Invite your school counselor

Too often the distance between classrooms and the guidance department creates an “out of sight, out of mind” situation. Get to know your school counselor(s). At the recent ASCA annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, school counselors reaffirmed commitment to a national model for their own counseling programs that include career and leadership skill development for all students. (Check out an executive summary of model from the ASCA website)

In short, school counselors can be a tremendous resource for your efforts to create a more relevant classroom. Here’s a few ideas to engage your school counselor:
1. Ask your school counselor to share resources and information about careers, post-secondary options and leadership development.
2. Seek to involve your school counselor in planning events like career day or guest speakers in your classroom.
3. Invite your school counselor to teach or co-teach a series of sessions on preparing for careers or leadership skill development.

School counselors balance many activities that make their daily schedules busy, if not hectic. Nonetheless, student instruction and teacher assistance are high priorities for most professional school counselors. Make the effort to engage yours.

Professional Development Tip for July 3, 2008