Lytt til De Facto Leaders

This week, I’m sharing an interview I did with another host on the BE podcast network because I think it’s something you’ll really enjoy. The episode is going live in the De Facto Leaders podcast feed.  Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 22 years. His experience in the classroom ranged from 8th – 11th grade working in an urban setting. A portion of this was spent opening a high school division for an expanding charter school. He has just finished his 14th year as a building administrator. Chris is also the Vice President of the Massachusetts State Administrators Association (MSAA). True to his “why” of improving the educational experience for as many people as possible, he is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts. He is the author of SEEing to Lead, a book that provides strategies for how modern leaders can and must support, engage, and empower their teachers to elevate student success. Chris vlogs weekly about continuous improvement and is also the host of the podcast SEEing to Lead as a way to amplify teachers’ voices in an effort to improve education as a whole. In this interview, Dr. Chris Jones and I discuss how to promote effective literacy practices in schools, while still allowing educators and clinicians to have autonomy in their practices.  We discuss: The “non-negotiables” when it comes to evidence-based practices vs. where there can be flexibility for the “art” of teaching. Why training and information needs to be paired with change-management strategies. Finding the “joy” of reading can’t happen without building foundational skills. You can connect with Dr. Jones on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcsjones/, and on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DrCSJones/, and on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/drcsjones/.   You can learn more about his book and podcast at: https://drcsjones.blog/seeing-to-lead-podcast/ In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: * Simplify and streamline technology * Save teachers’ time * Reliably meet Tier 1 standards * Improve student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE [http://ixl.com/BE] today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In light of the mass amount of misinformation about ADHD, particularly regarding medication, I thought it was time to do a re-release of this past episode. *Disclaimer, although I have “Dr.” in front of my name, I’m not an MD and do not have the credentials to prescribe medication. This episode is meant for general information only and is not intended to be medical advice.  As a licensed speech pathologist, I bring the perspective of someone who has supported clients through behavioral change and building skills; which has included making referrals/recommendations for families to seek medical advice from people who can prescribe medication. Additionally, I’ve also been in a position to report back to licensed physicians when they want to know a status update after prescribing medication. In this episode, I discuss: ✅The “appeal to nature” fallacy, what it is and why it’s potentially harmful. ✅Common “natural” treatments for conditions like ADHD (such as diet, sleep hygiene, supplementation) ✅How to avoid distorted thinking when making decisions about medication and other treatment options. In this episode, I mentioned this episode about homeopathy from the Unbiased Science podcast here: https://www.unbiasedscipod.com/episodes/homeopathy-much-ado-about-nothing-literally-nothing I also mentioned the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer here: https://www.jonkrakauer.com/books/into-the-wild-tr Finally, I also mentioned my free Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams. You can sign up for the guide here: http://drkarendudekbrannan.com/efguide We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: * Simplify and streamline technology * Save teachers’ time * Reliably meet Tier 1 standards * Improve student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE [http://ixl.com/BE] today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

I remember the first time I “Marie Kondoed” my therapy room and got rid of materials that were published before I was born.  There were shelves of things I never used, and having so many options created unnecessary decision fatigue every time I sat down to plan my week ahead.  Over time, I started investing in knowledge instead of flashcards and games. I found my students did better when I kept it simple. I thought my students would be bored, but they actually became more engaged and independent.  That’s why I was so excited to talk with Marisha Mets from SLP Now, who shares my passion for systems and frameworks that don’t require complicated materials.  Marisha Mets earned her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Washington. She has worked as a school-based SLP and shares therapy ideas and resources on her blog (SLP Now). Marisha also developed a membership for SLPs that includes digital tools and resources to streamline evidence-based therapy, including a one-stop caseload management solution that currently supports thousands of SLPs.  In this conversation, we discuss: ✅How to manage both physical clutter and mental clutter. ✅Identifying the point of diminishing returns when it comes to organizing. ✅Deciding when to use a batching process vs. habit stacking.  ✅Defining the “containers” you use to manage your workflow and your workspace. ✅How to identify your “staples”. ✅Investing in materials vs. knowledge/skills.  You can connect with Marisha on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisha-mets-9aa396133/ Follow her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/slpnow Follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/slpnow/  Listen to my episode on the SLP Now Podcast here: https://slpnow.com/blog/how-to-write-iep-goals-an-expert-guide-for-slps/ Learn more about SLP Now and read Marisha’s free blog posts here: https://slpnow.com/ The following resources were mentioned in this episode: “Outer Order, Inner Calm” by Gretchen Rubin: https://gretchenrubin.com/books/outer-order-inner-calm/ “Atomic Habits” by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits In this episode, I mentioned Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: * Simplify and streamline technology * Save teachers’ time * Reliably meet Tier 1 standards * Improve student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE [http://ixl.com/BE] today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode, we dive into the often-overlooked art of writing clear, measurable goals for executive functioning.  Unlike other academic or functional goals, executive functioning focuses on internal processes—making it harder to quantify and observe.  Whether you're a teacher, therapist, or part of a school team, this episode will give you actionable tools to create meaningful IEP and therapy plan goals that truly support student growth. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ Why executive functioning is all about the process—and why that’s tricky for traditional SMART goals. ✔️ Examples of goal formats that keep things simple, specific, and actionable. ✔️ How to differentiate between goals that focus on behavior versus those emphasizing strategies. ✔️ A sample list of accommodations to support executive functioning without over-accommodating. ✔️ Tips to ensure students build independence with their accommodations over time. 📝Goals and Accommodations for Executive Functioning Blog post: https://drkarenspeech.com/goals-and-accommodations-for-executive-functioning/ 👂EP 178: Are we allowed to say “dyslexia” in the schools (with Tom Parton): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-178-are-we-allowed-to-say-dyslexia-in-the-schools-with-tom-parton/ 🎓 School of Clinical Leadership Program (A comprehensive course for service providers who want to lead their teams in supporting students socially, emotionally, and academically.): https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership Key Takeaways: Writing effective executive functioning goals starts with a clear understanding of the behaviors and processes you’re targeting. The goal format “Given (cue/strategy), student will (behavior) with (accuracy/unit of measurement)” simplifies complex ideas into meaningful goals. Accommodations should empower students and build skills—not create over-reliance. We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: * Simplify and streamline technology * Save teachers’ time * Reliably meet Tier 1 standards * Improve student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE [http://ixl.com/BE] today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

This session is a Q & A I did in the Language Therapy Advance Foundations member’s group relating to how to support students through semantic study and working on complex syntax.  I addressed the following FAQs: “How do I help students who struggle to define and describe words without making them prompt-dependent?” “How do I make semantic study more contextualized?” “What’s the difference between a “task-based” goal and a “strategy-based” goal, and which type of goal should I be using for language and executive functioning?” I also provide examples of goals for observable behaviors vs. goals that focus on the process of getting to that behavior or end output.  Highlights of this session include: ✅Using the explicit instruction framework: “I do, we do, you do.” ✅Using pauses, reflective questions, sentence starters, direct repetition, and declarative statements (hint: we should be using a blend of all these things.) ✅Where we SHOULD use explicit, repetitive, “decontextualized” tasks in therapy for purposes of cognitive priming.  ✅Why students need a blend of structured and unstructured tasks (from decontextualized to contextualized).  This session came from a Q & A I did in Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/  The following resources were mentioned in this session: The Explicit Instruction Framework by Anita Archer and Charles Hughes: https://explicitinstruction.org/ This video on scaffolding sentence combining for younger students: https://youtu.be/LDLYlZgqpQU The strategy-based goals for executive functioning came from information from the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers put executive functioning intervention in place. You can learn more about the School of Clinical Leadership here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.  IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: * Simplify and streamline technology * Save teachers’ time * Reliably meet Tier 1 standards * Improve student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE [http://ixl.com/BE] today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.