President’s Letter: Pruning to Produce Growth

Hello, Montana school counselors! I am writing you from LAX as I await my flight back to Montana following an amazing ASCA conference. My heart is filled with gratitude as I reflect on all I’ve learned, the minutes and hours of deep connection with counselors across the country (and world!), and the hard work of all the ASCA staff and board members on our behalf. My head is full of new ideas, heart full of joy, and I am inspired to be a better version of myself as a result of this week.
 
Most of you won’t read this until August when you return to school to begin a new year. This issue is dedicated to new approaches to help you make it the best year possible for your school counseling program. As I have engaged in two of my favorite activities this summer, I realized that adding anything new can be very difficult if you haven’t made room for it.
 
One of my favorite activities is shopping – but it’s really the bargain hunt that I enjoy. Ross (my favorite store) understands people like me and capitalizes on our desire for the treasure hunt. The problem is that I don’t have room for any more stuff or clothes, so if I want anything new, I’ve got to let go of the old stuff. I guess I need to do one of my least favorite things this summer and purge closets.
 
I also love flower gardening but find the process a little painful at times because of the pruning it requires. The long-term health of the plants and the quality and quantity of the blooms demand that I sometimes clip off the sweet blossoms that are already there. Aahh! I want to keep them all!
 
What does this have to do with school counseling? We have to take a hard look at what is and what is not working (use that data!) and be willing to let go of things that aren’t effective. Purge. We have to be willing to tweak and modify in order to produce the greatest result. Prune. As you consider your new year, ask yourself if you are in a rut and consider doing something new. Take a hard look at your program in relation to the mindset and behavior standards and the culture of your school, and identify your greatest priorities. Remember, you can’t do it all, and if you are going to add something new, you will probably need to let go of something to keep some balance for yourself. Letting go of the old way of doing things can be hard, but new can be glorious.
 
Thank you all for all of the hard work you are doing on behalf of Montana students. Remember that your MSCA board is here to support you and we consider it an honor to serve you. We are better together.
 
Contact Dr. Renee’ Schoening, MSCA president, at reneeschoeningmsca@gmail.com.
 
 
Below, Montana school counselors try something new (and get silly!) at the MSCA spring conference.