Warmer months are finally here and boy oh boy, the weather sure has been hot. For most of us school-based SLPs, summer vacation is almost here! And you know what that means – sun tanning, barbecuing, and swimming in cool water. As a matter of fact, I’m currently writing this blog post while relaxing next to a pool. So let me take this moment to ask you a pool-related question that may or may not relate to pools once you really take the time to think about your response.
How do YOU get into a pool?
That’s a pretty serious question that I think you should consider. As I’m looking at this pool right now, I see 2 types of people – those who use the ladder to enter the pool and those who simply just jump on in. Which person are you? Do you play it safe and use the ladder? Ladders are pretty predictable. There is only one way to go down a ladder, putting both hands on each side and alternating one foot at a time to climb down. If that’s the way you want to enter the pool, that’s fine, but could you be missing out on something fun? Should you consider trying something else?
Jumping into the pool? Now that’s a bit more exciting. I believe that what makes it so exciting is the fact that there are just so many different jumping variations! How about a cannonball? Ninja kick? Flapping your arms like a bird? Back flip? I have seen all of these over the last 30 minutes, and to be completely honest, these unpredictable actions are nothing short of inspiring.
How do YOU do your speech therapy sessions?
Have you been using the same old and boring speech therapy materials for the past few years? Are you keeping speech therapy fresh and fun or are your students consistently falling asleep in class? Have you been thinking about doing something new, but opted not to because it would be “too much of a pain to put together, impossible to set up, really hard to create, etc?” Well, you need to stop making excuses and start doing it. Whatever it is, do it! Jump in, splash around, and let everyone know that you mean business. Because let’s be real, no one remembers the person who used the ladder, but everyone remembers the person who screamed and did the front flip into the water.
In closing . . .
You can dissect and analyze this blog post however you want. You can even argue that it has nothing to do with speech-language therapy at all. Well, I think it has everything to do with speech therapy and I think you might want to try to stop using the ladder from time to time. Let’s try our hardest to think outside-the-box and create some awesome speech therapy activities that our students will remember for years to come. Why? Because life is too short for snooze-fest speech therapy.
Ok, I’m off to go do a cannonball right now! Bye! LOL!
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