Tuesday Talks!

Dr. Tiffany
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

Join me for weekly discussions about ALL things education...from preschool through high school! As a mom, Speech Language Pathologist, and educator, I share my personal experiences related to each week's topic in relatable and informative ways.  My message about education is powerful: Reflecting on what is and making waves to cause change!

  1. 6d ago

    IEP Data That Actually Matters

    “Making progress” sounds reassuring until you realize it can mean almost anything. We sit down with Dr. Amber Izrael, Ed.D, a specialist in special education data collection, to get painfully clear about what IEP data should look like when a child is receiving specially designed instruction and why weak progress monitoring puts students and schools at risk. We talk through what data collection actually looks like whether a child is in a self-contained classroom, a resource setting, or receiving virtual services. Dr. Amber explains how teachers can plan data ahead of time so it fits naturally into instruction, how paraprofessionals can help collect data (when they’re trained to do it with fidelity), and why the best data is the kind you can hand to someone else and they’d instantly understand the student’s starting point, current level, and next step. Then we get into what parents should look for in IEP progress reports and SMART goal updates. We call out red flags like vague statements, missing prompting levels, changing measurement methods midstream, and the dreaded “not enough data to report.” If progress slows, listeners will learn the problem-solving mindset: verify the data, consider circumstances and context, and then make small instructional adjustments that keep the plan responsive and truly individualized. If you’re a parent advocating for your child or a teacher trying to tighten your data systems and establish cleaner collaboration, this conversation gives you language, questions, and practical expectations you can use right away. Subscribe, share this with a parent or teacher who needs it, and leave a review to help more families find the show.  Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

  2. Sep 15

    How To Tell If An IEP Is Working For Your Child

    “Your child is making progress.” Those five words can sound comforting, but they can also keep you in the dark. I want you to have something better than reassurance. I want you to have evidence you can understand and use to advocate for your child with confidence. In this episode, we dig into the real way to tell whether an IEP is working, and it comes down to one thing: data. I explain why a beautiful IEP document does not automatically create student growth, why implementation matters, and how progress monitoring should show clear proof over time. You will hear exactly how to ask, “Can you show me the data?” in a way that invites teamwork instead of tension, plus what strong IEP data can look like, from work samples to percentages, graphs, and measurable goal criteria. We also separate a common confusion point: report card grades versus IEP goal progress. Grades reflect performance in the curriculum, often shaped by accommodations and modifications, while IEP progress reports track whether specially designed instruction is moving the needle on the goals that matter most. Finally, we talk about what to do when data plateaus, the “spidey sense” signs that progress reports are too vague, and why better communication builds trust and stronger outcomes for students. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with another parent or teacher, and leave a review so more families can learn how to ask better questions and get clearer answers. Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

  3. Sep 1

    How to Read Your Child's IEP Like an Advocate | Part 1

    Ever walked out of an IEP meeting with a signed packet in your hand and a knot in your stomach, wondering if you actually made the right call? I get it. The room is full of well-meaning professionals, the conversation moves fast, and the IEP language can feel like a different world. So I’m slowing it down and giving you a simple way to read an Individualized Education Program without drowning in jargon. Dr. Tiffany shares a profound piece of guidance: An IEP should tell one complete story. The beginning is the present levels, the clearest picture of where your child is today based on data. The middle is the annual goals, which should define success in a way you can actually measure and explain to someone at home. The ending is services and supports, the specialized instruction, therapies, accommodations, and teaching that connect directly to the goals. If those chapters don’t connect, your “make it make sense” instinct is worth listening to. You’ll also hear Dr. Tiffany's “spidey sense” checks for common IEP red flags and respectful, high-impact questions that any parent can ask to build real partnership while still advocating hard for what their child needs. Subscribe and share this with a parent who needs it, and leave a review with the question you want answered next. Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

  4. Aug 18

    Ten Back-To-School Conversations That Prepare Kids For The Entire School Year

    Back-to-school prep is everywhere, but most families spend more time picking backpacks than preparing kids for what school actually feels like. I call it the backpack problem, and it’s the reason so many students start the year looking ready, yet feel unready when friendship stress, homework pressure, conflict, and disappointment show up in October. I’m Dr. Tiffany, and I’m sharing 10 back-to-school conversations that help parents, caregivers, and teachers build a stronger foundation for the entire school year. We talk about setting character goals that outlast report cards, defining what respect looks like in real life, and creating a family plan for technology use, media literacy, and fact-checking in a world shaped by AI and endless content. We also talk about why homework belongs to your child and how “productive struggle” builds true learning and confidence when we stop rescuing and start supporting. We go deeper into resilience, choosing healthy friendships, and handling conflict without shame. Then we zoom out to the big relationship that can make or break a year: the parent-teacher partnership. You’ll hear how the language we use at home shapes how kids walk into school, plus how to advocate for your child through informed, collaborative questions instead of confrontation. If this helps you, share it with a parent or teacher you care about, subscribe for season four, and leave a review. Which conversation are you having first? Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

  5. Jun 2

    The YouTube Trap: What Parents Are Missing This Summer

    Your kid taps one harmless video and suddenly an hour disappears into “next up” content you never would have allowed them to watch. Summer break makes that drift even easier, and the platform name does not matter as much as we want it to: YouTube, TikTok, and YouTube Kids all still require active parenting. In this episode, I talk through why only focusing on screen time misses the real issue: What your child is actually watching. We unpack how recommendation algorithms are designed to keep kids hooked, why filters and automated systems cannot catch everything, and how “a distinction without difference” can lull us into lowering our guard. Then I share practical digital parenting steps you can use right away, turning off autoplay, checking watch history, blocking channels, and using parental controls on every device (yes, that part is annoying, and yes, it matters). The most important takeaway is a simple mindset shift: trust but verify. I explain how to teach media literacy for kids with everyday questions about creators, sources, and evidence, plus red flags like extreme language, secret “no one knows this” claims, fear-based content, and too-good-to-be-true giveaways. We also get real about YouTube and TikTok challenges, why kids may copy what they see, and how clear family rules can prevent dangerous choices. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a review so more families can find Tuesday Talks. Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

  6. May 19

    Real Partnership That Creates Real Student Success

    Most of what schools call “partnership” isn’t partnership at all, it’s participation with a nicer name. If you’ve ever shown up to the meetings, answered the emails, tried the strategies, and still watched a child struggle, I want to offer a different lens: the structure around the child may be the real issue, not the effort of one person. We unpack Dr. Tiffany's Student Success Partnership Model, a simple framework built on three pillars: accessibility, authenticity, and accountability. Accessibility asks whether families truly have access to clear information and whether educators have access to the full story of the child, or whether systems stay confusing on purpose through jargon, timelines, and paperwork. Authenticity asks whether we can speak honestly or whether we are just performing roles in polished meetings that feel “fine” but change nothing. Accountability asks the question that turns talk into progress: what are we doing about it, who is committing to what, and how will we follow through without sliding into blame. You’ll hear real-world examples, the predictable patterns that show up when one pillar is missing, and the shift that changes everything: stop asking who failed, and start asking what’s missing from the partnership. If you care about student success, family engagement that actually works, and healthier school-home collaboration, this conversation will give you language and next steps. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a parent or teacher who needs it, and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so more people can find Tuesday Talks. Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

  7. May 5

    If You Could Choose Any School… What Would You Choose?

    Most families don’t pick a school, they inherit it. We enroll where the boundary lines tell us to enroll, then we try to make our child fit the system even when the system does not fit our child. I want to flip that script and start with a simpler, more powerful question: what environment helps my child learn best? We walk through the real-world pros and cons of today’s education options, including traditional public school, private school, micro schools, self-directed learning, online and virtual school, homeschooling, Montessori and mixed-age classrooms, and performing arts schools. You’ll hear what each model tends to do well, where families get surprised, and the practical “fit” questions that matter most: structure versus flexibility, pacing, social overwhelm, hands-on learning, access to services, executive functioning demands, and how much parent involvement a choice truly requires. The takeaway is not that one model wins, but that every model carries a philosophy, and alignment is often the difference between thriving and merely surviving. I also don’t leave teachers out. When educators feel matched to their environment, students feel it too, and when the match is off, everyone pays the price. If you’ve been wondering whether a change would help your child, or you simply want to advocate with more clarity, this conversation will give you language, options, and confidence to explore what’s possible. Subscribe for more Tuesday Talks, share this with a parent or teacher who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway or the school model you’re considering next. Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

  8. Apr 21

    From Cries to First Words: Building Speech & Language from Day One

    Your baby is communicating right now, even if you haven’t heard a single “real” word yet. This week, Dr. Tiffany walks through what infant speech and language development actually looks like from birth to 12 months, so you can stop guessing and start noticing the small signals that matter: crying patterns, eye contact, cooing, babbling, name response, gestures, imitation, and those first emerging words. We break the milestones into clear age ranges (0 to 3 months, 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 12) and connect each stage to the bigger picture of school readiness. Then we get practical with simple, play-based strategies that fit into real life. Dr. Tiffany also speak directly to daycare providers with easy ways to create language-rich routines and reduce passive time. If you’re worried, we cover red flags worth bringing to a pediatrician, and why early support makes a big difference. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a parent or childcare friend, and leave a review so more families can find these milestones and tools. Tuesday Talks—Real conversations sparking real change in education. Links to all episodes ➡️ https://linktr.ee/drtiffanyslp Like, comment, subscribe & share! Connect with us via email  at info@ourwordsmatterllc.com! Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents. Book Dr. Tiffany as a speaker for your teachers, parent groups and professional development sessions! Visit: www.OurWordsMatterConsulting.com

See All (97)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Join me for weekly discussions about ALL things education...from preschool through high school! As a mom, Speech Language Pathologist, and educator, I share my personal experiences related to each week's topic in relatable and informative ways.  My message about education is powerful: Reflecting on what is and making waves to cause change!

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Tiffany
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tuesday Talks!
  • Show Website
    Tuesday Talks!