Category: Advocacy

This American Life: "Back to School"

09/22/2012

This American Life is one of my favorite radio programs. The content is always thought-provoking, engaging, and sometimes even heart-breaking.

When I heard this episode, I knew I had to share it on my blog. As school counselors, we are handed extremely difficult situations and, with other school personnel, must help our students rise up out of their challenges and succeed. "Back to School" offers great information to help with this task. Check it out!

Click here to read the transcript.

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Tips for New School Counselors

07/26/2012

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Recently, I have been receiving a lot of questions from my readers regarding the start of the school year. Whether you are getting ready for your very first year as a school counselor or are just starting at a new building, it can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? What should you focus on? Well, here are a few of my ideas:

Building Relationships

Without positive relationships with your students, staff, and parents, you will not be able to accomplish much. School counselors are a resource for EVERYONE. Your school family must feel comfortable coming to you with their concerns and should look to you for support.

I recently posted a video podcast (left) about building relationships. In the video, I share a few ways that I have formed strong bonds with my students, staff, and parents.

For additional ideas, check out the following links:

Bulletin Boards

Students of Character Club

Adventures with Tim

Organizing Counseling Materials

I have found it helpful to have a routine, especially with my individual and small group counseling sessions. Students know the expectations, but have some freedom to choose how they wish to express themselves. Here are a few of my favorite and most used materials:

1. Sandtray

2. Puppet(s)

3. Art Supplies

4. Happy/Sad Cups

5. Stress Balls

Documentation Prep

Documenting can be one of the most stressful parts of the job, simply because we often must push it aside to handle more pressing concerns. Then, we may let it go until there is a huge pile of paperwork to manage.

Just like with counseling materials, you should have a routine for your documentation. In June, I posted a video podcast (left) about how I record my session data.

For additional ways to document and promote your efforts, check out the following links: