A school counselor has many roles. Through the use of individual and small group counseling, classroom guidance, and collaboration/consultation, the professional school counselor is primarily focused on three areas, with particular attention to culturally-informed practices:
- Social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health
- Social skill learning (making healthy friendships, communication, respect, responsibility, empathy, kindness, tolerance, etc.)
- Emotional regulation and coping skills
- Self-esteem
- Confidence
- Cultural awareness
- Social media awareness and safety
- Bullying and harassment prevention and intervention
- Evaluate data to make decisions regarding overall school culture and social climate
- Other social and emotional domains
- Academic development
- Identify and help students overcome barriers to student achievement
- Advocate for culturally-sensitive learning environments
- Collaborate with parents and school staff to create the best learning supports for each student
- Develop academic plans with students to meet their post-secondary aspirations
- Career development
- Help students identify their interests, skills, talents, and abilities
- Expose students to different career options through field trips, speakers, and job shadows
- Use culturally-appropriate career development interventions to provide students with a diverse career profile
- Integrate career goals with academic planning
Social, emotional, and behavioral learning
Cedar Rapids Community School District emphasizes social-emotional learning through the use of the five CASEL (collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning) standards:
- Self awareness: Understanding personal strengths and limitations, recognizing personal emotions, personal thoughts, and values
- Self management: Managing stress, regulating emotions, thoughts, and behavior
- Social awareness: Empathy, perspective taking, understanding and appreciating diversity, understanding norms of behavior
- Relationship skills: Cooperating with others, establishing healthy relationships, handling conflict appropriately
- Responsible decision-making: Making wise choices, making decisions based on social norms, evaluating choices)
Holland codes
Third, fourth, and fifth graders complete a career counseling unit where they learn to apply their Holland codes to potential career interests.
School-based therapy
Arthur Elementary has a part-time, school-based therapist. Elizabeth Heiar is a licensed therapist through Tanager Place. She splits her time between Arthur and Grant Wood Elementary. She can be contacted at eheiar@tanagerplace.org or 319-365-9165, ext. 676.