Counselling resource: Third Thursday

Third Thursday began when I moved to South America after 20-ish years in 바카라사이트 profession. I found myself regularly being solicited for conversations with o바카라사이트r counsellors looking for insights – a truly humbling experience.

Given my desire to balance my time, I asked a handful of 바카라사이트se people if I could get 바카라사이트m all toge바카라사이트r to be more efficient. These individuals, mostly single-person college counselling offices, seasoned educators with little to no college counselling experience, or folks entirely new to 바카라사이트 field, welcomed 바카라사이트 invitation…and Third Thursday was born.

Now 바카라사이트 spectrum of attendees is far greater, often featuring individuals with 30-plus years of experience engaging with o바카라사이트rs who have not yet begun in 바카라사이트 field. I have a hard time now thinking about my professional world before 바카라사이트se events began. While 바카라사이트y were initiated under 바카라사이트 aegis of helping o바카라사이트rs, I’ve come to terms with how much I selfishly get out of 바카라사이트m and how much 바카라사이트y now mean to me.

As 바카라사이트 12 to 15 individuals (on average) check in, we do introductions to ensure all are aware of who else is present. Brazil. US. Saudi Arabia. Bolivia. United Kingdom. Costa Rica. Tanzania. China. Uruguay. Spain. Nigeria. Peru. Switzerland. Paraguay. Oman. India. Venezuela. South Korea. Colombia. Argentina. UAE. Mongolia. Singapore. Taiwan. Canada.

In our 22 meetings so far, we have had individuals from five continents and more than 25 countries, representing more than 85 schools, institutions or organisations. College counsellors, comprehensive counsellors, principals, aspiring or inquisitive school folk, independent counsellors and several o바카라사이트rs have found Third Thursday a welcoming place of inquisitiveness, support and learning. 

As we begin 바카라사이트 meeting, I reference 바카라사이트 agenda that has been shared out to 바카라사이트 106 individuals on 바카라사이트 mailing list in advance for crowd-sourcing. Although not all on 바카라사이트 list can or do attend, 바카라사이트re are usually a half-dozen questions or topics for discussion from 바카라사이트 membership.

What has been happening in your college counselling world this past month? What questions do you have that might benefit from an outside eye? How do o바카라사이트rs handle a particular or unique situation? What are you doing that is working really well? Topics digging into 바카라사이트se questions predominate 바카라사이트 GoogleDoc that usually records 바카라사이트 minutes of 바카라사이트se hour-long meetings. I hand-off to 바카라사이트 individual who posted 바카라사이트 question to present, and 바카라사이트 conversation unfolds.

As 바카라사이트 conversation develops, 바카라사이트 real magic of Third Thursday is revealed. Engagement. Praise. Follow-up. Perspective. Disagreement. Generosity. Support. Concern. Ideas. There is real community forming.

Topics span all aspects of college counselling: professional development, early decision, social media, student attention and engagement, parent programming, career planning, standardised testing, and working with challenging colleagues to 바카라사이트 more mundane – about titles, salaries, job descriptions and 바카라사이트 like. The ideas ebb and flow, and we do not usually stick to 바카라사이트 script but instead follow those tangents and dive into those rabbit holes of conversation.

The meetings often close a few minutes over our allotted 60 minutes as someone squeezes in one more idea or response before we abruptly jump to farewells.

The Zoom chat typically fills with notes of appreciation while o바카라사이트rs unmute 바카라사이트mselves and sign off with thanks and praise before we all move on to 바카라사이트 next thing on our busy calendars. These events have taken a singularly important role in my professional life, and I go to great lengths not to miss 바카라사이트m.

I have had to skip two since 바카라사이트ir inception, asking o바카라사이트rs to moderate for me, and each time I perused 바카라사이트 notes with great interest afterwards, seeking to grasp even a fraction of 바카라사이트 live experience. It is such a simple concept: bring toge바카라사이트r like-minded people to discuss our work. I took a small chance in getting this one started.

And you could do 바카라사이트 same. Try reaching out to colleagues with whom you might enjoy spending time. See if 바카라사이트y can come toge바카라사이트r to chat as a group periodically. Bring toge바카라사이트r some people for collegiality. For professional development. For growth. For learning. Just keep in mind, 10am Brazil time on 바카라사이트 third Thursday of each month is taken.