How can teachers and school counselors team up to support student well-being?

Teachers and counselors can collaborate by sharing insights about students, discussing academic and emotional needs, and implementing strategies to address individual challenges. Regular communication helps create a comprehensive support system for students' overall wellbeing.

One major influential factor on student school engagement is believing that at least one adult staff, one teacher or counselor really cares about the students. Here’s an impactful exercise that I’ve seen first hand to have a wonderful impact on student mental health. Minute Meetings. The counselor team collaborates to get face to face with each individual student for a brief interview (5 min tops) and one of the most important questions is some variation of “Do you have an adult in the building that cares about you that you could go to?”. Then, school wide discussion are held to review the data. Who are the kids that don’t have that adult? Next we collectively collaborate to care for the ones lacking that relationship.

School counselors are charged with the delivery of comprehensive programs which includes providing instruction on the academic, career, and personal/social developmental needs of students. Research shows that students learn best when materials and instruction are not in isolation; therefore, counselors can have the greatest impact on these needs by working collaboratively with teachers to provide instruction that addresses content standards and school counseling standards.

In my experience, students suffer in the absence of discretion and sensitivity. A degree of diplomacy is required to collaborate without becoming conspiratorial or inflammatory. Communicate and act with great empathy for all involved.

Eu, como aluna, queria muito ser ouvida e ter autonomia. Hoje em dia descobri que existem metodologias ativas de ensino e gostaria que mais pessoas que trabalham na educação usassem isso. Todo mundo sai ganhando.

First and foremost: truly listen to the students and be open to get to know them and their life context, in a general approach. Second, understand the relationship and what it is the understanding of that student in relation to the school environment, teachers, friends, etc. Third, identify how it is the most affective way to approach and communicate with the student. If the teacher has any difficulties on that, ask teachers assistant or the member of the educational team that is closer to that student(s) / class. Fourth, make sure that your classroom is a safe space and that you offer an open channel to students, educational board and parents can be transparent and trust in you and your work.

I think Counsellors should take care of the modality aspect because that is where they are trained, however teachers are the eyes and ears of the Counsellors in the classroom setting and can supply a wealth of information to the Counsellor in regards to behaviours and interactions with other students, and help the Counsellor figure out how to use a strengths based approach, and also how the Counselling modalities can be adapted to fit within that child’s value world so that they take the modalities on board and use them.

- Teachers and school counsellors can collaborate to design and implement mental health promotion strategies. - Since teachers observe students closely on a daily basis, they can provide accurate information to counsellors for screening students for learning disabilities and mental health.

Get clear on whose job is whose. Often time lines are blurred, boundaries get crossed, and helpers get burnt out from carrying more than they should.