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Do school counselors' role vary depending on the grade of school they are working in?

I want to know if a school counselor's role differ in an elementary school, middle school, high school, and college due to students' age and their behaviors. I can see a school counselor in a middle school would likely to deal with behavioral issues where as high school can be different. #education #school #guidance-counselor #school-counseling #school-counselor

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Matthew’s Answer

Krishia,
Without question, the roles and responsibilities of a school counselor changes greatly - to a certain degree - based on students' ages and various levels of academic, social, emotional, personal and professional growth. For example, a high school counselor will spend the bulk of his/her day focused on the academic challenges that students face (being successful in their classes, which classes they take, ways to prepare for college, etc.). However, elementary counselors will focus primarily on students' behavioral growth because so much is happening in a student's life during the formative elementary-age years in school. Middle school counselors will address several issues, including the students' academic obstacles, behavior concerns, and potential for growth in high school, as well as after they graduate. Elementary counselors will spend the bulk of their time in classrooms doing lessons and will meet with students individually as needed and as time allows. Middle school and high school counselors are more likely to meet with students individually to determine how to best counsel them in various ways.


Hope that helps!
Thank you comment icon I concur. However, I would also like to add that in the elementary setting, schoolong counselors are often given a lot of other duties and responsibilities that is unrelated to school counseling. Pamela Manigault
Thank you comment icon Good description of the duties of a school counselor. As for college, however, counselors deal with a lot more personal issues, such emotional problems as well as concerns about their grades or problems with studying. There are also more extreme cases where a student might be contemplating suicide or even attempt it. Students might begin to question if they have chosen the right major or if they are on the right educational path. Maybe college is not for them, but the counselor should let the student decide that issue. So some counselors might also administer vocational, personality, and aptitude tests to see where a students fits in career-wise, and provide guidance in that regard. Gil Dominguez
Thank you comment icon I am very interested in my career because of your information Hajira
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Pamela’s Answer

I agree with the previous comment. However, I would also like to add that in the elementary setting, schoolong counselors are often given a lot of other duties and responsibilities that is unrelated to school counseling.
Thank you comment icon I am very interested in my career because of your information Hajira
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Megan’s Answer

Hi Krishia-


I am a certified K-12 school counselor and currently work with students in grades 6-12. I agree with many things in the original answer, however a lot will also depend on where you work! In your training, you should receive education on developmental levels. Many students face similar issues no matter what age they are, but how they respond and how you help them can vary based on their developmental level.


A great resource for what the role of school counselors are at each grade level is the American School Counselor Association. They have a break down as well of how much time a counselor should be spending on various tasks (curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services, and indirect student services) by grade level. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/asca-national-model

Megan recommends the following next steps:

View the ASCA National Model https://www.schoolcounselor.org/school-counselors-members/asca-national-model
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Crystal’s Answer

Most elementary counselors focus on individual, small and large group counseling. This usually covers topics such as social skills, coping skills and academic success. Middle school is mostly individual counseling and schedule changes. High school counseling is also mostly individual and includes scheduling and help with scholarships and college applications.
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Crystal’s Answer

Pamela, you are absolutely right! I forgot to add that elementary can be filled with so many other duties besides actual counseling. I spent a lot of time doing lunch duty and being pushed into disciplinary roles. I will say, it all really depends on your administration. It’s also important to keep your schedule full with important counseling duties so that you’re not available for those other duties. Doesn’t always work but at least you tried to prioritize.
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