TEACHER'S CORNER: SPEECH THERAPIST'S GOAL IS BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM

Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School teacher Judy McLain said working in the speech therapy setting involves knowing how to "pull out of" and "push into" classrooms to help students. McLain, who has spent the past 20 years teaching in Southeast Missouri schools, said this is one of the greatest changes in her field over the years, but the goal of building self-esteem remains a top priority.

"Although most speech therapy programs are pull out programs where students are pulled from their regular classes, I have also pushed into some classrooms, and I'm currently team-teaching a daily living skills class," she said. "This gives me the opportunity to evaluate how the students are using their communication skills in the classroom setting and determining what skills they may need help with in a small group setting."

McLain said working with junior high school students is a special challenge because it's harder to keep them motivated. She said to "keep things interesting" she must sometimes resort to unique projects. For example, one therapy exercise included actually popping popcorn to help students understand why steps have to follow a certain order. The students enjoyed eating the popcorn, but they also learned problem-solving tasks, she said.

Working on a personal level with students and helping build their self-worth is an important part of the job of McLain. "One of the great things about the speech-language program is that it allows me to get to know my students and lets me add a personal touch to their day," she said. "Although all of my students exhibit some type of weakness communicating with others, they each need to know that they are important as a person and that I care about each one of them as an individual."

McLain received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a wife and mother of two and enjoys cooking and reading in her spare time.