A Nation in Mourning- Sandy Hook Elementary School

Like most of you, I was deeply saddened by the news yesterday regarding a mass school shooting in Newtown, CT at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It was beyond shocking to hear about the number of people killed and to later find out that most of the fatalities were children in grades K-4. Tears streamed down my face as President Obama addressed the nation and was clearly just as overwhelmed as we all were regarding this tragedy.

Now we're hearing about the heroic stories of the victims, teachers and administrators, who risked their lives to save their students....who unfortunately did not all make it out alive. Among them was our fellow colleague, Mary Sherlach, a School Psychologist who had worked in Connecticut school systems for over 20 years. Mrs. Sherlach rushed into the halls when the shooting started during an administrative meeting and didn't come back. She leaves behind a husband and 2 daughters.

While many of us will never encounter the horror of an armed assailant entering the schools we work in, we do have the capacity to affect change to help prevent these acts of violence. The discussion I heard today throughout the media was the need for better gun control and also an emphasis on mental health. As School Psychologists, we have the ability to shed light on these issues and create positive change in our schools. My colleague mentioned that more of us need to build our expertise beyond testing and I absolutely agree. The benefit of having a degree in this field and that we are multi-faceted. Our profession is not grounded in testing and RTI, we have a duty to serve our students, to help our administrators create a safer school environment, and to support our community. If anything positive came out of these events is that I am more inspired than ever to be a catalyst for change in whatever district I work in.

This was the worst school shooting in history, surpassing Columbine's numbers in 1999 of 14 students (including the shooters) and one teacher killed. As this community slowly begins to pick up the pieces, I hope that the issues surrounding it are not swept under the rug. Mass shootings are becoming an all too common news topic and this needs to change. Yesterday, I called my little brother to make sure he was OK and had made it home from school, he told me he was fine and said 'Kim, that happened in Connecticut...I'm good' and I think that's what is so scary. This could have happened ANYWHERE. What can we do in our communities so that this doesn't happen at all? You can be sure Monday morning in school districts across the nation, Crisis Management and Threat Assessment will be a the main topic.

I tweeted yesterday that 'As a future School Psychologist, I don't even know where I'd begin to help these children cope' and today I still feel the same. At this point no one has the answers but I hope that we can come together, no matter what our beliefs are, and work to find a solution that will protect our children AND our educators. My father questioned my decision to go into this profession as we were watching the news together on the phone, I honestly never thought going into the field of education would bring about such a question. I wish you all the best in this time of grief and sadness and whoever or whatever you pray to, send your thoughts to Newtown in their time of need.

CNN Article on School Psychologist- Mary Sherlach

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope that each of you are with family and friends today and get to relax from the pressures of school/work. I read an article on my flight yesterday for school but as soon as I stepped off I told myself that this TRULY needs to be a break!

In addition to being thankful for family and all that good stuff, I am so thankful that I now have all 3 of my cases for this semester and it only took about 3 months [insert annoyed face here] but nonetheless I'm excited! I'm working with a Pre-K teacher for consultation, a girl who is suspected of having some mental disorder (runs in her family) for social/emotional and I have a social skills counseling group which is umm interesting to say the least....

I'm just thankful that I'm actually starting to feel like a school psychologist again, reading about the profession and not applying any of it really took the joy out of being in grad school (what little joy there is).

I am also thankful for all of you! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blog and comments either online or in-person! It means a lot that you're getting something out of this because I am too :-) So, Happy Belated School Psych Awareness week, Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Black Friday shopping! My fortune cookie last night said 'Impulsivity when it comes to money is not in your nature' I'm taking that as a sign that it's OK to splurge , just this once (bad logic but who cares!) SAFE TRAVELS!

Solidarity at its FINEST

Last week I had the pleasure of attending two conferences both in Orlando and Atlanta. There were a lot of great sessions that went on including:

-ClayBUS: A Locally Developed Universal Screener for Behavior
-Private Practice Opportunities
-Exercise and Children's Academic, Cognitive, and Behavioral Outcomes: Meta-Analysis
-Reading in Motion: A New Intervention for Struggling Early Readers
-Tools for School Success: Parent Education Program
-The Who, Why, and How's of Serving LGBTQ Students
-Communicating and Collaborating with Health Professionals to Promote Student Success

I'm so proud of my cohort members who presented at FASP. They all did a fabulous job and represented our program well. Seems like just yesterday we didn't have a clue! :-D

-Substance Use Disorders in Men & Boys of African Descent
          *This presentation was especially interesting, as soon as I get a copy of the powerpoint from the presenter, Dr. Nzingha Harrison I'll be sure to post some of the topics she discussed as well as images of the brain on, and off drugs as well as an image that shows even after 20 years of non-drug use...images of cocaine light up an area in the brain called the Amygdala (really fascinating to look at)

The conference in Atlanta was really good, although I couldn't stay for the entire time, the luncheon shed some light on somethings that we as Psychologists should be aware of in our practice. What stuck out to me the most was the point that we are here to serve our clients and our upmost priority should be What do THEY need. It's important not to push our own goals for a student on them but to work in a way that will best help THEM  and get them to where they want to be too. As practitioners it can be easy to assume that we know everything and because we read this book we know about every plight a certain group is going or has gone through. That can't be farther from the truth. My colleague told me the presenter in the session she attended said "If you know everything, you might as well just go die." After laughing hysterically, when you think about that, it makes sense. Presuming you know everything and you have all the answers leaves no room for further development, or acknowledgement that you just might not have the right answer. I hope to always stay on a path of learning and that none of us every presume to know everything....it will only hurt our students and families we serve.

On another note, this week I was so stressed because it's November and I had YET to start practicum. I had to make some rearrangements to my data collection schedule so I could go yesterday and I was going to have to speak with my boss at the hospital about rearranging my hours too. Driving 45 minutes 2-3x a week was just not going to fit into my already hectic schedule. Naturally, I was freaking out. I'm applying for internship in January, I do not want to have a number of 'Incompletes' on my transcript, and I definitely did not want to give up my Winter break working on reports.

Thankfully I have an amazing cohort who saw my pain and frustration and one of them asked their supervisor, who is a part of a private practice, if they could take me on so that I'm here within the county. She agreed!!!!!!! So now I have a new practicum site, don't have to drive 45 minutes, it's a private practice-something I'm really interested in, and there are cases waiting for me right away! This definitely lifted a HUGE weight off of my shoulders and I'm just so grateful that I have such an amazing group of people around me! Our cohort's motto is 'Solidarity'.....well this is that at it's finest :-) I owe her dinner for a month!

Tomorrow's Just A Day Away

I've been infrequent with posts because next week I will be attending two conferences so I'm going to be posting like crazy about all of the information I get at each session...so I decided to give you a break :) I will be attending the Florida Association of School Psychologists Conference in Orlando, FL and the Atlanta Association of Black Psychologists Symposium on Evidence-based Clinical and Educational Interventions for Men and Boys of African Descent in Atlanta, GA. I'm really excited about the opportunities to gain new knowledge and network with professionals in the field of Psychology! I'm even more excited because a trip to Atlanta means a trip home to see my family!

In terms of practicum, I'm still waiting in the wind because my assigned supervisor is moving to Virginia to accept a position at Quantico, a military base in the northern part of the state. What's funny about that is my Dad was stationed there when I was younger so I grew up in that area. It's unfortunate that she got this position now though because she seems like she would have been a great person to learn from and observe since she has been in the county for over 15 years. It's also unfortunate because yet again I'm delayed in starting my cases. And with these conferences next week and the election right after that (I'm working at the polls), who knows when I'll start.....but my professors are being really flexible about turning in my reports so I'll just do the best that I can. As far as working as a School Psychologists on military bases, it's definitely worth looking into. It's a very decent salary and it has to be truly rewarding to serve the students of those who serve our country. If you'd like more information go to https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/314823800 for a job summary and qualification info.

On another note, today I had the pleasure of sitting in on a roundtable discussion with Zeus Leonardo. He is an associate professor at the Berkeley Graduate School of Education and has written numerous publications on critical social thought in education with a focus on the relationship between schooling and social constructs such as race, culture, class and gender. Specifically he focuses on issues around race, class, whiteness and education. One of my colleagues asked a great question regarding what educators can do to apply the principles he highlighted in his article in classrooms and schools. His response was we should work to "denaturalize racial groupings" and not accept them as the norm. He also stated that while it is important to teach kids about racial structure we have to also help them to develop ambivalence towards race. It was a really insightful discussion and I definitely encourage you to read his most recent article "The Race for Class: Reflections on a Critical Raceclass Theory of Education" (2012) and yes, raceclass is one word.

One thing he said that really stuck out to me was that "If we can't stand talking about [race], how are we gonna fix it." And so I hope that in reading this article you have the courage to delve deeper in the literature, to ask questions, and to facilitate discussion amongst your peers. As future educators, we will have a direct impact of the next generation and what we do today will influence a number of people's tomorrows.  We don't want to see this problem perpetuated forever, so in the words of Miguel "Tomorrow isn't promised, what's the fun in forever? Thank goodness that tomorrow's just a day away...."

Rafts Away!!

This past weekend I had the wonderful experience of going white water rafting for the first time on the Ocoee river. It was an amazing experience and I had a lot of fun with my friends tackling the water and rowing away. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I was scared though. First off, I don't know how to swim, second, the rocks were the size of small islands, and third, I can't swim (I had a traumatic experience with an evil swim instructor as a child....don't judge me).

It took a lot to get out of the mind set that something bad was going to happen to me and that I couldn't do it and today in class we touched on that. A member of my cohort did a presentation on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and started off with a quote by Buddha: "What we think, we become." This is an important point in my opinion especially working with youth. This counseling theory focuses on attitudes and beliefs and addressing irrational thoughts with the client. While we should identify these problems with our clients it will be important to address them in ourselves as well.

Our feelings and thoughts could be clouded by irrational beliefs that need to be confronted head on so that we can support the students we serve. Is it really that important to be liked by EVERY teacher or if an intervention you recommended is unsuccessful, are you a failure as a School Psychologist? Just like we would tell a student that these thoughts are untrue we must recognize those thoughts in ourselves.

That's what I did on my rafting trip. I told myself I could do it, that there were people there to support me if anything happened, and most important, I wasn't going to die....and I have to say I had a great time going down the rapids! If you think you can do something, you can do it!

 

That's me on the back right with my hand up :)

Interviewing 101

I feel at this point in my career and probably yours too, you know the basic do's and don'ts of interviewing, but I felt the need to touch on this subject because of the poor choices I witnessed people make this week and it fits since I have an interview coming up myself  :)

While I was sitting at the reception desk earlier this week at one of my jobs a young lady came up and asked to speak to the person she was interviewing with. She didn't address them as Ms. or Mr,. she just said their first name and she didn't tell me she was there for an interview either. On top of that she had on a short little polka dot dress, which don't get me wrong was cute, but not interview attire.

So my first tidbit is to dress the part. You should at the very least be business casual for an interview but if they specify otherwise, adhere to that. Don't overdue makeup, wear shoes you can't walk in comfortably or draw any unnecessary attention to your appearance. You want them to focus on what you're saying during the interview, not those huge earrings in your ears. It'll distract them from important points you may be making.

With everyone you meet, you should be friendly with and maintain a pleasant demeanor (I think this should be a part of your everyday life but that's all on you LOL). The young lady who came to my desk in my previous example wasn't rude but I also had no idea why she was there. Provide specific information if possible and address people as Mr. or Ms., call me old-fashioned but if you don't know the person yet, I wouldn't refer to them by their first name. Plus at other jobs I've had, even though I was not the one making the decision about whether to hire someone, my opinion was asked of. You never know who you're talking to and how they can impact your potential position.

Piggy-backing off 'know who you're talking to', make sure you do your research. Employers are impressed when you know their background and have some idea of what you're getting into. You also don't want to say the wrong thing. My professor gave a great example of this referring to a student interviewing for internship. She told the committee she did not approve of projective tests, one of the people on the committee was a huge advocate for the use of projective tests, so clearly he approved and in turn she was not offered a position at that site.

In sum, look the part, know your stuff, and know that when you're there, EVERYONE is interviewing you. Even when you're with the people who you're interviewing with,  how you're interacting with others may be evaluated. If you keep these simple tips in mind, you'll be good to go!

First Day of School!

First day of classes started today and thankfully I'm not as overwhelmed as I anticipated. It's probably because I haven't really slowed down yet today to think about the workload I'm about to accumulate. I have a HUGE new planner though so hopefully that will give me the illusion that my life is in order.

I have to get up super early tomorrow morning but I wanted to make sure I shared two really interesting things that I saw today. One is about perspective. In every aspect of our lives but especially working with children in the school system, it is important to look at problems from every possible angle. It's easy to get comfortable in a role and a way of doing things and not consider if the best option is the one that's chosen. My professor showed us some artwork from a 3-D chalk artist by the name of Julian Beever. If you look at this first picture, you can't tell what the picture is, but if you come at it a different way....WOW!

Even if you think you see the whole picture, there could be an even better view if you just change directions a bit.

And this video is something another one of my professor's shared that an IT person made to show teachers and principals that data doesn't have to be intimidating. We all got a BIG laugh out of this, hope you do too!

Click this link to see more artwork from Julian Beever! Great stuff!

It's All Good!

I am currently a research assistant for an early childhood study and we have been doing constant trainings and observations in pre-k classrooms around campus in order to meet reliability standards. I can honestly say that I am getting such wonderful experience and insight into early childhood, an area I didn't really think I had an interest in. It is definitely A LOT of work though, but it makes you appreciate how much it takes to conduct a research study.

Since I joined the study in mid-July I have been in seven meetings, eight trainings, and five observations with more to come. None of that includes scoring the measures afterwards, studying the manuals, and watching 'take-home' videos to practice either. Everything is always two hours or more so you can see how in-depth this is and I'm just a data collector! I salute everyone who is working on this study because it's clear that we ALL work hard and it'll be great when we start collecting data and getting results.

I have noticed that my observations skills are getting much better, especially considering that I've never been in a pre-k classroom to observe before. Although I have to admit that I did get a little discouraged today that I still haven't met reliability on one of the measures. Of course it's the one that I don't like and I'm sure that plays a role but it was disheartening all the same. But then I remembered a story I heard while observing one of the classrooms.

It's call "Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes." Pete was walking down the street in his new shoes and kept stepping in things like blueberries and mud that made his shoes change colors. He didn't get mad though, no matter what color his shoes were "he just kept movin' and groovin' and singing his song...because it's all good!"

Even though it's a kids story it's definitely something I want to keep in mind this semester. No matter how much is going on, or what I step in...it's all good! Yes, this has been a tremendous amount of work and time but I have learned so much in such a short period that will help me in School Psychology. This semester is said to be the toughest in my program but if I focus on the bigger picture and don't get bogged down by the little things that will undoubtedly pop up...it's all good! So when you're having a rough day or you just don't know how you're going to get everything done, just think about Pete the Cat and smile because it's all good :)

Medicating our Youth

I got a suprise skype call from my former tutee last night. I tutored her my first semester in grad school and unfortunately had to stop due to my class schedule. She has ADHD and like most children who are diagnosed, she often lost focus in the classroom and when completing homework. I often found it difficult to keep her on track and not rush to finish an assignment but actually think about how she was solving a problem. She happily reported to me last night though that she is on a new medication that is much better for her and how she is much more organized (she showed me her super clean closet to prove it LOL) and is doing much better in school. I am so proud of the progress she has made but it also made me think about the issue of medicating our youth.

As a future school psychologist, I know this is undoubtly an issue that will come up on a regular basis. According to a recent article I read, "Between the years 1994 and 2001, there was a 191.7% increase in number of office visits resulting in a psychotropic medication prescription among children and adolescents" (Thomas, Conrad, Casler, & Goodman, 2006). One of the things that struck me the most about this article and that I appreciated was the call for School Psychologists to be informed about commonly prescribed medications. Since we often serve as the advocates for students, we should have a solid knowledge base to better inform administrators, teachers and parents. Personally, I would like to see some type of course or training offered in School Psychology programs, even at the Master's and Specialist level, so that we are more familiar with these issues when we work in the schools.

I honestly would not like to have the responsibility of prescribing medication to children because there are so many side effects and adverse reactions that can arise. There are many psychologists (in general) though who are working to make this option available for licensed psychologists. What are your thoughts though? How do you feel about the increasing prevalence of presciptions being issued to children? What can we as School Psychologists do to be more informed in this process? Would you like to be able to prescribe medications in your practice? Go on, comment :)


You can access the article I mentioned by Jeffrey D. Shahidullah by clicking here: http://www.nasponline.org/publications/cq/40/8/off-label.aspx NASP membership is required to access it.

Wait, school starts when?!?

As hard as it is to believe, the Fall semester is quickly approaching. Summer just seems to go by faster and faster but I guess I shouldn't complain, some kids are already back in school I noticed on my recent trip home to Atlanta. With the start of the new semester comes all of the little nuances that we've all tried not to think about. Books, membership fees, liability insurance, and who knows where my stopwatch is. Even though none of these things are the glamorous part of being a graduate student (idk if there is a glamorous side but that's another topic) they are important to remember and take care of before the hustle and bustle of classes, and everything that comes with it, sets in. So here is my handy guide on things you can do before the semester starts so the first few weeks of school can be spent enjoying the 50 page articles your professor assigns and not these frivolous, yet mandatory requirements.

1) Books- Check your schedule and see if there is a link to textbooks for your courses, the earlier you do this the better to insure you have time to research where the best prices are (amazon, chegg, school bookstore) and get it shipped in time before you start getting assigned readings. Check your school library as well, sometimes your textbook is right on the shelf- free of charge.

2) Membership Fees- Are you required to join your state association, NASP or APA? If not, it's great to keep that $120-150 in your pocket for other expenses but membership usually allows access to a number of great resources to be used throughout the year. In addition, if you're going to any of their conferences, membership will usually mean a cheaper registration fee.

3) Liability Insurance- If you're going to be working in the schools this year for practicum or internship, liability insurance is a must. The cost is usually only around $20-25 and membership in one of the organizations listed above will also have discounts for their members with certain companies. After joining NASP or your state association, research what they offer. Take advantage of that membership!

4) Confidentiality Training- Does your program require you to complete any trainings and turn in a certificate to be put on file? HIPPA Training is required for my program, it takes an hour to complete and is SOOOOOOO boring but it's mandatory. Get this done and out of the way now if it's offered through your University's privacy office. One less thing to do!

5) Travel Grants- Sure that conference isn't for another 3 months, but if you're looking for a travel award or grant from your department or graduate student council, the application may be open now. Look into dates and start estimating costs. When financial aid comes through, put money aside for upcoming conferences or events that will bring a lot of expenses. Planning ahead will save you in the long run.

6) Financial Aid- Speaking of financial aid, make sure all of your affairs are in order BEFORE everyone comes back to school and you're waiting an hour in line to speak to someone. Is that waiver listed on your awards summary, is there a loan you don't need, look at this now so there are no surprises. Also check your schedule to make sure you're registered for the right courses, especially if someone does that part for you. We all make mistakes!

7) School Supplies- Clipboard to hide your protocol, user friendly stopwatch (who knows how to use a sports one?), pencils galore. Stock up now while there are back to school sales galore.

Just a few things to consider to make your life a bit easier as the start of the semester comes along. Hopefully it'll make your first few weeks that much less stressful :)