need to walk into your therapy room with confidence and plan with ease. Learn and hear stories from an SLP in the trenches just like you!

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SLP Coffee Talk

Diagnosing Failed Speech Sessions

March 24, 2025 • Hallie Sherman • Episode 269

So, your session was a flop. That's ok. Hallie discusses how to diagnose a failed speech session and next steps.

This week on SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie is diving into a crucial topic—why some speech sessions just don’t click and what you can do about it! If you’ve ever planned what seemed like the perfect activity, only to have your students disengaged, frustrated, or just not making progress, this episode is for you. Hallie breaks down the key reasons why lessons might fall flat and gives you strategies to turn things around. From setting the right goals to making learning fun and relevant, you’ll walk away with practical tips to transform your sessions and build student motivation. Tune in and get ready to diagnose and fix those tricky speech sessions!

Bullet Points to Discuss:

Common struggles in speech sessions
The importance of activity difficulty
Making lessons relevant to student interests and goals
Building rapport and student engagement
Teaching explicitly vs. just practicing
Breaking down annual goals into manageable steps
The role of confidence and fun in successful sessions

Here’s what we learned:

Lessons should be at the right difficulty level for student success.
Students need to understand why they are in speech therapy.
Connecting lessons to student interests increases motivation.
Teaching explicitly is more effective than just repetitive practice.
Breaking down goals into smaller steps prevents frustration.
Your enthusiasm sets the tone for student engagement.
A strong rapport builds trust and encourages effort.

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets