Becoming a Resilient
School Psychologist
Rhonda J. Armistead, NCSP
NASP President
2007-2008
Resilience…
and
Children
and
School Psychologists
Resilience
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What we know from the research
Why it is important for kids
The role of schools in building resilience
Risk factors for school psychologists
Protective factors for school psychologists
Career development stages
Career enrichment strategies
Resilience:
the ability to deal with life’s
challenges in a positive and
productive manner…adapting to
adversity.
Resilient Mindset
Sources of Risk
Mental health problems
Maltreatment
Deprivation
Health issues
Neglect
Poverty
Violence
Common elements in the
research
Positive adult
role models
Personal
characteristics
Social
connections
Committed & caring
community
Resilient classrooms*
* Doll,
Zucker, & Brehm, 2004
Classroom
routines and
practices that
strengthen
academic efficacy
Classroom
routines and
practices that
strengthen
academic and
behavioral selfdetermination
Academic Self-Determination
• personal goals for learning
• ability to identify and solve problems
that might block achievement of goals
• Opportunities for practice, feedback,
and direct instruction in goal setting,
decision making, & problem solving
Behavioral Self-Control
• Essential behaviors include being
responsive to teacher & lesson, staying
engaged in academic tasks, interacting
effectively with others, moving efficiently
through transitions
• Classroom rules and group rewards
Relationships--a protective factor
• Emmy Werner’s research (1982,
1992)—children who overcame highrisk childhoods had a close bond with at
least one caretaker, or had access to
nurturing from other adults
Classroom routines and
practices that strengthen
relationships
Building Relationships
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Active listening
Frequent student/teacher conversations
Weekly classroom meetings
Encouragement
Fairness and nurturance
Self-disclosure, teacher stories &
experiences
Teacher-Student Relationships
• Most effective when warm, engaged,
characterized by high demands &
expectations, and provide structure & clear
limits (Pianta, 1999).
• School dropouts repeatedly say the main
reason they leave school is that no one there
really cares about them.
Classroom routines
and practices that
strengthen peer
relationships
Effective Peer-Relationships
• most effective when children support each
other and know how to resolve conflicts
• students who are unliked in elementary
school drop out of middle school at 5 times
the rate of popular students
• having a friend in a class increases academic
success
Classroom routines and
practices that strengthen
home-school relationships
•To belong and feel connected
•To feel autonomous and have a
sense of self-determination
•To feel competent
School psychologists’ risk factors
excessive
lack
insufficient
school
high
of being
unidimensional
opportunities
student-psychologist
lack
district
early
workload
professional
aofsolo
career
appreciation
policies
or
practitioner
for
number
status
practice
advancement
&supervision
practices
ratios
of cases
Protective Factors
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Professional competence
Professional self-determination
Professional relatedness
Professional connectedness
Career development stages
Senior Professionals
Experienced Professionals
Novice Professionals
Advanced Student
The advanced student:
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Self-focused
Rule-governed
Little attention to context of situations
See situations as bits of information
Evaluates information against own
experiences
• Frequently has anxiety, frustration, confusion
• But, hopeful and highly motivated
The novice professional:
• Mastering technical aspects,
procedures, rules
• Increased consideration of context
• Needs help setting priorities, relevance
of information starts to emerge
• Increased confidence
• Dependency-autonomy in conflict
The experienced professional
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Automaticity in skills
Balances skills w/empathy and understanding
Has developed schemata/ sees relationships
Makes decisions easily
Engages in planning, goal setting, considers
long-term effects
• Very involved and engaged in situations
The senior professional
• Has paradigms, multiple schemes
• Integrates across domains of practice
• Feels at ease with complex, rapidly
changing situations
• Makes decisions using qualitative
distinctions
• Very skillful, involved, engaged,
Professional competence
Knowledge and skills
+
Effective management
strategies
Career Enrichment
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Advanced Student
Novice
Experienced Professional
Senior Professional
Career
Development Stage
Advanced
Student
Professional
Development
•Attendance at state
& national
conferences
•Student
membership
•Building a
professional library
Professional
Involvement
•Student
membership
•Co-present at
conferences with
faculty
•Co-author
publications with
faculty
•Student leadership
opportunities
Available
Resources
•University
coursework
•Mentoring by faculty
& internship site
supervisors
•Association
websites & print
materials
Career
Development Stage
Professional
Development
•Develop personal
CPD plan
Novice
professional
•Acquire practice
management &
organizational skills
•Further refinement
of skills
Professional
Involvement
•Membership in
professional
associations
•Active involvement
in state associations
•Self-study
•Participation in peer
support groups
Available
Resources
•eCommunities
•State & national
conferences
•Peer support
•Mentoring by more
experienced school
psychologists
•Supervision
Career
Development Stage
Professional
Development
•Continuing
education activities
in accordance with
CPD plan
Experienced
professional
•Development of
specialty area(s)
•Maintenance of
skills & acquisition of
contemporary
knowledge/skills
•Provide CPD
activities for district
or state colleagues
Professional
Involvement
•Association leadership at state or
national level
•Presenting at
conferences
•Adjunct teaching
•Supervision of
practicum or
internship students
•Mentoring of
colleagues
•Advanced training
or credentials
(doctorate, ABPP)
Available
Resources
•State/national
associations
•Peer networks
•Supervision
Career
Development Stage
Professional
Development
•Expansion of
specialty areas
Senior
professional
•Maintenance of
skills & acquisition of
contemporary
knowledge/skills
Professional
Involvement
•Association leadership at state or
national level
•Teaching (full- or
part-time)
•Consulting
•Mentoring
•Writing and
publishing
Available
Resources
•State/national
associations
•Peer networks
How does a Resilient School
Psychologist Cope?
• Professional Competence
• Professional Self-Determination
• Professional Relationships
• Professional Connectedness
Building Professional Resilience
• Develop strong, supportive personal/
professional relationships
• Be a life-long learner
• Have professional goals & move
towards these goals
• Contribute to and become connected to
the school psychology community
Personal Resilience
Positive Cognitive Style
– Positive self-talk, view of self
– Keep events in perspective
– Optimism
Healthy living
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Enjoyable/ relaxing activities
Good exercise and sleep habits
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Healthy nutrition
Nurturing personal relationships
Building Resilience:
Something we do for others-Something we do for ourselves