Experiences of School Psychologist programme
The participants, lecturers and organisations form the heart of our School Psychologist training programme. Together, they want to make a positive contribution at all levels within the school: from prevention and identification to treatment and referral. Read how they are trying to achieve these goals through lifelong development.
Participants' experiences
Read the experiences of current and former participants in the School Psychologist training programme here.
“I wanted to explore how I could better realise my passion – better education for all children.”
From behavioural scientist to school psychologist
When Anke started the programme, she was working as a behavioural scientist in special education (cluster 4). She now works as a project leader and acting board secretary. ‘I was a young remedial educationalist in a large field, still searching for what I wanted to do, what would make me happy.’
She made a conscious decision to train as a school psychologist: ‘I wanted to gain additional knowledge, but above all to explore how I could better realise my passion – better education for all children.’
A gift for your craftsmanship and development
For Anke, the training felt like ‘a gift.’ ‘I found it extremely valuable to be able to discuss the profession with a group of knowledgeable fellow students every week. Their experiences, knowledge and skills have helped me grow both as a professional and as a person.’
She also considers supervision to be essential: ‘This really gave me the opportunity to link the knowledge I had learned to my practice, but it also greatly stimulated me in terms of personal development.’
Learning by doing
Anke emphasises how the programme ties in with practice. ‘Some courses focus on an implementation or change plan as a final assignment. For example, after the course Action-Oriented Diagnostics and Action-Oriented Working, we adapted the intake procedure at school.’
Together with her supervisor, she developed a reflection schedule that she still uses every week. ‘Many teachers really do their best to connect with the group in front of them. They help you become consciously competent and show you what you already know, understand and can do.’
The power of the group
Looking back, one aspect really stands out for Anke: the group. ‘I have learned so much from these people. They have really been my sounding board over the past two years.’
Recommendation for fellow professionals
Are you unsure whether this programme is right for you? Anke is clear: ‘Absolutely! I think it can deepen your own development as a remedial educationalist or psychologist in education.’
Finally, she shares a quote from her supervisor that has stayed with her: > ‘Your intuition is your mind running ahead.’
And another one: ‘Pedagogy should be about perspective, about growth, and about the actions of adults to stimulate that growth.’
Would you like to follow in Anke's footsteps and develop your career as an orthopedagogue or psychologist in education?
Take a look at what we have to offer and discover which programme suits you best!
"It is a challenging task, but above all, it is rewarding and fulfilling work."
- Previous education
- Post master in School Psychology
- Nationality
- Dutch
The right lesson, the right keys
A school psychologist usually starts by mapping out all the relevant personal characteristics and environmental factors of a young person, as requested by the education system. Step two is to translate this into the educational and care needs of that young person. Topper: 'That translation assumes that you are completely at home in both education and psychiatry. Because you are looking for highly specialised education that does maximum justice to the young person's potential and the system around them. These girls and boys often have unexpected qualities. But in the conventional educational pigeonholes, there is not enough time and attention for them, or they become overwhelmed by anxiety, resulting in them dropping out of school. The tailor-made approach of the school psychologist gives them keys. Keys to doors in appropriate education and in society that would otherwise remain closed.
Meaningful and rewarding work
It is precisely during this crucial period of their lives that Topper strives to motivate these young people across the board: personally, cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically. Together with a team of stakeholders and teachers. ‘It’s a challenging task, but above all it’s beautiful and rewarding work. Especially when you see them grow and become more competent, which often means that the rest of the family also sees more sunshine in their lives. For that reason alone, every school deserves a school psychologist.’
Taking the lead
Far beyond the family, the school psychologist's field of work also extends to teachers, the school board, healthcare professionals from specialist mental healthcare, partnerships, municipal officials, academia, and so on. Topper: 'You are the proverbial spider in the web, connecting all the threads and keeping an eye on the whole web. In the morning, you might ask a head teacher to take the curriculum down a notch for two weeks because “your” young person has other things on their mind. Later that day, you might get involved in the public debate through an opinion piece in the newspaper or an initiative on Facebook. Or you might publish in a professional journal with the ambition of further developing the profession. No two days at work are the same. I try to connect wherever I can at the intersection of care and education.'
Cut from the right cloth
What kind of person should a school psychologist be? Topper does not hesitate for a moment: 'Obviously, you need to care deeply about the development of young people in the broadest sense. In addition, this work is for keen observers with an analytical eye: you need to be able to see every last blade of grass on the playing field. In communication, you need to have an eye and ear for everyone involved and always strike the right tone. A school psychologist's trademark is also the ability to switch quickly and smoothly between prevention, identification, treatment and referral. You must always have the right arguments at the ready, based on the latest scientific findings. Finally, courage and stamina are indispensable, if only to be able to make a difference for your young people time and again.
Read more about this programme
"My daily focus is: how can we take that next step for the child, the group or the school?"
- Nationality
- Dutch
Marleen started at IJssel I Berkel in 2017 as a remedial educationalist, after which she took on the role of school psychologist in 2021. Her field of work extends to 24 school boards and 96 primary (special) schools in Zutphen, Brummen, Lochem, Voorst, Berkelland and Bronckhorst. Every day, the school psychologist, who lives in Doetinchem, is committed to providing primary education that is as appropriate and inclusive as possible at the “home-based” school. ‘If that is really no longer possible, for the pupil or the school, then there is special (primary) education. I help to make informed choices in this regard. Above all, in the interests of every child involved.’
A helping hand
Marleen: ‘From an early age, I felt an affinity for children who don't have it easy in life and therefore don't feel comfortable in their own skin. Children who, with a little help, can find their way in school and in society.’
Her educational path reflects that affinity: she studied Special Education at Radboud University, then HAN Pabo, with a specialisation in remedial teaching. More than ten years later, from 2019 to 2021, she returned to university, this time to study School Psychology at RadboudCSW.
Fine-tuned antenna
During her internship in Special Education, she noticed that teachers had a clear preference for a special education teacher who understands what it means to teach. Marleen: "I myself taught in special education for three years. The wealth of experience you gain from that... it's impossible to learn that from books. As a teacher, you develop a finely tuned antenna for what is going on with children. Especially when they are having a hard time. I now use this to my advantage as a school psychologist. Especially because I frequently work together with teachers."
All-round sparring partner
As a school psychologist and all-round sparring partner in an expert team, Marleen is directly involved with around thirty mainstream primary schools. "These schools call on us as soon as a pupil or group is struggling. We contribute ideas at the level of the child, the teacher, the group, the school as a whole and the care system.
As a school psychologist, you have one foot in the clay and the other in policy. In addition to my core business, pupil care, I maintain close ties with local authorities and a wide range of care providers and chain partners. I also have close ties with special (primary) education. Internally at IJssel|Berkel, I put my energy into, among other things, the implementation of our new multi-year support plan for all affiliated schools. This is just a selection of my activities; no two working days are the same.
Benefiting from the training
She is the only school psychologist in the team, alongside other behavioural scientists and several educational coaches – most of whom are seasoned former teachers. The entire team of experts can benefit from what Marleen has learned in the RadboudCSW training programme to become a school psychologist. ‘My managers immediately recognised the added value when they encouraged me to pursue this professional development path.’
No two children are alike
But more on that later. First, the children. Her primary target group is vulnerable children in the broadest sense of the word, aged four to twelve. ‘Sometimes they struggle socially and emotionally. Other times, behavioural issues or learning difficulties are the main problem. And not just because a child cannot cope with the curriculum; even very talented pupils can get stuck.’
Marleen means that customisation is the norm. No two children are the same, and there are no ready-made solutions. "You can never get by with just administering a bunch of tests somewhere in a room in the school building. It always starts with thorough observation and analysis: what exactly is going on with the child, with the group, in the environment? The starting point, certainly in my view of the profession, is that everyone involved is part of the puzzle. I examine each individual question in the context of the family, the group, the school, the bigger picture. What can be organised differently, better, for the benefit of the child?
All the pieces of the puzzle
To do that, you first need to put all the pieces of the puzzle in place. Marleen: "Here are a few examples of those puzzle pieces: Is fear of failure getting in the way of optimal learning? Is the child a “stay-at-home” with persistent stomachaches or headaches? Have the lockdowns taken their toll? How are things at home? What is going on in the child's and family's network? Is there more going on? What is the question behind the question? How does the child fit into the group? Are they being bullied? Could part of the problem be explained by the composition of the group? Or by the teaching methods used by the school? Is there coordination and a relationship with a teacher? Is the care appropriate? Also very important: what does the child themselves think about it?"
In summary: where and why exactly is it going wrong? Marleen: ‘Absolutely. But also: how can I make the best use of the resilience and qualities of everyone, especially the child? The answer is different every time, and so is the approach.’
Bridge builder
“As a school psychologist, you are a bridge builder who systematically puts all the pillars of support around the child in place and provides extra reinforcement. In line with Wouter Hart's method “Working from the intention”, which we learned in the RadboudCSW training programme: it's all about the child. If you keep that in mind, you won't get lost in thinking about rules and protocols and/or finances, or in discussions about roles and responsibilities. Every day, I try to be that bridge builder: how can we take the next step for the child, the group, the teacher or the school as a whole?"
Doing what works
Marleen: ‘There's no doubt about it: I owe my broad perspective and systemic approach largely to my education. That's also where I learned to always use the current state of science as a guide: ’Evidence-based action gives me the confidence that I know what I'm doing and the satisfaction that it helps. What's more, it allows me to bring science into the school. As a scientist-practitioner, you connect the worlds of science and practice."
Nutrition back and forth
For the school psychologist, it goes without saying that this is a two-way street: ‘You ask school administrators: on what basis do you choose this teaching method or curriculum reform? Is it consistent with the long-term vision and is it scientifically sound? Conversely, you report back to researchers on what they encounter in the classroom, on the school playground and in the headmaster's office.’
Enriching supervision
Marleen also considers supervision to be of great value in the training programme: ‘It has provided me with a wealth of insights: what do I bring to the table as a person? How can I increase my personal effectiveness? But also: what can I let go of? I used to regularly rush ahead of the troops. Now I take more time to listen, to empathise, to delve deeper into what is really going on.’
High expectations fulfilled
The broader view of the playing field, the scientific perspective, the enriching supervision, the in-depth knowledge – it all comes in handy in her job. Marleen: ‘My high expectations have been met. The RadboudCSW programme has made me a better behavioural scientist, someone who sees the big picture, nurtures and helps grow! A proud school psychologist!’
Experiences from the field
This podcast from our fellow training provider RINO Amsterdam gives you a good impression of the field of work of a school psychologist and features conversations with current and former students and head trainers about the field and the training programme.
Every school board or partnership should employ a school psychologist.
The two-year School Psychologist programme trains psychologists and (ortho)pedagogues to work at the intersection of healthcare and education. The school psychologist's field of work covers the entire spectrum from individual (learning) problems to (co-)determining school policy. It covers the entire education chain, from primary education to higher education, including secondary vocational education, and everything in between.
Contact
Fancy a cup of coffee? We would like to invite you for an (online) chat about how we can contribute to your school at all levels.
We would be happy to tell you more about our programme.