A Day in the Life of a School Psychologist
I find that many people do not really understand the role of a school psychologist. Even my own mother thinks I mostly conduct psychological evaluations for special education programs. Some people believe we are kind of like school counselors and see kids for individual and group sessions all day. The truth is that we can serve both of those functions and much more. To explain the various roles of a school psychologist, it might be helpful to walk you through a fairly typical day. School psychologists find it difficult to keep a regular schedule because you never know when you will be needed. Since most of us serve three to four schools, we have to be available to many people, sometimes all in the same day. Fortunately, all of our days are not quite this hectic but this one gives you an idea of the various activities we do.
7:20-Arrive at one of my schools, turn on computer, return emails, check schedule
7:50-A teacher stops by to ask about a student I'm evaluating
8:10-The Speech-Pathologist stops by to discuss how to best meet the academic needs of one of her students
8:30-Return a call to a parent who is concerned about her child's inattention in class
9:00-Classroom observation of a student having behavior problems (we often observe students in order to offer strategies and support to teachers)
9:30-Start a psychological evaluation of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
10:30-Student takes a bathroom break and I check email. Have an emergency request from a school counselor to help with a suicide assessment. We work with school counselors and school social workers to assess students who have made a direct or indirect threat about harming themselves.
10:35-Student returns to class so that I can call my other school. The school counselor and I are able to discuss the best course of action and the assessment is completed by the counselors at the school.
11:00-See a third grade student to assess skills in basic reading and reading fluency
12:00-Return a phone call and check emails
12:15-Meet with a teacher, school counselor, and school social worker to complete a functional behavior assessment (FBA). FBAs are completed to determine the function of a student's behavior when classroom strategies have not been effective. That information is then used to develop a behavior intervention plan.
1:30-Parent meeting to explain the results of a psychological evaluation completed with their child
2:45-Receive a phone call from a private psychologist who is working with a student at one of my schools. With parent permission, we can collaborate with outside agencies to develop the best support for students.
3:05-Attend an Intervention Support Team meeting. I attend 3-4 of these meetings a week between my four schools. These meetings are held with a team of teachers and specialists to develop plans for students who are struggling academically or behaviorally.
5:00-Head out for the day. I'm hungry! Didn't get to lunch yet....
The week of November 14-18 is School Psychology Awareness Week. Be sure to check out the blog that week for all kinds of information about our role and function. You'll learn about a day in the life of another WS/FCS school psychologist. Although we engage in many of the same activities on a day to day basis, we have different specialty areas and interests.
7:20-Arrive at one of my schools, turn on computer, return emails, check schedule
7:50-A teacher stops by to ask about a student I'm evaluating
8:10-The Speech-Pathologist stops by to discuss how to best meet the academic needs of one of her students
8:30-Return a call to a parent who is concerned about her child's inattention in class
9:00-Classroom observation of a student having behavior problems (we often observe students in order to offer strategies and support to teachers)
9:30-Start a psychological evaluation of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
10:30-Student takes a bathroom break and I check email. Have an emergency request from a school counselor to help with a suicide assessment. We work with school counselors and school social workers to assess students who have made a direct or indirect threat about harming themselves.
10:35-Student returns to class so that I can call my other school. The school counselor and I are able to discuss the best course of action and the assessment is completed by the counselors at the school.
11:00-See a third grade student to assess skills in basic reading and reading fluency
12:00-Return a phone call and check emails
12:15-Meet with a teacher, school counselor, and school social worker to complete a functional behavior assessment (FBA). FBAs are completed to determine the function of a student's behavior when classroom strategies have not been effective. That information is then used to develop a behavior intervention plan.
1:30-Parent meeting to explain the results of a psychological evaluation completed with their child
2:45-Receive a phone call from a private psychologist who is working with a student at one of my schools. With parent permission, we can collaborate with outside agencies to develop the best support for students.
3:05-Attend an Intervention Support Team meeting. I attend 3-4 of these meetings a week between my four schools. These meetings are held with a team of teachers and specialists to develop plans for students who are struggling academically or behaviorally.
5:00-Head out for the day. I'm hungry! Didn't get to lunch yet....
The week of November 14-18 is School Psychology Awareness Week. Be sure to check out the blog that week for all kinds of information about our role and function. You'll learn about a day in the life of another WS/FCS school psychologist. Although we engage in many of the same activities on a day to day basis, we have different specialty areas and interests.
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