School psychologist. A term I have always known my entire lifetime, but now when trying to pursue this profession I have come into more contact with people who really don’t understand what a school psychologist actually does. Being a female in my mid-twenties, the constant question I am always asked is “What are you getting your master’s in?” or “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I have always responded, “I’m getting my master’s in School Psychology. I want to be a School Psychologist.” Everyone usually shakes their heads and goes, “Cool, that awesome.” But it is interesting; no one really has asked me for further details of what a school psychologist actually does and if I do get that one person to ask me further they say, “Oh you counsel and do an intelligent assessment. That’s pretty cool.” Not only are these statements frustrating and at times quite uninformed, it really discourages people to pursue professions in the educational field and also in the field of psychology. The educational and psychology fields really do get a bad “rap.” Many people think it is “taking the easy way out” especially when the general public looks at the school year riddled with days off in the form of weekends, holidays, and summers off. Unfortunately, this is when the term ignorance is bliss comes into play.
Being a school psychologist not only requires psychological training but also calls for extensive knowledge in the educational realm. A school psychologist is one of the main foundations of keeping a school system running smoothly. Now you may be thinking, “Hmm… okay, they help kids. Cool sounds neat.” School psychologists help not only students but also faculty members and parents. A school psychologist is a uniquely qualified member of a school whose main roles are to support student and teachers with the multiple facets utilized within their training. The goal is to provide supports with their expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior. The school psychologist’s focus for students is to help them be successful academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. A similar approach is taken for the educator; to provide them with the best tools and guidance to teach their students to be successful, well-rounded individuals.
School psychologists are the masterminds of time management. You would never know it, but behind their office doors, they work their magic helping not only to improve the success of the students but also the success of the school and the education programs it provides. School psychologists not only counsel students and give assessments. Here is just the shorter version of what a school psychologist does in a day; crisis intervention, behavior plans, counseling sessions, teacher consultation, parent meeting, data collection, and so much more! This does not even include RTI meetings or the academic, cognitive, and social-emotional assessments that are included in the job description.
So I am throwing out all these terms of what school
psychologists do but not really explaining what a school psychologist does. A
school psychologist is everyone’s “go-to person”. If a student is struggling
academically, the teacher will counsel through the “teacher consultation
process” and this is where the school psychologist will intervene in many
different ways. This can include researching, observing the child, providing a
intervention to help improve the child’s academic skills, collecting data to
see if the intervention is being effective, calling the parents and having a
meeting to build a home-school relationship and providing any other support the
teacher and child may need to make sure that student is provided with the best
opportunity to learn and achieve.
How about a child who may be acting out in class, is not at ease with oneself and is performing below their abilities? A school psychologist would step in to provide any social-emotional support they can. This would include speaking with teachers, the student’s parents and the faculty and staff to provide the safest and comfortable environment to help this student grow not only academically but emotionally. School psychologists also provide training to help faculty improve their skills as educators and also provide preventive services for students such as bullying for example. I could go on and on about the millions of scenarios that school psychologists do each and every day.
School psychologists are not just “testing machine.” We just don’t test, go to Committee on Special Education (CSE) meetings, classify and declassify students, or write Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIPS). We support. The emphasis on the word support is what should be duly noted here. School psychologists provide support for everyone in and involved at the school. They’re selfless human beings. They want students to succeed. They want to empower students to not only look at themselves as students but as contributors to society. We don’t realize while we personally are going through it, but our K-12 education truly impacts and molds us into the people we are today. If it weren’t for the basic skills, the life lessons, and learning what one’s true interests are, one would not have a clear direction or career path to follow. School psychologists most often ask students, “What do you want to be to be when you grow up?” The reason for this is that they do not want to shut down any student’s passions, goals, or dreams but instead help guide these students towards accomplishing their goals. School psychologists are the number one supporters of students. They tend to be the least judgmental where students are the concern. They will do anything in their power to provide any necessary tools or guidance for their students. At times parents, faculty, administration, and teachers need to be reminded that the student’s overall well-being is what comes first and the focus and effort should be to provide the safest, effective, and comfortable environment for them to succeed.
School psychologists truly do not get enough credit for everything they do and I am not saying this in bias. I saying this because school psychologists don’t go into this profession for just the money, the title, or for feeling they’re “truly making a difference”. School psychologists go into this profession because they are generally truly selfless human beings with realistic expectations of the world. They know they cannot fix everyone’s problem but they will make damn sure to give it everything they got. They go into this profession not to “save” students but to be an advocate for children. They go into this profession knowing it is not an easy job, but a worthwhile career that can facilitate positive changes in a child as well as the school environment. Thanks for reading and Go thank your School Psychologist. Happy National School Psychology Awareness Week!
No comments
Post a Comment