Psyched About School

Four years ago, someone very dear to me died by suicide.  It was my first real exposure to traumatic grief as a survivor, rather than as a mental health provider, and I consider myself lucky that I made it to that point in life before having that experience.  I immediately did all the things I thought I should do.  I said to myself, "I'm a psychologist; I should know how to navigate this."  I didn't.  I went to counseling.  I read books and articles on grief and loss.  I practiced self-care.  It still sucked. Two years later, I lost my mother to cancer.  I was not much more prepared for loss the second time around.  Again, I went to counseling.  [This seems like a good point to express my sincere gratitude - both personally and professionally - for the exceptional grief support services provided by Trellis Supportive Care .]  I revisited my self-care practices.  And, again, I turned to the internet to find books/articles that might help make sense of things.  That&#

There's so much information coming at us from so many different directions right now.  Not only are we trying to keep up with news about this pandemic and how to keep our families safe, but we're experiencing disruptions to our social lives and our jobs.  The cherry on top of this COVID-19 sundae is that many parents are now being asked to step into what is, for many, a brand new role: distance learning facilitator.  (Make sure you put that on your resumes from now on! 😉)  Parents, students and educators are ALL scrambling to learn new routines and new technologies with very little - if any - warning, guidance or training. Recently, the Twitter feed for @teachergoals.org  posted something that really resonated.  When I feel myself getting overwhelmed by the "tsunami of stuff" coming at from me all directions, I revisit this tweet : Since this blog is written by a bunch of psychologists, it's probably no surprise that student mental health is our passion. 

In case you missed it, three of our W-S/FCS school psychologists - Amy Clay, Abby Flynn and Angela Smith - recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Michael Bragg with the Winston-Salem Journal .  Our Director of Psychological Services, Dr. Corliss Thompson-Drew, also talked with Mr. Bragg.  You can access the Journal article here . We are always pleased to be able to shine a spotlight on the good work being done by our colleagues.  Mr. Bragg did a fantastic job investigating what is happening in other comparable school districts across the state, including Guilford and Charlotte-Mecklenburg.  Even WE were surprised to learn that W-S/FCS has one of the highest numbers of students per school psychologist.   Right now, each of your W-S/FCS School Psychologists is serving about 2,391 students across multiple schools, while the recommended ratio from our National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) is 1 psychologist for every 500 to 700 students.  It's worth noting th

Yesterday, we revisited a previous blog post from 2016 that provides information on  how to help children in times of crisis . As a followup, and in light of the school shooting that just took place in Florida, we also wanted to share with you some recent information on school safety from the U.S. Department of Justice.  A November 2017 document provides a snapshot of research from this full report by the National Institute of Justice on school safety statistics.  Here is an excerpt from the report that we wanted to pass along to our readers: Not only does the report indicate that school crime rates are decreasing, but it provides evidence that school shootings are rare, and that school officials have increased safety measures.  If you'd like to read the rest of this overview on school safety statistics, please click on this link to view  "School Safety: By the Numbers."

I promise no one grows up dreaming of being a school psychologist.  Well, maybe the children of school psychologists do (we actually have a staff member who can vouch for that) but  I know I certainly didn’t.  Something about a car so full of test kits that you can’t fit your groceries in it doesn’t scream “dream job,” but somehow it is.  So what is school psychology?  I would describe school psychology as the perfect marriage between psychology and education.  School psychologists are trained in mental health, child development, learning styles, behavior, and intervention planning.  Sure, we do a lot of assessment, report writing, and paperwork but, believe it or not, all of those things can be fun.  Assessing a child is like putting together a puzzle of how a kid learns best, helping them see their strengths, and identifying where they struggle.  With that in mind, school psychologists assess for a number of academic and behavioral difficulties including learning disabilit

As we all know, October is National Bullying Prevention Month.  Each year, we talk about this topic with our students and discuss ways they can help prevent bullying.  As teachers and support staff, most of us view our role as supporting positive behaviors in students.  But have you ever stopped to think about what each one of us can do with our own actions to foster an environment of kindness in our schools?  When I came across this article from weareteachers.com, I started to think about the powerful role models we are to our students and what a tremendous impact we have on their attitudes and actions. This article gives 49 simple ideas for creating a positive environment in our schools. 49 Ways to Create a Tidal Wave of Kindness in Schools

Did you know the WS/FCS School Psychology Department publishes a newsletter several times a year?  In the current issue, you will meet our interns, learn about which staff members serve on the school psychology leadership collaborative team at the state level, read a re-cap of School Psychology Awareness Week, and meet one of our staff members who has a side gig as a pole vaulting coach.  Check it out at  Psych Speak

Dr. Corliss Thompson Drew- the leader of all of us crazy, passionate and driven people is celebrating 35 years as a School Psychologist this year. When reflecting on the years she remarked that " There are a host of people, a village, that have supported, encouraged, and helped me to get where I am today." With feeling the support of others, Dr. Thompson Drew also wants to support and impact our students. She writes " I feel a responsibility to pay that forward and lend a hand to others. I have been a mentor to high school students for several years and find that I learn as much from them as they do from me. Sometimes it’s challenging but it’s always rewarding, especially when I see them accomplish goals that they set."  When discussing what small steps are needed to change our students lives, she believes forming relationships and having communication with families is key. "   In my career, it has always been important to spend time meeting with and talking

As we close out the 2016 School Psychology Awareness Week, it seems appropriate to re-post a video Dr. Emory did for us last year to celebrate.  We are fortunate to have such a supportive Superintendent in the WS/FCS! 2015 School Psychology Awareness Week Video

Alison Sharp has many insightful experiences with life. As a School Psychologist for 10 years, she offers us a look into how our schools have adapted to our changing world. She believes that a student having their basic needs met (food, clothing, shelter) impacts our students the most. Along with that, she has seen that "p overty and academic standards have both risen.  Students need more support to have their basic needs met to focus on their learning.    A local church has supported my elementary school with a backpack program and has provided our children with warm coats.     Our school has a grant so both breakfast and lunch are provided for free to all students. Teachers are rising to the academic challenge by grouping the kids to provide support, and we have revamped our reading program as well." Along with basic needs being met, she believes that offering students quality interventions to assist them in filling those academic gaps, opens a path for them to be successf

Many thanks to Jennifer Grabski, School Psychologist extraordinaire, along with Chris Runge and Zack "TJ" James, for pulling all of these clips together! The video spotlights many of the things we do and why we do them. School Psychology Awareness Week is all about sharing the things we love about our job with others.  To watch the video, visit School Psychology Awareness Week Video

"After more than thirty years as a school psychologist, some days I feel as if I have more questions than  answers.  While many, many things have changed in schools, some things are still the same.  We aim for success and, like a gardener, we tend our plants, providing all the nutrients that our young kindergarten seedlings need to develop a strong root system.  Sometimes our plants are drowning because of too much water. Some of our plants don't get enough sunlight because they are shaded by the faster growing varieties.  Some plants grow better in bright light, some in sandy soil.  It's a simple analogy.  It could be enlarged to describe the innumerable types of plants, each with their own function and worth: in that way a school  is a  garden with vegetables, flowers, trees, bushes, all valuable in their own way.  When a garden is left to chance, when it is left untended, then its future is doomed.  A plant may be a climber that needs a lattice.  Branches may need pruni

As school psychologists, we have to balance many different roles and functions (see our recent blogs on A Day in the Life of a School Psychologist).  I doubt you could find any school psychologist who went into the field because they love all the paperwork, yet we end up doing massive amounts of it.  Because we care about children and believe in what we are doing, school psychologists have become experts at juggling paperwork and deadlines while still engaging in a variety of activities to support the educational and mental health needs of our students.  To learn more about the hidden talents of school psychologists, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-hidden-talents-of-school-psychologists_us_57957234e4b0e339c23f3390

Alana continues to be a shining light for her schools. She has over 20 years experience as a School Psychologist. When discussing students she feels having positive interactions with students are the best medicine for an ever changing world and a small step we can all take. Here are some of her words of wisdom: "I have seen teachers and staff take time to recognize personal as well as academic achievements of students.  Students thrive with positive interacts with adults.  Small daily recognition of effort, for example, over time tends to produce good relationships among teachers and students.  What may seem like a small step in actuality can be very positively impactful.  This type of recognition happens all of the time in the schools I serve.  Teachers and staff members get to know so many students and use their names when they talk with them.  This has helped to create community and belonging." Thank you Alana for your support and effort to change the world through rec

Patsy Barrett continues to offer insight and wisdom to her schools and colleagues. With 30 years of experience as a School Psychologist she is a valuable resource to us all. She witnesses people making small steps to help shape and change students lives everyday. Over the years, she observed that    "just a simple hug or a smile makes the biggest impact on a students day.  That little thing that makes a student know that you care, that you see them as a person. They will do anything to please you once you touch their hearts." Patsy spends time reaching out to students and touching their hearts, by being a mentor. " I have I     mentored numerous students over the years and enjoy making that connection. I often use this opportunity to reach students on a more personal level and talk to them as a mother would to her child….giving that unconditional love.Student s will test you to see if you are going to leave if they misbehave or fail but when you don’t  you can someti

To continue our goal of increasing awareness of the various roles of school psychologists, I am sharing the second “day in the life” snapshot to give readers another perspective.  Like the first author noted, I find that many people do not understand what we do.  To be fair, roles vary by psychologist and by needs of the different populations we serve, making it hard to define.  My family thinks I do individual counseling sessions all day, often using the phrase, “And how does that make you feel?” :) Truthfully, I’m not sure I’ve asked that question once in my 17 years of practice.  I rarely engage in individual counseling sessions with students – not because I don’t see this is as a need (I DO!), but because it’s hard to commit to this when you serve four schools and may be called away at any time for a crisis.  Fortunately, I work with truly exceptional school counselors and social workers who help support that direct services need.  We school psychologists do LOTS of collaboration

Happy 10 years Sherry Todd in the School Psychology profession. Outside of the day to day assistance she offers teachers, parents and students, Sherry volunteers at a local therapeutic horse riding farm and works with children with special needs. She is also a senior mentor and works one on one with a student to help encourage her to graduate.Sherry believes that confidence is an underlying factor in student success and works with children to achieve this. Thank you for your continued efforts taking small steps to change our students lives!

Sonya Stiles is 15 years veteran to the School Psychology profession. Over her past 15 years of experience she has observed a shift in the complex world our children live in. Family dynamics have changed, heightened sense of peer pressure with social media/technology changes, feeling of isolation and being misunderstood are a few of the issues she has observed. Below is her response to the questions of" what changes and challenges have you observed our students experiencing since you began working?" "The curriculum has moved forward so much over time, with increased academic pressure and evaluations/standards of success.  Classrooms are very busy with a wealth of information that can seem overwhelming at times.  Additionally, students extra curricular lives are not just filled with fun activities anymore, they are instead highly competitive and focused upon success.  While extracurricular activities can be very rewarding and help to develop a social network, they also

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-Th

Emotional and psychological trauma affects so many of our students.  The National Survey of Children's Health reported that 35 million students experience trauma and children of color often experience multiple traumatic events.  We see the effects in classrooms but have difficulty supporting those students because of limited school-based mental health resources.  Few schools have a full-time school psychologist or social worker.  In this article from The Center for American Progress, they described the results of a nationwide analysis of mental health and counseling services in schools.  Nearly every state has limited access to these resources!  Because trauma can contribute to behavior problems and truancy, these students often receive harsh disciplinary measures instead of the mental health intervention they need.  To learn more about the analysis and why we need more school psychologists, social workers, and counselors in our schools, visit https://www.americanprogress.org/iss