Counselor Accents

Anybody else feel like you're drowning? We want to help you by suggesting some apps and technology that can help you work smarter not harder! Listen as we share about 12 different tools that we've either used or plan to use to help us from day to day as school counselors. We're curious- what apps help you each day?

We felt like taking a quick break from talking about school counseling strategies and wanted to share a story about Kim's near brush with who knows what during fall break! Kim has a flair for exaggeration, but something tells me this story is accurate! Listen as she takes us on a journey!

We also take a few minutes in this episode to talk about our upcoming behavior conference! We are consistently asked about how to manage behaviors, and how to support teachers in managing behaviors. We are putting together a conference to help with those questions! Find out how YOU can earn an extra paycheck through this behavior conference.

https://forms.gle/fp1JKhF894pjxAuk9

In this episode Sweety Patel shares some of the highlights from her article for the ASCA magazine where she talked about the importance of marketing your school counseling program. Marketing your program is vital so that others know about the great things that you are doing in your school and community! She focuses specifically on using social media to reach the community. We hope you are inspired to shine a light on your program after listening to this episode!

We believe it is important that teachers know the role of the school counselor, but as behaviors are changing, our message and training should change too. In this episode we are sharing why teachers need to be trauma informed, and we are also giving rubber meets the road training points to include when you talk to your faculty. And of course we have some laughs along the way.

When we finally have a little down time to sit back and enjoy a good book, podcast, or TV show, it can be frustrating if we don't know what to read, watch, or listen to! In this episode we're giving you our school counselor summer reading list. We've included a mix of nonfiction, fiction, plus OUR book Growing Your Program for School Counselors that was just recently released. Start compiling your list today and let us know whose list you like better, Laura's or Kim's!

This is part 2 of how to add creativity to your school counseling program. In this episode we share several rubber meets the road tips, as well as some stories, and of course some laughs. We truly believe that finding that creativity and tapping into what you're passionate about can be a game changer for your upcoming school year.

We believe that this time of year is the perfect time to reflect and think about what worked this year, and what improvements can be made for the upcoming year. In this episode we give several rubber meets the road tips on how to add creativity to your school counseling program, and why we think it's important. There are so many tips and discussions about each tip, we decided to make this 2 episodes. Enjoy the first half this week and the second half next week.

Dr. Danielle Schultz is a treasure trove of ideas and information. Our brains were in constant planning mode when we finished this episode. Listen in as she gives us the ideas behind minute meetings, how she has made them work over the years, and how she uses the information. We also pick her brain about how she markets her school counseling program and why it's important. We guarantee you will come away from this episode with a few new ideas on how to take your school counseling program to the next level!

You may be tempted to skip this episode if you are snug and content in your current role; however, we would encourage you to give it a listen anyway! The idea behind this episode is to help those of you who are searching for jobs to interview the interviewer. Ask questions to make sure the school will be a good fit for you. If you aren't able to be selective, at least the answers you get from these questions will help you know what to expect on your first day. It is always good to ask questions to ensure your understanding of your role lines up with your administrator's expectation of the role of the school counselor. Even if it's your 21st year, these questions may help guide a conversation with your administrator to bring new life to this upcoming year!

This may be our most needed podcast yet! Amie Dean, the Behavior Queen is sharing timely, quick, and easy strategies to use with various student behaviors. As school counselors we are often viewed as the specialists on student behavior; however, the behaviors we have witnessed and heard about in recent years have escalated quickly. This will be an episode you will want to listen to multiple times in order to grasp the rubber meets the road practical tips that Amie shares with us.

We have said it before, and we will no doubt say it again- school counselors are leaders.  ASCA tells us this.  You are a leader in your school, community, and even nation!  Matthew McClain, Executive Director of the Colorado School Counselor Association, drives home the reason why this is so important.  He explains how he got started in school counseling leadership, and what a difference it has made in his career!  Listen in as he shares practical, rubber meets the road tips that will help propel you forward in your school counseling role!

In this episode we talk about the drastic rise in educator burnout.  We are tackling the reasons why educators are walking away from the profession at an alarming rate.  We will be doing another episode soon on school counselor burnout.  If you haven't already, go comment on our Instagram or Facebook post on this topic.  This episode is coming at you straight from the Dayton, Ohio airport!  

Trust us- don't skip this one just because you don't do small groups.  Whether you run small groups or not, we promise this is worth the listen!  Sarah Flier is full of wisdom and school counseling knowledge.  She shares so much information on school counseling that it's easy to see why she was one of the finalists for the National School Counselor of the Year!  

This episode was like a party!  We are joined by several new and old school counseling friends from across the nation.  Listen in as we answer questions from YOU, our listeners!  We're talking about advocacy, National School Counseling Week, measuring student progress, heavy caseloads, and more!  If you didn't join us on this episode, make sure you don't miss the next one!  We'd like to give a shout out to our guest stars from all across the nation who joined us on this episode.  You all MADE this episode what it is!  We love you!

We love when people combine what they're passionate about with their school counseling role.  That's exactly what Dr. Ryan Reese has done with nature and school counseling.  In this episode he shares some of his findings about the benefits of exposing students to various elements of nature.  He also shares "rubber meets the road" tips that our listeners have come to expect and love from our guests.  Let this episode inspire you to start bringing some of the outside inside!  Let us know what you're doing to mix nature and school counseling!

Ryan Reese is an associate professor at Oregon State University- Cascades.  He is also the owner and operator of EcoWellness Counseling and Consulting.  www.ecowellnessbend.com

School counseling advocacy is so important.  We are responsible for spreading the word about the work that we do in order to break down walls and inaccurate mindsets about the job that we do.  Daniel Birdsong, the president of the Alabama School Counseling Association, shares some of the findings of his dissertation based on school counseling advocacy.  This is an episode you will want to listen to multiple times.  We would also recommend sharing it with your administrator and counseling supervisor.

Contact Daniel Birdsong: dbirdson@montevallo.edu

We are not fans of making resolutions for the new year.  We hate the thought of setting ourselves up for failure.  In this episode we talk about areas we want to focus on as school counselors using the principles outlined in the book by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, The Deepest Well.  Instead of setting unrealistic goals, we want to focus on improving by 1% each day.  Listen in as we share our thoughts on what we would like to accomplish this year.  What are some goals or areas you want to focus on this year?

These will either be the worst tips or the best tips you've ever heard for making the most of the holiday season.  We know that this time of year can bring up a lot of emotions.  We have them, too!  In this episode we are adding to some of the Mayo Clinic's top tips for making the most of the holiday season.  One thing is guaranteed: you will have a smile on your face as you listen to us share these tips!

Have you noticed a shift in student behaviors?  You're not alone!  Joy Winchester joins us in this episode to explain why our students seem different these days, and how we can manage those different behaviors we are seeing.  She is always a wealth of information as she talks about strategies to use with students and teachers, the beauty of neuroplasticity, and more!  This may be one of those episodes you want to share with your staff!

It seems like school counselors (and educators, in general) are experiencing burnout at an alarming rate.  In this episode we are sharing three rubber meets the road tips to avoid burnout or to come out of burnout if you're finding yourself stuck.  Plus we announce who the Alabama Elementary School Counselor of the Year is... Spoiler alert: It's Kim!!!

In this episode we are discussing your burning school counseling questions.  We will talk about girl drama, sticky situations with administrators, tough Child Protective Services issues, and more!  Plus, you know we will have a few laughs along the way.  Listen and then do us a favor and rate and review this episode.

It is staggering to think about human trafficking happening in our country; however, the reality is that students in big cities AND rural communities are victims of human trafficking.  Christian Stanley and his wife, Rachel, work with victims of human trafficking in the US. In this episode Christian shares stories about how his team has searched for missing children.  He also shares about how his organization has uncovered trafficking victims through school assemblies and trainings.  Human trafficking can happen anywhere.  This episode is a great reminder of the signs to watch out for and who to call if you suspect a student is being trafficked.  

Christian's contact info is below.  Please let him know that you heard him on the Counselor Accents podcast!  Also consider donating to support the work that he and his team are doing!

christianstnl@gmail.com

251-599-8580 

http://saysomethingassembly.com/

If you would like to support what we are doing monthly click the link below!

https://giving.ag.org/donate/700001-2a7915?ministryname=2a7915&page=0

Sandy Austin is a legend among school counselors.  In this episode she talks about all of the programs she is involved in and how they directly benefit school counselors and our students.  Her B.I.O.N.I.C. program has been an answer to the bullying crisis that has impacted so many of our students.  She describes how the program has brought schools and communities closer together.  She is also involved in a program with ASCA that she describes, and she has written a course for parents to help them know what to do with situations that seem beyond their control.

Have you ever thought about completing the RAMP application process?  In this episode we are barely scratching the surface of what we learned while going through the RAMP steps.  You may learn a few things that can help you, or you may learn what NOT to do!  Either way, we hope this episode helps you get your head in the RAMP game!

"Student Voice" is a phrase we are hearing more and more.  James Layman, the director of the Association of Washington Student Leaders, defines "student voice" for us and explains why it is so valuable in our schools.  James gives us the 4 C's of student voice, and tells us how to listen to what students are really saying.  This is an episode you will want to share with your administrators and coworkers!

Everyone loves rubber meets the road techniques, especially at the beginning of the year when each day feels like a whirlwind.  We're sharing some of the trends we're already seeing and how we're meeting those needs.  We also give our best shot at answering YOUR questions.  Don't forget to rate our podcast!  

It's back to school time, and we've had lots of questions come our way!  In this episode we are tackling some of those questions as we get back in the swing of things.  Learn about how to arrange your schedule, how soon to start small groups, how to conduct teacher trainings/parent trainings, meet the counselor lessons, and what to do with challenging behaviors right off the bat.

We hope everyone has a great start to this school year!

In this new segment we are asking you to think about ordinary things in different ways with a school counseling twist.  We are starting with Google products, and all of the ways these programs could save you time, make you successful, and position you as the leader you are!

In this episode Kim and Laura share a few of their favorite school counseling hacks from their ASCA 22 session in Austin, Texas.  

As educators we work with "at-risk" students every day.  In this episode Joe Henershott helps us shift our view of these students from "at-risk" to wounded.  How should we care for wounded people and should it be a different "treatment plan" than for our at-risk students?  This episode explains why these terms aren't necessarily interchangeable, and it may shed some light on why educators are leaving the field in record numbers.  This is an episode to share with all educators!

So many of us are tired of hearing the phrase "self care."  What started out as a great suggestion has become one more task that we feel guilty about not doing.  In this episode Dardi Hendershott offers hope for those of us who feel as though we have fought a huge battle this year.  We believe this episode will inspire you and equip you to help other educators as you start making plans for the upcoming school year.

Have you ever wanted to change up your school counseling program?  Maybe you want to try a different way to engage students.  Maybe you are wanting to add an element of fun.  We believe room transformations could be the answer!  Join us as Amy Hassler, an educator from Indiana, shares some of her favorite room transformations.  She also tells us why they work and how she affords them.  Kim and Laura then discuss how to add the school counseling element to room transformations.  This episode could be the answer to setting your next year apart from every other year!