School psychologists aspire to be as helpful as possible to those they serve, and this session provides a practical blueprint for doing that. The workshop draws from scientific studies of top-performing individuals in psychology (superpsychs) and other professions to offer 10 concrete tips and techniques for becoming a better school psychologist throughout one’s career. These evidence-based tips challenge popular myths and encourage participants to consider what they are already doing to be effective—and what they could do differently—to become even better. This session includes a variety of teaching formats, and it concludes with an opportunity for participants to translate one or more workshop techniques into personal action plans or next steps toward becoming better school psychologists.

Workshop Objectives:

This session will help participants

1. identify three practical, evidence-based methods for becoming better school psychologists;
2. implement two relationship-building strategies for improving service outcomes;
3. challenge popular myths about top-performing individuals in psychology and other professions; and
4. create personal action plans for enhancing professional effectiveness the very next day on the job.

Prerequisite Knowledge

Basic knowledge and experience of school psychologists’ roles and services, which may include working with students and others in assessment, teacher/parent consultation, intervention, school-based teams, school conferences, RTI meetings, counseling, and other school psychology services.

Practical Tools

Participants will leave the session with several practical tools that can immediately enhance their everyday effectiveness as school psychologists. Specific tools include: 

1. Practical techniques for building evidence-based relationships with students, teachers, parents, and others.
2. Two user-friendly tools that enhance accountability and effectiveness through systematic consumer feedback on the usefulness of services.
3. Methods for enhancing specific skills through deliberate practice.
4. A template for creating and implementing personal action plans to improve professional effectiveness.