| | Yet another sign that I am running on empty: I emailed this video to myself as a reminder and now I can't remember where it came from! If you wrote an article and highlighted this video, thank you for the inspiration! Oh, and if you find my brain, will you tell it to kindly find its way back to my head? Thanks so much! ;)
Anyway, this video is designed for parents and helps prep them for a big meeting at school. I think it's easy to forget how stressful these meetings can be for parents because we attend them all the time and, more importantly, it's not our child being academically and/or behaviorally "dissected," so to speak. |
Imagine walking into a room filled with teachers and administrators...it's like an interview. You sit there, hoping you have good answers to their questions and that you understand everything that's being discussed. It's stressful, to say the least. We have to remember that parents come to these meetings as beginners most of the time; they are not sure what to expect. Our job is to help prepare them before they come to the meeting so that there can be a productive, team approach.
As school counselors, we are often in charge of scheduling meetings with parents. How do you help explain the meeting process? Any tips for other school counselors?
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: |
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:
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: |
Awkward's Valerie
"Guidance Counselor Extraordinaire"
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