What Exactly Does A School Counselor Do?

School counselors are fundamental to student success. That is also the reason why they work in almost every school. Yet people usually have no idea what a school counselor actually does.

When you were in school, you may have never seen your school counselor. You probably also knew very little or nothing about the work they were doing. Unfortunately, this is still the case in many schools. The supervisor is often undervalued and is sometimes almost invisible. This is why we have decided to shed some light on this important profession.

The responsibilities of a school counselor

School counselors give advice to students. They help them focus on their professional future. This is especially important for students who are unsure of what they want to study, what electives to take, or what to do after high school. However, this is only a small part of the job description.

Helping students keep going to school

Student drop-out is a concern for families and teachers. According to an article by the University of Granada in Spain, the dropout rate in some schools is as high as 40%. This is an alarming figure.

A school counselor therefore plays a crucial role in these schools. They work one on one with the students. The aim is to design strategies that will help them to continue attending school.

Dropout is often also related to family problems. The facilitator will therefore meet the student’s family and explain to them what is happening. After all, to help the students get back on track, the support of the family is essential.

Identifying learners’ needs and making appropriate changes

Another responsibility of a school counselor is to make all the changes necessary for the student’s success. So if a student has difficulty following in class or has ADHD, anxiety, or vision problems, it is the facilitator’s job to figure out how to overcome those barriers.

There are several ways to ensure that all students have the same opportunity to succeed:

• Remove the physical obstacles. Make sure the school is wheelchair friendly and accessible to all students.

• Removing the barriers in communication. An example is to provide material in Braille for a blind student.
• Special Needs Classes. School counselors will also ensure that students are in classes adapted to their needs. This is just as important for gifted students as it is for students with ADHD, for example.

A school counselor provides psychological evaluation

This is yet another important role of the school counselor. He or she provides psychological evaluation. It is also their responsibility to provide the tools and guidance that every student needs to be successful.

This part of their job is not a one-time thing. School counselors carry out a continuous evaluation of the students. That way they monitor their progress and make changes where necessary. An evaluation of the family is also important. It is then more likely that the student will receive the professional help if it is what they need.

School counselors are important

By now you will already understand how crucial school counselors are in a parenting situation. We now give an overview of some specific roles of a school counselor:

• Evaluation of the pupil and of the family to improve the quality of the education programme.

• Evaluate individual educational needs and develop strategies to meet those needs.
• Consult with families and teachers to provide the tools needed to improve student performance.
• Observe the student’s progress and make relevant changes and improvements.

Perhaps you were used to believing that school counselors were just handing out flyers and conducting personality tests. We hope this article has informed you better.

As you can see, a school counselor plays a very important role. Ultimately, their goal is to ensure that schools provide the best possible education for every student.