Mentoring for School Counselors in South Dakota

South Dakota School Counselor Association offers a mentoring program! This is available to whether you’re a first-year school counselor, moving to a new school district or state or returning to work after an absence. The mentoring program offers growth and learning to both the mentee and the mentor in a collaborative working relationship that allows new school counselors to become better able to plan, implement, deliver, evaluate and enhance their comprehensive school counseling program. SDSCA’s mentoring program also offers an opportunity for some of South Dakota’s exceptional school counselors to draw from their experiences and knowledge to enhance the professional skills of new school counselors who are fully implementing comprehensive school counseling programs within their districts.

New school counselors encounter a variety and plethora of situations that their program may not have addressed. Sometimes the most common mode of a school counselor induction has been a sink-or-swim approach. Minimal support for school counselors may magnify their stress, contribute to attrition rates and reduce skill development. Knowing there is someone to provide ideas, support and collaboration, to bounce thoughts off of and to just listen helps new school counselors to develop confidence, avoid burnout and not feel alone!

Mentoring is simply defined as the process of one person supporting, teaching, leading and serving as a model for another person. Being a mentor and having a mentee is a wonderful relationship that has may perks. The give and take between the mentee and mentor usually develops into a friendship. Being able to address a mentor who has experience contributes and provides a support system for the first-year counselor. Each has specific duties and responsibilities that are outlined as a guide, but this only adds to the trust in the developing relationship.
Knowing that confidentiality is paramount between the mentor and mentee reduces the stress of a new counselor. The cathartic experience when discussing stressors and job responsibilities with a mentor helps remove feelings of ineffectiveness and provides reassurance when there is that bad day. The feedback and suggestions from a mentor are non-threatening and non-judgmental. And another positive aspect of the give and take is the learning that flows between mentor and mentee.

Mentorship generates positive experiences. For those who want to be a mentor and those wanting a mentee, the sky’s the limit! To learn more, please contact Jolaine Bain at Jolaine.Bain@k12.sd.us.