Most adults hardly remember their school counselors – if their schools offered any counseling services at all. In the past, school counselors did little more than proffer college brochures and chastise “problem” students. Yet, as educational institutions progressed, so did the school counseling position.
These days, school counselors take much more active roles in students’ academic and personal lives. However, how school counselors function – their daily and year-long responsibilities – vary depending on the age of their student populace. If you are on the verge of earning your master’s in school counseling online, you should consider which grade levels you are interested in serving and how that could affect your career.
Elementary School
Grades K Through 6 or 8 / Ages 4 Through 11 or 15
Because younger children don’t often have academic concerns – on the level of “What courses should I take to prepare me for this career?” or “How will my college application benefit from this extracurricular activity?” – elementary school counselors often only see students when there are emotional or behavioral concerns from teachers and parents.
Usually, a counselor’s workload will depend largely on the socio-economic status of the district. Students coming from families of lower income tend to have more trouble at home, perhaps lacking essentials like electricity or regular access to food and clean water as well as experiencing drug and alcohol use, the incarceration of relatives, and noisy environments preventing study or even sleep. However, there are some issues that arise regardless of income, such as physical and sexual abuse, depression and anxiety, self-harm and peer pressure.
Counselors at this level tend to have more autonomy than counselors at more advanced educational institutions. You will likely be the only counselor serving a school, and you might serve several schools at once. Though you will answer to school administrators, like vice principals and principals, you will likely be able to schedule your own day.
Middle School/Junior High
Grades 6 or 7 Through 8 / Ages 11 Through 15
What is true of children at elementary schools is also true of middle school kids – with the added complexity of burgeoning hormones. Puberty begins for most modern adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14, so almost all students in these grade levels will begin experiencing physical and emotional changes that often translates to more trips to the school counselor. In addition to troubles seen at younger grade levels, social, romantic and sexual issues begin to appear as does experimentation with various substances. [Read more…] about School Counseling Through the Ages: How the Job Changes as Students Grow Up