Just Graduated? Looking to land a school counseling job? Here are 8 tips for scoring that dream school counseling job.
Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a mental health counselor job description.
Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a genetic counselor job description.
Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a school counselor job description
Whether you're aiming to land your first-ever counselor job or you're looking for a fresh start with years of experience under your belt, get ahead of those tough interview questions and move forward with confidence on interview day. With a little brainstorming in advance, you can master these three popular interview questions that are sure to show up on the question docket. A little preparation goes a long way...so let's get to work!
Counselor is a professional who is qualified to deal with issues like mental & emotional issues. Learn about key requirements, responsibilities & skills that should be in this job description.
Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a guidance counselor job description.
When it comes to being a rockstar counselor, your school counselor office space is simply a resource in your tool belt. You already have the training and skill set to do this job well. Your office space won't make or break your success as a counselor; however, thinking intentionally about the space you have can certainly be an asset as you prepare to care for staff, students, and families in all the best ways possible. Keep reading for some office space hacks to make your life easier and more enjoyable as a school counselor.
We've got your next career move right here.
So you finally landed the job out of grad school and are ready to start as a School Counselor. Congrats! It's a difficult profession but you will make a difference in the lives of children, hooray for you! Here is a list of things I wish I knew as a first-year Counselor to hopefully help you.
If you're looking for some advice as you go into your first year, here are my words of wisdom for a new school counselor.
Google Docs for School Counselor Organization As a school counselor, I love using Google Docs to help organize my work life. Last year, as a new school counselor, I began creating docs to organize my schedule, small groups, goals, and more! I referred to the docs often throughout the school year and am thrilled to be able to use them again this year. The best thing about Google Docs is that you can easily make a copy and then tweak them for the following school year. In this post, I will share 6 Google Docs that you can tweak for your own use. How to Use Shared Docs All of the docs below are Shared Docs. Customize them to meet your needs by following these steps: 1) Open the doc by clicking on the image below 2) Click on "Make a Copy" 3) Rename your doc 4) Customize! Classroom Counseling Sign-Up Form Do you schedule monthly lessons with your teachers? The doc below will help you gather quick info to make scheduling a breeze. Before sending this doc to teachers, I type their names on the left side of the doc and color code them by grade level. Then, I share the doc with my staff and ask them to type in their two preferred days and times for me to do my classroom counseling lessons. This form helps SO much with scheduling because I can almost always choose a preferred time for each teacher. Classroom Counseling Schedule Once teachers have chosen their preferred days/times, I schedule classroom lessons for the first semester. On average, I see each classroom once a month. Scheduling lessons for an entire semester allows me to get everything written down in my planner well in advance. Then, I can plan individual check-ins, small groups, and meetings around the classroom lessons. This form is organized the same way as the sign-up form. If you want to create a page for the second semester, simply copy and paste the chart onto the next page. Character Traits Plan Last year, I based my monthly classroom lessons on character traits. This next doc was a lifesaver! On the first page of the doc, I made a chart for all of the traits I planned on teaching about in my classroom lessons. Throughout the school year, when I thought of a great idea, I added them to the chart as a way to collect my ideas. The second page of the doc is where the magic happened. For each character trait, I made a chart of how I planned on teaching the topic in every grade level. This was very helpful because I was able to see how my lessons built upon each other and got more complex in each grade level! Small Group Schedule and Lesson Plans Up next is a doc that I made for scheduling and planning my small groups. The first page of the doc shows you how I organized my small groups. I made a page like this for every grade level. Whenever I went to pick up students for a small group, I took this page with me so I would not forget anyone! I also made a copy of this page for each classroom teacher to give them easy access to the dates, times, and students in their grade level's small groups. I used the second page of the doc to create lesson plans for each small group. At the top of the doc, I wrote measurable goals for the group. On the right side, I typed in each student's name and used an "X" to keep track of their attendance at each group session. The rest of the doc was used for lesson planning. Since I used this as a digital doc, I could easily move items around in my lesson plan if I did not get to them each week. Yearly Counseling Tasks Do you have trouble remember what tasks you need to complete each month? Me too. I made the next doc to help me remember my reoccurring monthly tasks. For example, every August, I will need to prepare my new student folders. In September, I will need to organize my bullying awareness lessons. In October, I will need to plan for Red Ribbon Week. And so on :) Last school year, I used this doc to list each monthly task and then used the strikethrough feature when the task was complete. At the end of the school year, I turned all of the text back to normal and will re-use this form again this school year! Counseling Goals The last doc I am sharing today is my counseling goals doc. At the beginning of the school year, I came up with several long term and short term goals. The long term goals are my "bucket list" items (ex: getting a therapy dog)!! The short term goals are items I planned on accomplishing during the school year. I shared this doc with my administrator so he could see what goals I was working on. Follow the directions on the doc to learn how to turn checkboxes into checkmarks to keep track of your goals! I hope you found all of these docs helpful! Leave a comment with your favorite docs or tell me about what kind of docs you would love me to create. I would be happy to share more docs in the future! Stay Organized this School Year Looking for more ways to stay organized this school year? I love helping other counselors with organization! Check out some of my favorite resources below. Everything you need to document your sessions and stay organized! -Intake & Progress Notes Forms -Check In Form -Student Schedule Form -Small Group Lesson Template -Counseling Referral Forms -Phone Call Log -Meeting Notes & Notes Page -Weekly To Do List -And more! My School Counselor Planner is a practical, ink-saving weekly planner for documenting sessions, lessons, meetings, and more! Each two-page spread contains a weekly view for you to document your daily events. The day is divided into 15 minute intervals (7:00-4:00) with additional space to record events before and after school. My planner has free yearly updates! Interested in the documentation pack AND the planner? Check out my BUNDLE to save $$$. If you love using Google Drive to keep you organized, check out the resource above. It contains 70 Google Slides files to help you organize your school year! If you are new to my blog, please take a moment to follow me for more school counselor organization tips and creative lesson ideas!
Review typical interview questions asked at camp counselor job interviews, advice on how to prepare, and tips for responding with the best answers.
Top 5 licensed professional counselor interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.
If you spend any amount of time in the car, podcasts are a great way to connect to the profession and learn! Check out these 5 great podcasts for school counselors, counselors, social workers, or school psychologists.
An expanded edition filled with ideas, strategies, and tools for school counselors This Survival Guide helps counselors plan and implement an effective counseling program tailored to the needs of all students. Step by step, the book walks readers through every aspect of the school counselor job, including: designing a comprehensive counseling program, communicating with students and fellow staff, facilitating groups, promoting positive school discipline, integrating a guidance curriculum, intervening in times of crisis, and taking personal and professional care of oneself. Discusses how to reach out to diverse student and parent populations Shows how to integrate the American School Counselor Association's National Model for designing, delivering, and evaluating a school's counseling program Reveals how new technology can improve services to students and parents Other titles by Wiggin: I.O.U.S.A., Demise of the Dollar, and Financial Reckoning Day This comprehensive resource also includes a wealth of reproducible worksheets, letters, checklists, and forms designed to save time and effort for busy school counselors. Product DetailsISBN-13: 9780470560853 Media Type: Paperback Publisher: Wiley Publication Date: 08-23-2010 Pages: 320 Product Dimensions: 8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.70(d) Series: J-B Ed: Survival Guides #162About the Author John J. (Jack) Schmidt, Ed.D., is professor emeritus of Counselor Education at East Carolina University. He is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Making and Keeping Friends: Ready-to-Use Lessons, Stories, and Activities for Building Relationships.Read an Excerpt Read an Excerpt Click to read or download Table of Contents Table of ContentsAbout This Book ix About the Author xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 1 1 What, Who, and How of Your School Counseling Program 5 Describing the Program 7 Choosing a Language 7 Leading the Charge 10 Focusing on a Comprehensive Program 11 Adapting the ASCA National Model and Other Approaches 14 Advocating for All Students 15 Seeking Input 16 Winning Support 16 Sharing Ownership 20 Defining What You Do: A Glossary of Responsive Services 22 Identifying Responsive Services 22 Communicating Your Role 24 Chapter 1 Scenarios 1.1 Why Are Counselors in Schools? 5 1.2 Role Identity 6 Chapter 1 Worksheets 1.1 Program Assessment Scale 13 1.2 Facility Checklist for a School Counseling Center 19 Chapter 1 Exhibits 1.1 The School Counseling Program and the School Counselor 9 1.2 Comparison of Traditional and Comprehensive Programs 12 1.3 Advisory Committee Volunteers/Advisory Committee Form 21 2 Developing Your Role and Creating An Identity 27 Determining Who Does What 28 Creating a Counselor Identity 31 Advertising the Program 31 Promoting Yourself 33 Balancing Time 35 Setting Priorities 35 Establishing a Schedule 36 Using Resources 38 Chapter 2 Scenario 2.1 Is There a Problem? 27 Chapter 2 Worksheets 2.1 Time-Balance Worksheet 37 2.2 Schedule Worksheet 39 Chapter 2 Exhibits 2.1 Ten Keys to Implementing a Comprehensive Program 28 2.2 Friendship Week Assignments 29 2.3 School Counseling Brochure 32 2.4 Sample Time-Balance Sheet 35 2.5 Sample Schedule 38 2.6 Sample Master Schedule for a Middle School Counseling Program 40 3 Setting Sail and Staying Afloat 41 Planning 42 Assessing the Program 42 Organizing the Program 47 Evaluating Services 54 Coordinating 59 Receiving Referrals 63 Scheduling Services 63 Keeping Records 65 Following Up 66 Organizing a Peer Helper Program 66 Using Volunteers 67 Orienting Students, Parents, and Teachers 67 Helping with School Transitions 67 Coordinating a Teacher Advisement Program 68 Using Technology 68 Chapter 3 Scenario 3.1 You’ve Got It Good! 41 Chapter 3 Worksheets 3.1 Primary Student Needs Assessment 44 3.2 Middle School Parent Needs Assessment 45 3.3 Teacher Needs Assessment 46 3.4 School Climate Survey 48 3.5 Annual Planning Sheet 50 3.6 Middle School Counselor Monthly Report 55 3.7 Group Counseling Evaluation 57 3.8 Teacher Form for Individual Counseling Evaluation 58 3.9 Student Evaluation of a Middle School Counseling Program 60 3.10 Parent Evaluation Form 61 3.11 Teacher Evaluation Form 62 3.12 Teacher Referral Form 64 Chapter 3 Exhibit 3.1 Sample Case Card 65 Chapter 3 Figures 3.1 Elementary School Counseling Center 51 3.2 Middle School Counseling Center 52 3.3 Inaccessible Counseling Center 53 3.4 Accessible Counseling Center 54 4 Identifying Responsive Services 71 Counseling 72 Individual Counseling 72 Brief Counseling 76 Group Counseling 78 Parent and Teacher Counseling 81 Your Philosophy and Effectiveness as a Counselor 83 Consulting 86 Consulting About Situations 86 Providing Information 88 Delivering Instruction 89 Delivering Classroom Guidance 94 Appraising 96 Testing 97 Observing 99 Interviewing 101 Reviewing Records 101 Chapter 4 Scenarios 4.1 School Anxiety 71 4.2 Girls’ Bathroom 86 Chapter 4 Worksheets 4.1 Teacher Survey for Group Counseling 80 4.2 Information Request 90 4.3 Teacher In-Service Survey 92 4.4 Sample Classroom Guidance Evaluation Form 95 4.5 Learning Objectives Summary 98 4.6 Student Observation Notes 100 Chapter 4 Exhibits 4.1 Interviewing Children 75 4.2 Seven Steps to Brief Counseling 77 4.3 Group Pass to the Counselor’s Office 79 4.4 Counselor’s Checklist for Group Counseling 82 4.5 Ten Ground Rules for Participating in Group Counseling 82 4.6 Questions About Your Counseling Services 85 4.7 Ten Ideas for Leading Successful Presentations 93 Chapter 4 Figure 4.1 Counselor-Teacher Consulting Relationship 87 5 Integrating A School Counseling Program With The Curriculum 103 Affective Education: Integration and Infusion 105 Guidance: Everyone’s Responsibility 106 Planning Guidance Integration 107 Locating Resources 107 Presenting Guidance Lessons and Activities 108 Character Education 109 Homework 109 Educational Planning and Placement 110 Test Results and Improved Instruction 112 Teachers and Testing 113 Students and Testing 114 Parents and Testing 115 Career Development 117 A Lifetime of Learning Through Positive Behavior 118 Chapter 5 Scenarios 5.1 Classroom Behavior 103 5.2 Test Results 112 Chapter 5 Worksheet 5.1 Parent Survey of the School’s Testing Program 116 Chapter 5 Exhibit 5.1 The Edinburgh Middle School Continuing Progress Award 112 6 Reaching Out To Diverse Populations 121 General Guidelines 122 Exceptional Children 127 IDEA and Section 504 128 Approaches with Exceptional Students 129 Consulting with Parents of Exceptional Children 133 English Language Learners (ELL) 134 Culturally Diverse Populations 136 Celebration of Cultures 138 Guidance and Counseling Services 138 Chapter 6 Scenarios 6.1 Struggling Student 121 6.2 Differences 136 Chapter 6 Worksheets 6.1 Student Services Record 123 6.2 School and Community Specialists 125 6.3 Assessing Your Cultural Encapsulation 126 6.4 Token Economy Agreement 132 6.5 A Multicultural Checklist 137 7 Preparing For Crisis Intervention 141 Definition and Description of a Crisis 143 Characteristics of Crises 143 Types of Crises 143 A Crisis Team and Plan 144 Factors to Consider 144 The Crisis Team 146 The Crisis Plan 147 General Guidelines 147 Specific Procedures 149 Staff Development 150 Preventive Activities and Programs 152 Classroom Guidance 152 Developmental Counseling 152 Peer Helper Programs 153 Parent Education Programs 153 Safety Education 153 Crisis Counseling 154 Assessment 155 Plan of Action 155 Follow-Up and Evaluation 156 After Trauma or Tragedy 157 Chapter 7 Scenario 7.1 Bus Accident 141 Chapter 7 Worksheet 7.1 Crisis In-Service Survey 151 Chapter 7 Exhibits 7.1 Checklist of Crisis Guidelines 148 7.2 Communication with Superintendent’s Office 149 8 Selecting Responsive Services To Address Students’ Concerns 159 Bullying 160 Cyberbullying 163 Divorce 163 After-School Child Care 167 Loneliness 168 Relocation 169 Stress 170 Underachievement 171 Technology 174 Chapter 8 Scenario 8.1 Head Slapper 159 Chapter 8 Exhibits 8.1 Monitoring Student Assertiveness and Coping Skills 162 8.2 Sample Postcard for Student Transfers 170 8.3 Sample Student Contract 173 9 Responding To Critical Concerns 177 Child Depression and Suicide 178 Self-Injury 183 Child Abuse 184 Chronic and Terminal Illness 186 Substance Abuse 187 Intervention 188 Prevention 191 Loss 192 Poverty 194 Violence 194 School Phobia 195 Chapter 9 Scenario 9.1 Socioeconomic Disparities 177 Chapter 9 Exhibits 9.1 Child and Adolescent Motives and Behaviors Associated with Suicide Attempts 179 9.2 Additional Adolescent Motives and Behaviors Associated with Suicide Attempts 180 9.3 Questions to Ask Suicidal Students 181 9.4 Self-Protection Agreement 183 9.5 Indicators of a Family Drug- or Alcohol-Related Problem 188 9.6 Indicators of Possible Drug or Alcohol Use 190 9.7 Middle School Drug and Alcohol Assessment 191 10 Belonging and Being With The School 199 Establishing Relationships 200 Relating Personally 202 Being Visible 202 Being Invisible 205 Relating Professionally 206 Seeking Input 206 Sharing Information 208 Following Up 209 Facilitating Support Groups 209 Leading Staff Development 210 Promoting Positive Discipline 211 Being With Versus Doing To 214 Chapter 10 Scenario 10.1 Ongoing Challenges 199 Chapter 10 Worksheet 10.1 Workshop Evaluation Form 212 Chapter 10 Exhibit 10.1 Behavior Management Plan 213 11 Involving Significant Others 217 Knowledge of Family and Community 218 Interview Students 218 Review Cumulative Records 219 Orient Parents 221 Visit Homes 221 Assess Parent Needs 221 Communication and Information 222 Special Events 222 Worksite Visits 222 Test Reports 223 Parent Conferences 223 Letters and Communiqués 225 PTA and PTO Presentations 227 Volunteers 229 Parent Education Programs 230 Discussion Groups 230 Commercial Programs 232 Program Planning 233 Chapter 11 Scenario 11.1 Parental Involvement 217 Chapter 11 Worksheets 11.1 Cumulative Record Survey 220 11.2 Volunteer Application Form 231 11.3 Parent Education Evaluation 235 Chapter
15 clubs for school counselors to lead: get your students engaged, involved, and growing with these fun, meaningful activities!
5 Tips, commonly asked questions, and an editable school counselor portfolio for your next school counselor position interview.
A school counseling needs assessment helps quantify our impact and plan for future changes. Kate from EduKate and Inspire makes it easy with Google docs.
Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a youth counselor job description.
Top 5 school counselor interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.
Counseling careers are perfect for those who love offering psychological therapy or career coaching. Learn how to become a counsellor or career consultant.
Whether your district calls it PBIS, RTI-B, or MTSS-B, chances are, you are providing your students with levels of support. This is a good thing! That said, it’s also another set of things to learn and implement. Especially because it’s often on top of academic MTSS/RTI, and this wasn’t always covered in grad school. The […]
Therapy Couch Poster, perfect for your therapy office, school bulletin, or for personal use! With this instant digital download, you can download and print from home or from a print shop within minutes! *Note: printed quality of this file depends on the quality of paper, ink, printing device, etc.* File may need to be trimmed or cropped depending on the exact size you are looking for. Instant digital download (no physical item will be shipped) with 3 file sizes: 🖼️ 3:4 file prints: In: 6x8 | 9x12 | 12x16 | 15x20 | 18x24 | 24x32 | 27x36 Cm: 15x20 | 24x32 | 30x40 | 45x60 | 60x80 🖼️ 4:5 file prints: In: 4x5 | 8x10 | 11x14 | 12x15 | 16x20 | 20x25 | 28x35 Cm: 10x12 | 20x25 | 28x35 | 30x38 | 40x50 | 50x63 | 72x90 🖼️ 11"x14" file will print: In: 11x14 Cm: 22x28 | 44x56 When you purchase this artwork, you agree to not reproduce, duplicate, distribute or resell it. This item is for personal use only. You do not acquire any copyright or reproduction rights by purchasing this artwork. © All listings on LexiKosterPrintables are copyrighted and property of LexiKosterPrintables. Legal action may be taken if any of my content is reproduced, duplicated, resold or distributed without my consent.
Promote career exploration with this Explore Careers Poster Package. This set of 16 posters is an affordable and engaging way to get your message across. This poster package is perfect for school counselors and career centers. Printed on high-quality, heavy cardstock with a protective UV coating.
Licensed psychologist Beth Claes gives three questions Christians should ask before receiving guidance from a professional counselor.
Use this list of free resources to use as social emotional learning activities to help you work with kids and young adults. As a special educator for 10 years, I can say without a doubt that we need more social emotional learning supports for kids and young adults. Some of my best days in the classr
Coffee with the Counselors was born out of a need to nuture the partnership with parents. Whether it's working with a supportive administrator, partnering with your librarian, reaching out to community members, or getting teacher buy-in, each aspect of the community that surrounds school counselors is important and valuable. The partnership with parents is no exception.
15 Must-Have Books for Elementary School Counselors. Books on feelings, personal safety, incarceration, growth mindset, friendship, self-esteem.
5 Tips, commonly asked questions, and an editable school counselor portfolio for your next school counselor position interview.
Listen as Lauren and Vira, two high school counselors, share exactly what using an advisory council has done for their school counseling program and why the advisory council was the FIRST THING they implemented before they made any other big changes in their department or school.
Heading into my 19th year as an urban elementary school counselor, I was thinking the other day about what it would be like to be a novice school counselor again. Back then, when I began, I remember feeling on my own - we didn't have a written K-12 curriculum, we didn't have suicide or threat risk assessment documents and we didn't have many guidelines. I was forced to use what I learned in graduate school and from ASCA to do what I thought was best for the students and staff. I remember feeling overwhelmed because of the lack of direction. Yet, at the same time, I could create a program that I could call my own. I was able to use my creativity, my professional judgment, and excitement to be in a job that I was thrilled about, to develop a K-5 school counseling program that would affect systemic change. A program which made sense for my students, the staff and the parents. At the time there wasn't the plethora of school counseling and other educational blogs, Twitter and Tweet Chats, Facebook, or Pinterest to turn to for ideas and help/support. Where was Google when I needed it back then? These tech tools have really changed the game in finding tried and true ideas, but also exponentially changed professional development and networking. 19 years ago, I relied heavily on conferences, speaking to my colleagues, school counseling resource books and the catalogs I bought them from to explore the materials to create my program. As an urban educator, I didn't have a budget most years - sometimes only a few bucks. So, I had to purchase and make most of my own materials over the years. I purchased a lot of superb resources, but also, especially early on, I purchased a lot of duds because of the lack avenues where fellow school counseling folks talked about what they do in their school counseling office and in their schools. I am particular in what I want from my materials and it is frustrating when they fall short (especially when you are spending your own money). If you are a new school counselor or if you are someone who finds yourself in a situation with little guidance or direction in your school district, here are some learnings I want to share with you. Must Haves Materials A Great School Bag - I love the Thirty One Zip Top Large Organizing Tote (which they don't seem sell in the 18" length any longer). So I found this one on Amazon that seems to compare - will fit all your "stuff" in it!! N.Gil All Purpose Organizer 18 inch Large Utility Tote Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug - Busy school counselors never get to drink their coffee when they want to. I LOVE this mug - it will keep your coffee or tea HOT all day. No kidding! Hydro Flask Water Bottle - School counselors are in demand all day long. You need to stay hydrated. Nothing worse than going for a drink of water that you packed that morning and it's warms. This is the best water bottle....ice is still in this bottle at night before I go to bed. Keeps your water or cold drink ice cold all day!!! Plenty of Post-It Notes in various sizes - I go through sticky notes like crazy - should have stock in this company SCUTA - School Counselor Use of Time Analysis (SCUTA) - super program to collect data on how you are affecting students. Calendar, generates handy reports and graphs, etc. AWESOME!!! Stress Toys - I can't tell you how often these materials are used by students AND staff when they come to visit me. Check out my blog post on "Sensory Needs and Calming Doodads" for a bunch of my favorites! Other You-Time - Being a school counselor (or any educator for that matter) can suck the energy right out of you. No doubt it is a stressful and challenging job. Schedule time for yourself - whether it be a specific time that you will leave the office, going for a walk or a hike, doing fun things with friends and family, taking yoga classes, swimming, walking the dog, working in your garden - whatever you find fun and relaxing. I can't express to you how important this is -- you MUST take care of yourself so you can take care of others!!! An Open Door - Folks need to know they are welcome in your space. One great way to do this is keep your door open whenever you are not doing something confidential in nature. An Inviting Office - Consciously think of your furniture and decor. Organize the furniture in a way that makes sense for easy maneuverability and access. Decorate. Don't go over the top with your decor, but make your space go from blah to colorful, interesting and inviting. Professional but not sterile; these are kids you are working with! Patience and Flexibility - You will need a lot of both!! Must Do's Create a professional Twitter account - this is where I have received THE BEST, most relevant, and current professional development! Follow me and all those I follow to get started (@EElementarySC). Become familiar with these SC (school counselor) hashtags: #asca16 (current hashtag for the conference), #scchat, #sccrowd, #escchat, #hscchat, Participate SC and education related Tweet Chats - scheduled all year long. Start HERE! Follow the plethora of amazing school counseling blogs and websites! This list is by no means exhaustive and I don't meant to slight anyone. Yet, here are some of my favorite go-to's: Scope School Counseling Blog School Counseling by Heart The Counseling Geek Corner on Character JYJoyner Counselor Savvy School Counselor Elementary School Counseling The Middle School Counselor School Counselor Space Baltimore County School Counselors Become a Part of Your Staff - get involved in social activities Be Visible - get out of your office and be seen Ask for Help When You are Unsure - know who your go-to colleagues are to go to for help when needed; a great professional knows when to consult with others Communicate with Others (parents, staff, administration) - tell them what you do - newsletters, Toilet Paper and Potty Posters, Remind, brochures, Smore, etc. Must Accomplish Be the kind of school counselor you would want your own kids (or nieces/nephews, etc.) to have The Art of Self-Reflecting - this is what will make you are great school counselor/educator; always trying to figure out what went well, what didn't go so well and how YOU can improve to make it better next time. The trick is to not let self-reflection consume you.... Make Your Own Schedule - if not, someone else will fill your day for you Organize Yourself - this career is fast paced and requires a whole bunch of multi-tasking; come up with a system of how you will do it all and how you will keep track of all you do Become a Leader - the person others trust, respect, see as having a valued opinion and can count on With Students - Be firm, but kind and caring; give them your undivided attention, give them you; relate to them and look each and every one of them in the eyes; smile and refer to them by name With Staff - Listen; support; advocate for students; be real; work hard and show your worth; get involved; speak-up even if you are the one standing alone; determine your allies and those natural born leaders With Parents - Be kind, but honest; get to the point and don't beat around the bush even if it is a difficult situation; watch body language - ask follow-up questions and explain educational jargon A Final Thought This is your new career - you have amazing ideas, lofty goals, crazy amounts of energy to get started, and I'm guessing, some nerves. Know that there is much to accomplish, but you don't have to do it ALL at once. I don't recommend sitting back and admiring the fact that you just landed a job in this super career field (from among a host of top-notch candidates), instead, get out there and show them WHY they hired you!! It is, however, important to know that you have to pace yourself. At year 19, I still have amazing ideas, lofty goals, some nerves, much to accomplish, but not as much energy as I used to! It's your time to shine!
How to plan elementary school counseling small groups, character education guidance lessons, and individual sessions. A guide for first year elementary school counselors.
Top 5 camp counselor interview questions with detailed tips for both hiring managers and candidates.
Google Docs for School Counselor Organization As a school counselor, I love using Google Docs to help organize my work life. Last year, as a new school counselor, I began creating docs to organize my schedule, small groups, goals, and more! I referred to the docs often throughout the school year and am thrilled to be able to use them again this year. The best thing about Google Docs is that you can easily make a copy and then tweak them for the following school year. In this post, I will share 6 Google Docs that you can tweak for your own use. How to Use Shared Docs All of the docs below are Shared Docs. Customize them to meet your needs by following these steps: 1) Open the doc by clicking on the image below 2) Click on "Make a Copy" 3) Rename your doc 4) Customize! Classroom Counseling Sign-Up Form Do you schedule monthly lessons with your teachers? The doc below will help you gather quick info to make scheduling a breeze. Before sending this doc to teachers, I type their names on the left side of the doc and color code them by grade level. Then, I share the doc with my staff and ask them to type in their two preferred days and times for me to do my classroom counseling lessons. This form helps SO much with scheduling because I can almost always choose a preferred time for each teacher. Classroom Counseling Schedule Once teachers have chosen their preferred days/times, I schedule classroom lessons for the first semester. On average, I see each classroom once a month. Scheduling lessons for an entire semester allows me to get everything written down in my planner well in advance. Then, I can plan individual check-ins, small groups, and meetings around the classroom lessons. This form is organized the same way as the sign-up form. If you want to create a page for the second semester, simply copy and paste the chart onto the next page. Character Traits Plan Last year, I based my monthly classroom lessons on character traits. This next doc was a lifesaver! On the first page of the doc, I made a chart for all of the traits I planned on teaching about in my classroom lessons. Throughout the school year, when I thought of a great idea, I added them to the chart as a way to collect my ideas. The second page of the doc is where the magic happened. For each character trait, I made a chart of how I planned on teaching the topic in every grade level. This was very helpful because I was able to see how my lessons built upon each other and got more complex in each grade level! Small Group Schedule and Lesson Plans Up next is a doc that I made for scheduling and planning my small groups. The first page of the doc shows you how I organized my small groups. I made a page like this for every grade level. Whenever I went to pick up students for a small group, I took this page with me so I would not forget anyone! I also made a copy of this page for each classroom teacher to give them easy access to the dates, times, and students in their grade level's small groups. I used the second page of the doc to create lesson plans for each small group. At the top of the doc, I wrote measurable goals for the group. On the right side, I typed in each student's name and used an "X" to keep track of their attendance at each group session. The rest of the doc was used for lesson planning. Since I used this as a digital doc, I could easily move items around in my lesson plan if I did not get to them each week. Yearly Counseling Tasks Do you have trouble remember what tasks you need to complete each month? Me too. I made the next doc to help me remember my reoccurring monthly tasks. For example, every August, I will need to prepare my new student folders. In September, I will need to organize my bullying awareness lessons. In October, I will need to plan for Red Ribbon Week. And so on :) Last school year, I used this doc to list each monthly task and then used the strikethrough feature when the task was complete. At the end of the school year, I turned all of the text back to normal and will re-use this form again this school year! Counseling Goals The last doc I am sharing today is my counseling goals doc. At the beginning of the school year, I came up with several long term and short term goals. The long term goals are my "bucket list" items (ex: getting a therapy dog)!! The short term goals are items I planned on accomplishing during the school year. I shared this doc with my administrator so he could see what goals I was working on. Follow the directions on the doc to learn how to turn checkboxes into checkmarks to keep track of your goals! I hope you found all of these docs helpful! Leave a comment with your favorite docs or tell me about what kind of docs you would love me to create. I would be happy to share more docs in the future! Stay Organized this School Year Looking for more ways to stay organized this school year? I love helping other counselors with organization! Check out some of my favorite resources below. Everything you need to document your sessions and stay organized! -Intake & Progress Notes Forms -Check In Form -Student Schedule Form -Small Group Lesson Template -Counseling Referral Forms -Phone Call Log -Meeting Notes & Notes Page -Weekly To Do List -And more! My School Counselor Planner is a practical, ink-saving weekly planner for documenting sessions, lessons, meetings, and more! Each two-page spread contains a weekly view for you to document your daily events. The day is divided into 15 minute intervals (7:00-4:00) with additional space to record events before and after school. My planner has free yearly updates! Interested in the documentation pack AND the planner? Check out my BUNDLE to save $$$. If you love using Google Drive to keep you organized, check out the resource above. It contains 70 Google Slides files to help you organize your school year! If you are new to my blog, please take a moment to follow me for more school counselor organization tips and creative lesson ideas!
It also takes a few years to gain the necessary education, skills, and certification to do this job.So, let's take an in-depth look at how to become a school counselor.
I work on an elementary campus (K-4) in north Texas with an enrollment of around 460 students. I am fortunate that I have a large office space with areas for small groups, individual sessions, a calm down corner, and room for activities on the floor. I will share where I bought items (if I can remember). Please note that I am not an affiliate of any of these companies just sharing my office space with you. I love my dual monitor standing desk. It really helps me to stretch when I've been working on gathering data and preparing for a meeting or administering an assessment. I bought mine at Amazon. I also love the window behind my desk; it allows me to see what the weather is like and fills my office with sunshine. I bought the two yellow chairs from Wayfair. Book Ledge behind my desk....love it!!!! #SocialEmotionalLearningBooks This is a small dining table that I chalk painted over the summer. I decided to go with a different color for each chair and I think it turned out lovely. The kids really enjoy having Lunch Bunch with me and believe it or not, they don't argue over the chair color. It really is the small things :) #Blessings For my little ones this area is perfect to put together a puzzle or play a boardgame. I bought the pillows at Walmart and the two white tables from Ikea. I also chalk painted those white. The only thing I kept when I moved into this office was the tranquil sky rug. I'm not sure where it came from but I have it near this play center. When students come in and need a few minutes to settle down or if they earn a Fun Pass to my office we will play Legos, or games right here on the carpet. The kids love it while I'm still adjusting to getting up and down on the rug. When students first enter my office they sign in using a flower pen. This dresser I bought from Facebook Marketplace for $40 and it sits near my Calm Corner. I turn on the music and set the little blue timer when students need a few minutes to gather their thoughts or calm their emotions. Here is my Calm Corner. There are calm down toys inside the baskets in the dresser and a lamp when I turn the lights down. I was lucky to find this chair for $10 from Facebook Marketplace. Facebook Marketplace is a goldmine for counselors and teachers. #TrashtoTreasure I have two bookshelves on opposite sides of the room. I took the same material from the curtains and hot-glued it to the doors of the upper shelves. One is used for game storage and the other holds books that are easily accessible for my students. As I mentioned earlier, I'm blessed to have such a large office space where students feel comfortable and have a variety of activities and areas to enjoy the Counselor's Office.
Is a Career as a Mental Health Counselor Right for You? To become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), also known as Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) or Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), you need to complete the following Read More ...
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