Advocating Without Burning Out

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Renee Brown—school-based SLP, mom of two teenagers, and the voice behind @TheBusySpeechMom on Instagram—about a topic every SLP needs to hear: how to advocate for yourself so you don't burn out. Renee shares her unexpected journey from elementary education teacher to medical SLP to school-based clinician, and gets real about what it actually takes to push back on impossible caseloads, have hard conversations with admin, and still show up for your kids every single day. From framing service delivery in terms admin actually care about to building a session routine so smooth your kindergartners run it themselves, this episode is full of practical wisdom, refreshing honesty, and a much-needed reminder that advocating for yourself is the same thing as advocating for your students.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• How Renee's background in elementary education and medical SLP shaped the way she approaches school-based practice 
• Why the interview is your first—and most important—opportunity to advocate for yourself 
• How to talk to admin about caseload size in a way that actually lands 
• The real connection between early intensive intervention and long-term district savings 
• Setting boundaries around contracted hours without guilt 
• Simple group session strategies that keep kids engaged and sessions running like clockwork

Here’s what we learned: 

• There's a shortage—they need us more than we need them. Walk into every interview owning that.
• Admin isn't the enemy. They don't know what they don't know, and it's on us to fill in the gaps. 
• Lead with dollars. Early intensive intervention now means fewer students needing services in middle and high school.
• Don't bring a problem without a solution. Admin loves when you've already done the thinking for them. 
• When contract time is up, your time is up.
• Revising an IEP isn't a big deal—it's just good clinical practice. 
• A consistent session format means your students eventually run the whole thing themselves.

Learn more about Renee Brown: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebusyspeechmom/ 

Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-busy-speech-mom 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

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📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

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