8 School Counselor Mistakes You Can Avoid Successfully
School counselling is a wonderful career where counsellors are continuously learning or re-learning several circumstances. Nevertheless, being a school counselor is harder than it looks. Apart from just dealing with the problems of their students, sometimes school counsellors feel overwhelmed as they also face challenges.
So how do you manage certain potential challenges as a school counselor? Read on our write-up to support you overcome common problems any school counselor might face.
1. No Pre-Planning
In general, a school counselor’s timetable is full of things to do. Every time there are new challenges and those challenges can take priority over planning if you aren’t cautious. Thus, make a time to emphasise what can’t be overlooked and put those in your calendar at first, then plan around them going onward. There are various free Counseling Planners available on the internet, use them.
2. Maintaining Student Information
Logically, there is certain information that can be out only with permission. The poorest thing counsellors can do is release information to the wrong person or release information about a learner without the parent's accord.
Nevertheless, schools also have the right to reveal directory information like student name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth and dates of attendance. But, parents also have the right to appeal that the school did not unveil directory information about them. As a skilled school counsellor, make sure you are aware of those vital aspects.
3. Learn To Say No
Sometimes, it’s Ok to say No! Recognize your limitations and stick to them. A lot of new counselors want to gratify everyone and unfortunately, it’s one of the most common novice errors. Though it’s appealing to say yes to every request, yet sometimes, others might think it’s easy to give extra tasks to you. Therefore, just say “no” when you feel it’s just a little too much for you to manage.
How do School Counselors can support teachers?
4. Home Matters
If your student is facing problems at home, this will affect your learner’s school life, academically and socially, as well as emotionally. Be it’s a separation of a parent, or tension between family members, your knowledge and time with a learner about family problems can change your student’s school life. Handle these issues carefully and if needed, take help from others by not revealing the crucial information about your learner.
5. Never Ignore the Confidentiality Rubrics
With time, you will get to know your learners and co-workers more closely and leak outs can happen easier than you might contemplate. Hence, always prompt yourself, your co-workers, and apprentices on – “what is said in your office stays in your office.” You may place different posters where both you and your people can understand them.
6. Be Careful About the Substance Abuse
Remember, your students may also come to you with questions about alcohol or other drugs. In adolescence, lots of teens find themselves in circumstances where they’re peer-pressured into trying illicit substances.
With your expertise, you can help stop a teen from developing life-threatening compulsions. Your job is to see that whether your students follow anti-substance abuse regime or not!
7. Handling the Helicopter Parents
Mostly, the helicopter parent stirs anxiety and dread in teachers as well as school counselors. Working with several helicopter parents is a challenging task. They frequently get defensive and they always or most of the time want school counselors to contact the teachers for them. Sometimes, they go straight to the principal when school counselors tell them a “no.”
Try to decrease their anxiety about their children by listening to their worries, focusing on their assets, asking for their involvement, and so on. Handle them with patience and acceptance.
8. Accept the Constructive Criticism
One of the foremost mistakes that school counsellors make is not accepting productive criticisms. Even though you give your 100%, there will always be some negative feedback from learners, their parents and contemporaries. Thus, consider the input and decide if it can help you grow, and if not, let it go.
As a skilled school counsellor with the training from the counselling training for teachers program, you’ll be considered for support, leadership, and as an arbitrator. You will face a lot of issues and challenges, but it’s essential to measure each issue with thorough care and attention.
