In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie gets real about one of the biggest challenges with older students—resistance. From crossed arms to "I'm only here because my mom made me," she breaks down why grades 4–12 students push back in the first place—it's not laziness—and walks through five practical steps for building genuine buy-in. This episode is full of compassion-first strategies, reframable language, and low-prep activity ideas that actually meet students where they are.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why resistance in older students is self-protection, not defiance 
• The three things a resistant student is almost always trying to communicate 
• How to start a buy-in conversation—even when you only have 25 minutes 
• Why "world" beats "school" when making goals feel relevant
•  The shift from fixing to coaching, and why it changes everything

Here’s what we learned: 

• Resistance is information. Before you plan the activity, ask what they think they're there for. 
• Students who've been in speech since early intervention are hyperaware of their difficulties—lead with compassion first. 
• Tie your goals to their world: dating, jobs, group chats, driver's ed. Skip the school pitch. 
• Let students have a say in how you work on a goal, even if they can't choose the goal itself. 
• One activity can cover a million goals. Done and engaged beats perfect and checked out. 
• Call yourself a language coach, not a speech teacher. The reframe matters more than you think. 
• Buy-in is like charging a phone—you plug in consistently and watch the battery move.

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets