The Prepared School Psych

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric welcomes Lucia Serio, a licensed educational psychologist and adjunct instructor at California State University, Los Angeles. Lucia shares her extensive expertise in psychoeducational and dynamic assessments, particularly in supporting students with Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. The conversation covers her inno...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric interviews Dr. Peg Dawson, a renowned school psychologist and co-author of the Smart But Scattered series, to discuss the importance of executive functioning in students' academic success. Dr. Dawson shares her extensive career journey, describing her transition from a school psychologist to an expert in executive skills...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric interviews Emily Prissel, the current president of the Wisconsin School Psychologist Association. Emily reflects on her transition from a classroom teacher to a school psychologist, emphasizing her desire to address student learning barriers. She shares insights on the importance of questioning to better understand student n...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, the host welcomes Kristine Esposito, the immediate past president of the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists. Kristine shares her journey and various roles within the association, including her leadership during the 2020-2024 term. She discusses her background in business, which has influenced her work in school psychology, and empha...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, Jenny Ponzuric is joined by Kevin Dahill-Fuchel, Executive Director of Counseling in Schools. With over three decades of experience in school-based social work, Kevin shares how his team has helped transform mental health support for students and school communities across New York City. Kevin reflects on his early experiences providing crisis s...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, the host Jenny Ponzuric interviews Brandi Rosen, an experienced educator specializing in IEPs and behavior management. Brandi shares her passion for simplifying teaching complexities and provides practical, legally sound, and student-centered solutions to educators. She discusses her career journey, emphasizing the importance of impactful and m...

In the final episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast's series on executive functioning skills, host Jenny Ponzuric discusses her own strengths and challenges in this area. Jenny details her proficiency in planning and prioritizing, organization, goal-directed persistence, and metacognition. She also candidly addresses her difficulties with task initiation, time management, and flexibility...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric continues the mini series on executive functioning with guest Dr. Amy Merenda. They discuss the common struggles associated with the implementation of new strategies learned from workshops and books, often overshadowed by daily responsibilities. They emphasize the need to break out of autopilot routines to adopt new practice...

In the second episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast's four-part series on executive functioning, host Jenny Ponzuric discusses five key takeaways from her executive functioning focus group, which included over 200 educators. The takeaways highlight common challenges educators face, the diversity in individual strengths and weaknesses, the importance of simple yet overlooked strategies,...

The latest episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric introduces a four-part mini-series focusing on executive functioning. The series aims to address executive functioning challenges not just among students but also among the adults on campus, such as administrators, speech pathologists, and school psychologists. Jenny is joined by Dr. Amy Merenda, a licensed educational ps...

In this continuation of their conversation, host Jenny Ponzuric welcomes back Dr. Amy Merenda to share more about her journey from school psychologist to licensed educational psychologist. Amy reflects on the lessons she learned after making the transition, including how she structured her private practice, how she approaches independent educational evaluations (IEEs), and how she incorporates neu...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric welcomes Dr. Amy Merenda, a licensed educational psychologist and member of the Ponzuric Learning Solutions team. Dr. Merenda discusses her extensive experience in educational assessments and neurodiversity affirming practices. She shares insights on transitioning from school psychology to private practice, highlighting the...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric interviews Amanda Gamble, a dedicated school psychologist and yoga instructor. Amanda shares her journey from Kentucky to Indiana, emphasizing her passion for supporting students and educators. They discuss her involvement with the Indiana Association of School Psychologists, where she held various leadership roles, includin...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric is joined by leadership coach Kelly Mobeck. Kelly, the founder of Kelly J. Mobeck Coaching and Training and host of a top 5% global podcast, dives into the significance of coaching and accountability in leadership and personal growth. She shares her journey from mortgage banking to coaching, emphasizing the importance of own...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny interviews Misty Bonta, an LEP with over 18 years of experience across various educational roles. Misty shares her career journey from working in public schools to launching her own private practice, 'Get Psyched,' focusing on mental health training, assessment, and counseling. She discusses her passion for systemic change, highlight...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric engages in an insightful conversation with Ryan Estrellado, an experienced educator, author, and former school psychologist. Ryan discusses his career journey, emphasizing the importance of data in educational settings and the misconceptions surrounding it. He shares his approach to humanizing data by integrating storytellin...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric interviews Tracie Hewitt, an experienced licensed educational psychologist and certified parenting coach. Tracie shares her insights on effective parenting, the importance of listening and building trust with parents, and how to handle difficult conversations in the school setting. She emphasizes the significance of parental...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, host Jenny interviews Jesse Cole and Annie Simon, co-founders of J&A Mindful Connections and creators of the 'Adventures in Mindfulness and Positive Thinking for Kids' series. They discuss their background, the motivation behind their book series, and how their resources support children's emotional development through practical...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast , host Jenny Ponzuric interviews Dr. Amy Smith , a distinguished school psychologist and President of the Ventura County Association of School Psychologists (VCASP) . Dr. Smith shares insights into her role, the importance of community involvement , and the value of professional development within the association. She discusses her journey with...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, I speak with Annalise Puentes, a licensed educational psychologist in private practice focused on psychoeducational assessments, behavior support, and staff training. Annalise shares her journey, contributions to the Sonoma County Association of School Psychologists, and the invaluable impact of collaboration and professional development. Addit...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, Amber Gibson, North Carolina School Psychologist of the Year (2021) and President of the North Carolina School Psychology Association, joins the show. Amber discusses her career journey, including her extensive experience in leadership roles and her current efforts to improve pay and staffing for school psychologists in North Carolina. She shar...

In this episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric, sits down with Elizabeth Sautter, a speech and language pathologist specializing in social communication, emotional regulation, and executive functioning. Elizabeth discusses her journey and passion for neurodiversity-affirming practices, emphasizing the importance of focusing on strengths rather than deficits. She talks ab...

In the season opener of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, host Jenny interviews Ashley Schwenn, a seasoned school neuropsychologist and licensed educational psychologist. Ashley shares her journey in the field and her roles in various school psychology associations across different states, focusing on leadership and advocacy. She discusses her leadership roles in the South Bay Association of Scho...

In this special anniversary episode of the Prepared School Psych Podcast, host Jenny Ponzuric reflects on her one-year journey with the podcast and shares her personal story and career path as a school psychologist. Jenny discusses her initial discovery of the field, her experiences working in Southern California, and her progression from juggling multiple responsibilities to supervising practicum...

The Prepared School Psych podcast welcomes back Dr. Amy Merenda, a licensed educational psychologist and expert in educational assessments, to discuss when it is appropriate to evaluate students for special education. The episode explores the framework of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), its implementation challenges, and the importance of collaboration, data usage, and culturally responsiv...