Awkward Conversation #247
As a school psychologist, I get many little notes in my mailbox when I enter my school building. They are usually cryptic and anonymous: Check in with Darius. He’s sad Susana wrote in her journal that she wanted to hurt herself. Can you see her? Not signed. No last names. Detective Branstetter is on the […]
The Greatest Assessment on Earth!
For those of you who don’t know what a school psychologist does, a big part of our job is to assess children for disabilities. A popular referral question is: “Does my child have Attention Deficit Disorder?” An assessment for ADD is often the most complex of all assessments because there is no “test” for ADD. […]
Guest Writer: Debbie Downer
You ever have one of those days when you find out a 14-year-old former student murdered another student? Erm. Me neither. But if I did, it would be awful. And there would be guilt about not doing enough. And there would be scanning of all interactions to see if there was something else I could […]
Teaching Tip Tuesday: Put Some Stank on It
Cough cough…sputter….sputter…what’s this? Ah yes, the return of Teaching Tip Tuesday!* For those just joining, this is a chance for all you lovely people to submit a link to your blog postings that you think will help teachers and parents and mental health professionals work better with children. Today’s example comes from when I joined […]
Crisis Management
I promise we will return to our regularly-scheduled blog about education, psychology, and all my little friends in the public schools after this last wedding post. I’m back from the most amazing wedding and honeymoon, and have been sloooooowly returning to civilian life. It’s weird, at work, no one wants to hug me, take my […]
Bride-chilla
For those of you expecting a post about education, mental health, or the yoots today, sorry, I have Wedding Tourette’s Syndrome. You get wedding.* It is my spring break. I am so delighted to be spending it at the tailor’s every day. I have been to two different tailors for dress fittings NINE times this […]
What I Have Learned about Executive Functioning From Planning My Wedding
I have contracted a mild to severe case of Wedding Tourette’s Syndrome (WTS), in which I blurt out wedding details without realizing I’m doing it. There are also side effects of executive functioning deficits. I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but I have not been regularly posting as of late. I was a 2-3 […]
A Day in the Life of a School Psychologist
I get several emails a week from readers wanting to know if a career in school psychology is right for them. I can only speak to my experiences in large, urban school districts, but I am always happy to tell them the good, bad, and ugly. Sometimes, my candor sends them running for the hills, […]
Dear Me, I Love Me
Ah Valentine’s Day. How you sneak up on me every year and how you make my life so interesting. Working in a middle school, I have seen so much drama this week, all centered on Valentine’s Day. Will he send her a flower? Will her ex- come back with a grand gesture? Will the boys […]
Teaching Tip Tuesday: Dealing with Why-ners
What is a sound more grating than fingernails on a chalkboard? The sound of a small child or teen saying, “Whyyyyyyyy do we have to learrrrrrrrn this?” Chances are, they will not take favorably to “Because No Child Left Behind has mandated us to teach this content standard this year!” One sure-fire way for teachers […]
