Greetings,
We all know this feeling. We have several guidance lessons scheduled, teachers grabbing us in the hallways to talk about students. There are several messages from parents who want conferences because report cards just came home. There are five students waiting to talk to you about the conflict that just occurred on the bus and the principal just asked you to cover lunch duty.
You wanted to be a counselor to help students because your heart is big and you know that you can make a positive impact. If you only had time to see them!
We all know this feeling. We have several guidance lessons scheduled, teachers grabbing us in the hallways to talk about students. There are several messages from parents who want conferences because report cards just came home. There are five students waiting to talk to you about the conflict that just occurred on the bus and the principal just asked you to cover lunch duty.
You wanted to be a counselor to help students because your heart is big and you know that you can make a positive impact. If you only had time to see them!
There is a strategy that we teach the kids called Picking out What's Most Important. This is a strategy we can also use when we are being pulled in so many directions. You might agree that the students come first but it isn't always that easy. Often counselor side step the essential pieces of our job to attend to everything else.
Here are some suggestions
1. Set up weekly meetings with your principal to review your caseload. In this meeting go over the number of referrals for the week, the type of issues (you don't have to give details if confidentiality and trust are a concern), and the teachers with whom you have worked. Include essential parent calls or appointments that you have had. In addition, share with them all the other activities that you have done such as guidance lessons and groups. Lastly, talk about the support jobs you are doing like committees, bus duty, and/or being pulled for coverage. If the principal won't meet with you (and I have had a few who "had too many problems and no time" ) turn in a weekly report sheet.
These meetings are an excellent way to keep the administration informed but their main purpose is to help them honor your priorities. For example say, "Pulling lunch duty prevents me from ...... " I have found that once we had the meetings the principal was more willing to honor my priorities. Managing my caseload properly is better for the school ( and reduces his/her headaches).
2. We are a resource for teachers and it is a great compliment that the teachers come to us for support. Teacher's time is also very limited. I want to meet with them whenever they have that second to talk but at the same time it might not be a good time for me.
Prevention was my strategy for this. Before school or after (depending on the teachers) I would make the rounds and check in with the teachers that I knew were most frustrated. We then would schedule a time to sit down and deal with the issues and prepare a plan. I would also follow up to make sure it was an effective plan.
3. With the students who have those "need you now" conflicts, I would ask them to write it down and then follow up later in the day. In most cases the process of writing it down helped them feel heard. More on this strategy in other blogs.
We are making time for our main mission, which is to work with the referred students (both in individual and groups). Learn about the approach I used for seeing individual students which is essential in making a positive impact consistently year after year.
There are many counselors who think they are saving time by rushing through the process of counseling students because they rationalize there are too many students and not enough time. The truth is taking preventive action and following the process will make time. We become better counselors.
Affectionately,
Jeanette
PS: The student counselor ratio for elementary school in my state was 1 counselor per 550 students.
Here are some suggestions
1. Set up weekly meetings with your principal to review your caseload. In this meeting go over the number of referrals for the week, the type of issues (you don't have to give details if confidentiality and trust are a concern), and the teachers with whom you have worked. Include essential parent calls or appointments that you have had. In addition, share with them all the other activities that you have done such as guidance lessons and groups. Lastly, talk about the support jobs you are doing like committees, bus duty, and/or being pulled for coverage. If the principal won't meet with you (and I have had a few who "had too many problems and no time" ) turn in a weekly report sheet.
These meetings are an excellent way to keep the administration informed but their main purpose is to help them honor your priorities. For example say, "Pulling lunch duty prevents me from ...... " I have found that once we had the meetings the principal was more willing to honor my priorities. Managing my caseload properly is better for the school ( and reduces his/her headaches).
2. We are a resource for teachers and it is a great compliment that the teachers come to us for support. Teacher's time is also very limited. I want to meet with them whenever they have that second to talk but at the same time it might not be a good time for me.
Prevention was my strategy for this. Before school or after (depending on the teachers) I would make the rounds and check in with the teachers that I knew were most frustrated. We then would schedule a time to sit down and deal with the issues and prepare a plan. I would also follow up to make sure it was an effective plan.
3. With the students who have those "need you now" conflicts, I would ask them to write it down and then follow up later in the day. In most cases the process of writing it down helped them feel heard. More on this strategy in other blogs.
We are making time for our main mission, which is to work with the referred students (both in individual and groups). Learn about the approach I used for seeing individual students which is essential in making a positive impact consistently year after year.
There are many counselors who think they are saving time by rushing through the process of counseling students because they rationalize there are too many students and not enough time. The truth is taking preventive action and following the process will make time. We become better counselors.
Affectionately,
Jeanette
PS: The student counselor ratio for elementary school in my state was 1 counselor per 550 students.