Counselor's Role in the Elementary School

The school counselor is a certified professional educator who assists students, teachers, parents, and administrators by counseling, consulting, and coordinating programs designed to help all students develop their educational, social, career and personal strengths.  In a comprehensive developmental counseling program, the school counselor engages in the following activities:

1.  Individual Counseling
Individual counseling is a personal and private interaction between the counselor and student in which they work together on a problem or topic of interest to explore ideas, feelings, and behaviors.

2.  Small Group Counseling
Small group counseling consists of the counselor working with two or more students who share the same issues.  Students have an opportunity to learn from each other, share ideas, give and receive feedback, increase their awareness, gain new knowledge, practice skills, and think about their goals and actions.  Group discussions are problem-centered and growth-centered.

3.  Classroom Group Lessons
Classroom lessons focus attention on particular developmental issues or areas of concern for specific classes.  Classroom discussion topics include character education, violence prevention, career education, and other specific issues identified by the classroom teacher as an area of concern.