What to Expect in Your First Year as a School Psychologist

Congratulations on getting your job as a school psychologist. Virginia has a few school psychologist job openings, and you’ve been able to grab one. It's the beginning of a new journey, and preparing in advance will help you go through the flow easily. 

There might be a few sleepless nights and butterflies in the stomach in the initial days, but that's okay. The job of a school psychologist can be fun, interesting, and enjoyable, like any other profession. 

You don't believe us? Read this post to discover what you may expect during the first year of your role as a school psychologist.

But let's first understand a few basics for those reading this post who are still unclear about this profession.

What is School Psychology?

Students experience many challenges related to their educational, personal, and mental health. Genuine support can help them combat these challenges easily and move towards a progressive future. 

A school psychologist provides guidance and support to such students. They assist children in building a positive environment in school and support areas. 

These professionals also offer children and their families with education and counseling support. They work with administrators and teachers to address the psychological needs of students. They can tackle school-wide challenges, like bullying, and develop helpful interventions, including evaluation and assessment programs.

Role of a School Psychologist

School psychologists are certified professionals trained to identify, assess, and combat behavioral and learning requirements of school-aged children. These experts are accountable for a range of duties and responsibilities.

They mainly work in academic centers and focus on students' educational, social, and mental health from a very early age. These experts perform various daily tasks and offer in-depth solutions to help students succeed socially, emotionally, academically, and behaviorally.

Such professionals work with families, educators, and students and perform a host of tasks, such as:

• Improve academic achievement through interpreting and collecting data related to the classroom and students. They assess and communicate with students about their classroom behavior and perform regular psychological assessments.

• Promoting positive behavior and psychological health by conducting group and individual counseling related to anger management, coping skills, conflict resolution, and social skills. They also conduct assessments of behavioral and socio-emotional needs.

• Psychologists develop a safe and progressive climate in the school by implementing behavioral support. They offer crisis intervention and prevention solutions as well.

• They focus on consulting with the school team through assessments by monitoring classroom, student, and school-related progress with behavior and academics.

• They focus on strengthening partnerships by helping families regulate children's learning and mental health solutions. The experts try connecting families with other service providers offering workshops.

First Year as A School Psychologist

While looking for school psychologist job openings in Virginia, you must have a brief knowledge of the typical day and year in the profession.

There is nothing like a 'typical day' in a school counselor's profession. As a school psychologist, you can expect unexpected things every day and must recalibrate the day as it flows. 

You may begin your day by preparing a schedule. Many children may come up to you during the day, experiencing different challenges. As a counselor, you must create a prevention strategy that involves determining the threats to a student and developing plans to help students overcome this situation. 

Psychologists need to assist children who require individual counseling. They must work with students suffering from chronic anxiety and help their parents better comprehend their children's behavior.

Your day may also involve meeting with parents and school counselors. You have to work closely with education specialists to develop plans and monitor students' progress. As professionals, you need to facilitate discussions between educators and parents to ensure your child's needs are met and understood well.

Multiple days and endless hours of work will make you go through the first year of your profession smoothly. You may spend hours at the desk creating and reading reports related to individual students or children. 

A few days can be challenging, and you must practice late at night to assess various subtests. You need to put a lot of care and patience into handling students with challenges to ensure they have a smooth day every day. 

Psychologists struggle regularly to keep things intact when meeting someone at work. Most importantly, you must have rich problem-solving skills and quickly implement solutions for children suffering from distinct issues. 

Hence, over the year, you need to perform more than 500 roles, which is better for uplifting students' social, economic, and mental health issues. 

Spending years in school as a school psychologist means going through many lessons, learning about various behaviors of children, and creating plans to address issues related to them. Your first year is like an internship where you will have more to learn and even more to implement. 

You cannot be fully prepared to handle every challenge and situation. No matter your profession, the first year is all about learning all the bits and big things related to the field. 

The reality is that being prepared will not help you, and that's the essence of this profession. Every year will bring you new students, new experiences, and new obstacles requiring a different perspective and broader knowledge. 

Don't feel stressed if you don't have answers to a particular situation. You can try new things to bring out the best outcomes at your table. 

Remember, every issue solved and every day spent well means a victory you must celebrate with yourself and your family. Next year will be more productive than the first as you have more knowledge and experience. With time, you will be awesome!

Create a Difference in Students's Lives as a School Psychologist with CIEES's Help

Psychologist

So now you know about the role of a school psychologist and their journey in the first year. By exploring the job description and comprehending the duties of a school psychologist, you can pursue a flourishing career in this field. 

To start your journey in this profession, you may consider the latest school psychologist job openings in Virginia by CIEES. We can provide additional support and licensure services to help you land a successful career in this field. Contact us today!