School Psychologists Share: Practicum Advice

I think that this series is my favorite on my blog. A while back, In my first installment of the series: School Psychologists Share, I asked you all to share your experiences, so that readers across the country could have a better representation of the School Psychologist’s role. You can read the first three posts here:

Well, thanks to my amazing readers and followers, I have 2 more posts to share with you. I get lots of questions on applying to and getting the most out of practicum and internship, so today, let’s dive into Practicum Advice!

Here are tips for applying to Practicum from 20 amazing School Psychs, School Psych students, and current Interns:

Think about your future goals:

“Look for sites you’d want to work at in the future… Lower SES populations often need the most help so you get a ton of experience/to appreciate for the job in the long run.” -Maritza

“Apply to a district you hope to work for one day or one that interests you. I emailed the Principal of schools I was interested in, but did not hear back from most. Therefore, I emailed the superintendent of that district and had way better luck that way. They were able to refer me to the person I should contact.” -Candice, CA

Tap into the resources you already have:

“Start by reaching out to other students in your program that are in the years above you. They can provide more information on the districts they have experiences with. Additionally, ask for input from professors. When it comes to applying, don’t overwhelm yourself by applying to too many places. Identify maybe 4 districts/schools you would really enjoy working with, identify the good things they offer, and the feedback of others.” -Symoné, CA

“Word of mouth or if ever worked at a school always keep contact with school psychs and higher-ups to hook it up!” -Paulina, CA

Be open to different opportunities:

“Be open to anything! Don’t limit yourself to just one setting (unless you have graduation requirements to meet).” -Caroline, CO

“Have several backup sites. Don’t be discouraged if the first site in mind couldn’t take you. “-Martiza, NJ

If all else fails, use the internet:

“I used indeed.com, and also reached out to the district mental health person to ask about available open positions for practicum experiences.” -Breanna, CO

“EdJoin & district-specific sites.” -Ariana, CA

So then, you’ve found a great site. How do you get the most out of your Practicum experience? Here again, is some amazing advice.

Listen and take it all in:

“Listen, listen, listen. I learned SO much just by being my supervisor’s shadow and listening to all of the conversations, meetings, and my supervisor’s thoughts.” -Christina, GA

Ask Questions & Take Notes:

“Ask questions and asked to be exposed to a little bit of everything, SSTs, IEPs with students of different d/o, high profiles, behavior etc…” -Paulina, CA

“Asking questions & deep breathes.” -Ariana, CA

“Ask questions! And listen to the answers. Take lots of notes in meetings and check in with your supervisor afterwards” -Claire, MN

“Ask every question you can think of (even if you think they’re dumb). Take notes during every lesson, get involved with everyone. Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone” -Regan, NJ

“Ask plenty of questions. write down EVERYTHING! anything that doesn’t seem important…write it down. You’ll find yourself going back to your notes or understanding more when you learn more in class. I feel like practicum was hard to juggle with a full classload but it definitely complemented what I was learning in the classroom. I also noticed with my practicum supervisor that writing down my questions and making notes in the margins to ask her later worked best. I did not want to stop in the middle of the meeting to clarify something she could just clarify with me later. Also, if you have everything written down, if they forget something or can’t find their notes, it’s easy for you to pull up what you have to discuss it together.” -Puja, GA

“Assuming your supervisor is open to this (which hopefully they are as they are taking on a practicum student) ask ALL the questions!” -Jillian, WA

“Ask all the questions you have! Don’t worry about anything being a “dumb” question. Now is your time for hands-on learning and so much of this job varies from site to site so just soak up as much as you can!” -Myia, MI

Advocate for getting as many different experiences as you can:

“Try to get experience in different parts of the role- assessment, intervention/counseling, consultation and behavior. If your supervisor provides behavior support to students, observe how they de-escalate and try to participate in FBA’s and BIP’s. I would also recommend attending as many meetings as possible and observe how your supervisor handles difficult conversations with parents and teachers. Overall just observe and participate in as many things as you can. As a practicum student, you can learn and ask questions and don’t have the responsibility of being ‘the psychologist.'” -Jillian, WA

“Ask questions and asked to be exposed to a little bit of everything, SSTs, IEPs with students of different d/o, high profiles, behavior etc…” -Paulina, CA

“Try everything. Step outside of your comfort zone, ask questions. I know it seems scary (and it is!) but the best way to learn is by just doing things. My supervisor once told me “as long as the kid is safe, you did ok.” That was something I told myself a lot when I felt that I didn’t do as well as I had hoped.” -Breanna, CO

“Advocate for yourself! Ask for direct, explicit feedback from your supervisor. If you are interested in working with a specific population (pre-k, elementary, middle, etc.) ask for observational opportunities. Observe LOTS of IEP meetings and get exposure to complex cases. Don’t be afraid to ask for support in conceptualizing cases, as well. I learned a lot from simply bouncing assessment plan/action step ideas with my supervisor. Know that you will get a lot of things wrong, but you’re there to learn- give yourself grace.” -Faith, NC

“Don’t be shy in making yourself known throughout your school! Observe as much as you can and ask for help and take on any opportunities to engage into the extent that your supervisor will let you! Get into classrooms and just observe/help if you have downtime.” -Shawna, VA

“Don’t wait for opportunities, make them! If someone in an MTSS meeting is looking for intervention support offer up your services, if there is a need for an SEL group, offer to start one! Jump in and get that experience!!”-Myia, MI

Be mindful of your transition to practicing on your own. Do what works for you!:

“Ask lots of questions and observe as many meetings/assessments as you can. Once you feel comfortable, start taking the lead on doing assessments or writing areas of reports. Towards the end of my practicum, I was doing counseling sessions, assessments, and reporting out at meetings which helped set me up for success as an intern. ” -Candice, CA

“Generally, I would say be brave and after a couple of weeks of observing and learning, offer to do stuff to support your supervisor. Don’t be afraid to jump in, t ask questions when you observe something new, and to offer help. I got the most from my experiences by offering to score protocols, doing observations of the student, and noting my requirements that had to be completed for my program.” -Symoné, CA

“Ask to do things independently and be the leader, but also ask that your supervisor stays with you if needed for questions, etc. ” -Breanna, CO

“Be as hands-on as possible! Offer to help your supervisor in as many ways as you can. I learned a lot scoring rating scales. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t know an acronym — just ask 🙂 Take notes, too.” -Kathryn, OR

“Try to work your way towards independence as much as possible! (i.e. Participating and presenting at IEP/504 meetings, FBAs/ BIPs, Observing the whole SRR, SII, and TA process, direct family engagement (i.e. phone calls, interviews/ rating scales, getting consent, IEP meetings), lesson planning & implementation at all 3 MTSS tiers, attend MTSS/Whole Child/Support Team meetings and the general process in your school, and complete at least 1 evaluation from start to finish (referral, assessment, report writing, presenting at the meeting, eligibility decision, writing IEP goals/PLOP)). ” -Caroline, CO

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes:

“Ask questions! And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You are there to learn and mistakes will help you learn.” -Rosie, MA

“Always remember that you are learning and it is fine to make mistakes! You have your supervisor to back you up or help you if you freeze up.” -Cadnic, CA

“Don’t be afraid to mess up, you’re still learning!” -Maritza, NJ

So there you have it, guys! The best advice from the best School Psychologists. Up next: internship advice! Stay tuned!