From the Chair: We Are School Counselors!

Hello, and welcome to our most recent newsletter! I am thankful you are taking the time to gain some insightful professional development and hear about what is happening in the world of school counseling, despite the bevy of emails in your inbox.

As I hope you heard about and saw, NSCA recently updated our bylaws regarding usage of the term “guidance counselor” for membership. The proposed changes were discussed at our annual academy, emailed out to members to read about and then voted on just this past month.

Some people have wondered why we’re making the change from guidance to school counselor. Is there really any difference? Before I came into the profession, I felt the same way. At no point in my high school career did I meet with my school counselor. Not to register for classes, not for issues I may have had getting along with peers, not even for applying to and attending a college. As I look back at my high school career, it makes me wonder how I even got into this profession!

The truth is, there is a big difference. Guidance counselors were reactive participants in the school setting, while school counselors are proactive and data-driven. Guidance counselors were generally providing services to some students, while school counselors work with all students in the school building. Guidance counselors were also seen as having a small role in school improvement, while school counselors play an essential role in school improvement. Basically, school counselors are intentional in the way they spend their time and the ways they interact not only with students, but with parents, teachers, administrators and other stakeholders. It pumps me up just reading about what we do. When I reflect on how I feel at the end of a school year, I note both the exhaustion of being a key part of the school and the pride that comes from playing an active role in the success stories in my building.

My desire is for NSCA to lead the charge in helping school counselors across the state feel confident in their professional identity. NSCA recently wrote our Ends Policy and our highest priority is for “school counselors to share a common and consistent professional identity.” That statement means to me that we know what role we play in our buildings and district, and we have the confidence to advocate for our students and families. Of course, having a common and consistent professional identity means that we know about the ASCA National Model and implement it in our buildings, since that is our most effective way of working with students on a day-to-day basis. My hope is that is that we can come together in this profession and unite under the name school counselor. I genuinely believe that this will help our communities know consistently what we stand for and that we are an instrumental and important part of our school buildings.

As the Nebraska School Counselor Association continues to move forward, please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions and comments related to your professional identity. Some administrators and staff members are still confused about what it is you do and might still even call you guidance counselors. As you continue to grow in your profession, know that NSCA is here to support you and encourage you through your journey in this great profession.

Contact Jake Willems, NSCA board chair, at board@neschoolcounselor.org.