When beginning at the elementary level there are so many things to think of like decorating your office, having fidgets or games for students and just the right books for every situation imaginable. While these things are super important, and fun, it is more important to be organized and project an appearance of professionalism.
As soon as you walk in the building you will begin to encounter requests for your services from parents, teachers, and students. How will you manage these? I started out with the infamous sticky note system and before I knew it, I was overwhelmed. Drowning in sticky notes and often finding them stuck in places that left me clueless about their origin or meaning, I needed a system. After some trial and error I came up with a series of forms and a file folder system that worked for me. Here are the 10 forms I use every single day to help me manage my school counseling program.
EVERYDAY SCHOOL COUNSELING FORMS
Forms for students, parents and teachers are critical for managing the requests to access your services. The student Request to See the School Counselor can be introduced in your classroom "Meet the School Counselor" lesson at the start of the school year. Teaching students how to contact you empowers them with the knowledge of how to seek help when they need it. As you go over the Request to See the School Counselor form, you will share how to fill it out, where, it’s located, and difference in a small, medium, and big problem. Reinforcement of the idea of the size of the problem often needs to be repeated. Depending on your school set up, these request forms maybe kept in the classroom, outside your office, or in a place students frequent like the cafeteria or media center. Be sure to include a container of some type to receive these requests as well as a small stack of request forms on a clipboard with a pencil attached.
At the first faculty you can get a chance to share, explain the "Role of the School Counselor" and introduce the Teacher Referral for Student Counseling. You may want to keep a stack near the teacher mailboxes for their convenience.
Share the Parent Request for School Counselor Conference forms with your office staff. Make a stack of copies, put them in a file folder and explain to your wonderful office staff if a parent drops in wanting to see the school counselor, to please complete this form and the School Counselor will be in touch. Have the office staff place completed requests in your mailbox. Use of this form helps reduce the impromptu drop-in visits from parents as the office staff is confident in how to respond to parents who walk in asking to see the School Counselor. Be sure to check-in periodically on their supply of forms.
VISITS WITH THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR
The Pass to See the School Counselor is great
for making appointments with students who have requested to see you. Fill out this form and place it in the
teacher’s mailbox as both a reminder and a pass for the time you wish for the student to arrive. Signing the passes before coping saves a little bit of time. You can use the back of this form for notes too.
Use the Individual Counseling form to make notes during counseling sessions or after the student has returned to class. I used this a lot when I was at a new school. Because I didn't know anyone, it helped me keep the students organized in my brain and to make connections with who were their friends and family. This form also gives you a place to record your plan and follow-up. One way to manage these forms is to create a file folder for each student with whom you have an interaction. No need to make folders for your entire caseload. You don't have time for that and realistically, there are some students you will never see for a counseling or a conference.
Many School Counselors like to send a note home sharing with
parents they have met with their student.
Offer a I saw my School
Counselor today note to each student after their visit if you would like to adopt that practice.
TRACKING REFERRALS
The “Counseling Referrals” form allows you keep track of the verbal requests received as well as written requests. It permits you to see at a glance, which students you have seen and helps keep track of written requests. Use the date requested/date seen columns to help stay accountable on how quickly you are able to provide requested services.
PHONE LOGS
The Phone Log has saved my sanity, my memory
and my backside many a time. Early in my career, during a conversation
with my lovely AP, she admonished me when she found out I didn’t keep a phone
log. I started keeping one immediately and am I ever glad I did! Phone calls I made, phone calls and
voicemails I received, phone message notes from the front office, they all went
in the phone log. I suggest printing these forms double-sided, hole punched, and place in a 3-ring binder. Then every time you pick up the
phone, pick up your pen and make a note. Experience says you will be glad you did!
PARENT CONFERENCES
The Parent Phone Conference form is kept in a
folder next to the Phone Log. When you have to make a phone call to discuss a student’s attendance, grades, or behavior, this form is a great place to record that conference. If there are specific things to be discussed, use this form to make notes about things that are concerning about the student. Having that information in front of you when talking with a parent is a confidence booster. This is a great form to use when
you know a phone call is going to be one for which you will want a record
of things shared and discussed. You can even make a copy and email it to the parent afterwards. These forms can also go in the student file folder discussed earlier
Some schools have their own official parent conference form, but in
case yours does not, this Record of Parent Conference will be
ready when you need it. I like that it
starts by focusing on what is positive about the student.
PAPER OR DIGITAL?
All of the forms mentioned here are paper based and in PDF. Some could be made digital, but in my experience, sitting behind a computer in a counseling session or parent conference, just feels detached.
HOW DO YOU STAY ORGANIZED?
Are there school counseling forms that keep you organized? What forms do you love to use? What forms or types of forms would like to see created? Be sure to share in the comments below.
