It is important to hit the ground running for the new school year!
Here is a blog post written by Jeannie Maddox, an elementary school counselor in Florida.
New Counselors: 12 Tips and Resources for Starting a New School Year
 |
New Counselors: 12 Tips and Resources
for Starting a New School Year |
The Back to School signs are in all the stores. Fall clothing, shiny new
technology, a plethora pencils, pens, and colorful backpacks and lunch
boxes fill the aisles. There's excited chatter on FB from my real life
friends and my online friends on the the
Elementary School Counselor Exchange.
I can feel the anticipation as we look forward to first-time or new
positions, new schools, new students, new administrators, new programs,
and new challenges. I see the eagerness in the posting of questions and
the sharing of plans, lessons, and ideas for the start of the new
school year. As I make my own plans, which include supervising an
intern, I am thinking about the things will need to tell her and all the
things I wished I had known when starting as a new counselor.
Below you will find my "New Counselors: 12 tips and resources for
starting a new school (year). Whether you are a counselor with your
first job, or someone with experience starting a new school, I hope you
will find these ideas and resources helpful in getting your year off to a
great start!
Congratulations! You got the job! Now what do you need to do to get started?
#1 Talk expectations with your administrator.
Okay, hopefully in your interview you were able to ask what sort of
expectations your administration has in regard to your role as the
school counselor. This is a biggie, so if this is a conversation you
have not had, or even if you did, take some time before the rest of the
faculty heads back to school and make an appointment to go in and talk
it over. Learn about your administrator's vision for the school and
their understanding of the role of the school counselor. Share and
discuss the the
ASCA National Model Executive Summary and talk about how based on the ASCA National Model you can be part of that vision.
#2 Set up your office (the physical space).
There is nothing more exciting than getting to decorate your space.
Whether a closet size office, a classroom, or something in between (I
have had all of the above) you will need to create a warm and welcoming
space for not only your student visitors, but teachers and parents as
well. I am currently moving my office to a portable classroom, so
photos will have to come in a later post.
Your office should reflect your personality. Be careful though not to
be so "girly," the guys can't stand to be there, or so busy it makes it
difficult for your fidgety ones to calm down. Yard sales and
consignment stores are great places for finding rugs, lamps, board
games, and small toys to give it that homey touch. Plants, curtains,
colorful posters, books, playdough, a sand tray, and art supplies are a
few of the things that will complete the space. See a great post by
The Helpful Counselor for things needed to set up your office. Check out my
Pinterest for some office decorating and organizing ideas.
#3 Set up your office (your organizational system).
Organizing the volume of data and information we have to handle is a
huge responsibility and your ability to access it on a moments notice is
the difference is looking like a seasoned pro versus, well, not making a
good impression. How you organize is a very individual thing and more
personal, I think, than how you decorate your space. Lots of folks can
tell you how to organize, but the bottom line is you have to find what
works for you. So until you do, I will share a very basic organizing
system that has worked for me. This year I am in transition and trying
to go as paperless as possible and that means setting up Google forms
for many of the ways I organize and use information. I will share my
paper method here. Information and copies of my Google docs will have
to wait for a later post. These are just a few ideas to get you started.
Perhaps you will find these methods helpful or will find some elements
useful for creating your own system.
The "paper" system.
You will need: one 2 inch and two 1 1/2 inch 3 ring binders, 3 packs
of eight tab dividers or 5 packs of five tab dividers, a package of
page protectors, 3 hole punch, a steno book, one plastic "milk" crate,
letter size hanging folders, letter size files, and a calendar/planner.
First, I create the 2 inch 3 ring binder I like to refer to as
"Essential Information," but call it what you want. There is a tab for
"schedules"
(your counselor schedule, lunch, special area, ESE, Speech, Media,
Recess, bus info or whatever your school has a schedule for) collect
them all and place each in a page protector. "
Class lists" are tabbed by each grade level and ESE. The
"student master" tab
refers to a great list I get from my data clerk that lists students by
last name with their parent's name and phone #. A tab for
"entries and withdrawals"
allows me to know who is coming and going (my registrar is great about
keeping me in the loop) so I can scoop up the new students for a New
Faces group. Last, there's a tab for
"cum review" sheets, but I'll talk about those later when we get to #4 Data.
Next I create the
"Data Notebook." This is one of the 1 1/2 inch binders with tabs for
discipline referral data, attendance data, report card data (my school can run a D's and F's list), a tab for
"state test scores," and one each for
student, teacher, and parent survey data.
You will start with the data from the 2013-14 school year, but after
analyzing that and your recent survey data from the start of the school
year, that information will direct your focus for addressing the needs
of your school for the 2014-15 school year.
Third, create the
Classroom Counseling Notebook. Using the other
1 1/2 inch binder, you can organize this by grade level or day of the
week, it is entirely up to you. I like day of the week and have tabs
labeled Monday to Friday. Behind each tab are the classes I see that
particular day. I have a class list with holes punched on the right
side of the page and a class lesson agenda with holes punched on the
left so when I open the notebook I can see the student's names on the
left and my lesson on the right. I am a visual learner so seeing the
names of my students helps me to learn them all. It also gives me a
place to add the names of new students who join the class or notes if
someone has a special need or needs to sit separately from a classmate.
Download my
binder covers for FREE at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Next, the
steno book. This is my phone log and I keep it by my
phone always! Each morning I date the page for the day and every time I
answer or make a call I write down the time, whether it was an incoming
or outgoing call, the name of the caller, and any information or action I need to take in
regard to the call. If the school secretary leaves a note in my
mailbox, I staple it to the back of the page and record the return call
on the front. This log is valuable beyond belief when it comes to
documenting day, time, and content of calls. It has been particularly
useful for families who did not "remember" my call to them, documenting
my calls to Child Services, and recording the numbers of individual
investigators or agencies who call me regarding students.
There are many very cute and personalized
planners/calendars out there. If you want to spend the money and if that works for you,
go for it!
It's all about being organized. But for me, as pretty and as tempting
as some of those planner/calendars are, I stick with the basic "At a
Glance" 5 x 7 leather binder with a $4.50 "Plan Ahead" calendar from Big
Lots. I've had the leather binder for 5 or more years and can't
remember what I paid, but it has been well worth it. Since I do my
lesson planning in the 3 ring binders for classes and organize groups in
crates, this is really more of a calendar for keeping track of
meetings, conferences, workshops, school holidays, teacher workdays, PD
days, etc.
I use the
milk crate and hanging file folders to organize my
groups. Hanging files are labeled and arranged by day of the week and
each group gets two hanging folders. The first has 2 individual letter
size folders for storing the
group counseling log and
permission slips and
the other for storing group activity booklets of projects in process.
The second hanging file has 6-8 folders each containing the lesson and
materials to be used for each group session.
File folders are also used for individual counseling records. As
I see a student I create a file for my notes, any conference forms,
behavior contracts, etc. It makes it easy to add to year after year.
These are filed alphabetically and should be in a locked filing cabinet
or file box. When a student transitions to the middle school, their
file goes in a box of records for that school year and is stored for 7
years. I don't know the official storage requirement, but my mentor
told me long ago to keep my records for one year past the year the
youngest students for that school year would be out of my school (in my
case Kdg). At that point those records are destroyed. Like I said, I
don't know the official storage requirements, but 5 years ago I was glad
I had some two and three year old records when Child Services came
doing an investigation for court on a case we had been calling about for
years.
As for lesson plans and activities, many are digital, but for others I use a
letter file cabinet with hanging folders. I file lessons by topic and then by grade within the topic folder.
#4 Data: Gather and Collect.
First, gather. By gather, I mean get your hands on the data that
is already out there. You will need it to determine the needs of your
school and the direction of your program. In that first meeting with
your administrator request copies of the previous year's discipline
referral data (I can get it by the quarter and for the year broken down
by name, grade, gender, # of referrals, etc.), attendance data- who has
more than 15 days absent and/or tardy, report card data as in students
with D and F averages by subject for the school year. Some report cards
also have teachers mark conduct and personal development. If there is a
way to run a report on students who were marked unsatisfactory or needs
improvement, that data can be beneficial for determining the types of
groups that are needed and by whom. Finally, of course, get copies of
your standardized state testing scores.
Next collect. By collect I mean take a teacher survey of
perceived counseling needs, ask parents to complete surveys about their
interest in particular newsletter, coffee talk, or workshop topics, and
survey the students (usually grades 3-5) about any issues or concerns
they are experiencing.
Another way I collect data is from a cumulative record review of new
students. Teachers and administrators will be able to tell you about the
students who are returning to your school, but the new students are
unknown to everyone. A
cumulative record review
can reveal lots of valuable and important information like medical and
court issues, retention, multiple enrollments, and students in need of
special academic or behavioral services.
#5 Prepare introductory materials.
Every new counselor needs a letter of introduction to parents, a
parent, a teacher, and a student needs survey, some business cards, a
brief presentation of some type that describes your role as the school
counselor, counseling referral forms, and a brochure to send home
describing the role of the school counselor. Included here are samples
of an
introductory letter to parents,
parent,
teacher and
student surveys,
"Role of the Counselor" PowerPoint,
counselor referral forms, and a
program brochure. Business cards can be ordered from
Vistaprint or printed at home with your computer and color printer using Avery business cards.
#6 Sign up teachers for a "Meet the Counselor" class lesson.
During pre-planning get your teachers to sign up for their initial
classroom counseling lesson (usually about 30 minutes). Some people
have recommended a free program called
SignUpGenius
to help schedule their classroom visits. I'm in the special area
rotation so I have not used it, but I hear reports it is a great
website. Click on the link above to see how easy it is to get your
teachers to sign up on line.
#7 Present "Meet the Counselor" lessons in every classroom.
Make it your mission the first few weeks of school to get in every
classroom and introduce yourself, do a brief activity, and take a
student survey in grades 3-5. These lessons can last around 30 minutes
and will set the tone for who you are as a professional, how you handle
your schedule, and get you out and about the campus and connecting with
your students. I have included two of my "Meet the Counselor" lessons
for Kindergarten
here , 1st grade
here and
1st grade PowerPoint here. You may also find my
classroom counseling log for tracking the lessons in each class you visit helpful. Be sure to check out
Pinterest for some awesome counselor boards filled with a variety of lessons and
Teachers Pay Teachers for all sorts of free and low cost "Meet the Counselor" lessons.
#8 Meet, greet, and survey teachers.
After the initial crush of "Meet the Counselor" lessons, depending on
the size of your school, you will be anywhere from 2-4 weeks into the
school year. Teachers have had a chance to get to know their students a
little and are beginning to have a sense of what those students need.
Set aside a day to invite your teachers by your office (if too small,
snag another more appropriately sized space) for a Counselor Open House.
I set it up for teachers to come by during their special area time for
a quick snack and to fill out a
student and class
needs survey.
I usually have doughnuts, coffee and juice in the morning and soft
drinks and cookies in the afternoon. It's a chance to chat informally
about how things are going with their students, address any questions or
concerns, share your
form for referring students to see you and then send them on their way with a small token like pens, highlighters, motivational thought, candy etc.
#9 Share your role with the staff.
When you are having that little visit with your administrator you not
only want to discuss expectations and data, but also ask for an
opportunity to do a brief 5-7 minute presentation to the faculty about
the
role of the school counselor. Keep it short and sweet. There are still many educators that have little to no clue about what School Counselors really do.
#10 Meet and survey your families.
Notice I did not say parents. So
many of our children are being raised by grandparents, other relatives,
or are in foster care. Referring to their caregivers as family, offers
sensitivity to their various situations which at times may be difficult
or even traumatic.
The three best ways to meet the
families of your students is to make yourself visible at Meet the
Teacher, Open House, and at dismissal. Make sure to have business cards
with you!
Meet the Teacher: Our school
hosts Meet the Teacher the Friday morning before the first day of
school. Everyone comes to find out who their teacher is and where their
classroom is located. Showing your smiling face around campus to answer
questions or provide directions gives you the perfect opportunity to
start meeting your students and their caregivers.
Open House: In our district,
Open House is sometime between the 4th and 6th week of school. Make
your presence known by having your office open, maybe sitting outside of
it, or having some fun music playing to attract the families as they
walk by. You could even invite students to stop by to sign up for a
drawing for small prizes like lunch with the counselor, extra recess
(you supervise, teacher gets a break),school supplies, or books.
Dismissal: At dismissal time
there are lots of families on campus picking up their children. Get out
and about among the throng. Smiling, waving, and sharing an
encouraging word with a caregiver regarding their student shows you are
caring and approachable.
#11 Get to know your students in small groups.
One of my favorite beginning of the year activities is meeting every
student in the school in a small group for one "getting to know you
session." In the past few years, my school has been too large, but
recent redistricting has reduced our population and I am excited to try
again. I ask each teacher for a three 30 minute blocks in which I will
pull a third of his/her students each block. I then divide the students
into 3 groups and bring them to my room for a brief paper and pencil,
drawing, or sentence completion activity. I have also set myself up as a
center activity in the primary classroom and am able to see some of the
younger students more easily than walking them back and forth to my
office. Depending on the needs of your school, this activity can take
almost the entire first semester. After meeting everyone for one
"getting to know you session", the remainder of the year, I do a weekly
New Faces group, often during lunch for one session, to catch any new students that may have entered my school.
#12 Find a school-based mentor and a School Counselor mentor.
Finding a mentor is important, and I don't just mean a fellow counselor.
When you are new at a school it is important to find a seasoned
faculty member with a positive attitude and good work ethic, who sees
the value in what you do to show you the ins and outs of the school. I
have 2 teachers at my school whose opinions I highly respect. These
ladies are the ones from whom I have learned the most about classroom
management techniques. They are the first people I go to if I want to
launch a new program or idea. They are the ones I ask to read any
letters I might be sending home or emails to teachers I think are not
quite clear. They encourage me and respect what I do. They are an
important part of my support system and I don't know what I will do when
they retire!
Depending on the size of your district, will determine how easily you
find a counselor mentor. I work in a large district and when I first
became a counselor, I was lucky enough to get a job in the same district
where I interned and my internship supervisor was assigned as my
mentor. Maybe you can find a mentor in your district, or from your
internship, or in one of the many online Facebook groups. Whether you
meet in person, email, or talk on the phone or Skype, networking with
other counselors is the best way to grow and learn and to diminish the
isolation we can so easily feel as we pursue our school counseling
program.
I hope you will find these 12 tips for (new) counselors helpful. Are
there things you wish you had known when you first started? What sort
of things do you do to start the new school year?
Please share your tips and ideas below in the comments.
Message from Grace Wilhelm
If you are interested in being a guest blogger on Counselor Games, please email me at grace @ counselorgames.com. We would love to share your ideas, games, activities or any helpful information for school counselors, teachers, parents and/or youth workers. Let's all help each other to hit the ground running as we get ready for the new school year!
We are starting a RAMP group for counselors who are serious about a comprehensive school counseling program. Let us know you are interested in being a part of a group of counselors who want to build an award winning program. Contact Grace at grace @ counselorgames.com.
Grace is a National Board Certified Counselor and has achieved the RAMP award for her last middle school. She presents on RAMP and Building a Comprehensive School Counseling Program for school counselors. The presentation takes counselors through all the ASCA model components with examples from elementary and secondary schools with a simple step-by-step approach. The workshop consists of examples, diagrams, discussion, question and answer, hands-on get started now, and how-to-use charts and rubrics to build your program based on your school data and needs. For information on a presentation, please contact Grace or info @
counselorgames.com. See list of other presentations by Grace.
PS: Remember to take out spaces in the emails above!
