In this episode, I’m joined by Julie Waldschmidt, a newer school psychologist who began her journey in the field after years as a special education teacher.

That classroom experience shows up in powerful ways, from how she connects with teachers during consultation to how she observes students, understands frustration and looks for strengths.

We talk about preschool evaluations, English language learner assessments, collaboration, resource hunting, school-life balance and the importance of being visible in your buildings.

Julie’s advice for new school psychs is simple but so helpful: ease in, go slow, listen well and remember that it does not all have to happen at once.

Highlights:

(01:41) - Why preschool evaluations brought unexpected learning

(02:21) - The training gap around English language learner assessments

(02:50) - How special education teaching experience supports school psych work

(03:41) - Why teacher consultation feels different when you have been in the classroom

(05:33) - Julie’s favourite resources for learning and self-care

(07:38) - Why visibility and listening matter in your first solo role

Links:

The Prepared School Psych community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

Rebecca Branstetter: https://rebeccabranstetter.com/

Dr. Charles Barrett - It is Always About the Children: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-always-about-the-children-2e-charles-alexis-barrett/1149057051?ean=9781735026480

Angela Watson, Truth for Teachers: https://truthforteachers.com/

Not Your Average School Psychologist Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-school-psychologist-podcast/id1704722978

School Psyched Podcast: https://www.schoolpsychedpodcast.com/

The Autism Helper Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-autism-helper-podcast/id1443908794

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Nicholas Shannon, a first-year school psychologist with a path into the field that is anything but predictable.

Before reports, meetings and rating scales, Nicholas was working in hospitality, learning how to read people, stay calm under pressure and make strangers feel comfortable. Turns out, those skills travel surprisingly well.

We talk about the real first-year stuff: overwhelm, collaboration, missed parent forms, different school cultures, professional growth and what it means to make an impact before you feel like an expert.

Nicholas also shares why representation matters, and how he is learning to do this work in a way that feels true to him.

Highlights:

(01:59) - The surprise of realizing school psychology feels very different in the real world

(03:41) - Why collaboration deserves way more attention in training

(05:25) - How Nicholas grounds himself when overwhelm starts creeping in

(07:03) - What restaurant work taught him about parents, students and pressure

(13:24) - Staying curious when you do not have all the answers

(16:43) - Why representation and doing the work your own way matters

The Prepared School Psych community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when your role no longer fits the way it used to.

I sit down with Erin to explore her journey from a traditional school psychology role into mentorship, private practice, and university teaching, and how she found new ways to use her skills without leaving the field entirely.

What I love about this conversation is how practical it is. We talk about career pivots, side hustles, and how to figure out what actually lights you up, instead of just sticking with what feels safe. If you’ve been wondering what else is possible in this field, this one will open your thinking.

Highlights:

(01:02) - The moment Erin realised her traditional role was no longer fulfilling

(04:00) - Why mastering IEP meetings sets you up for so many other roles

(05:13) - Stepping into mentorship and supporting other school psychologists

(07:11) - Moving into university teaching and why it felt like the right next step

(09:04) - How to explore new career paths without quitting your job

(12:54) - Finding what actually lights you up and building from there

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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In this episode, I’m getting into something that deserves way more attention in our field, dyscalculia evaluations. We spend so much time talking about reading concerns, but math-based learning disabilities are just as real, just as impactful, and often a lot less understood.

So today I’m walking through three practical tips to help you approach these evaluations with more clarity and confidence.

I talk about why math anxiety can muddy the waters, how executive functioning can play a huge role in math performance, and why exclusionary factors need a closer look than we sometimes give them.

If you are part of an evaluation team, this is one of those conversations that can really sharpen how you think through the full picture.

Highlights:

(01:30) - Why math anxiety and dyscalculia can look similar, but are not the same

(02:42) - When a student may be dealing with both anxiety and a true math disability

(03:54) - The executive functioning piece too many evaluations miss

(05:47) - Why working memory and processing speed matter so much in math

(06:18) - The exclusionary factors that can completely change your interpretation

(07:57) - A reminder that dyscalculia still deserves more attention in our field

Prepared School Psych community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m talking about a question that comes up a lot in school psych circles, do I need to include an occupational therapist for dysgraphia evaluations?

I walk through three practical tips to help you feel more confident, more coordinated, and more prepared when this topic comes up in meetings. We get into why dysgraphia can mean very different things depending on who is using the term, and why that matters so much before an evaluation even begins.

I also break down how to coordinate with your evaluation team, when OT involvement makes sense, and why executive functioning and exclusionary factors still deserve a close look.

This one is clear, practical, and a really helpful reminder that strong dysgraphia evaluations are about asking better questions, understanding the full picture, and making sure students get the support that actually fits.

Highlights:

(01:37) - Why dysgraphia can mean different things to different people

(03:08) - The two main concerns people are usually describing

(04:09) - When it makes sense to bring in the occupational therapist

(05:39) - Why coordination matters so you are not overtesting or missing key pieces

(06:29) - How executive functioning can play a bigger role than people realize

(07:29) - The exclusionary factors you still need to rule out

Prepared School Psych community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m talking about one of those questions school psychologists hear all the time, are you going to test my child for dyslexia?

I walk through three practical tips to help you feel more prepared for that conversation, from understanding how dyslexia is defined today to knowing how to talk about it clearly in your report and at the eligibility meeting.

I also get into what areas really need attention during a comprehensive evaluation, including decoding, fluency, phonological processing, and orthographic processing, and why exclusionary factors still matter so much.

This one is practical, clear, and such a helpful reminder that good dyslexia evaluations are not about one perfect test. They are about asking the right questions and looking at the whole student.

Highlights:

(01:06) - Why we need to talk about dyslexia differently than we did years ago

(02:27) - What changed in the updated dyslexia definition

(03:33) - Why the parent or teacher’s definition matters too

(04:23) - The reading and processing areas you really want to examine

(06:15) - Why the best test is the one that answers your actual questions

(06:31) - The exclusionary factors we cannot afford to skip

Prepared School Psych community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Karen Silberman to talk about the VMAT, the Visual Motor Abilities Test, and why this new digital assessment tool could make life a whole lot easier for school psychologists.

We get into what makes it different, how the automatic scoring works, and why moving away from rulers, protractors, and hand scoring could be such a big shift for the field.

We also talk about the research behind the test, the benefits of updated post-COVID norms, and what is coming next as the tool expands.

This one is practical, future-focused, and full of interesting insight into how technology can actually support better efficiency without losing the data we need to make good decisions for students.

Highlights:

(02:16) - What the VMAT actually is and why it matters

(05:53) - Why visual motor skills were the right place to start

(10:50) - What school psychs are saying after trying it

(15:29) - The next features coming to the VMAT

(17:51) - How this could grow beyond school-age testing

(19:56) - Where to find it and how to try it for free

Links:

Check out the new VMAT: https://www.psymark.ai/

If you are interested in participating in the ongoing standardization, reach out to the VMAT team: https://www.psymark.ai/contact

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

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In this episode, I’m talking about efficiency, but not in the usual way. Instead of throwing random productivity tips at an already overloaded schedule, I’m walking through a more useful approach, figuring out what the actual problem is first. Because sometimes you do need a better system, and sometimes the job is simply asking too much of you.

I also share the four questions I use to spot where inefficiency is really coming from, along with a personal example of how I avoid the tasks that need the most brainpower.

This one is practical, honest, and a good reminder that getting more efficient is not always about doing more. Sometimes it starts with blaming yourself less and thinking more clearly.

Highlights:

(01:42) - Why the real problem matters first

(03:15) - The first question to ask yourself

(04:30) - When the workload is the actual issue

(06:08) - Why we avoid the harder task

(07:28) - Three strategy ideas that stood out

(08:56) - Stop blaming yourself, start solving the problem

The Prepared School Psych community: https://jennyponzuric.com/prepared-school-psychologist/

The information and advice provided are for guidance purposes only, and all listeners are required to follow federal and state law, as well as their school district guidelines and policies.

Connect with Jenny:

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INSTAGRAM

WEBSITE