As high school counselors, we all have our must-have items that help to get us through the year (or the day!). Today I’m sharing my top high school counseling essentials that will help you kickstart your upcoming school year. When I crafted this list, I sat down to think of what you and your students would get the most use out of. The result? Five specific items that will help your counseling program thrive. From books to bags, I’ve got you covered with these personal recommendations. Are you a ...
Jul 24, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Let's tackle a topic that's been surprisingly absent from the podcast so far: needs assessments! You're gearing up for a new school year and are ready to make a big difference in your students' lives. That's where needs assessments come in. They're like the compass that guides us in the right direction from the very beginning of the school year. Think of this as our chance to hear straight from the students themselves - what they need, what challenges they face, and how we can best support them....
Jul 17, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Summer is for relaxing and recharging before you head into another busy school year. I hope you're taking full advantage of this season because we all know that once school is back in session, it will feel like you're drinking from a firehose! While I don't want you to spend your summer worrying about what's to come, there are things you can sprinkle into your break that will set you up for success for the upcoming year. One of those things is to put together a planning day for your counseling t...
Jul 10, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 82
One of our greatest responsibilities and privileges as school counselors is student confidentiality. I know how difficult it can be when others in the school don't prioritize confidentiality, but we can't let that affect our commitment to our students and their privacy. We’re both advocates for our students and co-workers trying to build relationships with others in the school. It’s important to be on the same team as teachers and administrators and assure them that we'll maintain student confid...
Jul 03, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Let’s talk about something that may (or may not) ruffle some feathers - our title! Does it really matter if we’re called guidance counselors instead of school counselors? Well, I would argue that it matters a lot, and I’m not the only one. In 1990, ASCA officially announced that our professional title is a school counselor and not a guidance counselor. And yet, we’re still called guidance counselors all the time. In fact, there’s a good chance that you are listed as a guidance counselor at your ...
Jun 26, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Are you a high school counselor preparing to attend the ASCA National Conference for the first time? Or maybe you’re a seasoned pro in need of a refresher? Either way, I’ve got you covered with my five favorite ASCA conference tips. I’ve attended the ASCA conferences in New Orleans and Denver, and I’ll be at the Atlanta conference this summer! Through these experiences, I’ve taken note of what to pack, (don’t forget a sweater!) what kind of expenses you can expect, how to ask for funding, and ho...
Jun 19, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 79
As school counselors, we often find ourselves reacting to emergencies rather than proactively helping our students. But what if I told you that your work calendar could be the key to shifting from a responsive service to a proactive one? Inside this episode, I'm sharing how my counseling team and I used our digital calendar to collect data and advocate for changes in our department. With these changes, we were able to get a better handle on how we were spending our time. This allowed us to plan ...
Jun 12, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Are you familiar with MTSS? In case you aren't, MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports. Essentially, it is a framework that helps schools be effective and efficient with how they identify and support kids who need academic, social, emotional, or college and career development support. To help us better understand this framework, I invited Dr. Jake Olsen and Dr. Peg Donohue on the podcast. They are experts in the field of school counseling and have extensive experience working with schoo...
Jun 05, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 77
If you're a new counselor getting ready to begin your career, I'll bet you are excited and anxious to get started! I'll also bet that you're feeling some major nervous energy. That's totally normal as there is so much unknown ahead of you. Cue my brand new resource, The High School Counselor Kickstart Course! I created this course for new counselors as a way to save you time, reduce overwhelm, and get prepared to rock your school year. This audio course will equip you with the tools you need to ...
May 29, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 76
You've just landed that new high school counseling job, or you're hoping to soon - congrats! But now you're probably thinking, what's next? Well, if you're a new high school counselor, I've got some tips for you. In this episode, we'll go over three things you absolutely don't need to worry about over the summer. As the saying goes, 'worrying doesn't take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's peace". In other words, it's okay to spend your summer resting and relaxing by the pool with y...
May 22, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Are you a new high school counselor, or thinking about moving to high school counseling from elementary or middle school counseling? If so, today's episode is for you. My entire counseling career has taken place solely in a high school setting, and to be honest, I can't imagine it any other way! I want to share with you what to expect as a high school counselor so that you can step into this role with confidence and excitement. There is no doubt that there are some major differences between coun...
May 15, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Starting your career as a high school counselor is so exciting, but it can also be overwhelming to say the least. There are certain things that are helpful to be prepared for ahead of time that you probably didn't learn in college. Hearing from counselors who have been in your shoes can make all the difference. That's why I'm taking a trip down memory lane in today's episode to share what I wish I knew as a beginning high school counselor. If I could go back in time and speak to my younger self,...
May 08, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 73
I’m your high school counselor hype girl and I’m here for another pep talk! This one is for you if you’re a new (or new-ish) school counselor and want to avoid key mistakes. One of the great things about being new is that you have veteran counselors who you can learn from. If I could go back in time to my first few years of counseling, there are definitely things that I would do differently, and other counselors I’ve talked to feel the same way. Luckily, we’ve made mistakes so you don’t have to!...
May 01, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Your school’s administration can make all the difference in your job satisfaction as a high school counselor. The experience you have in your role might look very different depending on whether or not you feel supported by your current admin. If you’re currently in a place where you don’t feel supported, this episode will be an encouragement to you that it doesn’t have to be like that! I’m excited to welcome one of the principals I have worked with in the past, Mr. Eric Williams, on the podcast....
Apr 24, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Have you ever offered an idea during a team meeting only to have it shut down? Are you often nervous to try something new in your counseling program out of fear that it won't be well-received? I'm sure we've all felt this way at one point or another. As high school counselors, we can fall behind the scenes and even discount our own value. That's why I was so excited when I saw Oatly's new marketing campaign (yes, the oat milk) and knew I needed to share my thoughts about it with you. Oatly recen...
Apr 17, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 70
The end of another school year is quickly approaching and I know that the deadline for diplomas can be so stressful. However, there are some really fun parts to graduation season too. I always loved hyping up my seniors for their special moments, and one of the ways I did that was by hosting a Senior Decision Day. It’s a great way to celebrate your students’ next steps, whether that’s college, military, apprenticeships, or straight into the workforce. I know what you might be thinking. Hosting a...
Apr 10, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 69
As a high school counselor, you know that graduation is a major milestone for your seniors, and you're feeling the pressure to help them successfully cross that finish line. It's a time filled with energy and excitement, and you want to do everything you can to celebrate your seniors and help them launch into the next chapter. But with a massive caseload and limited resources, how can you make a big impact without burning yourself out? The answer lies in one small step: gathering pictures of you...
Apr 03, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Think back to your family dinner table conversations while you were growing up. Did the topic of finances come up, or was that kept private? For many of us, there was a lack of financial literacy talk and not many opportunities to practice real-life skills such as long-term saving and spending. Now as adults, we know how important financial education is. Financial literacy is a topic that I’m super enthusiastic about, and today’s guest, Alyssa Lyon, shares that passion. Alyssa is here to discuss...
Mar 27, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 67
There are so many things we do as school counselors to support and impact as many students as possible. One of the best ways that you can ensure you're maximizing your reach as a high school counselor is through classroom lessons. Maybe you're already rocking classroom lessons, or maybe you don't have that much experience in this area yet! Getting into the classrooms and doing lessons can be challenging for a variety of reasons. You might receive pushback from teachers or just feel like you have...
Mar 20, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 66
When I think back to when I was in high school, there are so many real-world skills that I wish we were taught. Being exposed to more conversations about career options and career readiness is one of those things. I’m sure so many of you feel the same way! Now as a school counselor, you have the opportunity to have these conversations with your students so they can explore all kinds of career options and feel confident in getting (and keeping!) a job. Career preparation is an amazing way to make...
Mar 13, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 65
If you’ve been a listener of this podcast for a while, then you know how much I encourage you to build and nurture relationships with staff members in your school building. Today we’re going to be looking at a relationship that I absolutely do not want you to miss out on, and that is one with your CTE (career and technical education) teachers. CTE teachers are truly an untapped resource in our schools, and there are so many ways that you can work together to better serve your students. That’s wh...
Mar 06, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Do you have frequent flyer students? You know the ones. They're the students that are always popping into your office or tracking you down in the hallway. I’m sure you can think of multiple high schoolers who fit this description! On one hand, you’re grateful that they find you to be a safe space at school. They trust you, and even seek you out, which is your goal after all, right? You are in this role to help students. I’m 100% with you. But, let’s be honest here. Your frequent flyer students t...
Feb 27, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Did you catch last week’s episode? We talked all about the benefits of running high school counseling small groups. This week we’re continuing on the small group trend and exploring ways to get student buy-in for these groups. Deciding to move forward with small groups, and getting approval from your admin, is the first step.But then comes another challenge. How do you actually get high school students to want to be a part of these small groups? And once you get them to buy-in, how do you actual...
Feb 20, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Between the endless paperwork, phone calls, emails, and more paperwork, there may be days when you feel like you don’t actually get to ‘do counseling’. But there’s one thing that always fills my bucket and reminds me why I love this job so much, and that’s small groups. If you haven’t quite bought into small groups yet, I have four big benefits of small groups to share with you today, and I’m confident that they will convince you to get on board. Let’s get back to the reason that we all started ...
Feb 13, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Leave work at your contracted time. Don’t bring your work computer home with you. Close your door as needed for breaks. Don’t give out your cell phone number to students. What do all of these things have in common? They’re examples of boundaries that you might be setting as a high school counselor to avoid burnout. However, as you probably know, setting boundaries with others is easier said than done. We’re natural helpers as school counselors (some of us to a fault) . This often shows up as us ...
Feb 06, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 60
National School Counseling week is just around the corner! What does that mean to you? I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re expecting it to be a week that celebrates you, complete with Starbucks, gifts, and catered lunches, you’ll likely be very disappointed. So what is it all about? Well, according to ASCA , this week is meant to highlight the role that school counselors play in helping students achieve school success and career planning. This episode will help you do just t...
Jan 30, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Join the Clique Collaborative membership! Podcast: Episode 35, Perspectives of a Charter High School Counselor Podcast: Episode 34, Private High School Counselor Finds Wellness Passion Podcast: Episode 33, Math Teacher Turned First-Year Public School Counselor Podcast: Episode 7, Resetting Your School Counseling Team in the New Year Podcast: Episode 6, Guest Interview with Emily, a Member of the Clique Collaborative Sign up for the free, live workshop: 3 Practical Ideas to Bring your High School...
Jan 24, 2023•18 min
While some of you are solo school counselors, I know most of you work with teammates. With everyone having their own unique personalities and values, working in a team can come with some challenges. The beginning of a semester is the perfect time to push the reset button on team dynamics and improve things that may not be working. One element that can have a big impact on the success of your team is your department meetings! Today we're zoning in on the way that you plan your department meetings...
Jan 23, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 58
If you had to think of three things that you didn't receive much training on in grad school, but has become a huge part of your job, I'll bet that parent relationships would be on the list. Working with parents of high school students is not always a walk in the park and it can really take a toll on you. While many parents are super supportive, and view you as a partner, others can be quite the opposite. You may have experienced angry phone calls, unrealistic demands, or even threats, (speaking ...
Jan 16, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Let me set a scene for you. You're at work. It's 2:00 and you haven't sat down all day, haven't had a chance to unpack your bag from that morning, and yet you still haven't checked anything off of your to-do list. Sound familiar? I'm sure it does! As school counselors we are hit with emergencies, pop-up meetings, and so many other things that take us away from our original plans. While all of these things come with the job, there are habits and tools that you can put in place to reduce your over...
Jan 09, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 56
