joannebrodersumerson@gmail.com
Have you ever been part of what you considered to be a high-performing team? Those magical synergetic experiences where the team seems energized, cohesive, and collaborative, members feel safe enough to express their thoughts and opinions (even if they’re unpopular), as well as the work gets done and goals are met. I am grateful that I am experiencing this at the American Psychological Association.
For the past three years, I have had the honor to serve on the esteemed APA committee, Coalition for Schools in Psychology and Education, which turns 19 this year. I was appointed by Krishna Kumar during his presidency and followed in the footsteps of the great Peter Sheras. The Coalition has representatives from each division and various committees within the APA such as Board of Educational Affairs, Board of Scientific Affairs, and many others. What this representation really means is that this is a seasoned team of experts and scholars from every angle of psychology whose mission is to create hands-on resources on topics on educational best practices, mental health, and professional development for teachers, school administrators, school staff, parents/guardians, and community. In addition, the Coalition aims to help the APA focus on education.
What does this look like? Led by the dynamic duo Director Rena Subotnik and Assistant Director Maha Khalid, the Coalition meets twice a year, the first weekend in June in person and virtually during first weekend in December. These are productive meetings where we roll up our sleeves to dig down and dirty to work on the various projects commissioned to us that will be described below with their descriptions and statuses. Although we only gather twice a year for those energizing and gratifying work sessions, through the gift of technology, we are able to meet throughout the year to complete our subcommittee projects and cultivate friendships.
I joined the Coalition and met everyone in June 2020, my first meeting, which was virtual. All meetings were virtual until June 2022, when we were so happy to finally see the beautiful faces behind the tiny Zoom squares and truly get to know each other. It was definitely one of my favorite weekends of 2022 and am already looking forward to our next live meeting in June.
As your proud Division Council Representative, there are other Coalition members who also serve on Council, which is great for our division to gain exposure and expand our network. Below is a brief description of our current Coalition projects. I contribute to most of them on some level:
The Top 20 for Parents
There is so much information and perspectives about how students learn best. This will be a booklet that is resource list of guidelines for parents/guardians of K-12 children on how they can understand and support their students’ learning journey. Educational best practices vary with age, so The Top 20 includes tips, bullets, analogies, short stories, and questions that focus on each developmental phase in the areas of Motivation, Learning, Self-Regulation, and Assessment.
Promoting Mental Health and Academic Success: Leveraging Lessons from the COVID‐19 Pandemic
There has been an abundance of focus on what was lost during COVID, but the pandemic was also a time for enlightenment, gain, and transition. The final product will be a website with resources that helps users learn more about the silver linings from the pandemic in the categories of Community Outreach, Technology, Instruction, Mental Health and Well‐Being, and Promoting Science‐Based Information. All links and recommended resources will be hand-picked and expert-approved.
Coalition Communications Priorities and Benchmarks
There is so much misinformation and disinformation in topics of psychology and education that get posted, read, and shared, while valuable resources from prominent experts get ignored. The Coalition is working on disseminating its work to the general public, as well as to legislative and professional audiences, youth-led organizations, and local boards of education to make important information more accessible and understandable. In addition, through podcasts, op-eds, and other media interviews, members are promoting their own work to broader audiences to that people know where to find additional help in topics of education and psychology.
Educational Disparities Reflection Tool & Resources Development
Every high-functioning team should have a consistent process of determining areas of need and development and schools are no different. This project will be a self-assessment checklist for schools to evaluate where they need resources in the areas of Teacher Quality and Expertise, Teacher Diversity, Financial Resources, Curriculum & Instructional Standards for Learning, School Climate, Policy Climate, Discipline, Motivating School Teams, and Engaging a Range of Stakeholders. Lists of suggested resources will be provided.
Ethics and Civil Discourse
Understanding other people’s perspectives, especially when there is a difference of opinion and values has become a mandatory life skill. This group is creating the Guided Self‐Reflection Rubric and Tool for Teachers and Students: Developing Ethical Civil Discourse for them to be mindful of their strengths and areas of opportunity in the following categories: Benevolence, Humility, Mutual Respect, Perspective Taking, and Integrity. Additional resources for each category will be provided for personal development.
Mental Health Primers Professional Development
One of the positives of the pandemic is that it raised awareness of the importance of mental health. The Mental Health Primers are one-page resources for teachers on topics of mental health for students experiencing Race-Based Hate, Stress, Sadness, Low Self-Esteem or Perceptions of Low Self-Competence, Inattention and Distractibility, Crisis, Bullying, Gender Identity Exploration, and Trauma Exposure. The Primer explains the topic, identifies student behaviors, breaks down the do’s and don’ts, as well as provides additional resources. The Primers are being recorded to create audios for teachers to earn continuing education credits.
School Counselor Professional Development Needs Survey
School counselors, psychologists, and social workers fill vital roles in the school community, so their professional development needs should be met so they can best serve students and families. Modeled after a prior project, the Teacher Professional Development Needs Survey, the domains are Teaching & Learning, Assessment, Intervention & Consultation, Mental Health & Well-being, Communication & Technology, Diversity, Workplace Dynamics, Leadership & Advocacy for Systems Change, Legal & Ethical Issues, and Contextual Issues.
As mental health awareness and interventions have become a priority, there is a huge need for the Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education. I am proud to play on the playground with experts where we collaborate and create hands-on resources to improve school communities. Thankfully, the APA has supported the Coalition and our mission so we can continue to serve schools and stakeholders. Where can you serve on an APA committee outside of our division? There are a plethora of options!
