School psychologist vs teacher reddit

School psychologist vs teacher reddit. I am a school psychologist. For example, I receive $2500 extra each year The vast majority of the school counselor’s time is spent in scheduling, academic counseling, re-arranging classes, and meetings. You would need to enroll into an MS/EdS program. It helps we get all the holidays off. But yea, sped Ed lawyers have it made. Biggest Cons: - Financially, it isn't as lucrative as working for a pension. One pro for speech is that I'm bringing much less work home now as a SLP than I did as a teacher. ) School psych will become more like advocacy. ) I feel like it does allow me to balance work and family. I was going the OT route because I thought I wouldn't like being a BCBA and not getting 1:1 time with The PhD which is necessary to be a clinical psychologist will take a while longer and the intermediate steps are not as beneficial in the field of psychology like it is for studying counseling or social work in grad school. My concentration was clinical mental health. Specifically, Texas State University vs. These kind of averages don’t account for the crazy number of factors that go into it like specialty, experience, type IndependentSet5750. In general though, most psychologists don’t make $200k. It would make sense, in the least, that you make an hourly equivalent to teachers (e. Your MA should be fine. Share. You've chosen your area and now you've got to get your shit together. We also get $3,000 for having NCSP and get 14 extra “district days” paid to use for after school meetings and such (which is about another $5,000). ). If you don’t wanna be a physician you won’t enjoy being a psychiatrist. So there's definitely good things and bad things to middle school. My caseloads have averaged between 100 to 250 students working in Alaska, Indiana, and New York. SLP = directly treat students for communication disorders. Yes and no. There are some weekends that I need to catch up on reports but that is typical with the job. ) whereas the school psych does the majority of the counseling (on top of assessing and other duties). School Counselors typically don’t have much to do with sped and that’s a psychs main role. Be aware that most of them center on testing kids for special education, this isn't every school psych job May 26, 2022 · 2. -ABA is applicable to a wide variety of concerns. It's a pretty big difference. You can work with your agency to say that you are working more hours than contracted and they will have to cut your work load. Either way, the program is generally slightly more than 3 yrs; mine was 40 months, including 2+ years of cla School psych is awesome because there are so many options! I make a base salary and then an additional supplement, which is different in other counties. In a clinical setting, you are usually limited to people who can afford to pay and/or have insurance. I’ve never been a teacher but one con I could think on in counseling vs. Be nice. Award. Though, I have also been interested in the field of Criminology as well and have considered being a Forensic Psychologist. The school counselor position is also very hard to obtain here in CA as there isn’t many positions available. School Social Work is also a good route, with less years in a graduate program. Like many other educational specialists, both If you are interested in math/statistics, special education, and testing, school psych is the path for you. It can be done via messenger or email. Current teacher here who was just accepted into a school psychology program. While it is true that School Psychs "only need a masters," in my state, you will find a lot of education specialists. ) Most of my time is spent in collaboration and serving on school improvement teams, and that is what I love. It takes 3 years to complete the degree. Pay is the same, should be the same district-wide (this is assuming a public school in the U. . Further, training in psychology is simply about much more than mental healthcare (med school is, too, but for different reasons). Hello everyone, I was hoping to be a school psychologist because I enjoy working with kids and the career seems like something I can see myself doing. They’re usually more expensive than therapists. There's more ease of getting a job within a school system, but that job will probably be more rigid. EdS (PhD is only slightly more on the pay scale -- not financially worth it, IMO. I was sometimes asked to give references for teachers in my department. Being certified as a school psychologist only allows you to work in schools unless you pursue a doctorate. In some places, with extra classes, psychologists can prescribe psychiatric medication… it’s not common, though. S vs M. In my state, they are also getting clinical mental health counselors to go into k-12 schools to conduct counseling. You saved a girl’s life, and who knows how many more you’ve positively impacted. 2. If you want to pursue PE, you would need to get your bachelor's degree in physical education and take your tests. The district I’m at this year is a lot better managed than my first, but I still very much struggle with knowing what I “do” and if The NASP website has each state’s requirements outlined for independent practice. For practitioners with 200-day contracts, the average was $71,320. To be a school psychologist, you'll need to complete at least a two year MA or EdS program which will also include a year-long internship. A LOT of variability in the schools. From my understanding, there are some programs that may be titled educational psychology but within it there is a school psychology specialization. And in my district, LSSPs focus on emotional/behavioral testing only, so through the formal and informal play assessments or interviews allow for more interaction. And in my ongoing situation, I continue to get paired with coworkers that have no work ethic, social skills or communication. In fact, it’s the process and intricacies of learning itself that are of interest. Though some districts may pay you for your years as a teacher, a lot of them will not because it is a different role and a different license. g. Most districts have a separate pay scale. Scope of focus. But it’s a great field: work in a school, get holidays and summer off, and it’s geared towards working with kids. Exactly this. School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach. S. Funding for these roles are different, and the psychological weight of these roles are different too. The average annual salary for full-time school-based practitioners with 180-day contracts was $64,168 in the 2009–10 school year. Either way, depending on what I end up making post-school maybe I'll be able to pay off loans faster. Our community is open to all individuals interested in teaching and learning, focusing on providing support and resources for Australian teachers. UT has more recognition and is highly ranked, but does program competitiveness make a tangible difference when applying for jobs? b) Working as a LSSP in AISD and surrounding school districts (Round Rock, Leander, etc. As someone leaning towards possibly going to school for School Psychology, I assumed that the education would include how to present reports to parents, teachers, and admin outside of the profession. However, I'm not 100% positive of the path for a school Psychologist. School psychologists make, on average, $18,000 more a year compared to teachers. But the readings get harder. The jobs are incredibly different. a) Grad programs in the Austin area. Lot's of direct contact. • 5 yr. S in Counseling Education. To sum it up, I want to become an elementary school teacher. Only 50% of first year teachers make it to year 5. If you are a school counselor in an elementary setting (very rare right now but it’s starting to become a thing) you should be spending more time actually with kids, doing counseling and behavior intervention. I work part time for a clinical psychology clinic, and that’s essentially what school psychologists in private practice would do. As a school psych you will be doing special education eligibility, writing reports, presenting those reports in meetings, behavior management, consultation with teachers, and maybe some individual or group counseling from time to time. Pros of the career include the variety the position has to offer - testing, counseling, behavior management, consultation, etc. The expectations get higher. The roles definitely overlap in some areas but are different in many areas within a school. School schedule is amazing and even within the school day you have a lot of flexibility and autonomy over Second, school psychologists spend way less time with students than teachers. I’m only a second year School Psychologist and I feel this hard. You will get much more psychology experience as a school psychologist. Chair if you have one at your school. School Psychologist here in California. I know there’s only so much you can do, but if it weren’t for you, those kids wouldn’t even have that much. I also do not care for research. they’d also hand some to the psych interns for experience, or they kept a couple themselves because they already have rapport with the kid and what not. You would get the MS/EdS along with the PPS. PhD programs in school psych take 5-7 years and an internship. Psychologist sounds great but it can be the same book different chapter. If you don't want this in your life, don't go into the health professions at all lol. Another pro for me is working with kids one on one or in small group as opposed to a whole classroom setting. I have an Ed. A psychologist is a mental health professional who specializes in testing for and diagnosing mental health issues, disorders. I've taught for over 10 years and whoever told you to run away from teaching has a point. There are a lot of excuses made. One of the significant differences between school counselors and school psychologists is the population with which they work. You’re a blessing in these kids’ lives, and please never forget that. I’m not sure how significant of a difference that makes, especially when graduating and Chellyu100. At least with SLP your day to day responsibilities can vary as well as the population you work with based on setting and training. You would do your internship in a hospital, or jail, or outpatient setting versus a school. So, if you majored in something like business or art history in your undergraduate career, it looks like it is back to the drawing board for you. I love research design and small bits of analysis. Teachers often view them as out-of-touch since they've never been in the classroom and don't work with students. I spent 2nd 3rd and half of 4th grade confined to the counselors classroom because i was being monitored since adhd was a new thing back then There should not really be an overlap of counsellor/psychologist and teacher. And hell, I'm only in my first semester. AMA : r/IAmA. Dec 3, 2023 · The national average salary for school counselors is $61,586 per year, while the national average salary for school psychologists is $54,968 per year. If you want a change of school or age group it’s harder to move around since there are less positions. One thing to consider if you are looking at teaching psychology is that you will need to set strong boundaries with staff and students. most teachers in our district work 6 hours x less days; we work 8 hours x more days. -ABA is data based and scientific. However, I did not get salary credit for my special-education masters or teaching experience in any of the districts I've worked in. I know I am still a hopeful graduate student and I certainly lack the real world experience and wisdom of practicing school psychologists, but the work school psychologists do is incredible and I am so proud/grateful/fortunate to have the opportunity Psychiatrists don’t need to try as hard to curate a pt base because they can take insurance for medication management and still make $250k. Doubled with the fact the education system is in such a tumultuous time, I think everyone feels a bit similar - teachers, aides, SLP’s etc. If what is drawing you to the field is just the population, but the amount of time spent with the students In my district, school psychs are so busy with testing/report writing that they don't have time for counseling students. Cutea85. School psychologists tend to work with smaller groups of kids in counseling, or directly with teachers to help them develop interventions and plans for the whole class. there can be a lot of risk assessments, a lot of trying to connect kids and families with mental health supports that they're not always ready or willing to use. The assignments get harder. Delaware, same pay scale as teachers in most but not all school districts. Teachers mostly do not want to do their job or anything they may deem “extra” to problem solve a situation. You could conduct autism, psychological, and psychoeducational assessments, and write formal reports. You may have some classes waived, depending on the program as there is typically convergence with ABA and school psych courses. I hear that private practice as a therapist is the way to go (unless you don't establish healthy boundaries,) because you control your schedule and rate. Need: less need for psychs at a HS, because obviously there are fewer physical high schools than elementary schools. I recently got admitted into two school psychology programs, both NASP approved with the same tuition. Soon, I will be transferring to University, and I am really feeling the pressure to figure out what I'm doing with my life. This subreddit is generally aimed at those in an intermediate to master level, mostly in/around graduate school, or for professionals; undergraduates, etc. I have always been interested in school psychology, but I just don't have the money and time to dedicate 3-4 years to the program. I might have a high caseload and take work home with me. They have internships specifically for clinical psychology interns just like they do school psychology interns. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. , are recommended for r/psychologystudents. Good ones (NASP and APA approved programs) will allow you to match with an APPIC site. In grad school you start to get into it deeper. 4. Clinical Psych degree. Yes, school psychologists get paid more than teachers. The aspects of this job that I like: developing relationships with the students, running groups, collaborating with others, suggesting interventions and seeing them come to fruition and actually work. School psychology seems like something I'd want to do, but there seems to be so many things to consider that I'm getting confused. For those interested in the profession of school psychology, current school psychology graduate students, practicing professionals, and trainers of school psychologists. University of Texas. It helped with the course content and was valued in my internship and job interviews. Are there any school psychologists or counselors in this group that I can interview for an assignment? I am an education student and need this for my field experience. this job also has a lot of downsides. You get to work with the same clients long-term and see their growth. You will first need the correct Bachelor’s degree. There is no expediting the EdS internship. The estimated additional pay is $13,013 This is also a place to talk about your own psychology research, methods, and career in order to gain input from our vast psychology community. ) Many were able to work and complete part of their program while still working. In elementary school i was "diagnosed" with adhd by a school "psychologist". I am so burnt out dealing with bad coworkers. There is a huge piece on social justice being interwoven within the field. It may feel like you’re just doing your job, but you’re far from a fraud. Remember, money is what you trade your life for. I work one to one and usually see 2 students a day. Both positions can have a variable salary, depending on many factors, including location, type of school and seniority or experience level. We work 45% more hours than they do). I’ve been trying to find what salary’s look like and I’ve seen the avg is 71 but it is skewed I can only speak to the school psychology side of things, but here are some thoughts on that field. Immersing myself in the profession has made me want to become a school psychologist even more. You may not see your school psychologist very often because like teachers we are spread too thin, often across many buildings. You need a bachelor's degree in an education field plus take several certification exams. My school has a School Psychologist part time, and he has two roles: as a counselor for some students (think therapist, talking through problems of mental health or behavior) and as the one of the specialists who administers formal testing that relates to Special Education—academic aptitude and psychological tests that indicate a student qualifies for special ed. Psychiatry trainee here, I worked with a trainee clinical psychologist who had a degree in English, worked as a teacher in secondary school for a couple years then switched to clinical psychology after working as a HCA for a year. You can do a single intership that meets both needs. Someone else in my program was a teacher for several years, got burned out and got her degree so she can be a school counselor. So don't get a psychology degree. ) SLPs can work outside the schools but LSSPs don’t. I'm an elementary school psychologist, who used to be a teacher. Nov 12, 2021 · Now that we have a general understanding of educational and school psychology, it’s time to clarify some of their differences. I’d add that you will most likely not as much of the summer off as teachers do, so consider that with regards to time off. Psychologists are, in a way, fancy therapists. We welcome the valuable contributions of pre-service teachers, school support staff communities, aspiring teachers, and anyone interested in the profession. As an MFT you will do counseling, counseling, and more counseling. S (masters +30) 4th year, 70k (Massachusetts). School psychologists are mandated by law. AMA. For school-based needs and services, a School Psychologist or Licensed Educational Psychologist are the only ones able to determine whether a child meets educational criteria under IDEA for conditions like Aut. I chose ABA because I enjoy it and after working in the field for 4 years I see the progress and everything we can do to help clients. Student need, I wo We only had school counselors, basically their primary job was advise revolving around classes and the best steps to take to build the type of future you wanted. But LSSPS have more flexibility within the schools. 1. The psychologists and social workers are both part of something called the School Based Support Team, so the role is really supporting schools with the special education process. You really get to see the kids' progress over time. At that point you’d be a licensed psychologist able to do everything that a traditional clinical psychologist can. They often provide therapy but are more focused on providing a diagnosis. School psychologist = in my area the duties are primarily assessing students for disabilities like learning disability, intellectual disability, adhd. Becoming a psychologist will mean taking broader coursework in the neurobiological, affective, social, personalogical, cognitive, and developmental bases of behavior in general. I would just like to express how much your profession has screwed with my life. And once you leave a position it’s probably harder to come back The educational psychology program is a shorter program (1-2 years) and focuses more on the research and theoretical aspect of education. People come in with undergrad or grad degrees in different fields. Only problem is I don’t know many social work programs that focus primarily on working in a school. However, the difference is one is a Master of Arts and the other a Master of science in school psych. SLPs don't have to have teaching experience, but our direct work with students makes teachers trust us more, IMO. teaching is that in counseling there’s less mobility. School psychology is a good field if you are certain you want to work in schools, there's not much else you can do with the degree, testing adults for SSI maybe. •. As a psychiatrist you are a physician first. I know 3 Psychologists working at individual-person. I was a SPED teacher before school psych. At a base level, school based OT is very creative and playful while school psychologist is more intellectual. Articulation, language, using ipads to talk, social skills. I understand it’s summer but I’m in desperate need right now. As with any job, there are pros and cons to being a school psych. Advice/Career. Also, a clinical psych degree is going to be much more academic/research-focused, even if you chose to do PsyD. 5. Teachers are in the trenches everyday with the student body, so if spending time with students is what is drawing you to the field I would say go SPED teacher. Here in Texas, the average salary is about 66k for a clinical psychologist. Many of the school psychologists I came in contact with went back to become BCBAs. If you’re more interested in providing interventions and want the flexibility of work locations I think speech is the way to go. School psych is much more specialized which is why they are in higher demand. School psychologists partner with families, teachers As another commenter mentioned, the role is also required by law to be at the table for IEP meetings. (b) Child study team members shall include a school psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher-consultant and a school social worker. They can be counselors, but not always. Grad school is NOT an accurate representation of slp life post CF. ) 12 votes, 35 comments. Hi! I'm 19 and am soon to graduate with my associates in psychology. 3. Members Online School Psych Positions in California Yes. . On the other hand, school psychologists' work is constrained by the law to a large extent, which can be very frustrating. Educational psychology has more of a macro-focus when it comes to the learning done in schools. Related service staff (OT, Psych, OT, Speech) definitely have the better jobs in schools. Sounds like more flexibility with becoming a school psychologist. Many school districts have school psychologists on the same salary schedule as teachers while others have a separate salary schedule. I liked both and think there’s a lot of overlap. I found counseling to be more emotionally draining than teaching, but teaching to be more physically draining (teach on your feet, not from your seat). However, there are some school psychologists that make over six figures, which is not too shabby. It really depends on the grad school psych program and how they are set up to accommodate this kind of arrangement. Some actually have specialist specific pay scales. In CA I know the majority of school counselors actually focus more on academics (class scheduling, student conflicts, college prep, etc. All child study team members shall be employees of a district board of education, have an identifiable, apportioned time commitment to the local school district and shall be available to provide all needed services during the hours students are in attendance. I agree too with previous comments about the freedom to do what you want in counseling too. It varies by school district, but we often provide an array of services, many of which are done in the background. Honestly, we just worked with the school psychologists from each school in determining who’d get the next case. The national average salary for a school psychologist is an average of $78,200 a year, with a typical range You won't be able to teach in a NY public school with an associates degree. 9 years in I’m at $60 180 day contract Ed. However, I don't get to know the kids as well due to time constrains, crazy scheduling, and a packed caseload. If I remember correctly school psych vs educational psych is micro vs macro meaning school psychs are more likely to work at the student level whereas ed psychs would be more likely to work with whole schools/districts or to conduct research. (BTW, I'm from California if that adds any extra information). In some instances it could be your Special Education Department. piranhapinata. School psych vs. The SW is responsible for social histories and observations while the psych is responsible for everything else; PWNs, cognitive & academic testing, chairing meetings The sense of community in the classroom is a big reason why. 180 day calendar. Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, eating disorders . Also, many districts, but once again not all, offer a specialist stipend. So i would start there, at least. Population. Not trying to argue your point, but the SPED world is really not a job in the psych field. In order to become a school psychologist, you must first earn a Bachelor’s degree in the field of psychology. Student Teacher Support &/or Advice. They also will be spending a lot of time in IEP and 504 meetings and coordinating with special education teachers in the schools. ago. It's pretty common in my area for contracts to 125k or more is unrealistic for most clinical psychologists in other areas of the country. I think financially occupational therapists can make more because they are specialists, but there might be more job openings for elementary teaching. If you are interested in working with students on a more direct basis, school counseling is the way to go. usually it would go to us therapists unless our caseload was too full. I think an educational psych degree is more so if you wanted to go into academia or work in some research capacity but with a school psychology degree you are gaining the training and expertise to I’ve been teaching for almost 10 years now, but I’ve recently been considering transitioning to becoming a school psychologist (here in California). I heard grad school for clinical psychology is really intense and time-consuming. 6 days ago · The estimated total pay for a School Psychologist is $117,119 per year in the California area, with an average salary of $104,106 per year. - You're just the temporary person so you don't get sucked in to all the additional duties and politics. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. A M. I was a sped teacher before I went to grad school for school psychology. I've seen these terms thrown around and I'm confused by the difference between school psychology and BCBA? As for a school psychologist’s role, in most schools they will NOT be doing counseling and instead will be doing assessments for students that might have learning disorders and the like. If you work in schools, you have to serve everyone who needs you. A program In school psych. They could provide some basic counseling for emotional and mental health but anything too complex they just provided/helped you get outside resources. I was a SPED Department Chair at the high school I worked at before retiring. (~50,000 a year after two years, I was a teacher for a year first. Some programs def have weekend classes and allow you to do some of your practicum in your current school if your already a teacher. but school psychs are on the masters plus 30 in all the districts where it’s the teacher pay scale. In Washington (at my specific district) the starting salary is $70,000. Hi everyone. Counseling services, psychological services, testing, consultations, and student interviews are some ways that I am able to interact with them. This salary is likely inflated because of the HCOL near DC. In SP, your degree is pretty much going to get you a job in the schools and there is not much else out there. School counselors provide support to a wide range of students, helping them develop social and academic skills, set goals, and choose their desired career paths. No, usually that would be your Principal or Assistant Principal. There are far more school psych jobs than school social work jobs out there. Schools psychs are in much more of a demand than counselors purely bc there is just less of them to go around. It is so interesting, I know. Teacher usually does the staffing in the morning so we know who we're working with. School counselors aren't, which means they can get dropped if funding gets cut. For a BCBA you'll have a tougher time getting a job within a school system, but you'll have more options outside of a school system. Schools can hire counselors with a variety of degrees and backgrounds- a general psych degree, a counseling degree, a social work degree, etc. There's a lot of burnout in the field and managing classrooms with kids who need way more than just a lesson is a huge factor. In Michigan I started at $45. School Counselor. [deleted] My school is a SEN setting so each TA has a key student (usually class size around 6 students). mm uo aq dv kk mo mf ku ps fs