What are the Responsibilities of a School Counselor?

School Counselor Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a school counselor, contrary to popular belief, extend beyond just handling college applications. In addition to making sure that students' college application forms are in order, school counselor responsibilities also include regulating the schedules and personal development habits that students need to stay on track.

Course Optimization Advisement

In the process of preparing for their collegiate careers, students will often need advisement on what courses to take before they begin their undergraduate programs. Because the kind of courses that students will take in the years leading up to their college applications can have a heavy impact on what they are prepared for, a school counselor can be vital for making sure that they are able to pick and choose which classes are the best fit for their aims.

If a student wants to drop a class in a field that doesn't fully contribute to what they have in mind for their undergraduate aspirations, a school counselor can help them replace those dropped classes with something that is a much better fit for their aspirations.

Guiding Problem Students

In addition to helping driven students become better capable of scheduling their classes appropriately, the responsibilities of a school counselor include having an active hand in dealing with the more difficult students as well. Students having trouble staying within the lines can have the help of the school counselor to get the right kind of perspective they need to make it through their daily responsibilities with their educational career intact.

All-Inclusive Support

In a sense, a school counselor can be said to act as both an organizational and educational pillar for the students to make sure that they are kept on track in all aspects of scholastic success, both educational and social.

The personal development that a student goes through over the course of the year is just as important as the educational coursework that they will make in terms of their career choice. School counselors can be instrumental in helping to ensure that this personal development is steered in a way that's conducive to their continued success.

Age-Targeted Advisement

The different settings in which school counselors provide their services can include elementary school, primary school, high school and universities as well. Depending on what the expertise of the school counselor is, some may be better-suited for the advisement of children or adults respectively.

Even though the different areas of academic focus that different students have in mind will vary depending on their ages and what their personalities and goals are, well-trained school counselors will have the right breadth of experience and mentoring skills to help all students out equally as advisory generalists.

If effective in their duties, a school counselor will not only be instrumental in helping a student be better capable of making it through their coursework, but also in developing the professional skills that they will need to perform to the highest standard in the professional world.

See also: The 20 Best Online Masters in School Counseling Programs