The Role of a School Counselor
National School Counseling Week is coming up so we thought it’d be a great time to say THANK YOU to all our families, teachers and staff for not only supporting our students, but also the School Counseling Program. It’s also a time for School Counselors to educate others about what our job actually looks like and share how we support students in various ways.
You may remember visiting a guidance counselor in high school to discuss where you were going to go to college or what kind of career you were interested in. Or you’ve only seen a guidance counselor in a movie or TV show (which majority of the time is not an accurate depiction). The role of a school counselor has changed over the years and many people still aren’t quite sure what a school counselor does.
The role of a school counselor has evolved from a focus on vocational guidance to the comprehensive school counseling programs we have today. Our title has actually changed from "guidance counselor" to "school counselor" to reflect the changes in our profession. Most school counselors hold a Master’s Degree in School Counseling and can be found working at all levels of K-12 schools. School counselors work with ALL students through data-driven, comprehensive school counseling programs. Our work within the school is based on certain standards and focuses on three domains: (1) social/emotional, (2) academic, and (3) career and college readiness. There are the TN School Counseling Standards and the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors that form the basis of our work and we adhere to the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors.
You may remember visiting a guidance counselor in high school to discuss where you were going to go to college or what kind of career you were interested in. Or you’ve only seen a guidance counselor in a movie or TV show (which majority of the time is not an accurate depiction). The role of a school counselor has changed over the years and many people still aren’t quite sure what a school counselor does.
The role of a school counselor has evolved from a focus on vocational guidance to the comprehensive school counseling programs we have today. Our title has actually changed from "guidance counselor" to "school counselor" to reflect the changes in our profession. Most school counselors hold a Master’s Degree in School Counseling and can be found working at all levels of K-12 schools. School counselors work with ALL students through data-driven, comprehensive school counseling programs. Our work within the school is based on certain standards and focuses on three domains: (1) social/emotional, (2) academic, and (3) career and college readiness. There are the TN School Counseling Standards and the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors that form the basis of our work and we adhere to the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors.
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All students received regular classroom guidance lessons. If a student or group of students struggle with a specific skill, they may participate in individual or small group counseling. Students can be referred for counseling by a teacher, parent/guardian, administrator, counselor, or they may refer themselves. School counselors work with students on issues that impact them here at school. For long-term or intensive therapy, issues not impacting the student at school, or if seeking a diagnosis, counseling outside of school is best suited. We have a list of outside counseling resources on our webpage if needed but we always suggest checking with your insurance first.
We have many other roles within the school, such as collaborating with teachers and families, referrals to community agencies or other resources, crisis response services, coordinating school-wide events and the character education program, checking on student attendance, and we are the coordinators for ATLAS, SAT (Student Assistance Team), and 504. In many different ways, we are a student advocate that collaborates with others to ensure their success. For more information about the role of school counselors, check out the ASCA (American School Counselor Association) website here: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/careers-roles |
Our Learning |
Upcoming Events |
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K-2 K- Responding to Teasing, Asking for Help, Being Trustworthy 1st- Begin with the End in Mind, Taking Care of Belongings, Put First Things First 2nd- Goal Setting, Organizational Skills, Work First Then Play 3-5 3rd - Trustworthiness, friends, setting goals 4th - Trustworthiness, conversation skills, setting goals 5th - Middle school preparedness, setting goals |
1/7- Educator In-service
1/8- Students Return 1/11- Wear BLUE for Trustworthiness 1/12- Family Reading Saturday 1/21- Martin Luther King Jr. Day- NO SCHOOL 1/31- Early Dismissal Day |
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Megan KloppK-2 School Counselor |
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Miranda Bargdill3-5 School Counselor |
