Hi all!

I’ve been in a funk lately with the usual March madness and dealing with the School Psych Mom pandemic life.  I’m going to try to share more on the blog, starting with some quick, hopefully, helpful posts.  This week I thought I’d start with a question I get a lot…I’m thinking of pursuing School Psych…how will know it’s right for me?

I spent a few years after undergrad figuring out what wasn’t for me, so here are 5 signs School Psychology might be the right fit for you!

• You like to work with children:  Okay, this might seem like an obvious one, but, you’d be surprised that there are people who work in schools who don’t enjoy working and playing with children.  Kids are excellent at sensing who is on their side and who isn’t, so make sure you are in it for the kids/teens!

• You are calm in chaos:  One of the greatest comments I get from teachers and staff is that through almost anything, I can remain calm.  Tearful parents, frustrated teachers, aggressive students or thrown objects, we have to be the voice of calm and reason.  It’s not easy, but it is essential for the job.

• You like to problem solve:  Sometimes, the role of a School Psych means encountering problems day after day after day after day.  Whole school programs aside, I work with the children who need the most support behaviorally, and that means that I am also the person who people come to when they have a problem they can’t solve.  I used to be really intimidated by this, but I’ve grown to be more comfortable. (see #5)
• You like to write:  I love working with kids.  I love recess duty on a sunny day.  But, I also like the opportunity to hide out in my office and write reports on a Tuesday afternoon.  You will write A LOT as a School Psych, so know that going in to it.
• You are okay with not having all the right answers:  I’m not exaggerating that almost every time I do an Instagram Q&A, someone asks about when they will feel competent as a School Psych, or if I ever feel like I don’t have an answer.  Guys, ALL THE TIME.  But here’s the thing.  Whenever I’m working with other School Psychs or other providers, I always feel the most knowledgeable ones are those who admit that they don’t have all the answers.  Education, psychology and kids are not cut and dry fields.  There are days you will feel on top of the world, and days where you will feel like you don’t know a thing.  No two days are alike, and that’s the beauty of this job.