school psychologist

resource site

Did you know? School Psychologists support teachers, students, support staff, and parents in the areas of learning, behavior, and social development. We do this through assessment, data analysis, consultation, prevention and intervention, and program evaluation/development.

free resources from

the california school based health alliance

Coronavirus parenting

Our new normal, but we all need tips and tricks to make it through! Check out the article

In times of stress...

Connection is protection
Focus on the present - instead of saying "What if" try to focus on "What is."
- Example: Instead of saying "What if my child gets sick?" try focusing on what is currently happening. "My child is healthy, and we are practicing safe behaviors."
Negative behavior is communication
- When your child is acting out, this is often communication that he/she is stressed - bring empathy!
Bring calm to the chaos
- Take two deep breaths - one for you, one for your child.
- Ask your child, "Do you want to process or problem solve?"

Self-care or self-compassion?

Self-care includes things like getting a massage or taking a bubble bath. These are wonderful, but mean very little if you are not compassionate to or gentle with yourself during that time. Instead, try to practice self-compassion - try to treat yourself like you would treat your best friend in the same situation!

Try changing your mindset - for example, instead of saying "My child is giving me a hard time!"

try "My child is having a hard time."

Parenting in a pandemic

Focus on acceptance and simplifying your life/work
- We can't expect to be as productive as normal when we are acting as full time parent, virtual school facilitator, and employee!
- Relax your standards to a level appropriate for a global pandemic!
Every morning choose the following:
- One thing to do or focus on,
- One thing to let go of,
- One thing to be grateful for.
Keep Calm and Structure On
- Create a schedule, and collaborate with your child on this so they are more likely to follow it
- It's OK if things go awry, just reboot for the next day
Build in time for movement and play
- For you and your child!

Homeschooling VS. Distance Learning

"Homeschooling" is a conscious, planned choice, and includes a specific curriculum to follow and a dedicated parent to be the sole instructor. However, most of us were forced into "distance learning" due to the pandemic, with very little choice or preparation, and often while working full time.

Work from home vs. working in your home

"Working from home" (WFH) is a conscious, planned choice, and often includes a dedicated and quiet work space. However, many of us were forced to "work in our homes" due to the pandemic, with very little choice or preparation, often while our children attend school via distance learning.

With distance learning and working in your home - be gentle on yourself as parents during this unprecedented time! We were forced into these situations without much preparation, and it is not easy.

You are doing a great job!

begin/end the day by checking-in with your child:

In the morning, you might ask:

• What classes/subjects do you have today?

• Do you have any assessments?

• How will you spend your time?

• What do you need? What can I do to help?

At the end of the day you might ask:

• How far did you get in your learning tasks today?

• What did you discover? What was hard?

• What could we do to make tomorrow better?

tips for virtual learning

Help your child build a schedule, including breaks
Set up a designated workspace, or use a portable divider - it doesn't have to be fancy!
Use baskets for "work to do" and "finished work"
Familiarize yourself with the virtual learning platform
Build a relationship with your child’s teachers
Be available for tech support, but let your child attend school on their own
Shift some of your own "asynchronous" work to outside of school hours whenever possible in case your child needs help
Consider a daily calendar to write in student’s zoom times as well as assignments due. Routine may help heal a child’s currently disrupted world. A consistent schedule is comforting, and it can increase focus and willingness to work. Some students benefit from seeing this schedule in front of them.
Has your child tried standing while working? Laying on the floor? Using a backless chair? Sitting on a stability ball? Flexible seating will give your child options for controlling their physical environment in ways that work best for them. With choices, students gain greater flexibility and control, giving them the autonomy and comfort to stay engaged and focused, leading to improved overall behavior and willingness to complete desired tasks.
Environmental noise can be hugely distracting for some children. If your home learning environment has multiple children and distractions throughout the day, headphones or noise-canceling headphones may be a worthwhile purchase (for both you and your child!).
Students can be overwhelmed when starting lengthy, multi-step projects that require a lot of mental energy. Timers can provide a counterbalance. During any phase of an assignment, you might use your phone to set a timer for 20 minutes. You can leave it where students can see it. Teach them to reward themselves with breaks after completing steps.
Be gentle on yourself and your child - this is a stressful time and we can all just do our best!

zoom accessibility features

Zoom has features that help students with disabilities access the platform, including closed captioning, keyboard accessibility, automatic transcripts, and screen reader support. Check it out!

https://zoom.us/accessibility

Stress relief tip: Set aside time to practice deep breathing—slow breaths in through the nose counting to four and exhaling for 4 counts. This can be the easiest way to reduce what we call a “sympathetic burst” and physically activate a self-soothing response by inducing the parasympathetic nervous symptom. Think of it as a way to recharge your batteries so you can have more “emotional bandwidth” to manage the inevitable stress ahead. It also allows you time to be in the present moment, taking a break from what might happen in the future or thinking too much about the past. Try doing this at least three times throughout the day.

Do you have concerns about your child's learning, behavior, or social development? Please notify your child's teacher and he/she will work with you on the next steps.

About me: Chrystal Gonzales, M.Ed.

Hello! I have been a School Psychologist since 2007. I have three children of my own, and I enjoy watching movies, reading, hiking, training my puppy, and volunteering.

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