Why Middle School Counselors Matter
Jolie Rutledge
"Ultimately our goal is to support students so they make academic progress", declares Jolie Rutledge. She and her colleague, Kristie Mullikin, are Counselors at Fisher Middle School.
Schools teach content: Math, English, Science and so on. But perhaps the most important lesson taught at school is how to learn. How to absorb information. How to solve problems. How to manage study time. How to work in a team. Counselors are an essential part in students "learning how to learn".
Middle school counselors are educators uniquely trained in child and adolescent development, learning strategies, self-management and social skills. Many parents are confused about the role of counselors, thinking of them as equivalent to psychologists, helping "troubled youth".
School counselors do much more: train students in organizational techniques, resolve academic issues, address cyber bullying, manage social group challenges, even teach politeness skills...the list is long.
Middle school is a time of change. Students go from one teacher to six, one classroom to many, and a small campus to a large one. So Fisher counselors run the Summer Success Academy, a transition program for 5th graders. This wonderful program ensures students are familiar with the campus and with Middle School life. They also gain useful organization skills so they show up to campus in the Fall "ready to learn".
Sometimes students just need the security of having someone they can go to. Students often drop by to see counselors just to feel there is someone looking out for them. Many times the comfort of a counselor (mixed with a little advice) is all that is needed.
Schools teach content: Math, English, Science and so on. But perhaps the most important lesson taught at school is how to learn. How to absorb information. How to solve problems. How to manage study time. How to work in a team. Counselors are an essential part in students "learning how to learn".
Middle school counselors are educators uniquely trained in child and adolescent development, learning strategies, self-management and social skills. Many parents are confused about the role of counselors, thinking of them as equivalent to psychologists, helping "troubled youth".
School counselors do much more: train students in organizational techniques, resolve academic issues, address cyber bullying, manage social group challenges, even teach politeness skills...the list is long.
Middle school is a time of change. Students go from one teacher to six, one classroom to many, and a small campus to a large one. So Fisher counselors run the Summer Success Academy, a transition program for 5th graders. This wonderful program ensures students are familiar with the campus and with Middle School life. They also gain useful organization skills so they show up to campus in the Fall "ready to learn".
Sometimes students just need the security of having someone they can go to. Students often drop by to see counselors just to feel there is someone looking out for them. Many times the comfort of a counselor (mixed with a little advice) is all that is needed.
Kristie Mullikin
Kristie comments, "at Fisher we have the flexibility to adjust to each child". For example, a student may be struggling to understand a lesson; they can't quite "get" a concept. In this case Kristie will go to the class and and observe. Is the issue proximity to other kids? Maybe the teacher can rearrange seating. Is the child not engaged? A chat with the student and sticky note on their desk with the goal "I'm going to participate three times each day in this class" could make all the difference.
Fisher staff emphasize teamwork, and when bigger issues arise counselors are able to coordinate all available resources.
Say a student who normally gets A's starts getting D's, and a concerned teacher or parent contacts a counselor. The counselor will put together a Child Assistance Team (CAT) consisting of the counselor, teachers, administration, and parents and come up with a plan.
Jolie gives this example: "one student (a boy) had difficulty focusing, was often out of his seat, and disruptive of other students. I arranged with the teacher to have the boy sent to me right away whenever things went wrong. Each time I worked with him, set goals for the day, and sent him right back to class. I spent time observing in the classroom and I communicated with the parents. The parents chose to set up an incentive program and I provided them with the info they needed to run it. Soon this boy was doing wonderfully, following directions, and excelling academically. And all with minimal need for calls home!"
Middle school years are a time of social growth and challenges, and issues outside of school can make a big difference inside the classroom. Says Jolie, "we do a lot of conflict resolution between students. They come to us, report they are having trouble with their friendship group, and we help them to resolve it."
Kristie tells of two 7th grade girls who were experiencing conflicts outside of school. She sat them down together and encouraged them to share their perspectives. She taught them skills such as using "I statements" -- expressing what you feel vs telling the other person what you think they mean. In the end the girls agreed at school they would be respectful and kind to each other. "How can you be at your best as a student if you are struggling with other things in your life?", concludes Jolie.
Students sometimes tell counselors things they have never told other people. "I like that I'm in this helpful and supportive position for students," says Jolie. "I like being someone they trust. And I often think -- who would they turn to if the school counselor was not here?"
At times serious issues occur. Perhaps a child has experienced a death in their family and has become very depressed. In these cases the middle school counselor acts as a first line of defense. They meet with and assess the child. If a student needs a higher level of care than a school counselor can provide they will refer them. Fisher contracts with CASSY (an outside agency) to provide some on-campus supplemental support. And referrals to other agencies are available if needed.
One concern both Kristie and Jolie have is the current ratio of 650 students to 1 counselor. This is considerably higher than standard guidelines from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).
Fisher Principal Lisa Fraser observes, "the high ratio today means our counselors are constantly in reactive mode. We really need to add a 3rd counselor to get them into proactive mode. My vision is relationship building -- every child should know their counselor."
Jolie adds, "If we had a more manageable student to counselor ratio it would allow us to build relationships and invest more time in each student".
R.J. Fisher is a special place. As Lisa Fraser often says, "at Fisher we try to take the 'Middle' out of Middle School". It is fair to say our dedicated school counselors play an essential part in accomplishing that goal!
Fisher staff emphasize teamwork, and when bigger issues arise counselors are able to coordinate all available resources.
Say a student who normally gets A's starts getting D's, and a concerned teacher or parent contacts a counselor. The counselor will put together a Child Assistance Team (CAT) consisting of the counselor, teachers, administration, and parents and come up with a plan.
Jolie gives this example: "one student (a boy) had difficulty focusing, was often out of his seat, and disruptive of other students. I arranged with the teacher to have the boy sent to me right away whenever things went wrong. Each time I worked with him, set goals for the day, and sent him right back to class. I spent time observing in the classroom and I communicated with the parents. The parents chose to set up an incentive program and I provided them with the info they needed to run it. Soon this boy was doing wonderfully, following directions, and excelling academically. And all with minimal need for calls home!"
Middle school years are a time of social growth and challenges, and issues outside of school can make a big difference inside the classroom. Says Jolie, "we do a lot of conflict resolution between students. They come to us, report they are having trouble with their friendship group, and we help them to resolve it."
Kristie tells of two 7th grade girls who were experiencing conflicts outside of school. She sat them down together and encouraged them to share their perspectives. She taught them skills such as using "I statements" -- expressing what you feel vs telling the other person what you think they mean. In the end the girls agreed at school they would be respectful and kind to each other. "How can you be at your best as a student if you are struggling with other things in your life?", concludes Jolie.
Students sometimes tell counselors things they have never told other people. "I like that I'm in this helpful and supportive position for students," says Jolie. "I like being someone they trust. And I often think -- who would they turn to if the school counselor was not here?"
At times serious issues occur. Perhaps a child has experienced a death in their family and has become very depressed. In these cases the middle school counselor acts as a first line of defense. They meet with and assess the child. If a student needs a higher level of care than a school counselor can provide they will refer them. Fisher contracts with CASSY (an outside agency) to provide some on-campus supplemental support. And referrals to other agencies are available if needed.
One concern both Kristie and Jolie have is the current ratio of 650 students to 1 counselor. This is considerably higher than standard guidelines from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).
Fisher Principal Lisa Fraser observes, "the high ratio today means our counselors are constantly in reactive mode. We really need to add a 3rd counselor to get them into proactive mode. My vision is relationship building -- every child should know their counselor."
Jolie adds, "If we had a more manageable student to counselor ratio it would allow us to build relationships and invest more time in each student".
R.J. Fisher is a special place. As Lisa Fraser often says, "at Fisher we try to take the 'Middle' out of Middle School". It is fair to say our dedicated school counselors play an essential part in accomplishing that goal!