You’re getting ready to elevate your school's success by unleashing the power of the 10-Year Plan to inspire and guide students.
But now the question is:
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How can you convince your staff that this change is worth the effort?
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How do you empower teachers to seamlessly integrate guidance and advising into their daily responsibilities, especially when faced with challenges related to scheduling and attitudes?
Redesigning the counseling approach for high school staff is no easy feat. Time, skills, and attitudes pose significant barriers. With growing graduation requirements, finding time for daily advisory sessions becomes challenging. Instructors need new skills to make advising activities effective—but they may be resistant and changing attitudes can present a challenge.
The answer:
Recruit your counseling team to take on the leadership of your Whole-School Initiative
Overcome these hurdles with the Counselors As Leaders Workshop. This professional development will help to kickstart your process by introducing your counseling and administrative staff to a six step plan for initiating distributive guidance on your campus.
Your counseling team will explore the steps elements of and create a plan for a counselor-led effort that includes:
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1
Step One
Identify the guidance personnel who want to be involved with teacher professional development.
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Step Two
Develop policies and procedures to address potential roadblocks
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3
Step Three
Conduct a comprehensive in-service for all instructional staff to introduce the concept of academic coaching and advising using the 10-Step Plan.
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4
Step Four
Provide department-specific in-service workshops for small groups to enhance the skills of instructors for one-on-one student-instructor meetings that, for example, could include role playing and active listening skills.
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5
Step Five
Continue professional development throughout the first year covering additional topics that may include:
- Strategies for the first level of intervention when advising the potential dropout.
- Signs and behaviors of a student in crisis that need to be reported to the counseling department.
- Motivation strategies when working with high-risk populations.
- Using career and employment information online and from the career center.
- Community resources that can be recommended to students and their parents for tutoring and extra academic help.
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6
Step Six
Department chairs play a pivotal role in ensuring members of the staff are prepared to carry out their advisor duties. At the end of the year, work with department chairs to evaluate instructors’ advising efforts offering additional support as needed.
The counselor-led workshop series covers essential topics, including:
- An overview of the 10-Year Plan
- Using 10-Year Plan data with students
- Goal-setting strategies
- Active listening skills
- Confidentiality policies
- Role-playing scenarios
Sustainable Success: With coordination and patience, this professional development ensures that by the end of the first year, every instructor becomes a proficient advisor, enhancing the quality of your program and the lives of their students.