Why School Psychologists Get Up in the Morning

By Kate McIntyre
Learning & Life Columnist
December 10, 2007

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If you have a knack for empathizing with your friends and family, a job in school psychology might be perfect for you. Not only do school psychologists enjoy challenging, satisfying jobs, but they can also earn great money. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for school psychologists in 2004 was $54,950.

What Is a School Psychologist?

School psychologists work with children and teens to help them with many different kinds of emotional, social and personal problems. Specifically, school psychologists' tasks may include:

Figuring out students' academic talents and helping them develop an aptitude for learning
Collaborating with students, teachers, and parents to solve academic and behavioral problems
Building relationships with a school's surrounding community
Conducting one-on-one counseling sessions with students to talk about personal troubles, schoolwork, or possible career paths
Mediating conflicts between groups of students and teachers
Teaching classes on anger management, study habits, and social skill development

Common employers for school psychologists include public schools, universities, private clinics, and government agencies.

Training in School Psychology

If you aspire to work in school psychology, you will need a bachelor's degree first--but in most cases, you'll also need a master's degree or a doctorate to land a school psychologist job. Typically, coursework covers an array of topics, such as counseling, intervention, behavior analysis, psychometric evaluation, and child psychology. In addition, psychology degree programs often include an internship component, where you can counsel children and young adults in real-life settings.

Since school psychologists deal with sensitive personal issues, it is crucial that they are compassionate, confident, and personable. Also, psychologists should be mature and emotionally secure, so they can maintain warm yet professional relationships with the students with whom they work.

Sources

National Association of School Psychologists, "How to Select the Best Training Program"
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Psychologists"

About the Author
Kate McIntyre, a fiction writer in Portland, Oregon, holds an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Oregon State University.

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