A Day in the Life of a School-Based SLP: Recent Episodes

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In this last episode in this Day in the Life of a School Based series, Katie Widestrom-Landgraf and Mattie Murrey-Tegels reflect on what they gleaned from the conversations and guests.

Hear what they expected going into the series, their highlights, what resonated between fields, and why it’s important to talk about the upsides and challenges in the roles of SLPs.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. 1. What was the highlight of this school-based series for you? How can you share any highlights or new insights with others?
   2. Have you learnt any tips and tricks from our school based SLPs on how to deal with the various challenges faced in the roles that you can apply?
   3. Are there things you hear from SLP working in other fields or specialties that resonate for you in yours and have made you realize you’re not alone?
   4. Whether school-based or medical, what would you like to hear guests on future episodes talk about or explore further?
   5. What are your own personal nuggets of wisdom that you’ve learned from your own SLP experience that you can pass onto others?

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“There’s an authenticity that was through every episode. It was affirming for me to hear so many folks from all different parts of the country, and from all of these different settings, singing from the same songbook. We love this job and continue to do this job for those connections. Golden nuggets of wisdom that would show up in different episodes, that I have thought about for weeks after the episode.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

“We're striving to just shed light in our field on what SLPs can do. If you're a med based SLP and thinking of stepping into the schools, this series is for you. If you're a school based SLP and want to know more about what's out there, this series is for you.”

• Mattie Murrey Tegels

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP.

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

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Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

In this episode, Dr Jill Rentmeester-Disher, a manager in the Minnesota public school system, talks with Katie Widestrom-Landgraf about how she finds joy and balance in her work. Not only does she work on the management side, she is also hands-on with a caseload.

Jill speaks of her interest in implementation science and using evidence-based practices to work with diverse caseloads and multilingual communities. She also talks about the importance of professional growth for practitioners from a managerial perspective, along with current staffing issues within the SLP field.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. Are you thinking about moving on to a doctorate? If so, what original research topic could you explore and add to the field?
2. Do you have managerial skills? If so, have you thought about roles or positions where you could lead teams to deliver services in education settings?
3. If you’re in a school setting already (or medical), what tools and resources can you utilize or suggest to your managers to help with higher caseloads?
4. If you’re considering a school setting, how familiar are you with the diversity you might encounter daily – the diverse needs, identities, abilities, and types of services you will potentially be delivering?
5. How and where can you keep up with the current evidence-based practices for the type of work and needs of the populations that you serve?

“With speech and language, my heart always goes towards connection. That is the beautiful thing about this job. It's the connection with staff, as a manager, that I love. It’s the connection with students and their caregivers that I love when I carry caseload, and what therapists love who carry a caseload every day. It's the connection to something that we believe in and the connections every day that bring meaning and joy.”

• Jill Rentmeester-Disher

Jill Rentmeester-Disher (she/her/hers) PhD, CCC-SLP

As a Manager of Speech-Language Pathology Services in public schools, Jill Rentmeester-Disher has the privilege and honor of cultivating genius in 110 SLPs, who in turn, cultivate genius in their students (Gholdy Mohammad, 2020). Jill leads and partners with SLPs to implement equity-based, evidence-based practices (EQEBP) in Birth-21 settings where our SLPs believe:

• Educational evaluations and services should not be predicted by a student’s race.​​​​​
• The status quo must be challenged to ensure all learners achieve their greatest potential.
• Relationships with our students and their families must be prioritized.
• Identity joy must be centered.

When not managing, Jill has taught courses in higher education institutions, and is actively involved in speech-language pathology advocacy issues at the state level. As a hands-on manager, Jill jumps into Birth-21 caseload when needed and continues to benefit from the joy of serving students and their families.

Outside of this role, Jill spends time with her brave and kind daughter, educator husband, and snuggly boxer Tipper.

Contact Jill Rentmeester-Disher:

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“Connection, to me, is always the first step, it's never wasted time, and that's been a through line through this whole series.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

Today’s guest, Ebony Green, has made it her business to help other SLPs get a fair deal in school based settings! Ebony speaks openly and honestly about the challenges she faced as a school based SLP and the situation that led to her leaving direct employment and moving into contract work – ultimately leading to her speciality and expertise as the “SLP Contracts Queen”! A strong advocate for change, Ebony speaks about the importance of being happy in your work as an SLP, and having the flexibility to be able to work creatively and innovatively as a therapist.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. Have you thought about your boundaries and limits around your remuneration as an SLP and the number of hours you work, and when? What works for you?
2. How are your contract negotiating skills? Can you practice this with someone prior to negotiations, undertake continuing education to brush up on negotiating with your employer?
3. If you’re unhappy with your current situation, or one that is potentially being expected of you, how can you change it?
4. Are there ways you can utilize any of your many talents as an SLP in an entrepreneurial way or via your own business to help others?
5. Is there a company in the area you live, like Ebony’s, that you can connect with to be successful in working as a contract school based SLP?

“Definitely try to negotiate. To change the idea that working in schools is going to automatically equal a low paycheck, we have to step in and start negotiating contracts. Negotiate your salary, and negotiate your time. Ask for help. Don't be afraid to set boundaries. At the end of the day, you are very valuable and it's hard to replace us. If the district really cares and values you, then they'll listen to you and hopefully make those changes.”

• Ebony Green

Ebony Green, M.S., CCC-SLP

Ebony is a speech language pathologist and a former K-12 teacher. Ebony started her private practice in 2019 and was able to secure contracts with several schools and double her practice revenue within the first two years of being in business. Since Ebony became an entrepreneur, she has always helped other private practitioners along the way. As a former educator, Ebony is passionate about teaching and sharing resources with others. In 2021 Ebony was named an ASHA Distinguished Early Career Professional based on her work and the platform she built to help other SLPs learn how to become successful business owners. Today, Ebony has contracts with dozens of schools in Arizona. Her company contracts with various schools including private schools, public schools, and charter schools. Ebony leads a team of 30 therapists and serves as the CEO of her private practice, CASA Speech and Development Services.

Contact Ebony Green:Ebony@slpceosolutions.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

Ebony’s lived experience is not the exception or an outlier. Many individuals experience expectations that exceed capacity in school settings. No human wants to get up day after day, invested in doing a really good job, and be placed in a situation that is not tenable, that sets you up to feel like you're not doing a good job. As Ebony says, it doesn't mean you have to leave the place you love, the population that you love to work with, the setting that you love to work in. It means you envision doing this work in a different way.

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

Having experienced being a school based SLP from early intervention through to programs for students up to 22 years old, today’s guest, Bridget Karp, now works in a middle school and is loving it! In this episode, Bridget talks with Katie Widestrom-Langraf about her individual and group work with autistic, medically fragile students, and resource classes. She talks about the benefits and challenges of using push-in and pull-out models, what services she provides, what she’s learning more about as she needs to, and challenges around scheduling, student buy-in and managing workload. Bridget and Katie also discuss SLPs provisions of “related services” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. What “fills your cup?” How can you find opportunities to gain hands-on experience with different populations to find out?
2. Have you developed age-appropriate strategies to cultivate buy-in with students you work with, and to help make their speech time a positive experience?
3. How are you with boundary setting to manage your time, workload and scheduling as efficiently and effectively as possible?
4. How far out do you, or can you, schedule in your school setting? Can you liaise with other professional colleagues to find times and places that best suit everyone?
5. Are their areas of your work as an SLP that you’re still learning or need to learn more? How can you go about doing so?

“My advice for people new to the profession, looking for a change, and within this setting, would be to take care of you, and really think about what's important to you. Are you someone that really values that time outside of work to take care of yourself, or are you someone that gravitates towards working? What fills your cup, essentially. Being mindful of what you want your work-life balance to look like is really important. Really think about what's best for you.”

• Bridget Karp

Bridget Karp, M.S., CCC-SLP

Bridget Karp is a licensed SLP who works in schools. Originally from California, near San Francisco, she now lives in Seattle, WA, in the Bitter Lake neighborhood. Bridget went to the University of Washington, Seattle for her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences and always wanted to move back to the area. She recently bought a house in Seattle, and is a proud new homeowner! Bridget attended Yeshiva University in NYC for her graduate program and lived near the Empire State building for two years.

When she is not doing SLP stuff (work, Instagram, etc.), she is most likely watching cooking or baking competition shows, cooking or baking in her own kitchen, reading, going for walks, listening to music, taking naps, or playing Pokemon Go with her partner. Bridget loves connecting with other SLPs via Instagram as well, and loves being an SLP!

Contact Bridget Karp:bridgetkarp2020@gmail.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“As speech language pathologists, we do cover a lot of different needs. I think a really great part of our job is that we also have the opportunity to learn new treatment approaches, and new ways to intervene effectively for our students.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

Today’s guest, Michele Rothstein, always knew that a school based SLP role was for her. Michele has a passion for autistic students, and works as a “department of one” in an elementary school in Philadelphia. Michele stresses the importance of caseload management, and speaks about adapting services to meet student needs. She explains how she balances treatment with data collection and record keeping requirements. She also talks about how she prepares parents for the ultimate end goal of their child’s exit from her SLP services, sometimes after years of working with them.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. How do you manage and balance treatment and data collection?
2. Do you have a strategy for working with parents to help them understand an SLPs role, goals, and timeframes of working with their children?
3. Are there ways you could potentially manage and plan caseload numbers by taking into consideration students that may be ready to reduce services or be discharged over time?
4. Can you think of any magic kids or magic moments that remind you about what’s great about being a school based SLP?
5. If you’re thinking about becoming a school based SLP, have you thought about the relationship aspect of the long term connections with kids and their families?

If you think you have an interest in working with children, and you are somebody that thrives on being able to establish a connection over a longer period of time, try it. I would encourage any new therapist, or even a therapist that’s been in the field forever that’s looking for something different, to try the schools. It’s an excellent job.

• Michele Rothstein

Michele Rothstein, MA, CCC-SLP

Michele Rothstein is a school-based Speech Pathologist working full-time in an elementary school for students K-6 while running SLP Madness. She serves as a coach for school-based SLPs to help them meet the ever-growing demands of their caseload while meeting the needs of their students. Michele strives to provide high quality treatment based on the strong connections she has with her students and their families. Michele believes that therapy success stems from strong caseload management and accurate data collection. In her 23 years as a school-based Speech Pathologist, Michele has served as her department Coordinator, as well as an Instructional Technology consultant to the other therapists in her school district. Outside of work, Michele is a mom to a teenage daughter. She is a fitness instructor who loves teaching step aerobics. Family and fitness occupy her time when she is not working at school or coaching other SLPs through SLP Madness.

Contact Michele Rothstein:michele@slpmadness.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“What's interesting is that there are always unique tidbits, and differences, and details in these interviews. There’s also these through lines, and connection is one of those through lines. We do have the benefit of getting to know these other developing amazing humans, not just for a week, or for a month, but in many cases for years.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

In this episode, we talk with Breeah Carey, an SLP truly loving her work as a contract school based therapist in a small bilingual school of 200 students. She talks about how she works with students from pre-K right through to eighth grade, their parents, and their teachers.

Big on relationship building, Breeah speaks about, especially after post-pandemic isolation, the importance of helping her little ones build relationships and communication skills with others to help improve overall quality of life. She also talks about how she had to learn additional skills to also work in private practice, and the benefits of social media for SLPS.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. Have you experienced bilingualism as an SLP? How familiar are you with language differences versus language disorders?
2. How can you establish collaborative interdisciplinary goals with the other professionals you work with?
3. Do you feel like you’ve got balance and flexibility in your current role? If not, how can you seek to achieve a happy balance?
4. If you’re thinking about switching fields as an SLP, are you able to shadow an SLP in the area you’d like to work in to get a feel for it first?
5. If working a combination of private practice sounds like a good option for you, are there areas of SLP expertise that you’ll need to upskill or refresh your knowledge on?

This field is a very tight knit community, and very intimate because there's not a lot of us. I love that we're able to have these conversations and bring awareness to more topics such as diversity and bilingualism. And also really discuss how we're not just a speech therapist, or a speech teacher as they want to call us, but really even standing in our title, knowing the roles and responsibilities and how important our work is, but then also knowing that we are like vessels for connection.

• Breeah Carey

Breeah Carey MS, CCC-SLP

Breeah S. Carey, M.S., CCC-SLP is a New Jersey native and the Director of B.E.S. As the daughter of an educator, Breeah was always interested in serving her community, similar to her mother.

Breeah graduated from Purdue University and received her undergraduate degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, with minors in psychology and Spanish. As her passion grew, specifically around assisting individuals with speech, language, and cognitive impairments, she decided to further her education. She completed two years of comprehensive training in Purdue's Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program; thus, receiving her Master’s degree at the end of her studies. Her areas of focus include pediatric language disorders, speech sound disorders, and bilingualism.

Contact Breeah Carey:carey@breezeeducationalservices.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“There is that experience, oftentimes, of being the only one in the building. One of the things that is so different from II came out of graduate school, it was maybe a little bit trickier to find folks to connect with. One of the benefits of social media, and having your presence on social media, is it's a way to find your people. It's a way to connect with folks who understand what you're doing, where you're at, even if you're not in close proximity with each other.”

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

In this episode, you’ll hear Renee Brown talking with Katie Widestrom-Landgraf about how she took up an opportunity to switch from being a medical SLP to being school based. Renee talks about aspects of being a school based SLP that she needed to relearn and update to meet current practice. She also talks about what’s worked for her to work collaboratively with teachers, and other duties SLPs may find themselves tasked with in the school setting. A therapist who takes a holistic child led approach, Renee talks about the importance of advocacy not just for students, but also yourself, and the SLP profession.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. How can you work with teachers on how your different, but complementary roles, can work together in helping kids in learning language and reading skills?
2. If you’re thinking about making a switch between medical to school based, or vice versa, is there knowledge and skills that you will need to update for current practice?
3. How can you advocate for yourself if you find yourself with other school based duties that may impact on both your work as an SLP, and your work-life balance?
4. Have you found yourself in a position where a non-SLP professional offers therapeutic suggestions or advice? How do you, or would you, respectfully assert your expertise?
5. If you’re about to graduate or transitioning fields, who and where you can reach out to connect with other SLPs for some down to earth and practical advice on “a day in the life of…” your chosen area.

A school based SLP does have its challenges, but you have those students that just pull on your heartstrings. The students that teachers would come up and say, “Hey, look. I don't know what to do. I can't understand the student. Can you help? What can I do?” And then you see that student. Without speech, without us giving them what they need therapeutically to progress, then they might get looked over. That's what brings me back, is I'm helping these kids create their own futures that they deserve.

• Renee Brown

Renee Brown MS,CCC-SLP

Renee Brown is a licensed school-based Speech Pathologist, busy mom to Elan and Jovie, wife of Dave, Frenchie mom to Max & Luna, self proclaimed life-long learner, and a small-town Pennsylvanian! Along with her SLP qualifications, Reneealso has a degree and teaching certificate for Elementary Education in Pennsylvania, and has received two ACE Awards from ASHA for continuing education.

When she is not working or creating SLP materials, you’ll find Renee binge watching shows on Amazon Prime and Netflix, traveling, skiing, connecting with other awesome SLP’s on Instagram, enjoying a glass of wine or margarita on the weekends, and being my kids #1 fan (and has the whole baseball mom chair to prove it!).

Contact Renee Brown:thebusyspeechmom@gmail.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

I think our students are some of our best teachers. Renee talks about how there's something new to learn. Students will require us to rise to their needs and expectations, and that's kind of one of the coolest things of our profession is that we can be in two years, 10 years, 20 years, and we also get to evolve with our practices and with the ways we are thinking about and approaching things.

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation. Podcast episode freebie

Our guest for this episode, Noelle Scolieri, works in both private practice and schools. Noelle talks about how she learned to adapt to the expectations of being an SLP as a grad student versus the reality in the job and working long days. Hear how being a graduate student at the start of the pandemic and being unable to go to planned placements ultimately has led her to finding a niche in teletherapy. Noelle also shares some great tips on how to manage challenges such as attendance and no-show issues, leading an IEP meeting, and working effectively with other school-based professions.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. If you find yourself in a situation where you find your expectations differ from reality, or what is practical, how can you adapt?
2. What are your strategies for working with teachers who may not have yet come to appreciate the work that SLPs do?
3. Are there tactics you can use to help encourage attendance in both schools and/or teletherapy sessions?
4. Have you thought about working a split of different ways of working? How could you incorporate that into your lifestyle?
5. Whether you’re working in the field or a grad student, how can you overcome any feelings of isolation and connect with other SLPS either as a mentor or mentee?

“Communication is so important to all of us. A lot of children can't, or don't, have the ability to communicate in the way that they want to in their mind. We tell them that their words do matter, but we need to make sure they feel that, and want to communicate, and not be frustrated by communicating. I think it keeps pushing me on the tough days. It’s like ‘Okay, today I feel frustrated and challenged, but these children are feeling that way a lot. So, I'll push through, so then I can help them do that’”.

• Noelle Scolieri

Noelle Scolieri, M.S. CCC-SLP

Noelle Scolieri is a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist with experience in both private practice and schools. She graduated with her Master of Science in Communicative Sciences & Disorders from Baylor University, and graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelors in Communication Disorders and a minor in Psychology from Geneva College. Noelle had the opportunity to do research at both the undergraduate and graduate level with a special interest in Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), Literacy, and Teletherapy. Noelle loves working with children and is dedicated to seeing them achieve their goals in speech. Noelle loves sharing her love for this field with future SLPs and enjoys being a mentor they can turn to. She is also the published author of three children’s books and three novels under the pen name Nadette Rae Rodgers. In her free time, Noelle enjoys reading, doing DIY projects, shopping, and spending time with her family and friends.

Contact Noelle Scolieri:anslp2b@gmail.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“I think it's great to have those moments to hang on to, and their celebrations become our celebrations. It’s incredible. There's definitely some time and some experiences that you can't really skip over. It takes some time and some different things happening to figure out what works best for the student, and what allows you to provide the services that student needs.:

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

Today’s guest, Amy Basso, works in a school based SLP role, with a difference.

Listen to her talk about working in special education in a very small interdisciplinary school within the very much bigger population of NYC – a role which has an overlap with some aspects of medical SLP work. Amy also talks about how working in an NYC district with a strong union presence affects contracts and work scheduling.

Amy is a whiz on working smartly to manage SLP workloads and, in particular, using systems and technology to save time. You’ll learn some great tips on how you can do this too in this episode!

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. If you’re early in your career as an SLP, or thinking of switching, are there different types of schools in your area where you can gain experience with different populations to find your niche?
2. Have you thought about how you can save time using text and calculation features in spreadsheets or word docs to automate some of the process?
3. Have you thought about how your union could influence your scheduling and your contract?
4. Are there ways you could include the kids you work with in your prep work?
5. How can you build trust and rapport with your colleagues in other disciplines when you are new to a position?

“One of the most important skills for probably any SLP, but definitely for a school SLP, is just being able to target pretty much all of your goals with one activity, and to think outside the box with that activity. Just because it's one activity, it doesn't mean you can't use it in a different way!”

• Amy Basso

Amy Basso MA, CCC-SLP

Amy Basso graduated from Plattsburgh State University with a masters in Communication Disorders & Sciences in 2001. Early in her career, she enjoyed exploring a few different settings including working in a public school in Vermont, with one day a week in a one-room schoolhouse; working full-time in early intervention; and working in a large public middle school. In 2004, she got a job at a private school, working with Autistic children ages 18 months-6th grade. It is there that she fell in love with early language skills and AAC. Finally, in 2007, Amy began working in the Bronx in NYC Public Schools, working with students with Autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or physical disabilities.

For the last several years, she has had a part-time caseload, with the other days dedicated to coaching & mentoring other SLPs. Currently, Amy is on a sabbatical and is spending her time writing a literacy curriculum for non-speaking students, minimally verbal students, AAC users, and students with intellectual and/or physical disabilities.

Contact Amy Basso:amybasso@speechlanguageleague.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“Once you get in the mindset of having that adaptability and flexibility with your existing materials, almost everything becomes fodder for language intervention and communication skill intervention, and that is when it becomes really special too. You're not creating this single task with an isolated focus anymore. See those opportunities everywhere.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

In this episode, Stacey Richey, SLP, talks about her work with kids from preschool right through to sixth grade with varying needs and disabilities. Listen to Stacy talk about the challenges of having to know a little bit of everything as an SLP, and how she manages scheduling across different groups in a moderately sized elementary school. She also talks about the importance of having fun, and has some great suggestions for keeping track of the special moments that happen as a school-based SLP!

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. As an SLP, how do you, or would you, work with an SLP assistant or technician to help manage your caseload?
2. If you’re working in a school with a three-one model, what do you schedule into one week in four you do not see kids?
3. How can you connect with teachers and other services to find good times to see kids?
4. How and what can you do to ensure you take a little time out during the day to recharge, especially if and when you feel overwhelmed?
5. How do you remember and record those fun and special moments that happen working with kids?

"There are so many joys from this job. We talk about the pains, the challenges, the paperwork, the scheduling, all that stuff, but these kids make it so worth it to me. We all want to be successful SLPs. We want to help kids. We love them, and we want them to feel it, but we also want to have fun!"

• Stacey Richey

Stacey Richey MS, CCC-SLP

Stacey has been an SLP in Utah’s public schools for the past 10.5 years. Her caseload size has ranged from 45 to 92 students (in preschool-6th grades), so she knows how hard it can be to see and plan for all of them! She has worked for two different districts at five different schools. When she’s not doing 5-Minute articulation therapy, she loves using themes and literacy. She has worked with special education preschool units, small group kindergarten classes, and autism units. She LOVES treating articulation, phonological disorders, and early language skills.

When Stacey’s not working, she loves baking, doing jigsaw puzzles, watching movies, and playing sports. She and her husband have been married for almost 12 years and have a five year old little girl.

Stacey created a store on Teachers Pay Teachers two years ago so she can help SLPs like you be more confident and learn to enjoy group therapy.

Contact Stacey Richey:staceyrichey.slp@gmail.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“Stacey’s advice is not just for folks considering a transition, but for all of us who have maybe even been doing this for a while! I agree that having a feeling of manageability is incredibly important, and the idea of being okay with everything not being perfect, and choosing one thing, a couple of things at a time that you want to focus on, versus trying to get all of the things just right, right away.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

Carol Terpstra, is an SLP who knows how to transition careers! In this episode, you’ll hear how she’s gone from an undergrad economics degree, to SLP for postgrad, then medical SLP to school based SLP, and now children’s book author.

She talks about the differences between working on contract versus as an employee, why she loves working with pre-K through first grade, and the importance of identifying learning, literacy, and language needs early in a child’s life.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. If you’re thinking of starting out a school based SLP, or transitioning, how can you reach out to find mentors in the field?
2. How would you, as a school based SLP, advocate for the kids you work with as much as possible for other services they may need?
3. Have you had the opportunity to work with different age ranges in schools? How can you get to experience this?
4. Are there different types of training and continuing education you can take to explore different SLP roles?
5. What’s your big motivator, your “why” you’ve chosen to be an SLP working in schools?

“I get to make an impact every single day on a little person's life. Those little faces light up when you are telling a story and you've got them in that moment. Of course, that's not always the case, but that's fine. I feel blessed to be able to do it every single day.”

• Carol Terpstra

Carol Terpstra MS, CCC-SLP

Carol Terpstra has spent the latter part of her career as a school-based SLP, and recently became a children's book author. She currently works part-time as an SLP contracting in schools, and in her own business. She has an undergrad degree in Economics from Indiana University, and an MS in Speech and Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University.

Carol’s business, Sound Sprouts, was born organically through her experience as an SLP in schools, beginning with a decision to write a book series that focused on the eight sets of cognates. She has enlisted the help of family in the business, and feels blessed to have their knowledge and support. Her husband is helping build an app series that will complement the books. Her 19-year-old daughter is the illustrator/designer of the books and apps. And her recently graduated SLP niece is often a sounding board, and also helps with social media.

Born and mostly raised in Indiana, Carol’s parents migrated from the Dominican Republic. After living in the DR for about five years, she is bilingual in Spanish. Carol has lived in SE Florida for 30 years, loves the weather, and the multiculturalism there. Married, with two teenage children, they love playing board games and visiting family around the country. Carol likes reading with a cup of coffee/tea, volunteering at her church, exercising, and finding treasures at antique shops or vintage clothing.

Contact Carol Terpstra:carol@sound-sprouts.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“Sometimes in schools our colleagues are thinking about, and have been trained to consider, teachable skills. We are trained to consider the infrastructure that supports and is a part of acquiring those teachable skills. Iit can be really challenging to help folks understand those skill sets that are not explicitly taught if the system is developing as it should. I think sometimes teachers presume availability of that system, when that may not always be the case for a kid.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

Today’s guest, Katelyn Kelps, not only works as an SLP at both high school and elementary level, she also develops resources and other fun stuff for SLPs on the side!

Listen to her talk with Katie Widestrom-Landgraf about having flexibility, building trust with kids, collaboration with other staff, how she sets boundaries and recharges, and her thoughts on maybe having her own private practice in the future.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. Have you ever thought about using your SLP skills to work in both elementary and school settings?
2. How can you build communication and capacity with your non-SLP colleagues?
3. What tactics do you use to build trust with the kids that you work with?
4. If you hold more than one role, how do you manage your time and set boundaries?
5. What do you do to relax after work? Is it SLP based or something completely different?

“Don't feel pressured to organize yourself the way that people want you to. I think sometimes schools want us to do things in a way that makes sense to them. But if it makes sense for you, whether it's how you take data, or organize your meetings, or anything like that, do what works best for you and makes you the more effective SLP.”

• Katelyn

Katelyn Kelps MS, CCC-SLP

Katelyn Kelps is in her eighth year of being a speech-language pathologist. She is passionate about student-led and focused intervention, AAC, Gestalt Language Development, and collaboration with other professionals. She is lucky to serve a variety of populations at both a high school and in a self-contained elementary school.

Outside of work she also loves to create Teachers Pay Teachers resources for other professionals, speech and special education shirts on my Etsy, and is always seeking to learn more from other professionals and the populations she serves. Katelyn absolutely LOVES her career, but also enjoys reading, binging Netflix, and spending time with family and friends.

Contact Katelyn Kelps:kelps.thecommunicationclassroom@gmail.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“When you can build capacity with your colleagues, that feels really good too. Sometimes our colleagues don't always know what we do, and they don't always understand how those underlying processes are so critical for what we ask kids to do with learning. And so, any opportunity for collaboration, I think, is a chance for magic to happen.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

In this episode, we hear from an SLP who loves her work in high schools! Karly Sisco talks with Katie Widestrom-Landgraf about misconceptions people may have about high school populations, and how she adapted her SLP practice after working in medical, elementary, and then to high schools.

Karly has a particular interest in neurodiversity and shares her passion for helping prepare teens at high school to become self-advocates, functional, and independent. She also shares some of the challenges you may not learn about in grad school, particularly speech schedules and caseloads that may impact on the capacity to have individual sessions with students.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. Have you thought about moving into another area of SLP expertise? How could you do so?
2. How would you help high-school aged students be self-advocates and gain independence in goal setting?
3. What approach do you take with parents to help them with their child’s short and long term goals?
4. In what ways can you collaborate with and help your students, aside from your clinical work?
5. How can you maximize your time with students?

“Sometimes we limit ourselves and think that “I could never do this or that”, but you chose this field for a reason. You love communication and helping others communicate. Whatever population you choose to work in, you are needed. You are here to give your clients, your students, a voice. We have one of the best jobs and the most versatile jobs because we can do any setting. I just don't want people to limit themselves.”

• Karly Sisco

Karly Sisco, MS, CCC-SLP

Karly Sisco is a school-based SLP, currently working in a high school. She graduated from the University of Alabama for both her undergrad and grad school degrees. Karly has worked in the school setting for 12 years. She says she truly enjoys her job, and never imagined that she would ever work with high school students. As someone who loves a routine, Karly thinks it is also good to try new things in the SLP field because you never know what setting you may love the most.

Karly is married and has two boys, ages seven and four. She works full time and is a full time mom and wife who thinks it is important to have work/personal life boundaries.

Contact Karly Sisco:slpforeveryiep@gmail.com

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf, MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“It's a shared experience, and it’s that experience of urgency. I think when we work in a high school setting, we're keenly aware of that clock ticking. There's only so much time left within this system that has these supports. So, how are we going to maximize that time?”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.

View Details

Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.

This first episode in a new series sees the welcome return of Katie Widestrom-Landgraf. In this episode, Katie reflects on how and why she switched from being a medical SLP to school-based, and how much she still loves a day in the life of a school-based SLP, over 20 years later. Stay tuned! For the next 10 episodes of this series, Katie will be bringing her school-based SLP experience to the interviewing seat and talking with various guests also working in schools and educational settings.

Discussion & Reflection Question

1. 1. If you’re thinking about working as a school-based SLP, who can you reach out to as a mentor, or who can connect you to someone who may be able to mentor you or give advice?
   2. As a school-based SLP, how do you make it possible for your student population to be compliant and engage with you as an SLP in an age-appropriate, accessible, and acceptable way, depending on their age?
   3. How can you advocate for your needs as a school-based SLP? Can you be proactive about solutions, and educate colleagues about the role of SLPs at the same time?
   4. How flexible do you need to be with your daily schedule? Are there ways you can make any daily adjustments easier?
   5. Have you got a big caseload? How can you manage your work-life balance?

Katie Widestrom-Landgraf,

MS, CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech-language pathologist who has worked in both medical and educational settings for over 20 years. She presently works with adolescents in a large suburban high school.

Katie is a past president of the Minnesota Speech-Language Hearing Association (MNSHA). She has collaborated with the MN Dept. of Education to expand the understanding of oral language as critical neurodevelopmental infrastructure for academic achievement processes.

Katie is most passionate about helping students develop their language skills as a tool for thought, wonderment, questioning and curiosity…and of course communication. When Katie is not working with the students on her caseload, she is still working with students to develop their communication and self-expression as a high school forensics coach.

Katie enjoys great conversations and connections where one loses a sense of time, fabulous dining experiences, transcendent cups of coffee and books that are so good she negotiates with her alarm clock so that she might finish just one more chapter.

Contact Katie Widestrom-Landgrafthe.curious.slp@gmail.com

“There's something magical about being able to help somebody develop the infrastructure of thought. It's not just communication. The idea that I get to do that every day, that's my “why”. There are these wonderful moments of connection and authentic authenticity that you have with your students, and I don't think I'm unique in that experience but that's a primary driver for me. I love seeing meaningful progress.”

• Katie Widestrom-Landgraf

“We just did this great eight week course on career exploration and what you do and don’t like about your job. Many SLPs get on a track and they just don't stop, and then they're unhappy. I love that Katie stopped, paused, got off of one track, and got on to the other.”

• Mattie Murrey-Tegels

Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSCMedical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP.

Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.

The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.

Thank you for listening to The Missing Link for SLPs podcast! If you enjoyed the show, I’d love you to subscribe, rate it and leave a short review. Also, please share an episode with a friend. Together we can raise awareness and help more SLPs find and connect those missing links to help them feel confident in their patient care every step of the way.

Follow me onInstagram, join the Fresh SLP community on Facebookor learn more at FreshSLP.com. Let’s make those connections. You got this!

Do you have a question you’d like answered on the show? Interested in sharing your experience as an SLP with our audience?Send a message to Mattie@FreshSLP.com!

Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.