On the Successful School Counselor
By KristiAnna S. Whitman | September 2018
A new academic year has begun and with a new year inevitably comes a whole list of ideas, goals, aspirations and timelines. We typically open the year with an outline of what we hope to accomplish with students and in our programs, setting benchmarks and deadlines for ourselves. Along with those deadlines, we create indicators for recognizing success in meeting our goals. These indicators are usually tangible or quantifiable – the creation of a new program, the completion of a report, or the inclusion as an ASCA recognized program. But what if success can’t be measured through a specific quantifiable result?
As a counselor educator, I provide training to prospective school and community counselors. Many of these counselors in training are currently working in some aspect of the school system and have been driven by years of results, data and performance measures. What becomes difficult then is how to define the success of a meeting with a new student or client. Our hope as school counselors is for our students to feel safe enough to enter our offices when they’re wanting assistance. Sometimes a student comes to see us on only one occasion and we are left wondering whether that meeting was “successful.” What becomes the measure for a successful meeting with a student? How do we validate our performance in a single meeting?
Although we can respond to these questions through the development of satisfaction questionnaires or the collection of outcome data, what I’m hoping to drive home with my counselors in training is the importance of self-validation. How can you remind yourself daily that the work you’re doing as a counselor is vital? How can you tell yourself that even though a student only met with you once, you set the tone for the rest of the school year by listening with unconditional positive regard when they needed someone to listen? Validation may not always come from students in the form of a “Thank you,” so it’s important to remember that safe spaces are created through the work of counselors. And it is only in these safe spaces that other successes can be developed.
KristiAnna S. Whitman is an assistant professor of counseling at the University of Guam.
GASC Calendar 2018-2019
OCTOBER – National Bully Prevention Month
Oct. 11: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Oct. 17: ASCA18 Echo Session
Oct. 15-21: Character Counts Week
Oct. 23-31: Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 27: ASCA 2017 Echo Session (ES) and Elementary School Counselor Support (WES)
Character Build: Respect
NOVEMBER – National Career Development Month
Nov. 1: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Nov. 6: SC-PD #3
Nov. 13: World Kindness Day
Nov. 28: General Assembly
Task: First Meeting Advisory Council
Character Build: Responsibility
DECEMBER – Gift Giving Tree Month
Dec. 6: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Dec. 19: ASCA18 Echo Session and Christmas Celebration
Character Build: Fairness
JANUARY – National Thank You Month
Jan. 7 & 8: Elementary & Secondary SC-PD
Jan. 10: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Jan. 16: ASCA18 Echo Session
Jan. 28–Feb 1: Great Kindness Challenge Week
Jan. 30: Governor’s Proclamation National School Counseling Week 2019
Character Build: Fairness
FEBRUARY – National Boost Your Self-Esteem Month
Feb. 4 & 5: Elementary & Secondary SC-PD
Feb. 4-8: National School Counseling Week 2019
Feb. 7: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Feb. 11-15: Random Acts of Kindness Week
Feb. 20: ASCA18 Echo Session
Character Build: Caring
MARCH – Cultural Diversity Month
March 7: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
March 18-19: Secondary & Elementary SC-PD
March 20-21: AISCC19 Conference
ASCA National Model Key Point: Delivery System: SC Core Curriculum, Small Group Responsive Services, Closing the Gap-September to April School Counselors’ Direct & indirect services
Character Build: Citizenship
APRIL – Child Abuse Prevention Month
April 4: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
April 8–May 17: DOE District-Wide Testing
April 22 & 23: Elementary & Secondary SC- PD
Task: Second Meeting Advisory Council
ASCA National Model Implementation Key Point: Accountability: Results Reports Program Audit/School Counselor EOY Report
Character Build: Citizenship
MAY – National Mental Health Month
May 2: GASC Officers/Board Meeting
May 15: General Assembly
May 28 & 29: Elementary & Secondary PD
June 27-28: Leadership Development Institute/Delegate Assembly
June 29-July 2: ASCA 2019 Annual Conference: “Revolutionary Ideas” in Boston, Massachusetts
As a counselor educator, I provide training to prospective school and community counselors. Many of these counselors in training are currently working in some aspect of the school system and have been driven by years of results, data and performance measures. What becomes difficult then is how to define the success of a meeting with a new student or client. Our hope as school counselors is for our students to feel safe enough to enter our offices when they’re wanting assistance. Sometimes a student comes to see us on only one occasion and we are left wondering whether that meeting was “successful.” What becomes the measure for a successful meeting with a student? How do we validate our performance in a single meeting?
Although we can respond to these questions through the development of satisfaction questionnaires or the collection of outcome data, what I’m hoping to drive home with my counselors in training is the importance of self-validation. How can you remind yourself daily that the work you’re doing as a counselor is vital? How can you tell yourself that even though a student only met with you once, you set the tone for the rest of the school year by listening with unconditional positive regard when they needed someone to listen? Validation may not always come from students in the form of a “Thank you,” so it’s important to remember that safe spaces are created through the work of counselors. And it is only in these safe spaces that other successes can be developed.
KristiAnna S. Whitman is an assistant professor of counseling at the University of Guam.
GASC Calendar 2018-2019
OCTOBER – National Bully Prevention Month
Oct. 11: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Oct. 17: ASCA18 Echo Session
Oct. 15-21: Character Counts Week
Oct. 23-31: Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 27: ASCA 2017 Echo Session (ES) and Elementary School Counselor Support (WES)
Character Build: Respect
NOVEMBER – National Career Development Month
Nov. 1: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Nov. 6: SC-PD #3
Nov. 13: World Kindness Day
Nov. 28: General Assembly
Task: First Meeting Advisory Council
Character Build: Responsibility
DECEMBER – Gift Giving Tree Month
Dec. 6: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Dec. 19: ASCA18 Echo Session and Christmas Celebration
Character Build: Fairness
JANUARY – National Thank You Month
Jan. 7 & 8: Elementary & Secondary SC-PD
Jan. 10: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Jan. 16: ASCA18 Echo Session
Jan. 28–Feb 1: Great Kindness Challenge Week
Jan. 30: Governor’s Proclamation National School Counseling Week 2019
Character Build: Fairness
FEBRUARY – National Boost Your Self-Esteem Month
Feb. 4 & 5: Elementary & Secondary SC-PD
Feb. 4-8: National School Counseling Week 2019
Feb. 7: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
Feb. 11-15: Random Acts of Kindness Week
Feb. 20: ASCA18 Echo Session
Character Build: Caring
MARCH – Cultural Diversity Month
March 7: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
March 18-19: Secondary & Elementary SC-PD
March 20-21: AISCC19 Conference
ASCA National Model Key Point: Delivery System: SC Core Curriculum, Small Group Responsive Services, Closing the Gap-September to April School Counselors’ Direct & indirect services
Character Build: Citizenship
APRIL – Child Abuse Prevention Month
April 4: GASC Officer/Board Meeting
April 8–May 17: DOE District-Wide Testing
April 22 & 23: Elementary & Secondary SC- PD
Task: Second Meeting Advisory Council
ASCA National Model Implementation Key Point: Accountability: Results Reports Program Audit/School Counselor EOY Report
Character Build: Citizenship
MAY – National Mental Health Month
May 2: GASC Officers/Board Meeting
May 15: General Assembly
May 28 & 29: Elementary & Secondary PD
June 27-28: Leadership Development Institute/Delegate Assembly
June 29-July 2: ASCA 2019 Annual Conference: “Revolutionary Ideas” in Boston, Massachusetts