There has been a lot of focus on teachers lately, and rightly so. They are doing a great job, quickly pivoting with the changes recently made to the way our kids learn. What normally would take a year to implement, they are doing in less than a month.
I also want to talk about guidance counselors. Like teachers, they have a lot on their plate and have also had to pivot. Here are just a few of their responsibilities:
- testing
- administering transcripts
- counseling
- coordinating with state agencies
- managing dual enrollment
- maintaining records
Where I live, the average number is one guidance counselor per 250 high school students in public schools. Yowzah! Can you imagine trying to provide individual attention to 250 students? It’s just not physically possible.
I get a little irritated when people say the guidance counselor isn’t much help. The truth is that it’s NOT their responsibility to help find your teen their dream school and get into it. They are there to provide guidance based on their knowledge and resources.
My biggest tip for you and your teen is to schedule a meeting with your student’s assigned guidance counselor. Ask specific questions, such as:
- What’s the best way to plan my high school courses for the college I want to attend?
- When is the PSAT scheduled? What study services does our school offer?
- When do I need to consider dual enrollment?
- Would dual enrollment be the right fit for me?
- When and where are college fairs offered?
Also check out your school’s counseling website. I find that most parents don’t even realize their school has a counselor website with all kinds of resources available. Of course, when they ask their teen about it you get the, “yeah, I think they mentioned one time to check it out.”
Would you like more individualized attention to answer your questions on how to help your teen thrive after high school? Schedule a complimentary strategy session with me. We will take a deeper dive into where you are in the process, where you want to be, and identify the gaps.