It’s that time of year again: the kiddos are coming back to school. As the year starts, I always like to set goals for myself and share lil’ nuggets of advice with others. So here’s what I have for you fellow school psychs as the next school year begins.

Keep open lines of communication.

A good deal of our jobs as school psychologists involves communicating with parents, teachers, and students. Keeping these lines of communication open is crucial in establishing good relationships with those whom you work with and serve.

When in doubt, ask.

As a professional it can be tempting to trudge through new or unfamiliar tasks. Let’s be real, though: with the increasing demands on those in education, we are all extremely professionals. Is “trudging through” the best use of our time? Nope! Ask someone. Get a mentor. Phone a colleague. Use your time efficiently and save your sanity.

Do what you can when you can.

This is the same as the familiar, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” I guarantee that if you put it off, something more pressing is going to come up tomorrow. At the same time, it’s important to find a good balance. Get what you can get done, and be satisfied with doing your best.