Five Recommendations on How to Become a Stand Out School Counselor

1. Promote a Safe School Climate

Safe, inclusive, and positive school climates provide students with supports (i.e. social and emotional learning).  How can school counselors do this effectively?

Some suggestions include…

  • Listen. People need to feel heard. Students, parents, teachers, secretaries, even the principals.
  • Assist students in developing social and emotional competencies like self management, resilience, and decision making. 
  • Refer students with complex social, emotional, and behavioral needs for psychological testing, mental health services, and other educational services.
  • Assist your administrator in addressing the root causes of disciplinary incidents;  preventing future disciplinary concerns;  reintegrating students returning from suspensions,alternate schools, or incarceration, and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and positive educational environment. 
  • Involve students and student advocates in maintaining a safe, inclusive, and positive educational environment through such programs as peer mediation or restorative justice.

2.  Get Involved in Staff Development and Training

Some suggestions include…

  • Provide school staff with ongoing training in evidence based techniques such as conflict resolution and de-escalation strategies to decrease classroom disruptions.
  •  Provide cultural awareness training to all school personnel.
  • Train school resource officers in cultural competence, child development, conflict resolution, privacy issues, and mentoring.
  • Train students to become peer helpers to extend your services in the school.

Start a Peer Listening Program in Your School

  • Connect with the other counselors in your district, not just your department. Start a PLC/PLN (Professional Learning Community/Network), meet on a regular basis to discuss common challenges/solutions/ community resources, share ideas, materials and encourage each other. This is beneficial at  every level but even more at the elementary where counselors are often on their own. It takes leadership and initiative to start one and keep it going.
  • Grow as a professional and submit a session proposal to speak at a conference. (Can’t afford to go?  Check out the School Community Counselor Scholarship on the Counseling Geek’s blog!)
  • Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate!!! With teachers, counselors outside your school, community members, students. Also consider moving up to admin, counselors have great insight that is missing in administration.
  • You see a need and you fill it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a counseling group, a parent workshop, a newsletter home, or a holiday help program.

3.  Become a Advocate for Yourself and All Students

Some suggestions include…

  • Provide clear, appropriate, and consistent expectations for all students, not just a few.
  • Advocate for providing positive interventions in the school discipline policy over student removal.
  • Promote equity and continuous improvement among the student body.
  • Be consistent in collecting data to prove your interventions are working.
  • Collect data to track progress in creating and maintaining a safe and inclusive educational environment.
  • Recognize that it is the best profession in the world and you are fortunate to serve students everyday sometimes never knowing the impact you have made. You have the opportunity every single day to make a difference in the life of a child. It doesn’t get any better than that.
  • Talk to local politicians about what your role looks like.
  • Get involved in social media PLNs (twitter is a great place to start, look up #scchat #hscchat #escchat) 
  • Get involved in your local branch of your association and your state association.
  • Find your “why”! There are going to be horrible, tough days you may even feel like quitting but know your why will make those hard days manageable! Plus give you a goal to work towards. Have a celebration folder for the rough days too! Self-care is essential. Plan it into your life! We can only help others if we help ourselves first! We must put the oxygen mask on us before others!!
  • Take care of yourself so you can be “present” with your students and help them navigate their mental health.
  • Get out of your office. Walk the halls at lunch. Get to know the kids and make yourself visible and approachable.

4.  Teach Students Needed Skills for Success in Life  (2018 resources added here)

Some suggestions include…

  • Consider teaching your students survival skills needed for the 21st Century.  Consider such events as an Adulting Day Event.  Want to know more?  Check out my post on creating an Adulting Day Event.

Create Your Own Adulting Day Event

Career and Technical Letter of Intent Signing Day

 Many student are not recognized at award nights, college signing days, or honor ceremonies. Consider creating a Career and Technical Letter-of-Intent Signing Day.” At this ceremony, students and company representatives sign letters of intent regarding conditions of the students’ employment, training, and compensation. 

AND

College Signing Day

 For students who want to move to a college or university, consider a College Signing Day Event. Follow this guide to create your own College Signing Day to celebrate future success.


College Decision Day Ideas

5.  Meet Regularly With Your Administration and Offer Your Expertise and Support 

Some suggestions include…

  • Make an effort to get to know your principal as a person.
  • Give support to your principal on decisions he or she makes.  The support you give will come back your way!
  • Build trust by keeping your word, being student-centered, and keeping your principal informed. 

See more about your relationship with your principal…it’s pretty important.
You Matter in Your School: Evaluating the Counselor-Principal Relationship

This post was made by Cynthia Morton on her great blog – For High School Counselors. Check it out at – http://forhighschoolcounselors.blogspot.com/