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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Summer reading list


Now that I have some time on my hands, I have started to create a summer reading list of school-psychology related books.  These are a just a few that I want to read...

Reading
Reading in the Brain
Stanislas Dehaene

Proust and the Squid:
The Story and Science
of the Reading Brain
Maryanne Wolf
















Assessment
Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment
Flanagan, Ortiz, & Alfonso






















Executive Functioning 

The New Executive Brain:
Frontal Lobes in a Complex World
Elkhonon Goldberg















Mental Health


All We Have to Fear: Psychiatry's Transformation
of Natural Anxieties into Mental Disorders
Horwitz & Wakefield

The Last Normal Child: Essays on the Intersection
of Kids, Culture, and Psychiatric Drugs
Lawrence Diller


























The next two books are for anyone who is starting internship in the fall.  I might save these until fall 2014 when I start internship, but they may be helpful for practicum as well.


Internship

So, You Are a School Psychologist:
Guide for Interns and First Year Psychologists
Jerry Turner 

The School Psychologist's Survival Guide
Rebecca Branstetter


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Celebration Haiku


Well friends, we did it!
Year 1 is done and it’s great
Can’t wait to learn more

There’s a little celebratory school psychology haiku for you.  My cohort and I just completed our first year in the EdS program last night.  Our assessment classes are behind us and we’re ready for a break until August.  While I will not be writing reports or scoring any protocols, I do plan on brushing up on the WISC, WIAT, and other frequently used assessments that my practicum supervisor uses in order to prepare for the fall.  But first…summer time! 

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

My first STEPPS experience


In the EdS program, we have the unique opportunity to demonstrate our knowledge through an experience known as STEPPS.  This is essentially a simulated parent feedback experience in which trained actors pretend to be the parents of a referred child and listen as you explain the results of “your” evaluation.  My first experience with STEPPS was tonight and it was great! 

So the process works like this.  The program coordinator emailed us two evaluation reports two days before our meeting date.  We got the chance to review the reports, take notes, and prepare for our meetings.  We were allotted 45 minutes for the meeting with each parent.  I admit I was a little nervous but I just kept telling myself that I was meeting with an “actor” and that I could act like I knew what I was talking about…

But really, it was a great experience.  I set up an agenda for our meeting and I explained the report results, listened to parent concerns, and discussed what the next step in the evaluation process would be.  I made sure to ask clarifying questions such as, “Does that make sense?” and “Do you have any further questions?” to ensure that the “parent” was following and had an opportunity to be heard.  I even brought out a laminated normal curve to explain standard scores and percentile ranks.  After the meeting, the “parent” left and both the "parent" and I had time to fill out an evaluation of the experience including comments about the flow of the meeting, the connection between the "parent" and I, and how well I incorporated the "parent" concerns into my feedback.  After ten minutes, the “parent” returned and we had a conversation about how we thought the meeting went and whether I could make any improvements.  The feedback that I received was very helpful.  At times, I spoke a little fast which could be interpreted as rushing the meeting.  But I also received feedback that I connected well with the "parents", was empathic to their situation and child, and gave just enough detail about the results without inundating the parent with jargon.

I was videotaped during each session and these tapes will be sent to school psychologists to be reviewed and commented on.  The STEPPS experience will occur again next year and I expect to see improvements in my delivery, approach, and knowledge!

Here are some testimonials from my fellow cohort members about their experiences:

"Enjoy the experience, because it is helpful!" -Ben

"The experience was great.  It was great exposure!" -Eren

"Both of my "parents" were very nice and had helpful feedback.  Great learning experience." -Liz

"Try not to get stressed about it!  The standardized parents/actors were SO nice." -Katie




Monday, May 6, 2013

Great blogs to follow


Happy Monday!  Below are a few blogs that I follow.  I enjoy reading about others’ experiences as teachers and school psychologists and hope to remember all the advice they have so generously given out for free!  It can be helpful to read about another person's similar experiences.  This lets you know that you're not alone in the world of education and can find support online if needed.

Musings of an urban school psychologist: Follow the experience of an early career school psychologist in an urban district in New York state

Burgeoning school psychologist: Thoughts about being a school psychologist as well as book reviews of school psychology-related titles

WrightPsych.com: A wealth of information and opinions from a school psychologist in public school districts in rural Kansas

Notes from the school psychologist: Experiences of a clinical psychologist and licensed educational psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area
                                                                                  
Teacher Lisa’s class: Special education teacher who shares her experiences teaching children with mild to moderate disabilities