Psychologists in Education - Gary McClintock

His background

Gary McClintock is a full time Psychologist with the Ministry of Education in Motueka, temporarily working in a service manager role for Special Education in Christchurch.

Starting out as a primary teacher, he became a registered psychologist in 1992 leaving teaching to work for (what was then) Specialist Education Services (SES).

Five years later, he took up a head of department role with a local high school, overseeing learners’ support. In 2005, he joined the Ministry of Education.

Gary has a teaching diploma, a Master’s Degree in Education and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Educational Psychology.

back to top

His story

Teaching is an excellent basis for a career in educational psychology according to Gary McClintock.

“It gives you an appreciation for what it’s like to front up to a class of 30 kids who’re not all lined up and ready to do what you want them to do!,” he says with a laugh.

Gary knows great teachers can make a huge difference to the education success of children with special education needs.

Often it’s about changing what’s happening in class and doing things differently, he says. For example, taking the time to become more engaged and communicative with a child can improve their sense of wellbeing and belonging and help turnaround severe behaviour.

“The indirect message from the teacher is: ‘You’re in my class, you’re part of my class’,” says Gary.

back to top

The rewards and challenges

The rewards of being a Psychologist in education are plenty, says Gary. There’s the variety of the job, the potential to make a difference in a child’s life and the satisfaction of bringing together and developing an effective team of people.

“As a career, it’s much, much more than I ever thought it would be. I thought it was about working with children in classrooms. But it’s so much more. We’re involved in the whole life of the child – all aspects from in school to out-of-school,” says Gary.

Psychologists in education can specialise in areas of interest – areas like parenting, behaviour or autism. They can develop project management and organisational skills and get into management roles.

Gary’s done just that. Today he facilitates parenting courses, helps early childhood education services and schools manage traumatic incidents and advises the police and courts on the education background of youth offenders.

Yet, there are challenges, too. Making finite resources stretch as far as they can is stressful sometimes and managing people in highly emotional situations is often both challenging and rewarding.

back to top

His future aspirations

For now, Gary’s enjoying his foray into management and is happy to see where that takes him.

Want to speak to someone like Gary about a career as a Psychologist in Education? Give us a call on 0800 622 222 or send us an email special.education@minedu.govt.nz [no spam]