Many people wonder what a typical day for a school counselor is like, and how it differs from that of a school psychologist. The truth is, there is no such thing as a typical day. Counselors are there for not only students, but they help teachers, parents, administrators and even other counselors with their daily routines, schedules and tasks.
The Job Description
A school counselor has many roles depending on what level of the school system he/she works in. Elementary school counselors will generally provide students information about bullying, physical abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse, how to cope with loss and much more. Elementary school counselors could almost be considered children therapists. They deal with many of the things that a therapist would, but they are accessible almost every school day, and the children do not have to tell their parents that they have seen the counselor.
A junior high school counselor would provide all of the same services, but there are many more things that the counselor is responsible for. The junior high school counselor will advise students on how to better prepare for high school, help with scheduling their classes, peer mediate, help parents and students understand the strengths and weaknesses that the student has academically and emotionally and even be an ear for the students in their time of need.
A high school counselor preps students for college, for SAT and ACT testing and for life outside of their parents’ homes. The counselors are there to discuss grades, electives, core curriculum, credit completion, exemption and necessities, and graduating status. Parents, teachers and students are all actively participating in a high school counselor’s role. For more information, please visit the Teaching Community website.
The Work Never Ends
As a school counselor, you will find that you tend to work even while you are at home. Counselors are always on the lookout for programs that students can participate in. From daycare services for teen moms to volunteer projects for college applications, the hunt is never ending. There will be times that a counselor may have to go to court to defend a student, and those times are emotionally wearing on a counselor. Abuse inside the home is generally the cause of a counselor having to attend a court hearing for a student.
A Counselor is the Key to Success
Without school counselors, students would lack much of the necessary information and encouragement that they need to graduate and then succeed in life. Students depend on counselors, even when they do not think this is the case, to progress through high school without complications. Much of the scheduling and elective program selection is decided by the counselor because he/she has the needed information to guide students through until their graduation date.
School counselors do not have a typical day. They tend to be pulled in multiple directions at the same time, and they are fully adaptive to different environments and situations. Counselors tend to exhibit leadership qualities in a less authoritative manner than other school officials. They have to be resilient and be able to gain students’ trust. The typical day of a school counselor can be described as nothing less than organized chaos in a professional setting.
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