First 30 days

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Where are you this year?  Are you beginning your 10th year at the same school where launching your school counseling program is as comfortable as breathing, or are you setting off on a new adventure? FOR ME, starting a new job in a new district and town this year has led me to pause and reflect about how I want to kick things off.

Presidents often talk about their "first 30 days" (or 100) when they first take office, and I wanted to compare that to a school counselor's first 30 days creating a school counseling program. I believe there are critical areas to address so that the tone, climate, and foundation are set for a successful counseling program.  I have been making mental and written notes over the past week as I live and breathe the creation of a new school counseling program, but this list is not exhaustive by any means. It is simply my vision of key elements to consider as new and veteran counselors alike begin a new school year. This will be a two-part series so stay tuned for the other half later this week!

YOUR FIRST 30 DAYS

Organization- Using the word organization is about the most general term you can throw out when talking about starting anything new, but I am going to break this category into more "general" menial work versus specific school counseling program organization, an important distinction. First up, "general" organization.  I will dive into program organization in Part II.

• Create a comfortable office space. It is important for every school counselor to have a kid-friendly space to work in each day.  I know I cannot even begin to think about plans for the year until I feel like my room is a comfortable, safe space where I can think and work each day.  Do you like bright, energizing colors or a more tranquil space? Either way, Pinterest is your BFF as you search through thousands of ideas to make your space your own.  I took over an old conference room this year and have the best office I have ever had in 11 years of counseling. YIPPEE! Check out what I started with below (this was AFTER moving the furniture to new spots and bringing in my rug).  I will be posting a "big reveal" for my new office by next week, although much of it is being re-created from my previous office! Get ideas from last year's post right now here.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Implement time-saving systems....If you have not taken advantage of Google tools in the past, now is the time! REALLY! It's as easy as searching Google tutorials on YouTube if you haven't had a chance to receive training through your school or county.  Get organized with Google calendar (sample day to the left) when scheduling your professional development trainings, PLC dates, and intro lessons; create email groups for each grade level so you can quickly share Google surveys or schedule lesson times efficiently; and get a copy of your staff list by grade level so you have phone extensions handy.

• Assess your resources.... Go through the resources at your school so you can compile a list of items you may need to purchase with start-up or PTO/PTA funds. If there are things that have been in your office since 1985, figure out where they need to go to be purged....SERIOUSLY! I was the worst about doing this at my previous school, and I am now turning over a new leaf. The extra clutter wastes the space that you could be using for new materials. I am again extremely fortunate to work for a school where the PTO
  
  generously gives the staff money to buy materials, and I can't wait to get my hands on some of this reflective paper from Amazon (right). I am envisioning a corner in my office where students can reframe thoughts, practice self-talk, brainstorm strengths, and empower themselves as they look in the "mirror". We'll see how clear the sheets really are, but they are cheap and easy to peel and stick so I'm going for it!  I will probably also replace some of my beloved items that I couldn't take with me from my previous school: my Kimochi doll (prefer full size), kinetic sand, and new pedaler or exercise ball.

• Establish areas of responsibility...This may be easy if you are the only school counselor at your school. Everything is your responsibility!!! Seriously though, if you are working with a co-counselor, determine how you will divide up classroom guidance lessons, small groups, and individual referrals. What grade levels will you each focus on? I prefer to share a mix of upper and lower grade levels for classroom guidance and then split small groups depending on monthly needs.  Decide how you will work with your other student service team members (psychologists, social workers, school nurses) to meet all students' needs. This step will help in your proactive planning and give you a focus when you are working on visibility.

Visibility  

• Get to know staff members.....Simply put, people need to know who you are AND you need to know who they are.  Are you listening when you introduce yourself to new colleagues on the workdays or are you too worried about what you are going to say?  Practice. Slow down and think about what the person says his/her name and job title are during introductions.  Do you have a mnemonic device you can use? I often think of the person's name as I visualize their face or connect them to someone else I know with the same name. My husband writes down names of people he meets. That's fine! We are counselors building relationships and knowing a person's name is a great first step. They will be impressed when you call them by name later, and you will build rapport faster.  Challenge yourself to learn a few more each day. It can be overwhelming when you are one person learning 70 staff members' names, but you will get there (that's what I keep telling myself!).
  
• Walk the halls....Figure out where different grade levels and key places are located in your school, especially if you are assigned to specific grade levels or have key responsibilities involving a grade level (i.e. specialist rotations or grade level events).
  
• Get to know students....Learning names will be even tougher with hundreds of
  
  students but "Introduction to the School Counselor" lessons will help.  What is your plan? What key details do students need to know about how you will help them this year? Mention the referral process and the role of confidentiality in every lesson. Will you make your own version of FLAT GROOVY POOVEY , start a CAMP COUNSELOR. or come up with another creative idea?! Start brainstorming with my previous post on intro lessons here. Help students learn who YOU ARE faster by promoting yourself on a centrally located bulletin board. Remember the four boards I was responsible for last year?!! I only have ONE this year, but it is right outside the technology room where every child goes each week (YAY!). Pinterest is a great resource so you don't need to reinvent the wheel!  Check back soon to see my completed example.

So, that's PART I of my FIRST 30 DAYS.  At the end of this series, I will have a handy checklist of specific steps for your FIRST 30 DAYS in each of the four categories I am going to outline. I hope it will be a resource you can look to at the start of each year, especially if you are transitioning to a new adventure like me!

Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~ Angela