Many focus on improving the effectiveness of teaching and student learning, frequently by studying motivation and cognitive processes in the classroom. School psychologists also provide counseling and crisis intervention services. They help students with learning or behavior problems, learning disabilities, and cognitive deficits. They work with students in schools to prevent violence and other disruptive behaviors. They also serve on interdisciplinary teams that develop individual educational plans for students with special needs.
Psychologists work within specialty areas of learning, too, such as the arts and sports.
We've all had this perception of psychology as a couch-profession, so it's nice to be able to tell people that psychologists are found in many fields. School psychology is an area that students oftentimes overlook, but when they see the valuable contribution it makes to the field of education, they become enthusiastic. I work predominantly with elementary school students, kindergarten through fifth grade, in Howard County, Maryland. I like being a school psychologist because I value education and I value giving people equal opportunities to get that education. There has been a lot of research in school psychology that we use when we work with children and adults.