The School Psychologist's Survival Guide (Jossey-Bass Teacher Survival Guide)

As a practicing school psychologist, it was easy to identify with the concepts and materials outlined in this text. I enjoyed Dr. Branstetter's straightforward and knowledgeable (and sometimes lighthearted) approach to sharing her insight about working in special education. Her reproducible forms and charts may also help new school psychologists as they develop their own library of office/administration materials.At times, I felt a little disconnected from the author when she spoke of her experiences in larger districts with policies and resources beyond my current practice. While the content of this text certainly isn't misleading or errant, the challenges of working in rural and impoverished districts is not mentioned within this text. If you are working in a more affluent district, this book may be a good fit for you. If you are working in a rural area, you may feel (as I did) as though some of the material does not apply to your setting.Despite that small personal disjuncture, I found the materials both timely and useful. I have recommended this book to my practicum students and will make a habit of giving a copy of it to each of my practicum students going forward.

I read this cover to cover as an intern. My district uses it as a guide for new hires. This is really, really helpful. But it even if it isn't a required textbook! There are several helpful samples/templates.

It's nice to receive some insight into the world of school psychology other than what is presented in the graduate classroom. Dr. B was gracious enough to cover several bases in her short work, including appropriately interacting with school staff members (i.e., becoming the secretary's new best friend), staying on top of a mountainous caseload (trust me, it's overwhelming for a first year right out of school), and staying in contact with parents (dealing with parents should be its own book).The forms are what I find the most helpful, and they'll help even the most organized graduate student stay on top of the quagmire of paperwork you'll be presented with from predecessors and unorganized school filing systems.This is a must read for any student during the summer between the end of your coursework and the beginning of your internship, for those who are in their internships, first year practitioners cautiously getting their feet wet, and even the seasoned school psychologist.

I am a recent graduate of an Ed.S. program and have my first job starting in the fall, so I wanted to do some preparation before I got started. After reading the previous reviews and looking at other products, I decided on this one. There are many practical suggestions for nearly every possible facet of a SP's job. As a new hire, beginning my first year, I feel that many of the suggestions will help me to organize and prioritize, which I imagine will take a good bit of time as a newbie. I was somewhat concerned that there wouldn't be "new" information, just a new take on what I learned in grad school, but there is plenty of useful information that could only be provided by someone who has been a SP and lived and learned! Highly suggested, and the price is quite reasonable.

Absolutely incredible! I’m about to enter the field and still had so many questions. This book helped in every single aspect. It was also a quick read because the writing style is great. I legitimately couldn’t put the book down and learned so much. Every grad school program should require this book.

I was disappointed with this book. I've been out of the field for a while and so that was why I bought it, but it seems geared more for someone fresh out of a program. I was very disappointed there was no information about functional behavioral assessments, behavior intervention plans, or manifestation determinations (or much about behavioral supports at all). The book should come with a CD to download the forms and have them available on one's computer.

As I write this review, the book is literally on my desk, open, with tons of highlights. I just started back at work this week and this book has proved to be very, very helpful. I am starting my third year as a school psychologist and this book is the most helpful school psychologist resource out there. It's a very easy and down-to-earth read, which makes it even more helpful. The author is straight to the point, funny, and really talks to you like a friend. I plan to carry this book with me ALL year, from school to school, for a quick resource. It's about time we have a survival guide! This book is a must-buy for all school psychologists.

I am currently completing my internship in school psychology and purchased Dr. Branstetters book initially because I have learned so much from her blog! I figured I would learn so much more from reading her book...and I was right! She discusses so many things that are simply not discussed in graduate school...the little things that are so important (and the big things that are super important :-)), such as how to begin the school year, how to get organized efficiently, managing case loads, etc. The "presenting the results" section was fabulous! Not to mention all of the valuable forms included in the book! Great job Dr. Branstetter! I am anxiously awaiting the second edition :-)