A school psychologist is an expert who understands child psychology and its effects on the learning and behavior of young children and adolescents. Schools can hire psychologists to evaluate students’ learning ability, intelligence, and personal development. In addition, they are consulted to diagnose learning disabilities. Psychologists may take part in behavioral mediation or provide counseling to children who may be experiencing emotional distress. When dealing with behavioral or academic issues, psychologists often counsel students teachers, and parents.
Overview
Education is a crucial component of the human experience, and so is psychology. They go hand in hand, and both have profound effects on our society. Firstly, school psychologists are there to facilitate this relationship between education and psychology. School psychologists work in schools from kindergarten through 12th grade to assess a child’s psychological and emotional well-being, as well as their academic performance. To sum up, a typical day for a school psychologist could include meeting with teachers to discuss students who might struggle in school or have emotional issues. In addition, they might hold group sessions with students and design learning plans for students with behavioral and emotional problems.
Responsibilities
- Carry out mental health education for all students, so that students can continuously and correctly understand themselves.
- Strengthen the abilities of students to regulate themselves, withstand setbacks, and adapt to the environment.
- Cultivate students’ healthy personalities and good individual psychological quality.
- Provide scientific and effective psychological counseling
- Counseling a small number of students with psychological distress or psychological obstacles.
- Uses the most effective diagnostic methods to establish the reasons for the failure and indiscipline of students,
- To establish the reasons for violations of interpersonal relationships between students and peers to provide timely psychological assistance and support;
- Conducts an in-depth psychological examination of students.
- Carries out the necessary psycho correctional work.
- Predicts and supports the development of individual and creative abilities of students.
- Consults school administration, teachers, parents of students on the problems of teaching and upbringing of children.
- Prepares the necessary information for the pedagogical council and resolves the main problems associated with ensuring an individual approach to students.
- Conducts psychological work with teachers (seminars, training, methodological studies).
- Works in close contact with class teachers, social educators, speech therapists, school administration.
- Promotes psychological and pedagogical knowledge among students’ parents (school-wide and class parent meetings).
- Responsible for the safety of the documentation and equipment of the school psychological office, and ensuring its correct use.
- Carries out the accounting of the results of psycho-long-pedagogical work in strict accordance with the forms established by the scientific and methodological centers of the school psychological service.
Basic Guiding Ideology
School psychologists conduct individual and group consultations for students on issues of education, the culture of mental work, development, self-determination, self-education, vocational guidance and relationships with adults and peers. Together with teachers, they develop a program of individual work with students to ensure their full inclusion in educational activities. Similarly, they oversee a student’s progress when studying at a new school stage. At the request of courts, the police, the guardianship and guardianship authorities and the commission on juvenile affairs, school psychologists conduct a psychological examination of the child’s mental state and the conditions of family upbringing, for instance.
Education
School psychologists must be licensed in the state or jurisdiction where they work. For example, licensure typically requires a master’s degree, completing a training program that includes 2,000 to 2,500 hours of supervised applied experience and passing a comprehensive examination. Other degrees are education specialist degrees (Ed.S.) and doctoral degrees (Ph.D. or Psy.D.). However, the school psychologist’s licensure depends on state and local regulations.
License
Most states require licensure for practicing psychologists and those practicing independently. In all states, licensing laws vary by a psychologist’s position, education level, and supervised experience. Most clinical or counseling psychologists need a doctorate in psychology and an internship. They also must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
Employment
The demand for school psychologists will continue to grow due to the acceleration in awareness of mental health and learning. These workers are needed to help students whose educational, behavioral, or developmental issues impact their ability to learn. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists experienced an increase in demand because many people were looking for help with their mental health.
Salary
School psychologists earn an average annual salary of $79,820. Psychologists employed in private practice can choose the hours they work. Meanwhile, independent consultants may work evenings or weekends to accommodate clients.
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