Track Your Time with Google Forms: The Counselor Activity Log

     

Part of getting ready for back to school means updating my Google forms. If you don't know Google forms, they are an amazing tool!  I have used Google forms for years for a variety of purposes like minute meetings, documenting group attendance and session content, surveys, needs assessments, and pre/post tests. However, my favorite is for tracking my time each day.  I liked the Counselor Activity form I used for several years, but felt now that I was at a new school, it was in need of a little makeover. 

NEW this year, sections!
Even though my original form contained everything I  thought I wanted to document, it was long and cumbersome and a little confusing even to me at times. So this summer I learned how to add sections to my forms.  By using the Google form feature "sections" and including branch or skip logic, I was able to create a neater, more concise form. Skip logic changes what question a respondent sees next based on how they have answered the previous question.  Basically, it allows you to create a customized path through your form based on how a question is answered.

When you first open the Counselor Activity Log form, you will see a place for the date and four categories: Direct Services, Indirect Services, Non-Counseling Related Duties and a new, much needed category After Hours Services.  Because honestly, what school counselor is NOT volunteering mega hours after school and from home?  This should be part of your data collection as well.  There is too much to do in the course of a school day and it is important for stakeholders to see how much the school counselor is doing long after the school day is over.

Depending on what you want to record, choose your category and follow the questions until you get to the submit button. The items in each category can easily be deleted/revised or new tasks added to fit your school situation.

Each of the 4 major categories contains a drop-down menu of tasks or services specific to that section. If you choose Direct Services, you will get a screen with a drop-down menu that allows you to choose from 8 different direct services. From there, depending on the service you choose, the form allows you to log specific details for that service such as grade, gender, referred by, and referral type. For example if you choose individual or crisis counseling, the form takes you to a screen where you can choose the reason for the counseling and document essential information about the student seen.

If Indirect Services is chosen an alphabetized drop down menu of more than 30 indirect services provided by school counselors appears. If a phone call is chosen, the form takes you to a screen to document your phone call, including the name and number of the caller.  When Non-Counseling Related Duties is chosen, you will see a drop-down menu of more than 50 activities or duties considered non-counseling related. It also has a place for you to  notate what services were lost as a result of the non-counseling duty. Great for making your case about loss of time with students.  For After Hours Services,  a drop down menu of 8 items including work beyond the contract day and work from home is shown. This allows you to log the number of hours outside the school day you spend preparing for  your job.

The beauty of Google forms is your ability to customize them to fit your needs.  I have included as many different direct, indirect, non-counseling duties, and after hours services as I could think of in the drop down menus. However, I am sure there are other duties and services of which I am not aware or are unique to other schools.  No worries, you can add or delete duties relevant to your school, add teacher names or grade levels, whatever makes this form work for your data collection needs.

You will notice I made the questions on this form required (except for notes and follow-up) so I never forget or skip over any questions which are important for data collection. Although Google forms time stamps when you record your entry, it will not reflect the day and amount of time you actually provided the services unless you are recording responses in real time.  I seldom have time to do that and often do my logging at the end of the day.  Collecting data to reflect the day services are provided is important when giving others a preview of the fullness of your day or of specific times of day or days of the week.  If all your entries are only time stamped when you recorded the activity, you may be missing valuable data to show your busiest days or times.

Why Track Your Time?
There are always questions about what school counselors do with their time. Because much of what we do is confidential, it is safe to say, the majority of people in our schools and communities have no idea what a school counselor does all day.  This Counselor Activity Log provides a record of your responses to school needs, gives administrators an overview how your time is spent without violating confidentiality, and allows you to track your time for personal reflection. All this plus providing colorful graphs provide a clear visual representation to share with administration, faculty, parents, and the community. Data can be shared monthly, quarterly, by semester, or as an overview of the year.  You decide what best meets your needs.

Documenting your activities is a powerful advocacy tool for telling the story of how your position as a school counselor is being utilized. By using the data and graphs from this form, you will be able to tell your story of success or of the changes needing to be made in order for you to provide services to ALL students.

Available on TPT
If you are interested in downloading my new and improved, editable Google form  "Counselor Activity Log" with sections, designed specifically for elementary school counselors, middle school counselors and high school counselors, click on the photo of your level.

School Counselor Activity Log Elementary

School Counselor Activity Log Middle School

High School Counselor Activity Log

QR Codes and Google Forms

Several years ago I learned about QR codes when I attended a technology workshop.  Their uses are limited only by your imagination, but for this post I will focus on how I have used them with Google forms. For more information on QR codes, QR readers, QR creators and ideas on how to use them in education, check out this link  Kathy Schrock on QR Codes in the classroom, from the website Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything.

QR or "quick response" codes allow the creator to connect designated material to a unique code that when scanned, takes the user to a website, presentation, hand-outs, business card, audio recording, or in this case, a Google form. This eliminates the need for a long URL and allows individuals to simply scan your code to arrive at your desired online destination. This is especially helpful in the classroom if you have 1:1 technology.  It gets everyone on the "same page" at essentially the same time.

From Google Form to QR code using the website QRstuff.com
Once you have created your Google form, you will copy your link by clicking "SEND" at the top right of your form. In the drop down box, click on the middle icon for link.  This will give you the link to paste into a QR code generator website like QRstuff.com  .  I like QRstuff.com because it is free and your codes never expire.  If you are still learning about how to create Google Forms, check my previous post on Back to Basics with Google Forms.

Once in QRstuff.com follow these easy steps.

Step 1: Choose the type of QR code you need (choose website because it is coming from your Google Drive) 
Step 2:  Paste your Google form link into the long white rectangular box that says "content" above it.
You are then asked if you want static or dynamic.  Leave it on static.  
Step 3:  Choose your color. Usually I leave mine in black.  I have used color when I was using multiple codes and I wanted my items color coded to share at a workshop. The presentation, survey links, and handouts were all different colors.
Step 4: Download, print, or email your QR code.  I download mine and rename it for what it represents in my download file.  It is saved as a PNG, or picture file, then whenever I need it I can add it as an image.  Always be sure you test the code and have a friend test the code to be certain it is working properly before using. I learned this one the hard way!

Check out this short video on how to create a QR codefrom QRstuff.com  Easy peasey.



Using your QR code.
As I mentioned above I have used QR codes to connect workshop participants to my PowerPoint presentation, workshop handouts, and a survey.  I have also included a QR code in my Welcome Back to School letter and School Counselor brochure, creating a digital business card parents could scan and save with my contact information.

But this year, I am at a middle school and wanted to do something different. The idea is for students to have access to online forms to self-refer for counseling or to make an anonymous report about bullying.  I have created an online counselor referral form and an anonymous bullying report form for students to access by scanning QR codes with their phones. These along with the QR codes for emailing my school counseling partner and myself appear on a small poster that reads "Help is only a scan away." These mini posters will be placed in the bathroom stalls, the common areas of the school, and over the light switch in the classrooms.  Due to ethical and liability concerns, and as a way of setting healthy professional boundaries, a disclaimer has been added to our poster.  It reads: "Online requests and reports will be checked and responded to by the School Counselors during regularly scheduled school days and hours.  If you are experiencing an emergency call 911."

Roll out of this procedure has been delayed by Hurricane Irma and more than a week out of school.  However, I am excited to see the sort of response we will get from the students once we are back in school.


Do you use QR codes in your school counseling program?  What are some interesting and creative ways you have used them? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

Back to Basics with Google Forms

I began using Google forms about 4 years ago and have loved having them as part of my school counseling program.  I have used them for everything from student and teacher needs assessments, feedback surveys of Red Ribbon Week and Vehicle Day, teacher feedback on students and their group progress, time/task accountability, minute meetings, on-line counseling referrals, phone logs, and more. See these additional posts on Creating a Counselor Activity Log , Google Forms, Collect and Analyze Data and More Google Goodness  for samples of Google forms I have shared in this blog.

Google forms have changed a few times since I started using them 4 years ago. As you look through my blog you will see different styles of forms and some different instructions from when I first began using them in 2014.  So whether you are new to Google forms or in need of an update,  it seems a good time to review how to create and implement the use of google forms.

Step 1:  You must have a google account. It doesn't have to be a gmail account I recently learned. However, I personally like having a separate email account for all my google creations especially as it relates to school.  Setting up this google account gives you access to all of the Google tools like slides, forms, docs, and sheets and allows you to collaborate with others on these Google products.

If you do not have a gmail, go to this link to set up a  Google account.  https://accounts.google.com/signupwithoutgmail


Step 2: Finding your tools.  Go to your Google Drive. On the upper left side of the page click on the blue box that says NEW.  You will get a drop down menu with the list of Google products. At the bottom of the list it says MORE click there and you will see Google Forms.  Click on Google Forms to choose "Blank form" or "From a template."

Step 3:  Creating your form.  Plan ahead about how you want to use your form and what types of questions you want to ask.  When creating questions please remember that Google does a time stamp with the day and time the questions are answered, so that may or may not be a feature you need.  For example, I want the time and date feature on my Daily Counselor Log, because sometimes I may wait until the end of the day to put in all the classes, students, and adults I spoke with throughout the day. I want to be able to say when I saw that person and for how long.  However, this feature would not be important for a teacher survey or student on-line counseling referral as it will be time-stamped as they reply.

 Also consider how you want to be able to sort your data afterwards.  If you want to be able to sort by last name or first name, that would be two separate questions rather than just asking the question, "What is is your name?"  You would need a question for first name and one for last name if you want to sort by name.  Also be careful about using ambiguous questions/statements or two questions posed as one.  For example:  I feel safe. Not very specific.  Maybe they feel safe in some places and not in others. That makes me re-think how I should state this question. Also, the statement, "I feel safe at home and school" does not allow a student to specify if there is a difference. Instead ask two separate questions or make two separate statements, " I safe feel at home"  and "I feel safe at school."

Google gives you the choice of responses. Your respondents can rate statements on a linear scale, complete long or short answers, use multiple choice, check boxes, drop down menus and more.
When previewing your form, if you decide you don't like the order of your questions, no problem.  It is easy to grab the stack of 3 dots (referred to as "More") at the top of the page and move the questions around.  This task is much easier to do on a laptop.


Step 4:  Give your form a name and write a brief description of your form.

Step 5: Choose a background. Go to the top right of the page and look for the icon of the color palette. Click on that to see the drop down of color choices or go to the bottom right to the icon of a photograph to see the choices of headers Google has for your forms.  If you are really "techie" or just adventurous, you can go the the bottom of the "Select Theme" list where you will find Upload photos.  There you can make most any photo with the right dimensions (at least 800 pixels wide and  200 pixels tall) part of your background header.

                 

Step 6:  Sharing your form with others to complete.  When you you are ready for your respondents to complete your form, go to the top right of your screen and click on the word SEND in the white box.  This will open the SEND pop up box.  You will see 3 icons for sending your form: by email, a link, or embedding it in a website. I like to use the middle icon, the link, to send the form to an email group or to create a QR code for my targeted audience to scan and complete my form.

Step 7:  Reviewing your data.  When you create a Google form, Google automatically collects your responses.  At the top of your form you will see "QUESTIONS"  and "RESPONSES."  Next to "RESPONSES" you will see a number. That is the number of responses or entries to your form. To the right of that you will see a small green box with white lines.  Click on that and it will say create a new spreadsheet or select an existing spread sheet.  Click on create a new spread sheet and the blue CREATE.  You will now have a response sheet by the same name as your form in your Google Drive. This is where all the data goes as each person completes your form and where you can go to view all your data and sort if you would like.

More to come!
In the next couple of weeks I will be talking about sharing Google forms in a QR code.

I love Google forms and the versatility of using them in my school counseling program. I would love to hear from other Google form users about how you use forms in your program.  Please leave your comments and questions below as well as any tips or tricks you would like to share.

More Google Goodness!!!

WOW!!! Thank you to everyone for you overwhelmingly positive response to my Counselor Activity Log.  I've had a number of requests for other forms folks saw in the Google Forms PowerPoint I shared.  I never really thought anyone would be interested in those, but since you've asked, I'm glad to share them as well.

Step by Step on how to copy a form!
When you see a form you would like to use you must first do the following before making any changes or adding data.
1) Click on the form link below.
2) Click on "Make a copy"
3) It is now in your Google Drive.  Go ahead check  your Google Drive just to be sure.  Is it there? Good!
4) Now,  open it and edit away!!! Go wild! Make it your very own!  Change the header! Customize it to your school and your needs!

Adding a link to your Desktop
I have found from personal experience I will use my forms more often if they are handy and I am not searching through my Google drive for them.
1) Copy the URL of your color live form with the little icon of the pencil in a colored box at the top of the page
2) Go to your Desktop and right click your mouse on the Desktop
3) Choose new, then shortcut
4)  You will get a box asking what you would like to create a short cut for, paste the URL of the color copy of your form there
5) You will be asked to create a name for your shortcut ( ex: Activity Log, Minute Meeting, etc.)
6) Then click finish and there it is on your Desktop.  Just add Data!!!

Sharing my forms
Below you will find 8 of the forms I have created for use in my school counseling program.  Please remember to COPY to your Drive before EDITING!  Enjoy!

Counselor Phone log
Teacher Survey of Counseling Program
Group Counseling Record Log
On-line Counseling Referral Form for teachers
Minute Meetings with the Counselor, general
Minute Meetings, behavior
Minute Meetings, attendance
Minute Meetings, grades

Send your on-line counseling form link  to your teachers and include instructions for adding it to their desk top so they can easily make referrals to you.  Be sure to go under "Tools" on the Responses page and set "Notification Rules" so you are notified when a referral is submitted to your gmail.

I hope these forms are helpful to you for collecting data and documenting how you spend your time as a  School Counselor.  Are there other forms you would like to see?  Do you have forms you have created?  Please share your ideas!

Creating a Counselor Activity Log with Google Forms

Another new school year and I am renewing my vow to myself to use technology and give my best effort to going paperless. Again.  I truly LOVE Google Forms and have found lots of ways to use them.  All were successful but one, recording my daily activities.  And it wasn't the form, it was me. Last year, try as I might to make them work, I just wasn't able to keep up with it. When I sat down and analyzed what had happened I identified 3 problems.  One, my form was not on my desk top so it was not readily accessible and  I would spend too much time searching for it in my Google Drive. Second, I think I tried to collect too much information.   Rather just trying to click that I had performed a specific task for a specific amount of time I was trying to keep notes too. A bad idea for time and confidentiality sake.  Third once I got behind, psychologically, it just seemed like to much to do to catch up.

Google forms, round 2!
But now I am ready to try again.  I have redesigned my form a bit, adding a drop down menu of teachers, grade level, reasons students may want to see me, and who referred them.  Anything to make it click and go.  I still have my notes section in case there is something I did not think of or that needs to be part of my record. Another great thing about Google forms is you can continue to edit them even after you have started collecting data. Click the black "edit this form" button at the top of the page of the "color" form and you will get the gray "editable version."  Make your additions, deletions or corrections, close it up and continue collecting  data.  Need to edit a response?  Click on the "edit form" button on the color form, go to the gray form and click on the "View Responses" tab.  When it opens, scroll down to the entry you want to edit and make your needed changes.  I will still keep a file on each student I see with more specific notes and memory aides. This form will allow me to track my daily time  and whether it is spent on direct/indirect services and non-counselor related duties.

How's my progress?
Four weeks in and I am up-to-date on my daily entries!  Looking at my data, already I see I am spending more time with classes than individuals,  However, that is okay, as classroom lessons are a Tier 1 intervention where I lay the foundation of my program and skills training with ALL students. It is where I feel I get the biggest and best value for my time.  With all my classes plus the individuals I am seeing, it comes out to more than 80% of my daily time is being spent in direct services to students and what could be better than that!

Truly, creating a shortcut on my desk top to my form has made a huge difference.  It only takes a minute, literally, to click down the list of items on my form to record each activity.  If you are interested in using Google forms, here is a link to my form to help get you started. You are welcome to make a copy and make edits that fit for you and your counseling program. I love Google forms and find them easy to create and edit.  It is also easy to share data about your program and how your time is being spent (or encumbered!).  Google forms also creates beautiful graphs.  All you have to do is click on summary of responses to see its colorful creations.This is essential as we advocate for the best use of the School Counselor's time and also provides us with a valuable accountability piece.

Google forms step by step.
If you are new to Google forms, I am linking a PowerPoint presentation about some of their many uses and how to create your own forms.  You will find slides 30, 31 and 32 especially helpful for taking a copy of my form and making it your own.  Remember you must make a copy of my form before it will show up on your Google Drive.  Otherwise, your data will be stored on my form, in my drive and you will not be able  to access it.  Also, anyone else who decides to edit my form will also be editing your form. And, I wouldn't want your hard work to go to waste!

Please feel free to contact me with questions or more ideas for forms. Good Luck with your forms!  I think you're going to love them!

15 Tips and Resources to Start a New School (Year)

For some of us "back to school" has happened much sooner than for others. And some of you "lucky ducks" still have a few weeks of summer vacation to go.  But, if you are a brand new School Counselor, or even an experienced School Counselor starting at a new school or new level, this can be not only an exciting, but anxious time.  The tips listed here are important things to consider to transition smoothly into a new school.  In addition to my original 12 tips and resources for School Counselors, I would like to add 3 more.  Read on for 15 tips to get your school year off to a great start!

#1 Talk expectations with your administrator.
Okay, hopefully in your interview you were able to ask what sort of expectations your administration has in regard to your role as the school counselor.  This is a biggie, so if this is a conversation you have not had, or even if you did, take some time before the rest of the faculty heads back to school and make an appointment to go in and talk it over. Learn about your administrator's vision for the school and their understanding of the role of the school counselor.  Share and discuss the the ASCA National Model Executive Summary and talk about how based on the ASCA National Model you can be part of that vision.

#2 Set up your office (the physical space).
There is nothing more exciting than getting to decorate your space.  Whether a closet size office, a classroom, or something in between (I have had all of the above) you will need to create a warm and welcoming space for not only your student visitors, but teachers and parents as well.   My latest office is in a portable classroom.  I have lots of space for classroom lessons, group and individual counseling. Plus, all my materials are in one place.  I really love this space. I hope it feels welcoming.

Your office should reflect your personality.  Be careful though not to be so "girly or rugged" that guys or girls can't stand to be there, or so busy it makes it difficult for your fidgety ones to calm down.  Yard sales and consignment stores are great places for finding rugs, lamps, board games, and small toys to give it that homey touch. Plants, curtains, colorful posters, books, playdough, a sand tray, board games, and art supplies are a few of the things that will complete the space.  You can also check out my Pinterest page for some office decorating and organizing ideas.

#3 Set up your office (your organizational system).
Organizing  the volume of data and information we have to handle is a huge responsibility and your ability to access it on a moments notice is the difference is looking like a seasoned pro versus, well, not making a good impression.  How you organize is a very individual thing and more personal, I think, than  how you decorate your space. Lots of folks can tell you how to organize, but the bottom line is you have to find what works for you. So until you do, I will share a very basic organizing system that has worked for me.  This year I am in transition and trying to go as paperless as possible and that means setting up Google forms for many of the ways I organize and use information.  I will share my paper method here.  Information on creating your own Google forms can be viewed HERE.

These are just a few ideas to get you started.  Perhaps you will find these methods helpful or will find some elements useful for creating your own system.

The "paper" system.
You will need: one 2 inch and two  1 1/2 inch  3 ring binders, 3 packs of eight tab dividers or 5 packs of  five tab dividers, a package of page protectors, 3 hole punch, a steno book, one plastic "milk" crate, letter size hanging folders, letter size files, and a calendar/planner.

 First, I create the 2 inch three ring binder I like to refer to as "Essential Information," but call it what you want.  There is a tab for "schedules" (your counselor schedule, class schedules, lunch, special area, ESE, Speech, Media, Recess, bus info or whatever your school has a schedule for) collect them all and place each in a page protector.  "Class lists"  are tabbed by each grade level and ESE.  The "student master"  tab refers to a great list I get from my data clerk that lists students on my caseload by last name with their parent's name and phone #.  A tab for "entries and withdrawals"  allows me to know who is coming and going (my registrar is great about keeping me in the loop) so I can scoop up the new students for a New Faces group. Last, there's a tab for "cum review" sheets,  but I'll talk about those later when we get to #4 Data.

Next I create the "Data Notebook."  This is one of the 1 1/2 inch binder with tabs for discipline referral data, attendance data, report card data (my school can run a D's and F's list),  a tab for "state test scores,"   and one each for student, teacher, and parent survey data. You will start with the data from the just completed school year, but after analyzing that and your  recent survey data from the start of this school year, that information will direct your focus for addressing the needs of your school for the  current school year.

Third, create the Classroom Lessons Notebook.  Using the other 1 1/2 inch binder, you can organize this by grade level or day of the week, it is entirely up to you.  I like day of the week and have tabs labeled Monday to Friday.  Behind each tab are the classes I see that particular day.  I have a class list with holes punched on the right side of the page and a class lesson agenda with holes punched on the left so when I open the notebook I can see the student's names on the left and my lesson on the right.  I am a visual learner so seeing the names of my students helps me to learn them all.  It also gives me a place to add the names of new students who join the class or notes if someone has a special need or needs to sit separately from a classmate.
Download my Black binder covers and page dividers  or my blue binder covers and page dividers for FREE at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Both are editable.

Next, the steno book.  This is my phone log and I keep it by my phone always!  Each morning I date the page for the day and every time I answer or make a call I write down the time, whether it was an incoming or outgoing call ( I use arrows -> or <-), the name of the caller, and any information or action I need to take in regard to the call.  If the school secretary leaves a note in my mailbox, I staple it to the back of the page and record the return call on the front.  This log is valuable beyond belief when it comes to documenting day, time, and content of calls.  It has been particularly useful for families who did not "remember" my call to them, documenting my calls to Child Services, and recording the numbers of individual investigators or agencies who call me regarding students. I tried using a Google form but found the paper version easier for me.  I will try again this year.

There are many VERY cute and personalized planners/calendars out there.  If you want to spend the money and if that works for you, go for it!  It's all about being organized.  But for me, as pretty and as tempting as some of those planner/calendars are, I stick with the basic "At a Glance" 5 x 7 leather binder with a $4.50 "Plan Ahead" calendar from Big Lots. I've had the leather binder for 5 or more years and can't remember what I paid, but it has been well worth it.  Since I do my lesson planning in the 3 ring binders for classes and organize groups in crates, this is really more of a calendar for keeping track of meetings, conferences, workshops, school holidays, teacher workdays, PD days, etc. While I see a lot of people wanting a "one stop" sort of planner, I've been thinking about that and decided I don't want confidential information like case or group notes or parent contacts in the planner where I am scheduling lessons, meetings and conferences. I have misplaced my planner at school once or twice. It would be too easy for that sort of information to be compromised. Just my opinion and something to think about as you make your personal choice.

I use the milk crate and hanging file folders to organize my groups.  Hanging files are labeled and arranged by day of the week and each group gets two hanging folders.  The first has 2 individual letter size folders for storing the group counseling log and permission slips and the other for storing group activity booklets of projects in process. The second hanging file has 6-8 folders each containing the lesson and materials to be used for each group session.

File folders are also used for individual counseling records.  As I see a student, I create a file for my notes, any conference forms, behavior contracts, etc.  It makes it easy to add to year after year. These are filed  alphabetically and should be in a locked filing cabinet or file box (not in a planner). When a student transitions to the middle school,  their file goes in a box of records for that school year and is stored for 7 years.  I don't know the official storage requirement, but my mentor told me long ago to keep my records for one year past the year the youngest students for that school year would be out of my school (in my case Kdg). At that point those records are destroyed.  Like I said, I don't know the official storage requirements, but 5 years ago I was glad I had some two and three year old records when Child Services came doing an investigation for court on a case we had been calling about for years.

As for lesson plans and activities, many are digital, but for others I use a letter file cabinet with hanging folders.  I file lessons by topic and then by grade within the topic folder.

#4  Data: Gather and Collect.
First, gather.  By gather, I mean get your hands on the school generated data that is already out there. These will help you to determine the  needs of your school and the direction of your program.  In that first meeting with your administrator request copies of the previous year's discipline referral data (I can get it by the quarter and for the year broken down by name, grade, gender, # of referrals, etc.), attendance data- who has more than 15 days absent and/or tardy, report card data as in students with D and F averages by subject for the school year.  Some report cards also have teachers mark conduct and personal development.  If there is a way to run a report on students who were marked unsatisfactory or needs improvement,  that data can be beneficial for determining the types of groups that are needed and by whom. Finally, of course, get copies of your standardized state testing scores if available. We don't expect ours until later in September. Organize, review, analyze, look for patterns.

Next collect.  By collect I mean take a teacher survey of perceived counseling needs, ask parents to complete surveys about their interest in particular newsletter, coffee talk, or workshop topics, and survey the students (usually grades 3-5) about any issues or concerns they are experiencing.
Another way I collect data is from a cumulative record review of new students. Teachers and administrators will be able to tell you about the students who are returning to your school, but the new students are unknown to everyone.  A cumulative record review can reveal lots of valuable and important information like medical and court issues, retention, multiple enrollments, and students in need of special academic or behavioral services. This at a glance sheet can assist you in getting to know your newest students.

For more information about data, check out Trish Hatch's book, The Use of Data in School Counseling.  This is a resource every School Counselor should have!

#5 Prepare introductory materials.
Every new counselor needs a letter of introduction to parents, a parent, a teacher, and a student needs survey, some business cards, a brief presentation of some type that describes your role as the school counselor, counseling referral forms, and a brochure to send home describing the role of the school counselor. Included here are samples of an introductory letter to parents, parent, teacher and student surveys, "Role of the Counselor" PowerPoint, counselor referral forms, and a program brochure. Business cards can be ordered from Vistaprint or printed at home with your computer and color printer using Avery business cards.

#6 Sign up teachers for a "Meet the Counselor" class lesson.
During  pre-planning  get your teachers to sign up for their initial classroom counseling lesson (usually about 30-40 minutes).  Some people have recommended a free program called SignUpGenius to help schedule their classroom visits.   I'm in the special area rotation so I have not used it for scheduling, but have used it for several other activities involving coordinating the schedules of multiple people.  Click on the link above to see how easy it is to get your teachers to sign up on line.

#7 Present "Meet the Counselor" lessons in every classroom.
Make it your mission the first few weeks of school to get in every classroom and introduce yourself, do a brief activity, and take a student survey in grades 3-5.  These lessons can last around 30 minutes and will set the tone for who you are as a professional, how you handle your schedule, and get you out and about the campus and connecting with your students.  I have included  three of my "Meet the Counselor" lessons, for Kindergarten here , 1st grade here and 1st grade PowerPoint here and my "Meet the Counselor-Counselor Catcher"  here.  You may also find my  classroom counseling log for tracking the lessons in each class you visit helpful.   Be sure to check out  Pinterest for some awesome counselor boards filled with a variety of lessons and Teachers Pay Teachers for all sorts of free and low cost "Meet the Counselor" materials.

#8 Meet, greet, and survey teachers.

After the initial crush of "Meet the Counselor" lessons, depending on the size of your school, you will be anywhere from 2-4 weeks into the school year.  Teachers have had a chance to get to know their students a little and are beginning to have a sense of what their students need. Set aside a day to invite your teachers by your office (if too small, snag another more appropriately sized space) for a Counselor Open House.  I set it up for teachers to come by during their planning time for a quick snack and to fill out a student and class needs survey.  I usually have doughnuts, coffee and juice in the morning and soft drinks and cookies in the afternoon.  It's a chance to chat informally about how things are going with their students, address any questions or concerns, sign up for classes, share your form for referring students to see you and then send them on their way with a small token like pens, highlighters, motivational thought, candy etc.

#9 Share your role with the staff.
When you are having that little visit with your administrator you not only want to discuss expectations and data, but also ask for an opportunity to do a brief 7-10 minute presentation to the faculty about the Role of the School Counselor.  Keep it short and sweet.  There are still many educators that have little to no clue about what School Counselors really do.

#10 Meet and survey your families.
Notice I did not say parents.  So many of our children are being raised by grandparents, other relatives, or are in foster care.  Referring to their caregivers as family, offers sensitivity to their various situations which at times may be difficult or even traumatic.
The four best ways to meet the families of your students is to make yourself visible at Meet the Teacher, Open House, and at morning drop-off and dismissal. Make sure to have business cards with you!
Meet the Teacher: Our school hosts Meet the Teacher the Friday morning before the first day of school.  Everyone comes to find out who their teacher is and where their classroom is located. Showing your smiling face around campus to answer questions or provide directions gives you the perfect opportunity to start meeting your students and their caregivers. 
Open House: In our district, Open House is sometime between the 4th and 6th week of school.  Make your presence known by having your office open, maybe sitting outside of it, or having some fun music playing to attract the families as they walk by.  You could even invite students to stop by to sign up for a drawing for small prizes like lunch with the counselor, extra recess (you supervise, teacher gets a break),school supplies, or books.  
Morning Drop-off: Much can be observed by seeing the interaction of families and the mood of students as they are dropped off in the morning.  Smile, open car doors, say good morning, and offer encouragement for an awesome day.  Seeing your smiling face could be the best starter to a caregiver or student's day.
Dismissal:  At dismissal time there are lots of families on campus picking up their children. Get out and about among the throng.  Smiling, waving, and sharing an encouraging word with a caregiver regarding their student shows you are caring and approachable. 

There are so many forms and paperwork that go home with students the first couple of weeks at school in my district, I like to wait to send my parent survey home until about the third week of classes. You can send home a link to a Google form in a QR code, post your link in your parent newsletter, on your school Facebook or web page, or in a group email if your school has that capability.  Of course there is always the paper and pencil parent survey if you do not have these resources or your families have limited access to technology. 

#11 Get to know your students in small groups.
One of my favorite beginning of the year activities is meeting every student in the school in a small group for one "getting to know you session."  In the past few years, my school has been too large, but recent redistricting has reduced our population and I am excited to try again.  I take one third of the students in a class each day to my room during lunch  for a brief paper and pencil, drawing, or sentence completion activity.  I have also set myself up as a center activity in the primary classroom and am able to see some of the younger students more easily than walking them back and forth to my office. Depending on the needs of your school, this activity can take almost the entire first semester.  After meeting everyone for one "getting to know you session," the remainder of the year, I do a weekly New Faces group during lunch for one session. Sample invitations are available HERE.

Another terrific way to get to know your students is by doing "Minute Meetings" using Google forms. I learned this great idea from reading Andrea Burston's blog, jyj counselor.  Check out her post "Minute Meetings with a Tech Spin" to learn more about how you can use this awesome tool.

#12 Find a school-based mentor and a School Counselor mentor.
Finding a mentor is important, and I don't just mean a fellow counselor.  When you are new at a school it is important to find a seasoned faculty member with a positive attitude and good work ethic, who sees the value in what you do to show you the ins and outs of the school.  I have 2 teachers at my school whose opinions I highly respect. These ladies are the ones from whom I have learned the most about classroom management techniques. They are the first people I go to if I want to launch a new program or idea. They are the ones I ask to read any letters I might be sending home or emails to teachers I think are not quite clear.  They encourage me and respect what I do. They are an important part of my support system and I don't know what I will do when they retire!

Depending on the size of your district, will determine how easily you find a counselor mentor.  I work in a large district and when I first became a counselor, I was lucky enough to get a job in the same district where I interned and my internship supervisor was assigned as my mentor.  Maybe you can find a mentor in your district, or from your internship, or in one of the many online Facebook groups. Whether you meet in person, email, tweet, talk on the phone, or Skype, networking with other counselors is the best way to grow and learn and to diminish the isolation we can so easily feel as we pursue our school counseling program.

#13 Set your calendar for the year
Setting your calendar means including the dates for your classroom lessons, groups, school wide programming, professional development/workshops and parent events.  Now you may be thinking I don't even know when or how I am going to do those things yet!  That's okay.  I'm not talking about an exact date and time for all of the above, but something general, like this example for the first 2 months of school.

You may feel a little uncomfortable about what occurs at your school or even what you should be doing in the course of a year.  But, this is a great way to get the "big picture" of annual school events and traditions. Talking with your administration about the calendar not only shows interest in the traditions of your new school, it informs you of what other things may be coming your way as the school year progresses.  It also demonstrates your initiative, educates your administration about what programming you have to offer, and allows you to clearly see when to best schedule your events.  You never want to have to compete for participation, audience, and space. For example you may want to do a special parent night and discover the chorus is performing that same evening, or you want to do the Kindness Challenge and that is in the middle of state testing. Planning ahead helps insure successful programming.  So, bring your ideas, dates, and planner and have the calendar conversation.

#14 Creating lesson plans

When it comes to creating lesson plans, there are many websites, blogs, TPT and Pinterest activities to get you started. However trying to prepare classroom lesson plans K-5 for each topic can be overwhelming.  I always recommend my interns create just two lessons for each topic, one for primary and one for intermediate.  This allows you to get very comfortable with the lesson and to make improvements along the way to the content and activities as you see what works for each grade level.  Now you have 2 solid lessons in your bank on each topic for next year.  In year 2, you create just 2 more lessons for each topic one for primary and one for intermediate.  Now, you have 4 lessons for each topic.  In year 3 you do it all again and now you have 6 lessons total for each topic, one lesson per grade level. Students never get the same lesson twice because you are always adding new lessons.  This method reduces your stress level and allows you to really focus on creating quality lessons. I still do this when adding new lessons topics to my curriculum.  Check out some this blog post with a listing of FREE web resources.  You can also take a look at great websites with lessons in my LiveBinder. Just click on the link and it will open to some brightly colored tabs.  Look for the one that says "Websites with Lessons."

When writing your lesson plans you need a template.  ASCA has a great lesson plan template that I highly recommend. Click on the link, scroll to section 10 "Groups" and you will see the link to the lesson plan template.

#15 Set Realistic Goals
I know you have read and heard about all the fabulous things other School Counselors are doing in their programs.  And that can be a lot of pressure! Sometimes, it may even feel like you are not doing enough, or you should be doing more.   BUT, you are new, you have to pace yourself!  No one expects you to do in one year what others have built over 5-10 years or more.  So give yourself a break and don't demand it of yourself! A fully developed comprehensive School Counseling program doesn't happen your first year, or second, or sometimes even your third year. It is a constantly evolving thing every year of your career.  Your program in your first your will not look like it will at year 3, 5, 10 or 20!  You will grow, it will grow and one day the newbies will be in awe of what you have accomplished!

So, be patient. It's not possible to "do it all" as a new School Counselor and no one expects you to, so don't burden yourself with those thoughts. They steal your joy and your energy.  Set realistic goals for your first year. Pick 2 or 3 things you want to accomplish this school year and do them exceptionally well. Remember it's not about quantity, its about quality.  Better to do a few things well that impress people and are discussed and remembered favorably, rather than trying to do too much and have people talk negatively about you and your program.  Give yourself time to build relationships with your students, faculty, and parents, make them a priority at your new school and offer them a few high quality programs along the way. Build a strong foundation. Then next year, add one or two new things, while tweaking or revising the things you did the previous year. Set realistic goals and feel proud of the things you accomplish.

I  hope you will find these 15 tips for new School Counselors helpful or School Counselors moving to a new school helpful.  Are there things you wish you had known when you first started?  What sort of  things do you do to start the new school year?

Please share your tips and ideas below.
Here's to a great school year!!!

Step by Step Instructions for Creating Google Forms

Last weekend was our state convention  and the 50th Anniversary of the Florida  School Counseling Association.  It was a  great weekend filled with wonderful break  out sessions, inspiring key note speakers,  fantastic relevant professional  development, and sharing with my  Counselor Colleagues from around the  state.

Teresa, Treva, Jeannie and Brian ready to present.

At the FSCA Convention, I had the  opportunity to present with 3 of my  Counselor Colleagues from the Volusia  School Counselor Association.  Each of us  shared a best practice from our School  Counseling program.

Since I have spent alot of time reading about, designing,  sharing, and using Google forms, I  presented a PowerPoint with step by step  instructions to help School Counselors  begin creating their own. Many School  Counselors are already successfully using  Google forms everyday, others would like  to but are not sure where to start.  I hope  my  PowerPoint with its screen shots and  step by step instructions will encourage  anyone who has been hesitant to start using  this wonderful tool.

 We are part of a data driven profession  and too often School Counselors do not  have the specific data we would like to  show how our services are being utilized,  or what faculty, students, or parents are  indicating are their needs.  Regular users  of Google Forms can tell you these are just a few of the ways you can use forms to collect data to enhance your School Counseling program. Creating and using Google forms not only provides process, perception and outcome data, but visual representations in graphs and charts that can be shared with all the stakeholders whose decision making may impact your School Counseling program.

Happy 50th Anniversary FSCA!

Dr. Trish Hatch, prolific author and renown Counselor Educator, said at a FSCA session, "Principals don't know what we do or what they can count on (from us), so they assign the tasks that need to be done that may have nothing to do with School Counseling."  What better way to begin to show our administrators what we do than by using Google Forms?
 

Go ahead, get started, you have everything to gain!

Do you use Google Forms in your School Counseling program?  What types of forms have you designed to collect data for your program? I'd love to hear your ideas and comments!

Google Forms: Collect and Analyze Data to Advocate for Your School Counseling Program

Many years ago, when I first started as a "Guidance Counselor" (that's what we were called back then), I had a wonderful, forward thinking, district level "Guidance" Coordinator.  She saw the yearly budget battles that each Spring found state legislators discussing cuts to School Counselor, Media, Music, and Art positions and decided to do something about it.  As a proactive individual, she believed in the power of data and was determined to protect the jobs of her Counselors.  She had us start collecting data long before collecting data was in everyone's consciousness.  Our "guidance" logs tracked how our time was spent daily and was then compiled into monthly reports to indicate the amount of time we spent performing direct and indirect services to students.  This data collection helped secure School Counselor positions in every elementary school in our county at a time when many other positions were being cut.   Today logging how we spend our time is more important (and easier) than ever as School Counselors around the country advocate for their positions and the ability to determine how their services are utilized in their schools.

As a member of the Facebook group The Elementary School Counselor Exchange, I have read numerous posts about record keeping, accountability, paperless forms and surveys, and a general feeling of  distress at the misuse of our specialized education, abilities, and skills.  In many schools we are the most expensive lunchroom hostess, hall monitor, or registrar to be found.  We are being asked to perform jobs that do not require a Masters degree in School Counseling, and in so doing are being prevented or severely limited in performing the student-centered services that do.  When you think about it, this makes school districts and administrators very poor stewards of the human resources they have in their School Counselor.  Rather than investing their School Counselor resource in services and programs that can close the achievement gap,  administrators are requiring School Counselors to perform tasks that could easily be performed by any number of reasonably intelligent and responsible adults on campus.

The ASCA National Model clearly outlines the role of the School Counselor and gives examples of what is and is not appropriate usage of a School Counselor's time.  ASCA recommends 80% of a school counselors time be spent in direct and indirect services to students. In situations where the skills and services of the School Counselor are being misused or under utilized, it is even more compelling to provide the data that gives an accounting of how we spend our day.  Because many of the things we do are not visible to the eyes of our administrators or colleagues, there is a great deal of misunderstanding and misinformation about what our job entails. There is also the confidential nature of some of our services that are not readily apparent to those who evaluate us or have the final say in our programming.  Therefore, we are often called upon to do jobs that
actually impair or interfere with the job of being a School Counselor.  This is where Google Forms can help a School Counselor provide the process data needed in documenting how their day is spent.  There is so much more that can be done with Google Forms in terms of perception data too, but for now let's start with how a School Counselor's day is spent.

The Google Form here is a compilation of duties and responsibilities shared with me by my School Counselor colleagues from the Facebook group The Elementary School Counselor Exchange. The variety of  unrelated duties represented in this form have been assigned to School Counselors leaving them, in many cases, without the time or support to pursue relevant school and student needs.   It is my hope that School Counselors can use this form to demonstrate, with data and visual representations of graphs, how their time is being spent, both in an effort to create change and to show progress towards that change.

The link for the Counselor Activity Log above allows you to make a copy so you can make any additions or deletions you want  in order for this form to be more representative of your specific situation.  To make your own copy, first open the above link. You should see the form in the gray version.  Don't edit yet.  Once opened, go to File in upper left corner.  Click on File and you will see Make a copy. Click on Make a copy, then you will be asked to rename the form and click ok.  Next, close my form you just used to make your copy. Now go to your Google Drive and look for the form you just renamed. Also be sure, the word shared  is not beside your form.  Shared means your information is not private.  Next click on the name of your form and you should see the gray version ready for you to make your edits.  Now you are ready to make edits and personalize my form for your usage!

A WORD OF WARNING!
Remember, I made the link to this form public so I could share it with you all.  That means the responses  (if anyone is thinking of just using the link to this form) are public too.  Anyone on the web can see it. So please, do not put student information in the form above before making your own private copy.  Usage of this specific link without copying to your Google drive first will result in your data being recorded in a shared file and anyone on the internet can see your confidential student information.

As you begin making entries to your form, data will be recorded in a spread sheet like this one.  Your Google Drive will have a document titled with the name of your form and the word responses in parentheses. If you want to sort your data, open the responses document, go to Data, click on the column you want to sort and choose sort from A-Z or sort from Z-A.  When you are ready to view your data in graphs, open your form, click on Responses and then Summary of Responses  to view your graphs and data.

Many thanks to the School Counselors who shared their unrelated duties with me for the creation of this form.  It is my hope you will find it useful as you document your daily activities and strive to gain the support you need to bring your program in line with the ASCA National Model.

Do you have a method for recording how you deliver services to students? What have you found most effective for collecting process data and giving administrators an understanding of your job role?

If you are interested in more information about Goolge forms, or how you can quickly and easily create your own, follow this link to my post with step by step instructions, with pictures!