Chain Letter Link Up!

I've been having so much fun getting to know all my bloggy friends through this chain letter link up!  A big thanks to TeachSpeech365, who came up with this brilliant idea a few weeks ago.  I was recently interviewed by Shannon over at Speechy Musings.  She is an awesome blogger, and I've enjoyed checking out her blog!  You can find my interview here.

So, today I have two lovely bloggers for you to get to know.  The first is a fabulous SLP duo that you might be familiar with...the Speech Ladies!  The second you might not be as familiar with because she is a brand-spanking new blogger!  Her name is Mia, and the name of her blog is Putting Words in Your Mouth.  I actually have the pleasure of working alongside her in my district.  Be sure and check out both of these wonderful blogs!  :)

1. Your name, email, and TpT store if you have one. 
Name: Kristina Young and Cindy Presely
E-mail: speechladiesblog@gmail.com
TpT Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Speech-Ladies

2. When and why did you start blogging?
Our first post was on June 13, 2011! Before then, Kristina followed a few other speeches bloggers such as, If Only I Had Super Powers, and we wanted to join the community. We had no idea that speech blogs would catch on and grow so fast! We are thrilled there are so many SLPs willing to share their activities and experiences.

3. What is your favorite population to work with?
We both love the little ones (pre-school and elementary).

4. How much time per week do you spend blogging and/or creating materials?
Well, if you follow our blog you know that we can be a little sporadic with posts. For example, last summer we had ZERO posts… guess we took summer ‘break’ very seriously! Ha! (Promise we are trying to do better!) Guess it just depends on the week! Maybe 2 hours a week on blog posts, but it takes much longer to create TpT materials.

5. What's your favorite topic to create materials for?
Hmm… artic and language concepts are what most of our materials are for. I think you can be a little more creative when making an activity for language. All of my TpT products were created out of a need for one of my students. I don’t always love the process of making something, but I always love the end result of having something new for my kiddos!

6. What's the best thing about blogging?
Getting to network with other AWESOME SLPs, Sped teachers, parents and app makers!

7. Do you have any blogging tips?
Someone once told me not to check the stats of how many hits your blog has. Do it because you like it and because you need an outlet for ideas. I think that was good advice (although I do check my stats from time to time, I try not to dwell on it).

8. What is your funniest speech moment?
When I was in undergrad, I was working with a sweet little girl. When the session was over I said “Ok! Time to go!” And she did… all over the chair and the floor. Once we got it cleaned up my supervisor looked at me and said “Well, you said it was time to go, so she did!” Ha, ha! Looking back on that story always gets me tickled. And at the end of my sessions now I say “Time to go back to class”. I have learned my lesson! ;)

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1. Your name, email, and TpT store if you have one. 

   Mia McDaniel, miamcdaniel@gmail.com, 

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mia-McDaniel

www.puttingwordsinyourmouthbymia.blogspot.com

2. When and why did you start blogging?

 I just JUST started On Dec. 30!!  It was my New Year Resolution.  I started because I've been practicing speech pathology for 17 years and opening my TPT store and starting a blog has reignited my passion for my profession.  It added something fun to my day to day routine.  I follow the SAME schedule everyday (as most SLPs do) and it was becoming too humdrum for my liking.  I like to have FUN and motivating with my students-  show them that they can do things they didn't think they could do and that learning can be FUN! I always share my ideas with my 2 SLP co-workers (and they share theirs!) as well as the special ed. teachers I work with, but it didn't occur to me until now that I could be sharing the fun with soooo many more people by blogging. 

3. What is your favorite population to work with?

Over the years I've worked with children age 3 to 16. I can honestly say I liked things about them all.  I LOVE working with young kids that have severe articulation disorders or apraxia. I LOVE seeing their speech transform and watching them become communicators.  The day I "graduate" those kids is an amazing day, and the parents of those children become family to me (because we've been together so long!) and they're usually so grateful.  

I love working with the few and far between voice students as well- I find that very intriguing and love applying all I learned from an AMAZING professor and mentor of mine, Dr. Amelia Hudson.  

I've COME to love 4th grade inclusion.  I used to say that I loved 2nd grade above all else, but 4th graders have a weird kind of humor that I love. 

4. How much time per week do you spend blogging and/or creating materials?

Since I just started blogging, I really don't know.  I'm very sLOOOWWWW right now but I hope to get faster.  I'd like to say I only spend a few hours per week creating materials for my TPT store- at least is FEELS like a few hours- but I am sometimes shocked when I look up at the time- time flies when I get on my computer!

5. What's your favorite topic to create materials for?

I probably prefer articulation just because the bulk of my students currently have that need and I think it's fun!  At my school, I'm on the tier 2 PBIS team (for behavior), and my dual role at my school as "lead teacher" has plunged me into the world of behavior modification and social skills training, and I have to say, I'm starting to love it. 

6. What's the best thing about blogging?

I have so many thoughts running around my head (my brain literally never stops- even when I'm sleeping- I keep a notepad in my nightstand to write things down that I think of during the night) that I think the best thing is getting some of these thoughts out of my head and onto the screen (and hopefully I will get feedback from others). My husband says I need to stop thinking so much before I use my brain all up!

7. Do you have any blogging tips?

Not yet!! but I'd love to hear everyone else's! I'm still trying to figure the whole thing out.  Typing things in my template scares the heck outta me!

8. Add a question of your choice. 

Hmmmmm.....since I'm new to blogging I would love to know if there are DOs and DON'Ts in the blogging world.