With a new school year on the horizon, I thought it is a good time to chat about how to build relationships with teachers. As a school-based occupational therapist (OT), this is a HUGE part of the job! There can be a lot of things to prep during the back to school season [see my blog for help with that!]. After reviewing your caseload, organizing IEPs and making your data sheets, I suggest trying to do the following things to build collaborative relationships with new teachers:
- Meet face to face to build rapport
- Collaboratively schedule & discuss intervention model
- Review IEPs with a focus on SDIs and classroom carryover
Build Rapport
There isn’t a “right” way to introduce yourself to a new teacher. However, you do need to do it! It can be easy to “fly under the radar” as an itinerant related service provider who is more than likely covering more than one building. You may not be in the building very often, and there are going to be teachers/staff/classrooms with whom you do not work with… this year. Don’t miss out on those opportunities to build connections early. I find that if I have a trusting relationship with teachers, I am able to intervene early with their students. They know what I my areas of expertise are, and feel comfortable asking for help early to support students in their class! This can help to reduce referrals in the long run, and can be very helpful for student who are in that teacher’s room in the future!
Send a welcome letter to families as well as teachers! Especially if you are new to a position or a building, make sure you introduce yourself to the staff! This FREE welcome letter is a perfect [& cute!] template to use! DOWNLOAD HERE! If you can’t meet each teacher face to face, a welcome letter or email will suffice! However, I would really recommend spending some time in your buildings before the school year starts to get to know people! I like to prep bulletin boards and my rooms over the course of several days over the summer. There are always people in the buildings, and it I can be nice to actually have the time to get to know them!
Schedule
Scheduling is arguably the hardest part of the job! With large caseloads, it can feel almost impossible to fit all of your IEP minutes in when students are available. That being said, this might not be the most popular recommendation, but – be flexible and collaborative with teachers when scheduling. Yes – absolutely – OTs, SLPs, PTs, etc. have crazy schedules. However, classroom teachers also have several students with a variety of different supports who are all getting pulled out all throughout the day.
Students at my schools can’t miss any of the following times:
- tier 1 intervention [or higher level tiers if they qualify for those!]
- lunch
- recess
- specials [gym, art, music, library]
- social emotional academic development (SEAD) time
- other pull out supports [speech, PT, itinerant AS, ELD, social skills, etc.]
That leaves very few windows of time for pull out intervention. That also leaves teachers with limited times that they have ALL of their students in their room. This is important for certain lessons, class meetings, etc. Ask teachers when works best for their student to be pulled, and then try your best to adhere to their suggestions. Give options whenever possible, and consider push in supports! Treating kiddos in their natural environment can be even more beneficial than a pull out session!
More on scheduling overall in my back to school blog! These $2 Simple Schedule Templates are designed for teachers, but can be used for therapists as well! They are editable! You can color code them [maybe by building or grade level?]. These would make a great addition to your back to school preparations.
Classroom Accommodations
After you have met the teacher and collaborated on a schedule that works best for you, the student, and their teacher, it is time to review the IEP. Or the 504 Service Agreement if you have students who are not on an IEP! These documents include classroom accommodations [specifically designed instruction or SDIs] that the teacher needs to follow in the classroom environment. Sometimes these sections of the IEP can be overwhelming depending on how many accommodations and modifications a student needs.
While the case manager is likely to go over these in full detail, I like to discuss the ones that relate to OT. Either I have written these accommodations and/or I need to supply materials for them to be implemented. Students may need adapted paper or pencil grips for handwriting. A student may require alternative seating options or sensory breaks to improve attention. I want to make sure all of these things are clear and well-supported. My hope is to get the best carryover into the classroom as possible.
Have a new OT students or a whole new caseload? Check out my blog on what to do with new OT students for some ideas on where to get started! Best of luck this school year!
