What does a school counselor do

School Counselor Responsibilities

School Guidance Curriculum

The counselor will provide teachers with curriculum to implement guidance lessons over the following 7 areas :

Self-confidence
Motivation to achieve
Decision-making, Goal setting, planning and problem solving
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Communication Skills
Cross-cultural Effectiveness
Responsible behavior

Individual Student Planning

I believe all students can learn and all students can succeed. Individual Student Planning (ISP) involves the student meeting with the counselor individually to assess student’s current academic progress, needs, and future plans.

Some skills explored may include:

Study skills
Analyzing test data
Social skills/Self-Esteem
Personal/career interest
Setting future goals
Planning for high school

Response Services

The Counselor will collaborate with staff to identify students in need of response services. These services may include; individual counseling, small group counseling, and crisis counseling. Topics often addressed include:

Academic success
Stress/Anxiety
Harassment/Bullying
Suicidal thoughts or ideation
Self-injury
Family conflict
Major life changes
Child abuse
At-risk students

Indirect Student Services

Indirect student services and system support are activities that indirectly contribute to student success. These  may include:

Consulting with teacher
Staff development
Guidance program development
Referrals for additional assistance
Collaboration with all stakeholders
Standardized testing
Act as 504 coordinator
Part of the ARD committee
Grade placement committee representative