School Counselor Professional Identity: who we are, what we do, & where we're going Connecticut School Counselor Association May 21, 2015

Today’s Objectives Discuss school counselor professional identity? Discuss your role in improving our profession Create a personal action plan Learn some new stuff Have fun

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“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” --Margaret Mead

Who’s Here? Elementary school counselors Middle/Jr High school counselors Secondary school counselors Multi-level counselors School Counseling Directors/Leaders Graduate students Community Based Organization members Other

More questions Who has been to the CTSCA conference before? Who had trouble getting release time or took personal time to be here? Who went into this profession passionate about advocacy? Who thinks that your efforts today will make a difference in the lives of your students?

So Why Me? What Can I Offer You? School Counselor, K-12 Director of School Counseling and social justice educator 22 years in the profession Leader – local, state, regional & national levels Advocate for students, school counselors and our profession Passionate about school counselor pre-service preparation and continuous professional development

Three Questions 1. What do we need from school counselors in 2015 in regard to leadership and advocacy? 2. How do school counselors make a difference in schools today? 3. Who is your superhero?

Jaime Escalante Why are you a school counselor?

Erin Gruwell We are here because….

Joe Clark I make a difference in the lives of our students every day

School Counseling Challenges in CT Lack of understanding concerning the role, responsibilities and skill set of School Counselors among administrators and policy makers Helping "seasoned" School Counselors understand, embrace, and implement the new direction of the profession Setting boundaries – what is our role and how do we say no Budget, resources and time! CT’s new evaluation system. Inequities between the have and have nots Increase number and severity of student mental health concerns Lack of sufficient family engagement Increase presence of social media and how to handle related issues Using data appropriately and effectively

So What? You can either accept the status quo or decide to make a difference You can step up to the plate and do something or continue to be part of the problem Are you a Jaime Escalante, Erin Gruwell or Joe Clark? Will you be a school counseling leader and advocate?

Question How many of you are giving 110% already and cannot do any more?  Not eating lunch  No time to go to the bathroom  No prep  Bringing work home at night and weekends I am going to ask you to do more

Here’s why?

What’s in a name? School counselor Guidance counselor Social worker Behaviorist Other

What’s our preparation? Licensed/certified Master’s degree Coursework Fieldwork

What do school counselors do? Academic counseling Social/emotional (aka personal) counseling Career/college counseling (aka future planning) Course selection Paperwork & meetings Administrative functions Consultation Collaboration

Who do we advocate with? Colleagues Administrators School boards Parents Community members Local media - newspaper, cable station, radio & television Community groups – PTA, Rotary, Realtors Elected officials/policy makers Strangers

What is your elevator speech? School counselors ensure that all students achieve at their highest level possible. They collaborate with teachers, administrators, family members and service providers outside of the school to provide services and support necessary for student access and success. They advocate for every student to ensure their academic, career and persona/social needs are met. School counselors are leaders and systemic change agents in their schools, working with all stakeholders to ensure that they are using data and evidence based practices that inform decision making and produce results. They are the glue that holds a school together and are super heroes for our children and families.

How do we advocate? Talk about what school counselors do Demonstrate with data our impact on student success and achievement Share our program results with stakeholders Go to meetings Use social media to inform/motivate others Write letters to the editor Submit press releases with photo ops Invite policy makers to school counseling events

Leadership What does a leader look like in 2015? Someone who  has a passion  has a vision  is willing to make a commitment of time, talent & treasures  wants to make a difference

Why be a School Counselor Leader? It helps your students and families receive better services It brings recognition to your school counseling program There are numerous opportunities at the local, state and national level Why not? Change is in the air – the time is NOW

National attention & focus  First Lady’s efforts (  Reach Higher (  School Counselor of the Year Ceremony Legislative efforts are making an impact  Minnesota, Colorado, Virginia, Utah Data shows school counselors make a difference

2015 Leadership Challenges Limited time Lack of interest among members Too busy; too much work; not appealing List of challenges is great Lack of interest among school counselors Limited resources to do the job well

Next Steps What can you contribute to ensure all students in Connecticut have a qualified school counselor? How does our profession move forward? Who else needs to be on the bus? What challenges do you face as an mover & shaker? What resources do you need?

Another Question What is one thing you can commit to right now to create change for our profession?  Create your own action plan

Questions & Conversations What is not clear? What more do you need? How can we help each other? Who wants to share a success regarding leadership or advocacy?

Leadership Resources Good to Great – Jim Collins Good to Great & the Social Sectors How the Mighty Fall – Jim Collins Fish: Remarkable Way to Boost Morale & Improve Results – Stephen Lundin The Disney Way – Bill Capodagli & Lynn Jackson

For More Information….. Bob Bardwell School Counselor & Director of School Counseling Monson High School 55 Margaret Street Monson, MA x bardwellr