A Year in the Life of a
School Counselor:  
The Beginning

School Counselor eBook Guidance Lesson & Stories Below:

Get a year's worth of school counselor guidance lessons with "Creative Warm & Fuzzy Classroom Guidance Lessons eBook". Introduce your students to the "Warm & Fuzzy Way". Click the link below for more information:

Get a year's worth of school counselor's guidance lessons, character education words, and social stories! Complete with lesson plans and behavior incentives.

Warm & Fuzzy School Counselor Guidance Lessons eBook 

  1. Check with administrators over the summer to see what I need to do to offer support to the school.

2. Set up trainings for teachers for Response to Interventions and 504’s.

3. Meet with the mentors to offer support to the Mentor Program in my school.

4. Set up a Mentor "Welcome Breakfast" in August.

5. Give all Response to Intervention files to next grade level teacher.

6. Support Meet and Greet Open House for students.

7. Meet with the middle school counselor to go over Response to Intervention Files and 504 Plans. Discuss who is on a Tier 2 and Tier 3 and what interventions need to be in place.

8. Contact all past 504 Student’s parents to set up new 504 meetings. The 504 Plans are best to schedule in the month of August.  In doing this the parents and teachers can have an early meeting and work as a team to support the child.

9. Create a schedule for school counselor guidance lessons  that begin mid August.

10. Set up a school Ambassador Leadership Program (All Grade Levels except Kindergarten). I ask the teachers to pick a boy and a girl student to represent the classroom ambassador. This student needs to make good grades and have excellent social skills (no bullying in the past).

I send home a permission slip to parents and offer a training for those students who return the permission slip. These students assist the school counselor with new students who enroll throughout the year (School Tours, Play at Recess, Sit with New Student at Lunch). They also help me with bullying prevention.

I offer two more trainings throughout the year to support  these students. We do training on bullying prevention and they act as the bystander to help stop bullying. 

11. I set up my play room (elementary level). I order supplies. I check on donations for school supplies from outside organizations.

12. We have a weekend backpack food program. I contact the school social worker to see if we can get it going early at my school.

13. I set up a “Tissue and Tears Coffee” for my new kindergarten parents after they drop off their child to kindergarten. I set up a room and ask P.T.A. to send in some muffins, breakfast bars, etc. I supply the tissues and coffee. This is held the first day of school.

14. The first day of school I stand in the front lobby and say hello to all my students. I always end up in kindergarten due to the many tears from the separation of student and parent.

I tell parents that it is better for the child if they make a fast exit after a hug! I take my box of tissues and host my “Tissue and Tears” get together for parents who want to cry it out (away from their child)! I continue to check on kindergarten and first grade every few hours in case I am needed.

I usually go with my principal to say hello to each classroom and introduce myself as the school counselor. This helps students who are new learn who I am. I also remind students how to get in touch with me.

15. Teacher Appreciation: This week I am giving out Tootsie Rolls with the slogan, “You Play an Important Role at _____________ School”. I print this out on colorful paper and put a Tootsie Roll in the middle. The teachers and staff appreciate finding this in their boxes from the school counselor.

You Play an Important Role at ________ Elementary School!

(Place a Tootsie Roll Here)

Thanks for all you do!

From: Your School Counselor

*Note: It is very important to let teachers know that they need to take care of themselves and are appreciated by the school. This is the "role of the school counselor"!

I try to send little notes each month to promote teacher support and teacher wellness. If the teacher is not happy, the kids will not be happy! Take care of your teachers school counselors!

 

September Outlook for School Counselors:

Looking into September: I now need to contact teachers to see what their preference is for school counselor guidance. I am reviewing my school counselor guidance lessons and trying to create some fresh school guidance lessons. I usually start school counselor guidance two weeks into the school year. This gives the teachers time to get the classroom settled.

School Counselor Groups: Don't even think of asking teachers about this yet. Wait until they get to know the kids! Take notes from any parent requests and review notes from teachers last year to get some names and groups created for the future.

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A Year in the Life of a School Counselor Continues

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A Year in the life of a School Counselor September

Get More Guidance Lessons and Social Stories Below: 

Warm Fuzzy Guidance Lesson Page One

School Counselor Guidance Lesson: The Story of Warm Fuzzy Elementary School: A Back to School Story

School Counselor Guidance Lesson on Goal Setting

The Story of Prize: Respect for Self Guidance Lesson

December Guidance Lesson Story for School Counselors and Teachers / The Gingerbread Warm Fuzzy

Charity Character Word of the Month Guidance Lesson Story

Love and Kindness Guidance Lesson Story

Study Skills and Test Preparation Guidance Lesson Story

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