Sixth Edition Marquis Who’s Who INSIGHT 15 INSIGHT MARQUIS WHO′S WHO SIXTH EDITION SPRING 2024 What are two key behaviors/personality traits that allow you to be effective in your role? I think I have a number of characteristics that made me successful: being a good listener, communicating compassion and care, and asking good questions so people feel I’m interested in them. I also think respecting people is critical. That means really listening to them, considering their points of view and asking more about them. I can be serious when I need to be and playful when I need to be, and kids like that. They liked to come to me and talk, which I miss. The more I got into my profession, the more open I was to talk about my own experiences. My favorite one was if a kid was being teased because they were short, I’d say, “I know exactly what you’re talking about.” I was 4’9” when I started high school; people would call me shrimp, so I knew what these kids were going through. Then, I worked with them so it would bother them less. How do you feel your industry has changed/evolved? In a lot of ways, the whole field has become much more organized. When I started, they had just passed the special education law almost 50 years ago, and it was clear about identifying kids with special needs. All the requirements over the years have been much more articulated, so it’s easier for the school psychologist to identify kids. However, it’s also more challenging because it involves more work; psychologists are now required to do multiple assessments – the whole procedure is more thorough and better. I think social- emotional learning has been more important in schools in general in the last 10 to 20 years, and school psychologists have the knowledge to work on curriculum to promote social-emotional learning. Also, when I started, they weren’t particularly concerned about LGBTQ+ or transgender kids. Now, the National Association of School Psychologists has policies supporting individual differences. The effort we need to put into maintaining students’ mental health is as important as assessing kids for learning disabilities. What excites you the most about your industry? I used to get excited when I’d have kids come to me because they were having social issues, and I’d help them resolve them. Also, I was excited when I started the TEA Club and the Gender Sexuality Alliance and when I worked with gifted and talented kids. It was exciting to do things that not every school psychologist gets to do. That’s what I loved about my job; because I worked in a small district without a lot of bureaucracy, I did what was required but enjoyed opportunities when they arose. One of the most satisfying responses was when a kid would write a letter thanking me for helping them. We sometimes take what we do for granted, but then we hear from somebody that we positively impacted them. When somebody does something positive for you, it doesn’t have to be big – thank them and let them know. Nobody should have to wait until their funeral to hear positive stories about themselves.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ5NDA2