Best Back to School Supplies for School Psychologists

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It’s my favorite time of the year: Back-to-School supply shopping time! Although, let’s be honest, I’m always shopping for school supplies. They’re just the best. This year I decided to link my favorite supplies below.

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links & I get a small percentage back on all purchases made. Thanks for helping to support me!

1. Full Stick Post-Its

Early into my career I got tired of losing regular post-its to the bottom of my work bag, as they always fell off of folders when I was constantly taking them in and out of bags. Enter full stick Post-its! These always stick to my folders and actually stay. This is without a doubt the number one thing I buy at the beginning of each school year. I even color-coordinate them with my schools so I know which students are where just by looking at the post-it on the outside of their folder.

2. Astrobrights Paper

What educator doesn’t use brightly colored paper? If you don’t know by now, I color-code everything. For each student, I print an assessment planning form out on colored paper according to their school. And yep, the colors match the full stick post-its!

3. Feeling Cards

One of my favorite school counselors had this set of cards last year and I just knew I had to add them to my wish-list this year. I like that this set has very animated expressions and includes strategies to navigate a variety of emotions. I think these would be great with small group and individual counseling sessions!

4. Feelings Wheel Stickers

I got these for the first time last school year, and not only do I use them with my older students, but also for myself. Practice what you preach, right?

5. Prize Box Prizes

Do you have prize boxes for your students? Every year I add to my prize box with what’s in for the upcoming year. What do you like to include in your prize boxes?

6. Assorted Pencils

Usually I get assorted packs of fun pencils so I can give them to students when they are done with assessments. I think I have plenty left from this past year, so this year I’m stocking up on these gorgeous PASTEL Ticonderoga pencils. Aren’t they fabulous?

7. Portable Electronics

I don’t think I could live without my portable keyboard and mouse. And this school year, I’m planning to add a portable monitor. Linking my favorite keyboard below! I love that it has an on/off switch, is compact enough to carry in my work bag, and has a number pad for online scoring/data entry!

8. STICKERS

I’m a 90s kid who will never grow out of my love of stickers. I try to share the joy when I can, so I stock up on stickers for teachers & students each year. You’d be surprised how much teachers enjoy getting stickers with their rating scales they have to fill out!

9. Office Organization Tools

Things I can’t live without: magazine holders, desk tray organizers, laptop/monitor risers, and rolling carts. What else would you add?

10. Pens!

Last but certainly not least…
My absolute favorite…PENS!
Sharpie pens, flair pens, LePen, ALL THE PENS!

Bonus: Templates!

Tired of reinventing the wheel? Check out these assessment checklists, digital case logs, psychometric conversion charts, and more on my Etsy page!

School Psychology Awareness Week 2018

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What in the world is SPAW? What does School Psychology Awareness even mean? Well, if you’ve asked yourself these questions or heard others ask, this post is here to help you sort it all out!

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First, what is SPAW?
School Psychology Awareness Week is not quite the same as appreciation week, though we will take all the appreciation we can get! SPAW is designed to inform others about who we are, what we do, and how we can best serve students, parents, and educators.

So what do School Psychologists DO?

While most people know that school psychologists work with students to determine the level of support they may need in school (often testing for special education eligibility), many are not sure what other services we offer. Check out this infographic for more info about your friendly school psychologist!

Well, when is SPAW 2018?

November 12th-16th, 2018

What can I do for School Psych Awareness Week?

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If you’re a School Psychologist, NASP has MANY resources and activities you can use! Here’s a link to some ideas.
If you’re an educator or parent, I’d like to encourage you to engage in conversations with your school psychologist about how they got into the profession, what they like to do (besides testing), and maybe how you can help them advocate for the profession. Share info on social media about your positive interactions with your school psych and help raise awareness of the profession.
You can also advocate for the profession by contacting your local school board members and elected representatives. Ask how they are addressing the shortage of school psychologists and what they’re doing to address the rising mental health needs of our students. Feel free to share the infographic below!

As always, if you have any questions or comments, drop them in the comment box below! Check back in for more info to come during SPAW 2018!

School Psychology Awareness Week

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School Psychology Awareness Week 2016 starts on Monday the 14th!

The theme is Small Steps Change Lives, and school psychologists across the country team up with students, parents, and school faculty to change lives each day. This week is designed to share exactly what school psychologists are doing in the schools to impact the future of education.

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So who are school psychologists? We are highly trained in topics relating to child development, educational psychology, counseling, assessment, and interventions (60+ graduate school hours). While the main focus of school psychology has previously been administering psychological evaluations to determine whether children are eligible for special education, roles are increasingly diverse. As a practicum student, I did a great deal of counseling at the elementary school level. As an intern I had a larger role in developing interventions and collaborating with teachers to help students succeed. These days, I do lots of testing, and I love working one on one with students to uncover their strengths and help them grow. Click here to find out more!

What do you want others to know about the field of school psychology? Speak up! Tweet me here, or visit my Facebook page for more about SPAWeek!

Optimizing Your Time as a School Psychologist

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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.

Printable Weekly Planner

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Looking for weekly calendars? Got some freebies to meet your daily/weekly planning needs. Feel free to use these printables for personal use! (Hint, print front and back and hole punch to create a weekly spread in your binder!)

Let me know your thoughts on these in the comments! Looking for a different size? Drop a note to let me know!

Welcome!

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Welcome fellow school psychologists, hard-working teachers, loving parents, and precious students. Whatever your background, if you are in grades K-12 or care for someone who is, this site is for you!

My name is Jessica Stone, and I am a soon-to-be School Psychologist. The goal of this site is to bring you accurate, quality information about who we are, what we do, and how we can help you. Already you will find several resources designed for you on the Resources page. Click on over if you haven’t already!

Soon, a Frequently Asked Questions page will appear. In the meantime, go ahead and leave a comment with your most pressing questions about school psychologists.