What is a School Counselor?

I've noticed that there is usually confusion about what exactly a school counselor does. First, here's a list of things we are NOT:

• A babysitter
• A secretary
• A nurse
• The "candy" lady (or man)
• A babysitter
• The villain who puts the new student in your class when you don't have any extra desks
• The villain who won't switch around your child's schedule so that he can be with his friends
• The slacker who allows students to come to the office just to "chill" and miss class
• A babysitter
• A disciplinarian
• The villain who can't wait to call a student out of your art/history/math/photography class
• Your child's "best friend"
• Did I mention babysitter?

And now, here are things school counselors actually provide:

• A shoulder to cry on
• A new study skill to use on the next test
• Encouragement to get students/teachers/parents through the day
• A resource for all things personal/academic/career-based
• Referrals to outside agencies
• A pillow to scream in (I actually have one in my office)
• A Koosh ball to squeeze on (adults can use these, too!)
• Assessments to determine future goals
• An array of strategies to help your student/child reach their goals
• A miracle

Any questions? :)