Developing A Strong Relationship With Your School Counselor
Written By:
Kristin Clark
Co-Owner, The Wise College Counsel, LLC.
As a high school student, getting to know, and working closely with your school counselor is an integral part of a successful high school career. School counselors provide a wealth of resources and encouragement for students throughout the four years spent prior to graduation. Counselors provide assistance with career exploration, academic concerns, as well as personal/social counseling. Having a school counselor who knows and understands you can help alleviate some of the stress you may experience in school. Here are some tips on cultivating a positive relationship with your school counselor:
Introduce yourself - traditionally, in a face-to-face environment, it would be a great idea to stop by your counselor’s office to introduce yourself. Due to COVID-19, we are not all afforded that opportunity. In a virtual setting, you can always send your counselor an email, sharing your name, grade level, and thoughts about your future goals. This will give your counselor some insight into who you are, and what you are hoping to achieve. This will give them direction in how to serve you best.
Set up quarterly or bi-anual check ins - ask your counselor if you can set up meetings with them a couple of times throughout the school year. Twice a year, or once each quarter should suffice. In those meetings, you can share more information about your future goals and ask your counselor about resources and guidance on steps to take to achieve those goals.
Open Up, Share, and Communicate - When you have made an accomplishment, or have reached a goal, keep your counselor in the loop. Let your counselor know what is going on in your life, so that they can celebrate with you. Reach out to your counselor to keep them up to date with your progress. Personally, as a counselor myself, I can tell you that I LOVE to hear from my students, and find out about all of the wonderful things that they are accomplishing.
Keep these steps in mind, and you will very likely be able to develop a solid and fruitful relationship with your school counselor.