The field of educational psychology
The field of psychology is one that is quite self-conscious since it involves the study of the conscious thoughts and understanding of one’s mind. Working as a school psychologist is a role that requires one to synthesize information regarding mechanisms of development in specific contexts and to translate them to people who are responsible for the growth and development of the youth and children within educational contexts. Therefore, it not only needs professional growth but also an increase in skill and knowledge, especially with the prevailing changes in the educational environments.
One of the ways I would that I would keep up with the developments in the field of school psychology is through joining professional organizations. I would particularly join the American Counselling Association. This is the largest organization of professional counselors in the world. It represents counselors from various settings of practice. Joining a professional organization would help to keep abreast of current knowledge and practice from the field (Barbours and Lammers, 2015). It also increases the field of opportunities and helps in the advancement of members primarily through networking. I would also try to ensure that I increase my visibility in the profession. This would be easier through networking and applying for awards. Attending conferences and workshops, as well as being visible on social media, would help in increasing my visibility in my career. This would help to increase my prospects in the field.
Keeping skills in any field is a crucial way of fostering development in one’s career. To do this, it would be essential to carry out extensive research in the field of psychology. According to Willig and Rogers (2017), the necessary steps of researching the field of psychology include observing human behavior, asking questions, testing the hypothesis and collecting data, examining results and drawing conclusions, and reporting the results. Areas in researching psychology include social and personality psychology, quantitative, cognition, cognitive neuroscience, perception, as well as developmental psychology. Having more knowledge in these areas will help in increasing my pool of knowledge and making better decisions when dealing with students in various educational institutions.
Importantly I would also increase my development in the field of school psychology by volunteering and interning in various institutions that deal with mental health. Specifically, I intend to volunteer in institutions that deal with mental health among children. One institution that offers volunteer opportunities for individuals who intend to work with children on matters of mental health is the Child Mind Institute. The Child Mind Institute is an independent and national non-profit organization that is dedicated to transforming the lives of families and children who struggle with learning disorders and mental health issues. The organization is headquartered in New York and offers help in a wide range of topics, including anxiety disorders, ADHD, as well as problems brought by complexities within the family environment (Miller, 2016).
In conclusion, the development of my career is dependent on my efforts to increase my prospects in the field of educational psychology. With the changing environment of education, especially in the advent of technology, it would be prudent to ensure that I keep my skills and knowledge up to date. In addition to that, I would join a professional organization to increase my network and awareness of new information in the field. Besides, the organization would help in increasing my visibility in the field through various workshops and conferences. Volunteering would also be essential to foster development in my career.