Here you will find the second edition of the Virtual School Counseling Newsletter. Click below to read all about self care, virtual career day, grief and loss, and more!
A peek inside. Read a few of the articles below, or download the PDF to see the full newsletter!
Real Talk
What a whirlwind! These times are more than stressful for EVERYONE! We are all trying to find the best ways to make it work for our students, A lot of people are in survival mode and students and families are truly struggling with this new way of completing school work. Whether you are sending home packets, sharing virtual lessons, offering office hours, or a combination of these, there still may be some push back. The best we can do is reassure our families that we are doing our best, and that student success is still and will always be the main goal. We understand that this situation may not be ideal, but that we are here to support them however we can, just like always!
Reaching the hard to reach
Let's face it, we are not going to be able to get ahold all of our students. This is true for students at schools that are 100% virtual. It is frustrating, and worrisome, but ya know what, we just keep on trying because we are school counselors and we always do our best for our students. Here are a few ways to try to get in touch with those who are hard to reach. Offer students incentives for showing up, or for answering. Schools have incentive programs; star charts, classroom bucks, extra credit... whatever works for you and your students. Record your lessons and send them out. Add a call to action or an 'exit ticket' to show understanding of the lesson. Find what form of communication is best for the student/families text, email. calls, instant message. Sometimes sending a text before you call, makes all the difference.
Looking Forward
It is definitely hard to plan for the future of our schools and counseling programs when we are not even sure if/when schools will open back up. It is seriously an uncomfortable feeling and it is more than okay to feel that way. We are all part of such a wonderful community of school counselors who are creative, courageous, and caring. No one has all of the answers, but most of us are willing to try and we are incredibly willing to help!