Aaaaaaaaand Done.

Tomorrow marks the end of my three-year graduate school experience. I can hardly even believe it. Where has the time gone?? Well, it's gone to a full-year full-time internship, papers, studying, and working harder than I've ever had to in my life. As a little reflection on being finished, I am going to walk you through how I've come to this point and what this all means. First of all, let me say a huge thank you to all my friends and family who have encouraged me, listened to me complain and (ahem) FREAK out occasionally, asked questions, and supported me the whole way through. An especially huge thank you goes to Jeremy, without whom I probably wouldn't have made this huge jump. He has been so incredibly supportive and has helped me through my BIGGEST freak outs (poor fella).
I appreciate you all for helping me survive. Whew. Here we go:
How I Decided to Make the Jump
As you may recall, I was perfectly happy in a wonderful job teaching Spanish at CLS. I loved teaching, and I loved working with the kiddies, particularly the junior high kids (I know, I'm nuts). However, in the fall of 2006, after several attempts at getting my teaching certificate (that's a whole 'nother story... Basically I was supposed to teach in my undergrad degree, which was psychology, and that just wasn't gonna work out), I knew that something had to change. I just had no idea what. Jeremy and I went backpacking that November, and on the way there, I all of a sudden blurted out with, "I want to go back to school. Full-time." The rest of the trip was spent brainstorming on how we could possibly make that happen. I really didn't even know what I wanted to do, but I quickly narrowed it down to school psych or social work.
What I Had to Do
I had to take several poopy tests (the GRE, the PSYCH GRE). I had to write letters. I had to figure out college professors who could vouch for me (I hadn't been in school in FOUR years!). I also had to decide which program to do. I ended up applying for both and hoping for the school psych program. I knew that school psych would combine my two loves: psychology and education, and I felt it would be the best fit for me. This also meant I had to wait because I wasn't able to apply until July, and the program started in August. Which meant I had to quit my job that I loved without actually being accepted into the program. And that was terrifying. I also had to take a pre-req class (Tests and Measurements) that I didn't take in undergrad without being accepted. Scary!
It all worked out in the end though... because I got in...
The Program
The School Psychology program at UCA is set up like this: two full years of full-time classes (including one whole summer of full-time classes), and a year-long internship. I end up with (technically) a masters degree (M.S.)+ 21 hours. This means I finished my 45 hour program, with 21 additional hours. We usually get paid on the teacher's scales, so that's what bumps us up a few notches.
Anyway, along the road for the program, I had to take comps (ew), the Praxis for school psychology, and complete several other big projects where we would have to stop the program if we did not pass. And I passed them all (a few gray hairs later). I ended up getting an internship with Conway Public Schools (which I have loved), which is what is ending tomorrow.
My Fantabulous Initials After My Name
Now when I sign things at work, I will be (once I turn everything in and PAY for it):
Elizabeth Spann, SPS, LPE-I, NCSP
This translates to Elizabeth Spann, School Psychology Specialist, Licensed Psychological Examiner-Independent, Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Say that ten times fast. No, don't.
It breaks down to this: the SPS is granted by the Dept. of Education in AR (similar to a teaching certificate) and it's so I can work in the public schools, the LPE-I is granted by the AR Psychology Board and it's so I can do emotional/behavioral assessments and therapy, and the NCSP is so I could be a school psych in any other state besides AR (not that I'm moving).
OK, What Will I Be Doing?
One thing I've noticed is that very few people actually know what I'm going to do. NO, I will not be a school counselor (If you've thought this, you're not the only one who thinks that!! No worries!!). Here's a breakdown:

• I work with kids with disabilities: this means a million different things... I literally go into the classroom and do programs with them, I look out for their rights, and I try to get them the best education possible.
• I look at how kids with disabilities learn: I do IQ tests (my favorite), achievement tests (reading, math, written expression), language tests (how they produce and take in language), visual-motor tests, auditory perception tests, adaptive behavior, and a host of other things.
  
• I can educationally classify kids so they can get services: they can qualify for special education under Specific Learning Disability, Autism, Other Health Impaired (ADHD most of the time), Hearing Impaired, Orthopedically Impaired, and several others... The testing I do helps determine if a kiddo has a disability, and if so, what kind.
• I serve on IEP teams to help plan what kind of services kids need
• I consult with teachers and come up with interventions for kids in the classroom to help them learn (and/or behave) best
• I do group counseling sessions: I lead social skills groups, divorce groups, and similar groups to help kids deal with different issues
• I do individual counseling: if kids are not able to get therapy somewhere, we can see kids who need help in a particular area. This is also where my LPE-I will come in handy.
• I help implement prevention programs in the schools
• I do behavior observations in classrooms for a variety of reasons (does my kid have ADHD?? Why won't this kid work in English class?? etc...)
  
• .... and a bunch of other things, but that helps give you an idea. ;) Clear as mud, right?
  

I truly, truly love what I am going to be doing, and I am very passionate about it. I felt that I needed to share with you guys exactly what all this work the past 3+ years means. I can't believe it's drawing to an end. Again, thank you to everyone who has supported me the entire time. I certainly couldn't have done it without you.
Oh, and I have a job interview on Monday. Fingers crossed!