In honor of National School Psychology Awareness Week (November 12-16 2018), we’re introducing you to each of our 10 school psychologists, and letting them explain what their jobs in our schools look like. They’re also going to debunk some common misconceptions about their roles (hint: they do not have fainting couches in their offices).
Meet: Kristen Kauper Pavao, MSP, SSP, NCSP
What are some of your favorite parts of the job?
I serve students from kindergarten through high school, and that variety in my work is probably my favorite. I also love the collaborative nature of our school psychologists group; we really work together well and are able to turn to each other for advice, support, and discussion about different aspects of our jobs. I also really love being a part of multi-disciplinary teams to care for individual student needs through our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) – or what we commonly refer to as our “TIER teams.”
So what exactly is a TIER team?
The TIER teams are our intervention teams at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and we meet regularly to evaluate different resources in the schools – be it a tutor, a program, interventions, and behavioral or language supports that we can establish for students needing support. We implement a plan, determine what data we are going to collect through the process, sign off on it, and then meet back to review the progress.
Who all serves on the TIER teams?
Each team is comprised of teachers from different grade levels, administrators, Exceptional Children representatives, and other specialists like school counselors and speech therapists – depending on the specific needs of the students needing support. At one of my schools, even our PE teacher is involved! She brings a lot of great information about gross and fine motor skills.
What’s a myth about the role of a school psychologist you’d like to dispel?
I would like people to know that I am not just a “test administrator.” I work on intervention teams, love to work with individuals and groups in therapy, enjoy helping parents navigate difficult times with their children, and work with teachers to find resources. Some people also think that psychologists are always analyzing or diagnosing people, but I don’t do that. I promise!
