Last updated on June 26th, 2023 at 10:02 pm
For many students and parents, the school counselor is a familiar face. Whether you are working in an elementary or high school, you will likely find yourself in front of a room full of teenagers at some point during your career as a counselor. Unfortunately, not all students have similar needs or interests that require counseling services. Therefore, if you are considering becoming a school counselor but are unsure what kind of work it entails, or if you want more information about this exciting profession, this article will give you everything you need to know. It will help you how to become a successful school counselor.
Get a Master’s Degree in School Counseling
You will need a master’s degree in School Counseling. There are many options for getting your degree, such as online and hybrid programs, allowing you to attend classes on campus and online. If you decide to go with an online program, ensure the Council accredits it for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This organization maintains high standards that ensure quality education. Once you have a master’s in school counseling, there are many things that you can do with it. You could:
- Work as a school counselor at an elementary or high school
- Become a college advisor at a university or a community college
Recent research from Zippia shows that more than 33,957 school counselors work in the US. While 74% of these school counselors are women, the remaining 24% of profiles are taken up by men. The research also highlights that 35% of these profiles are handled by people with master’s degrees who earn an average annual salary of $50,004, while those with graduate degrees earn only $41,877 per annum. The figures reflect why having a master’s degree is more beneficial for developing a career as a school counselor.
Experience the World Before Counseling
To make a career as a school counselor, you must have experience in this field. Before becoming a counselor, you should work in a school setting and know about how schools operate. You will be able to connect with people and understand their needs better if you have experience working with:
- Kids
- Teachers
- Parents
- Administrators, and
- Community at large
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the expected career growth in mental health counseling will be 10% between 2021-2031, which is faster than the average.
Remain in Touch with Your Students
Stay in touch with your students. As a school counselor, it’s your job to keep track of each child’s academic and personal progress on campus. You can be a key source of support for them as they grow into adults.
Keep in touch with their parents too. Many parents are happy to turn over responsibility for their children’s education at school. However, they’re often willing to help if asked or given some good advice about how they can support their kid’s learning process at home.
Keep in touch with their teachers. Your relationship with each student is one-on-one, but you should also work closely with his or her teacher. It ensures that everyone clearly knows what they need from each other, including any referrals.
Keep in touch with the school, from administration down through classrooms and programs. It ensures that everyone knows who you are and your role at the institution where you serve children together.
Be a Lifelong Learner
As a school counselor, you should be open to learning and developing as a professional. Be willing to:
- Develop a learning mindset
- Learn from mistakes
- Take advantage of learning opportunities through reading, writing, or talking about what you have learned.
- Keep up with current events and other relevant topics.
Be Empathetic
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. As a school counselor, you will be working with students who may be feeling lonely or scared; you must be able to put yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective.
As with any skill, empathy can be learned by observing others’ behavior and taking time out of your day to pay attention to what others around you are feeling. For example, if a student approaches you with a problem at school or home, imagine yourself in their position and try to put yourself in their role to understand them better.
Communicate Effectively and Listen Intently
A counselor must be a good communicator. You should know your body language, tone of voice, and listening skills. You should use active listening techniques, such as asking questions. For example, when you talk to your students about their problems or concerns, ask them open-ended questions like, how do you feel or what did that mean? It allows them more time to think about their answers and express themselves clearly, giving the student a chance to reflect on the situation. When asking these types of questions, let the student know they have all the time in the World. There are no set answers to these; we just want them to give us an idea of how they feel about something happening at school or home.
Have a Growth Mindset
When you have a growth mindset, you believe that intelligence can be developed through hard work and effort. Therefore, you see mistakes as opportunities to learn from your mistakes and become a better person.
A growth mindset is something you can learn to develop over time. If you approach every mistake or failure with the attitude that it will make you stronger. Your brain will be wired to think this way, which will help foster more success in all aspects of life. You may also want to consider reading books on the subject, like Mindset by Carol Dweck, one of the popular books.
Recently, the School Counselor Corps of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) have added more than 300 school counselors and mental health workers in Oklahoma Public schools. The corps was launched by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Joy Hofmeister, in 2021. It is a $35 million three-year program supported by COVID stabilization funding via the Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund.
Summing Up
As you can see, there are a lot of opportunities for school counselors. You don’t have to be a psychologist or a social worker; you only need to have a passion for helping others and be willing to learn more about your job before entering it. With all these resources at our fingertips today, we should be able to make the world better than ever before.
