What Does a School Counselor Do? Brandi C. Shanklin SVHS School Counselor Adapted from “Who Are School Counselors?” ACA, ASCA, and NEA

Who are school counselors? Certified or licensed professionals Possess master’s degree or higher in school counseling Required to complete advanced-degree coursework in the following: Human growth and development Counseling theory Group counseling Social and cultural foundations Testing and assessments Research and program evaluation Professional orientation Career Development

The Professional School Counselor The School Counselor helps EVERY student improve in academic achievement, personal and social development, and career planning.

The School Counselor addresses the academic and developmental needs of ALL students by doing the following: Helping students create an academic plan to prepare for successful careers after graduation. Helping students develop organizational, time-management, and study skills. Helping students respond to issues that may impede or hinder learning (i.e. divorce, death, typical developmental issues).

What does a School Counselor do? DOES NOT Encourage a safe school climate of trust and respect for ALL students. Deliver classroom lessons aligned with ASCA standards. Facilitate small groups. Provide individual brief, solution-focused counseling. Collaborate with parents, guardians, teachers, support staff, and administration. Help students who are struggling to make positive behavior choices. Maintain confidentiality of students and their families unless there is a need to know or a safety concern. Provide education and information about students’ social-emotional needs. Work with ONLY special ed., or regular ed., or “problem” students. Assign grades or teach academic subjects. Facilitate therapy groups. Meet individually with students to do long- term mental health counseling/therapy. Handle discipline or assign consequences. Collaborate with only one person. Share information about students and their families to appease the curiosity of others. Tell teachers how to teach in their classroom or tell parents how to parent at home.

Who is your school counselor? Mrs. Shanklin is a second-year high school counselor with a Master’s of Education degree in Professional School Counseling from The University of West Alabama in Livingston. Mrs. Shanklin is entering her twelfth year in education. Prior to completing her degree program in Professional School Counseling, Mrs. Shanklin obtained a Master’s of Arts degree in Teaching English Language Arts. She taught English Language Arts for ten years (six of those as Sipsey Valley’s English 12 teacher) prior to becoming the high school counselor at Sipsey Valley. Mrs. Shanklin is married with three children. In her spare time she enjoys reading and exercising.

Contacting Your School Counselor Please feel free to contact your school counselor M-F between 7:30 AM and 3:15 PM: Phone: 205-342-2850 ext. 3 Email: bshanklin@tcss.net The school counselor is available for conferences by appointment; however, all crisis situations shall be handled accordingly.