You Sit on a Throne of Lies!
It is the time of year in which Christmas movies make their appearance on basically every channel. I couldn’t help but watch, in its entirety, the movie “Elf” starring Will Ferrell. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I enjoy a good stupid movie sometimes. It will not ruin the movie to tell you that […]
Livin’ on the Edge
School psychologists walk the line between being part of a school and being an outsider. Many times, school psychologists have 3-5 schools they are assigned to. Being thought of as a part of a school all depends on how you present yourself to the school and how much you utter the phrase, “I’d love to […]
Behind the Scenes
I watched this mockumentary last night called “Chalk.” It was, I think, supposed to be a comedy. If you work in the schools though, it may hit a little too close to home to be funny! I kept looking at my fiancée with horrified face one moment and then engaged in laughing fit the next. […]
Alphabet Soup
I once worked with a 6-year old boy who was referred for a special education assessment following a report from a clinical psychologist that diagnosed him with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety Disorder—Not otherwise Specified (NOS), Tic Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and a Speech and Language Disorder. He was also being seen by […]
What’s Right in Education?
I received my Teachers Union* magazine today, made a face of disgust, and promptly deposited it in the recycling. My fiancée raised an eyebrow, but didn’t inquire. Unsolicited, I explained that though I like to be informed about issues in education, it’s depressing to read my Union magazine. Once, a roommate of mine saw that […]
Can I Get Another Helping?
In the sprit of Thanksgiving, I am going to tell a tale about over-helping. A few years ago at one of my middle schools, I fell into the over-helping trap, which is essentially solving a child’s problem for him or her. It’s easy to do. After all, I’m a therapist! I help people! They need […]
You Totally Forgot My Holiday
This week is National School Psychologist Awareness Week! Surprisingly, I haven’t heard one salutation, no flowers, no candy, no cards, nothing. Why? Because I forgot to tell anyone. I’m my own worst P.R. agent. The National Association of School Psychologists gave me fair warning, too. In fact, they sent a real shiny poster of happy […]
Ch-Ch-Changes!
Who wants to try an experiment about change? Don’t all raise your hands at once! Here’s the experiment: Before reading this post, change one thing about your appearance, like switch your watch to your other hand, wear your hair down instead of up, put your wallet in a pocket you normally don’t put it in, […]
Procrastination
Dr. Bell: My name is Dr. Bell. And I’m a recovering procrastinator. Imaginary Crowd: Hi Dr. Bell! I used to procrastinate. Big time. It started in high school, when I’d somehow wait until midnight to start an essay that was due the next day. Sometimes, it was worse than that. At midnight I’d start the […]
“Kid Problems”
I once went on a blind date in which I was asked the following question about my job as a school psychologist: “So, what’s your favorite kid problem?” In my head, a sarcastic thought bubble popped up and responded, “I just LOVE when they can’t read! It’s my favorite!” But I knew what he meant, […]
