From the Chair: Our Work Shapes the Future

Don McPherson said, “True prevention is not waiting for bad things to happen. It is preventing things from happening in the first place.” Prevention. What an amazing power! As school counselors, through our curriculum delivery, we teach students about recognizing, identifying, and acting on critical issues such as bullying, sexual harassment, suicide and teen dating violence. By teaching these prevention strategies, we are saving lives and shaping our future generation. Every student, K–12, needs the life skill lessons our curriculum teaches them. Our hope is that these skills will follow them into adulthood.

The goal in prevention is to help students understand harmful or risky behaviors and prepare them for how to responsibly respond when they encounter these challenges. We know that when students are prepared with the knowledge of what to do in certain situations, they are more likely to carry out that appropriate behavior. They do not have to think on the spot and hope what they are doing is correct. They are trusting us to teach them what is appropriate, so they are prepared; this makes our work in curriculum delivery incredibly impactful and meaningful.

Today’s students are going through so much in their lives and seeing so much on social media. Now, more than ever, we need to teach our students the skills necessary for them to learn how to report behaviors that are too big to manage on their own, access available resources and provide help to others who never would have received it otherwise. What we teach, model and discuss are instilling resilience, creating healthy relationships with themselves and their peers, and promoting lifelong success. 

Every single one of our students benefits from the work and learning we do around prevention. MSCA offers monthly professional development as a membership benefit. The topics are current and relevant to the times and needs we find in our schools. Our conference is a professional development experience that is solely aimed at helping school counselors become even more skilled at their jobs. We encourage you to take advantage of the benefits of your membership by attending Counselors, Coffee and Conversation and/or our monthly offerings. You can remain in your office and listen to great speakers enhance the tools you need to increase your ability to be the expert in prevention for your school.

As school counselors, much of the work we do goes unnoticed . . . until and unless it involves a crisis of some sort. In those moments, we are seen and heard and appreciated for the effort we put into our students and our work. But do not ever forget that the number of students you affected through your prevention work is larger and more powerful than anyone could ever imagine – the number of lives you changed through your words, your actions, your caring. Be proud of your superpower – prevention – and know that you make a difference every day!

Contact Jennifer Kline, chair of the MSCA Board of Directors at klinejennifer@festusedu.com.