What Does a School Guidance Counselor Do?

School Guidance CounselorThere are a number of different areas to consider when looking at what a school guidance counselor does. Students of all age levels need support in everything from personal challenges to academic intervention to future planning. A guidance counselor is able to provide all of this support and more to students from elementary to high school ages from working directly with students to fulfilling administrative responsibilities.

Academic Development and Support

For many students, additional help will be required in order to be successful in accomplishing the completion of homework, tests, studying, and other academic activities. Guidance counselors are able to provide additional techniques, strategies, and methods for all areas of education, including referrals to outside programs that might help with tutoring or learning disability testing.

Guidance counselors also play an important part of supporting teachers by directly working with students who need extra help. Collecting and analyzing data to make recommendations for improvements in everything from technological advancements to textbooks are also essential to helping teachers provide quality education and meet state and federal standards.

Discipline Intervention and Support

In addition to academics, instances occur in which students require counseling and other intervention in order to effectively deal with disciplinary issues in the classroom. Guidance counselors can help to limit disciplinary action, coordinate community resources, and provide motivation and positivity throughout a school. Counselors might also work with individual students on conflict resolution, stress relieving techniques, and anger management strategies.

Personal Support

Students are faced with a number of issues both in and out of a classroom or school building, and the resources and community programs that a school guidance counselor will create connections with are helpful. Students can turn to a counselor for assistance with financial difficulty, abuse and safety concerns, and other issues that might negatively impact well-being and achievement.

Career and Goal Planning Direction and Support

In upper level schools, school guidance counselors are on hand to prepare students for what comes after a secondary education. This can include everything from filling out college applications and understanding financial aid to preparing for SAT or ACT testing. Additionally, guidance counselors can help students decide on alternative paths to higher education such as career and technical training, resume and portfolio building, interviewing techniques, and job placement after high school.

Other Roles of the School Guidance Counselor

Guidance counselors in any school district will also likely be a part of the building of a sense of community between the school, students, parents and guardians, teachers and staff, and outside members of the district. The creation of a community of learning surrounding the students is advantageous in developing the network students need to be successful in everything from after school programs to community outreach and involvement. More information on the role of a school guidance counselor can be found at the American School Counselor Association website.

Related Resource: Clinical Psychologist

School guidance counselors are qualified, specialized professionals who fulfill a vital role in the field of education. When considering the job description of a guidance counselor, what a school guidance counselor does is become a part of the personal, academic, social, and future achievements of all students.