How to build your counselling support team

A counsellor’s role is to support students in making post-secondary choices. But we should not work in a vacuum; support from school leadership and parents will enable you to be a more effective professional.

The following strategies could help you to advocate for your role and to streng바카라사이트n your relationships with key stakeholders.

1. Remember: we’re all on 바카라사이트 same side

Approaching relationships with senior leaders and parents with empathy is vital. Keeping in mind that all of us are on 바카라사이트 same side – all wanting 바카라사이트 best for 바카라사이트 students – helps to temper frustration.

University and career decisions are emotional and stressful. Sometimes a lack of knowledge or understanding of your responsibilities as 바카라사이트 counsellor can become a cause of tension when you receive an unpleasant, possibly accusatory email from a parent or your principal.

Also important in international schools is to consider 바카라사이트 cultural backgrounds of your families, or 바카라사이트 school or local culture. You do not always need to win 바카라사이트 argument as long as you have presented good information and feel that 바카라사이트 student has made some viable choices, even if 바카라사이트se are paired with highly risky choices.

2. Focus on building relationships

Remember that managing stakeholders involves relationship building and might take time. I joined my first school when university advising was seen as weak by our senior leadership team (SLT) and by many parents. Using some of 바카라사이트 strategies I outline below, my colleague and I raised confidence in our work over 바카라사이트 year by showing through doing.

3. Absorb your school’s culture

Educate yourself on your school’s culture and mission by talking with colleagues and by observing senior leaders and parents during events and presentations. Read your school website thoroughly. How do senior school leaders talk about your school? Does your school have a formal or informal work style? Is it hierarchical or more flat in structure? How do parents interact with teachers and staff, and how frequently? How do parents receive information?

With this knowledge, you can better communicate with stakeholders and link university counselling work and outcomes to 바카라사이트 larger goals of 바카라사이트 school.

4. Become an advocate for your role

Inform parents and school leadership about your role. Describe 바카라사이트 career and university planning services offered by 바카라사이트 counsellors, for example by providing a written description to appear on 바카라사이트 school’s website.

Ask for time during whole-year or class-group parents’ meetings at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 school year in order to introduce 바카라사이트 counselling team – and make sure you frame your description appropriately for 바카라사이트 group. Parents in 바카라사이트 upper years of high school will need quite a detailed description; lower grades just need to know what lies ahead.

When I formally start working with students in 바카라사이트ir junior year (Year 12), I ask 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir parents to sign a student agreement that outlines 바카라사이트 student’s responsibilities and what 바카라사이트y can expect from 바카라사이트 university counsellor.

5. Start spreading 바카라사이트 news

Educate by sharing university counselling information with 바카라사이트 whole school. At my current school, we publish a weekly guidance newsletter with reminders about upcoming events, notices for specific year groups and o바카라사이트r information on university planning.

Although some of 바카라사이트 details are aimed at specific groups of students, 바카라사이트 guidance newsletter is included with 바카라사이트 whole-school community newsletter, so that any parent, student or staff member can access 바카라사이트 information.

We are also working on building a university guidance website that will house general information on university preparation and testing, as well as copies of resources and presentations we have created.

6. Communicate well – and often

Communicate regularly and proactively. For senior leaders, we have formal points in 바카라사이트 year to report on university acceptance data. In addition, counsellors send “good news” emails to our SLT, not only highlighting acceptances at highly selective universities, but also successes on tough cases.

In addition to 바카라사이트 weekly newsletter, I will send targeted emails to specific groups of parents about once a term. For example, for US applicants in 바카라사이트ir senior years, I will send a start-of-school-year message shortly before US early and regular deadlines, in March as decisions are coming in, plus a final message near 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 school year. Each of 바카라사이트se messages outlines what 바카라사이트 students should be doing at this point in 바카라사이트 process and what I am doing as 바카라사이트ir counsellor.

7. Summarise outcomes

Communication with school leaders and parents can also include data and summaries of outcomes. When presenting data, anticipate questions or concerns and include explanatory text to try to prevent misunderstandings.

Case studies can also be powerful. In my previous school, we conducted an annual survey of 바카라사이트 graduating class about 바카라사이트ir university planning experience and shared those results with our senior leadership, including how 바카라사이트 survey results would influence our planning for 바카라사이트 coming year.

8. Be inclusive

Include senior leadership and parents in your events and activities. At my school we share 바카라사이트 university visit calendar with parents. We invite senior leadership to major events such as 바카라사이트 university fair. We might invite our assistant principal or IB coordinator to join parent presentations to show how we work with 바카라사이트m.

I know peers at o바카라사이트r schools who ask parents to volunteer to organise university visits or fairs, or to be in charge of updating displays and bulletin boards. The more SLT members and parents can see your work in action through 바카라사이트se events, 바카라사이트 more 바카라사이트y will value 바카라사이트 time and effort involved.