"School counselor" is a deceptively simple title. In reality, school counselors play many roles including a social and emotional educator, academic advisor, conflict mediator, wellness coach, psychotherapist, student champion, educational worker, and family member.
With the emergence of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, many school advisors have become connectors and comforters – not only for students, but also for parents and school staff.
Schools started to close last spring in response to the pandemic. According to Bildungswoche 48 states; four US territories; Washington, D.C .; and the Department of Education eventually ordered or recommended school closings, which affected at least 50.8 million public students. Suddenly, students, families, counselors, teachers, and administrators had to find a way to virtually redesign their personal school routines. This already challenging shift was made difficult by the significant number of students who did not have access to high-speed Internet or desktop, laptop or tablet computers.
Even before the pandemic, civil rights and education groups had deciphered the so-called “homework gap”, because many teachers increasingly assign work that required internet access. Already at a disadvantage, these disenfranchised students – many of whom were black, indigenous or colored (BIPOC) – were now completely excluded from school activities for the rest of the year.
According to a recent report by organizations including the Alliance for Excellent Education and the National Urban League, when the wave of school closings hit 16.9 million children were absent -speed home internet access (a number which comprised 1 in 3 BIPOC families) and 7.3 million did not have a computer or tablet. Many schools spent the spring and summer providing students with equipment and internet access – a task that was incomplete in the new school year. Stories of students struggling to keep up with online classes on mobile phones are still not uncommon.
When the economy took a nosedive with the spread of the coronavirus, it was difficult for many families to focus on anything other than survival. But financially secure families also found it difficult to provide the ideal learning environment, as in many cases parents working from home with multiple children struggled to create physical space and time for each person to be online. Students missed seeing their friends and participating in after-school activities. The sports season has been canceled. The theater curtains never opened during school plays. Rites of passage such as prom and graduation ceremonies largely fell by the wayside.
And now it's fall, which means a brand new school year. Nevertheless, in many parts of the country, the football fields and stands remain empty, the instruments of the marching band are silent and there will be no homecoming dances. Things are definitely not back to normal. Incidentally, there is a fairly widespread belief that “normal” will never return. Nobody knows what the future will look like.
So it is not surprising that parents, students and school staff feel stressed and overwhelmed. Continuing to teach online while ensuring that students and families have the technological resources they need – or in some cases the very basics, such as B. enough food to eat – are still teamwork.
Since maintaining the mental, emotional and physical well-being of the students is the essence of school counselors, these professionals have usually been the focus of the problem-solving process since the arrival of the coronavirus. They made check-in phone calls to make sure students have the necessary equipment and internet access. helped parents (or grandparents) troubleshoot technology issues; arranged for families in need of gift cards and community resources; responded to requests from teachers to find out why students were not showing up for online classes (and then working to remove the barrier); calmed stressed parents; coached families on how to set up a structured school day; Mental health referrals made for students in crisis; and morally supported teachers, administrators and each other. As they find ways to continue to offer academic advice, focus on students' emotional and social learning, and provide targeted support to children who have faced various personal and school-related issues.
Counseling Today spoke to several school counselors at the end of the 2019-2020 school year and prepared for the new fall 2020 semester to learn about the challenges of doing their job amid a pandemic.
Linda Colón
Advisor to Preschoolers and Kindergarteners, Bancroft Elementary School, Washington, D.C.
Bancroft is a Title I school (i.e., an institution that receives financial support due to a high number of students from low income families) with a majority of Latinx students that includes children of Ethiopian immigrants . Many of the families in the district live in poverty and often share relatively small living spaces with large families.
Under normal circumstances, Linda Colón, a member of the American Counseling Association, gives the earliest instruction in social and emotional learning to the youngest students at Bancroft. By observing (and joining) playful students, reading to them, installing toys, talking to dolls, and showing self-produced videos, Colón teaches preschoolers and kindergarten teachers basic social skills and how to recognize and regulate their emotions.
Getting to know the students' families and investing in their children's learning has always been an integral part of Colón's approach to counseling. She says that from a young age she plants a “seed” of awareness of the importance of education and presence. Colón meets with parents to answer questions and, if requested, provides advice on how to reinforce the social and emotional lessons their children are learning.
Another benefit of building relationships with families – and checking in regularly by phone or in person (in times of pandemic times) – is that Colón can get a better feel for the problems families may be facing . If they trust the counselors and teachers, they will be more likely to contact them when they need help solving emotional or mental health problems, or accessing vital resources such as food and shelter.
Colón has been finding new ways to keep in touch with their students and families since March when schools across the metropolitan area closed their doors and switched to online learning due to the coronavirus to finish the school year. Washington, D.C. schools chose to start the New Year virtually as well, with the option to re-evaluate in November.
"We can't just say, 'This won't work," says Colón. "We have to find out. We owe it to the children."
Before personal study ceased entirely in March, Colón, knowing the children were feeling anxious, created a lesson that focused on "Using Strategies". She reminded the children that it was helpful to talk about it when they were really scared and gave them some age-appropriate safety information.
The most important piece, however, was the practical activity: washing hands. "We want to keep the germs away, so we wash our hands for 20 seconds," said Colón to the children and supported the statement with videos and puppet demonstrations of hand washing.
Colón also made videos so that the children's social and emotional learning could be continued virtually. The videos covered topics such as positive attitudes, practicing breathing techniques, and practicing mindfulness.
Colón also spoke to some of her students and their families individually, either on the phone or through Microsoft Meetings, to see how they were dealing with it, to listen to stressed parents and to give anxious children a calming presence to offer. She gave the parents her phone number and encouraged them to call or text them if they needed help. As the distance learning continues, she has encouraged teachers to achieve as much as possible too. In addition, Colón worked directly with parents to solve technological problems.
One of their initiatives this year is to help parents find a way for children to take a break from their surroundings – a relaxation bubble. Many of their students live in a small space, so the "bubble" could be as simple and small as a blanket that is hung over a chair to build a mini tent.
Even at a young age, children know what is going on around them better than most people think, says Colón. They know that people are sick and dying, and it is at this age that children are less able to process the fear, which puts them at risk of getting stuck in combat or flight mode. When they're in school, they can see their friends in the playground and have other ways to escape, but at home, trauma can be inevitable – if only through the TV.
Activities like drawing, watching a funny video, or escaping into your relaxation bladder can all help ease the anxiety, says Colón. The Colón School staff asked that all families be sent markers, colored pencils and paper.
Research also shows that it can be helpful to simply connect with a personable presence when people are experiencing trauma, says Colón. She therefore believes that keeping in touch with students and families is one of the most important things school staff can do right now.
"A way is being found to establish this connection," she says. "When you're in school, you wave to them [students and families] and say" Hello, good morning "and sing a silly song. They do something to create a connection that has nothing to do with academics."
"I think our [school counseling] services are needed more than ever," says Colón. "We are the ones who get the pulse [of the community]."
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Natasha Griffith
Advisor for First through Sixth Grades and Coordinator for the Homeless, Dorothy I. Height Elementary School, Washington, D.C.
Size is also a Title I school in which many of their families live on or below the poverty line. Most of the students are black – mostly first generation Ethiopians. About 20 to 30 percent of students are Latinx.
"I think this year I'll be proud and successful if I can master Microsoft teams and have full lessons," says ACA member Natasha Griffith, whose school – like Colón's – will be virtual until at least November . She has modest goals for the start of the school year, including some smaller group sessions with fourth- through sixth-grade students. Griffith's role as the school's homeless coordinator, helping families in temporary shelters find financial and community resources, may challenge this goal. "I have to focus on the obstacles that children and their parents face," she says.
Griffith says she and her staff "took the first step" last spring when school buildings closed. They distributed city government gift cards and money from a GoFundMe campaign to the families in need, and made sure students had computers. However, there is still a need for support in the current school year. Although Griffith didn't officially work the summer, she heard from families looking for extra gift cards and interpreted for the school's non-Spanish tech contact. Most students were given computers or iPads in the spring, but stable internet access was a persistent problem. Therefore, the school has set up families with mobile hotspot devices (routers connected to a cellular data network that provides Wi-Fi connectivity).
Griffith will continue to call families to check in with students who do not show up online. If their absence is due to technological problems, then she will make sure they get the resources they need. If the absence is due to the students and families not adapting well to the virtual learning, Griffith will do her best to help them navigate the unfamiliar territory and highlight the importance of the students participating so that they do not fall behind. "So many students didn't take part [last spring]," she says. Even when families aren't facing technological difficulties, many of them aren't being sold for virtual learning, Griffith says.
Unfortunately, as in many communities across the country, there will be cases where Griffith will not be able to get in touch with families. Height's counseling staff works closely with a Washington Department of Health social worker responsible for connecting families to resources, and Griffith says she has accomplished a lot. However, the reality is that schools are finding it incredibly difficult to ensure continuity of education during the pandemic.
As last spring, Griffith will continue to help bridge the gap between parents and teachers. Many parents feel overwhelmed, and coping with online learning is another source of frustration for them. Griffith is listening and helping families see that school staff are there to help, not to judge. She also focuses on developing lesson plans that will help students find their way around the virtual landscape and encourage them to seek help when needed.
Another challenge Griffith faces is that she does not have a set "class time" online. In order to present lessons, she has to be flexible and use any free time teachers have on their timetables. In addition, she plans to develop videos on the social and emotional learning topics that form the core of her counseling curriculum, including dealing with anger, building self-esteem, learning to identify emotions, developing resilience, and using tools for academic success. She has refurbished her apartment to create a space for filming. The videos are posted to Microsoft Teams, which students can access when needed.
In the spring, Griffith created some virtual "packed lunches" for small groups of students. She and the children played games like self-care bingo. Places included actions like showering, having breakfast, listening to your body, taking a break, meditating, calling a friend, and saying something good about yourself. She also asked the students what they were doing outside of class. "It gave them a place to talk about missing their friends," she says. "It was also something social that had nothing to do with school."
Griffith starts the virtual lunch again in the current school year. She also wants to find a way to virtually restore the Personal Recovery Circles she used to have in school. The activity, which was typically attended by 20 to 22 students, focused on community building. Griffith asked open-ended questions (usually with respect for classmates) and presented students with a conversation to go around the circle. Students could choose to keep the piece and speak or pass it on.
"I think restorative circles work well because they allow students to express their feelings about various social and emotional learning topics," she says. "It enables students to take responsibility and participate in the class community."
Griffith will continue to interact with students in every possible way while her school is online, but she believes there is no substitute for in-person interaction. "Especially for these children," she says. "I say personally," You have this. You can do that. "That's what I live for as a school counselor … [to] make a difference and tell them that they are important."
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Judy Trigiani
Kindergarten through Sixth Grade Counselor, Spring Hill Elementary School, McLean, Virginia.
Spring Hill has a large number of international students, many of whom are the children of diplomats and business people from around the world. Some of these families temporarily moved to their home countries to await the pandemic and have not yet returned to the US
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For the school district of ACA member Judy Trigiani it is planned to work exclusively online for at least the first quarter of the school year and then to reassess. But, as Trigiani noted at the end of last school year, one of the biggest stresses of the pandemic on people is not knowing when it will end. Or in the case of schools, if the students are returned in person, there is no risk of widespread dissemination in the community. “We're trying to plan the unknown. We don't know when we'll be back yet, ”says Trigiani.
In the meantime, Trigiani and the rest of the staff at Spring Hill continue to try to keep things as "normal" as possible. The school year traditionally begins with an open day and a new focus on families and students. This year is no exception; However, the events are all virtual. Families and students will connect through Blackboard Collaborate, where staff will introduce themselves and talk about the school community, schedule, and resources available to parents. A question and answer session will follow. The school also hosts town hall meetings and a kindergarten orientation to introduce new resources and answer questions.
This year there will also be a technology session to demonstrate Blackboard functions such as the icons for accessing the microphone and video and “raising” your hand. how to enlarge the screen; Agree, disagree and respond to the teacher and his classmates with emojis; and where to find the chat box, says Trigiani. The technology orientation will also cover some of the other programs the school will use. Blackboard Collaborate enables employees to post videos, PowerPoints and share their screens. The technical session will also demonstrate how to access the website and the asynchronous learning area (video sessions that students can watch on their own schedule). Trigiani has also prepared PowerPoint presentations for parents on topics such as setting up their children's workspaces and talking to children about COVID-19.
Trigiani and the rest of the counseling staff will continue to visit the virtual classrooms every morning to check in and say, "We're here if you need anything." There are 18 classrooms per counselor, and counselors go to one classroom every day, she explains. Sometimes they do a lesson. Other times, Trigiani will show up early to chat with the kids and ask them to use the emojis to let them know how they are doing. If a student expresses distress or Trigiani hears or sees something that worries her, she meets with the student online individually and works to resolve the problem.
Individual counseling, classes in social skills, school counseling programs, parents' meetings, identification and sharing of resources – the normal work of school counselors also continues virtually. In addition, Trigiani works with parents who are struggling to cope with their children's behavioral, social and emotional issues. If necessary, counseling staff refer to external mental health resources.
The key, Trigiani says, is something one of her former bosses said, "Keep your community and people informed and stay as positive and flexible as possible."
Trigiani believes that technology is becoming increasingly important for school counseling, even after schools decide to return to the personal model. Maintaining a virtual element will not only give medically ill students better access to education, it will also help counselors prepare students for jobs in the 21st century by enabling students to develop online social skills, Trigiani said .
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Randi Vogel
Sixth Grade Advisor, Thomas Pyle Middle School, Bethesda, Maryland.
Pyle also has a significant number of international students, which means the student population is somewhat temporary.
"This pandemic really brought the socio-emotional needs of our students to light," says ACA member Randi Vogel. "Even students whom we considered to be very solid have trouble."
In the spring, several students who were already struggling with mental health problems continued to deteriorate with the loss of a structured school environment and eventually had to be hospitalized, she says. But even students who had no mental health problems in the past were afraid and stressed.
After the school went online, Vogel and her team announced on the school portal that they were available via email and zoom. They also sent out regular surveys asking students how they were feeling, whether they needed something, or if they just wanted to share.
One girl replied that she needed a Chromebook laptop to keep up with schoolwork. Another student said, "I miss you – and I fell and broke my arm." Some students expressed that they just really wanted to talk, so Vogel and her team connected with them individually via video chat.
The surveys also asked students what they are doing to take care of themselves and who they have reached. Every time Vogel spoke to a student, she asked him what they were doing for themselves.
Vogel & # 39; s District starts the new school year with purely virtual lessons and will be reassessed in November. Although many students initially enjoyed the novelty of studying from home, that feeling generally seems to have subsided, Vogel says. "I've heard from several parents and students that they really miss the school experience – chatting with their friends in the halls, changing classes, being active in the cafeteria, being active after school, taking the bus to and from school."
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Although her school cannot recreate those experiences, the days will be more structured and organized for students this year, she says. Unlike last spring, there will be more live and interactive classes when the teachers mainly gave classes on 'asynchronous learning' using pre-recorded videos that students would watch for themselves. The teachers then offered online office hours to answer additional questions.
"Parents definitely want more live lessons and more time in the day to mimic what's going on in the building," says Vogel. While this can help make the virtual class feel more like a normal class, she anticipates that despite the breaks built into the class schedule, students will struggle to be on their screens for so many hours.
"We as counselors will continue to contact our students to see how we can help them virtually," she says. "This could look like lunch or launching single zoom calls as check-ins."
Vogel says their counseling department takes great pride in being available to students during the day. In fact, they had several students who were issued "flash passports" so they could come to the counseling center whenever they needed a break. "As soon as we're back in the building, I expect that to resume," she says. "However, it's much more difficult to develop relationships with middle school students through Zoom."
Because so many students have problems or just need a little extra help with coping, Vogel and her colleagues will include more mindfulness and stress reduction activities and class reunions in the virtual day for students. "I think it will be very beneficial for students to hear from each other how they are dealing with it and that they are not alone with their feelings," she says.
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Additional resources
To learn more about the topics discussed in this article, please use the following selected resources from the American Counseling Association:
Advice today (ct.counseling.org)
ACA School Counselor Connection (Beratung.org/membership/aca-and-you/school-counselors/school-counselor)[19459006
ACA Mental Health Resources (beratung.org/knowledge-center/mental-health-resources/)[19459006
Books & DVDs (imis.counseling.org/store)
Books
A Small Group School Counselor's Guide: Coordination, Leadership, and Assessment, edited by Sarah I. Springer, Lauren J. Moss, Nader Manavizadeh, and Ashley Pugliese
Critical Incidents in School Counseling, Third Edition, by Tarrell Awe Agahe Portman, Chris Wood, and Heather J. Fye
Developing and Managing Your School Counseling and Counseling Program, 5th Edition, by Norman C. Gysbers and Patricia Henderson
Solution-oriented counseling in schools, 3rd edition, by John J. Murphy
DVDs
Acute and severe behavior problems by Dave Scott
Bullying in schools: six intervention methods, presented by Ken Rigby
Conflict Management in Schools: A New Approach to Disciplinary Violations, introduced by John Winslade
Quality Circle Time in Secondary School presented by Jenny Mosley
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Laurie Meyers is a senior writer for Counseling Today. Contact them at [email protected].
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Es sollte nicht davon ausgegangen werden, dass Meinungen und Aussagen in Artikeln, die auf CT Online erscheinen, die Meinungen der Herausgeber oder Richtlinien der American Counseling Association widerspiegeln.
