From the Chair: Five Ways to Grow

As the new school year begins, students, parents and teachers alike are being challenged to “do school” in a different way. As school counselors, how can we grow and leverage our programs to meet these needs so those who we support are best served?

Relationships are the cornerstone of a well-established school counseling program. The innate ability of school counselors to develop relationships with students is unmatched. Students rely on the trust that school counselors provide in moments of crisis. Likewise, providing a renewed focus on how we can build relationships with our parents and staff can also benefit students.  

1. Collaborate with your administrator to help identify and develop school counseling goals that support plans within your school. Survey students, teachers and parents on how you might best serve them this school year, using that information to support the goals you will build. Discuss avenues of increasing direct student contact while decreasing the load of non-school-counseling tasks.
2. Partner with parents, teachers and community members. Initiate a school counseling advisory council. Share program goals and initiatives and welcome fresh ideas and information from the committee. Can’t meet in person? Offer this opportunity virtually. 
3. Identify ways to collect and share program-specific data with all members in your school community. If you are conducting small groups or meeting with students individually, provide quarterly updates of how many students you have met with and on what topics. Build upon perception data by asking students after individual or group sessions to identify one thing they gained during their time with you. Document and share some of those anonymous testimonials with school staff. Storytelling and providing real examples are ways for others to visualize the importance of the interventions and activities we lead in a school counseling program. 
4. Seek professional development to improve or sharpen your skills and approach. Join region, state and national school counseling associations to collaborate with other counselors and provide your students fresh ideas. Use creativity in program design and implementation. Be unafraid to take risks and advocate as opportunities arise in areas that benefit students the most. Reflect, rest and receive grace when things might not go as planned. 
5. Maintain a growth mindset. Know that the challenges you face can serve as opportunities of growth. I love this quote from Audrey Hepburn: “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, I’m possible!” 

Rest assured that your MSCA Board members (Zooming, above) are here for you! We are here to listen, answer questions and assist you in ways in which you may grow. The past five months have been challenging for all of us and I send thanks to so many who have continued to participate in the happy hours, virtual professional development and activities we have provided. As a board, we are committed to continuing to provide resources for these opportunities and look forward to growing with you.

Have a great beginning of the year! 

Contact Matt Berry, chair of the Board of Directors, Missouri School Counselor Association, at onewildcounselor@gmail.com.