My 2020 Goals as a School Counselor
I am always talking to my students about setting academic, career, and social-emotional goals so it would only be fair for me to set some for myself and my career. I love my counseling program, but there is always room for improvement!
My 2020 Goals as a School Counselor:
1. Collect more data!
I know that I should be making decisions and basing programs on data-driven needs and results instead of implementing what I want to because it's fun or easy. But let's be real, it is hard. I really stepped up my data game toward the end of this semester, but I want to do it more frequently and efficiently in 2020. For tips on how to get started collecting data, check out this blog post.
2. Stay up to date on current counseling trends.
Since I am the only counselor at a small private school in Costa Rica I don't get as many professional development opportunities as I did when I was part of a team of counselors at a public school in California. I want to ensure that I am staying up to date with current trends and research in education, psychology, and counseling. I want to make a plan for how and when I am going to access this information so I can stay on top of it! I also want to be more of a resource to teachers when it comes to behavior intervention since we don't have a behavior specialist at my site. Do you need help with some basic behavior resources? Check out this blog post.
3. Be content with my impact.
It can be disheartening to start working with a student only to have them move soon after, to have a parent not sign a permission slip for a student who really needs support, or to spend hours making progress with a kid who then regresses to old patterns of behavior. I want to work on being content knowing that I am doing the best I can. I am planting seeds that may take years to bloom and that I often may not see the result of. I can only do so much and I need to prioritize my own mental health and self-care by not taking work home with me. Remember you can't pour from an empty cup!
What are your goals as a school counselor this year? Leave a comment. I’d love to know!
