As I was looking through online resources, I ran across the website School Counselor Blog (http://www.schcounselor.com). This blog caught my attention because of the tone of the author. She offers suggestions on lessons that she has used and provides a forum for dialogue between those interested in counseling. I think this would be a great thing for counselors who are the only person in their positions in the buildings. Teachers and administrators often have colleagues in the building to brainstorm with, but sometimes counselors are the only one of their kind. A blog of this sort would help that counselor or even a counselor that does have in-the-building counterparts to reach further into the counseling community and get some ideas that might not otherwise have been thought of.
I also found a website that I think could be a great model for any new school counselors. As I was looking through different websites for various school counseling programs, I came across the Olympia High School Counseling website (http://olympia.osd.wednet.edu/ccenter). This website was aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. The website offers visitors links that relate to all areas of student development, such as transition to high school, academic counseling and career prep. This website would be an ideal resource not only for students, but also for parents that want to stay informed about what is going on at school. Counseling staff are introduced on the website and parents are advised by class about the specific requirements they should be assisting their child with. I think that this website would be a great resource for all stakeholders that all concerned about student achievement.
I really like this blog for school counselors, you are right to address the fact that many times the school counselor is the only counselor in the entire building and in situations like that the counselor should never be in the teacher’s lounge listening to what is going on about this kid or that kid. It is a smart counselor who stays clear headed and away from such an environment. This blog would give the counselor the outlet needed to have a peer group to "go to lunch with" even if it was cyber lunch. Good find!!
ReplyDeleteLove this! Last year in my school we had two counselors, but with budget cuts we are down to one, and I know that my supervising counselor feels like an island in an ocean sometimes because there is no one there at school that fully understands and gets what she does. If I find myself in a similiar situation where I am the only school counselor in a building I would like a place to go and bounce ideas and thoughts off of other people in my profession.
ReplyDeleteThe counseling blog seems very helpful, especially for a counselor who doesn't have a counterpart in the school setting. Because of budget cuts, many counselors find they are facing a larger caseload and don't have the benefit of having another couselor to collaborate with.
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