Can You Become a School Counselor With a Bachelor Degree

A school counselor, also commonly known as a guidance counselor, provides students with academic, career, and college advice, as well as personal and social guidance. This can be accomplished through group counseling or private counseling. Counselors also assist with almanac academic planning for each student. This guide provides further data on what school counselors do, how to become 1, and the occupation'southward salary and job outlook.

School Counselor Chore Description

While historically counselors working in educational settings have been known as "guidance counselors," the term "school counselor" is now generally preferred. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has been active in promoting this alter in terminology, as schoolhouse counselor may better reflect today's "whole person" approach to educatee success, which focuses on much more than vocational assessment and placement. School counselors play an of import role in the lives of students at both public and individual schools. Their chief job is to assist students make positive decisions that lead to academic and personal success. To accomplish this, counselors work closely with students, teachers, and school administrators. Counselors may piece of work in elementary, middle, or high schools as well every bit in colleges and universities. Counselors mainly work in an office setting, but they may also spend time in classrooms observing students, helping to identify and define needs. They also guide troubled students and work with differently-abled students. The number of students that a school counselor works with tin can vary widely by district, but co-ordinate to the ASCA, the ideal caseload is 250 students per school counselor.¹

Schoolhouse Counselor Requirements and Common Tasks

In add-on to assisting with personal or emotional problems, counselors likewise help students in their academic lives, helping them develop better study habits and test-taking skills. They may also help students to identify their interests and natural abilities, set doable goals for the future, and work with them to create plans to reach those goals. In elementary schools, counselors may assistance teachers identify students who need extra assist, have special needs, or take behavioral bug. In the same vein, they might also aid in identifying gifted students who require a greater claiming or more advanced content than they can go far the regular classroom.

Counselors teach simple students how to make sound decisions, which will hopefully ready them up for afterwards success. In centre schools and high schools, the school advisor plays an important part in advising students near possible colleges and scholarships and grants that may be available to them. They as well might counsel students on choosing classes that volition support their longer-term goals. In high schoolhouse, their job might include helping students write resumes, apply for jobs, and larn interviewing skills. Schoolhouse counselors may likewise assistance students bargain with tragedies that affect the student body equally a whole: the decease of a teacher or fellow educatee or incidents such as a schoolhouse shooting. Stiff communication skills and pity for others are essential in the career of counseling since a 18-carat desire to help students succeed is at the centre of the profession.

School Counseling Programs

How to Become a School Counselor

For those seeking information on how to become a school counselor, the kickoff step is to obtain a bachelor's caste. Some topics that will help prospective counselors gain the skills needed to enter the profession are child psychology and communication. All states require a primary'due south degree in schoolhouse counseling to become fully licensed as a schoolhouse counselor. The program you select should be approved past your state's board of education and may need to include specific courses and/or hold specific accreditations – be sure to bank check with your state's lath for detailed requirements. All main's in school counseling programs also include a period of fieldwork, allowing students to gain real-life experience in the field. The typical steps to get a school counselor are:

1. Earn a bachelor'southward degree in counseling, psychology, or a related subject.
2. Earn a master's degree in schoolhouse counseling or a closely related subject with acceptable coursework in school counseling to fulfill land requirements.
3. Consummate a schoolhouse counseling internship or other qualifying clinical experience as part of your program, depending on your land's requirements.
4. Laissez passer your state's required exams for school counselors.
5. Apply for your school advisor'due south license.
6. Begin applying for open school counselor jobs.

Some schools as well prefer candidates to take a teaching certificate and a few years of teaching experience before becoming a school counselor. The rules for school counseling certification vary from country to state; nosotros recommend checking with your state'south board of education to verify the requirements.

School Advisor Salary and Job Outlook

The bacon of a school counselor varies depending on such things as the level of the school (primary or secondary), whether the schoolhouse is public or private, the schoolhouse'southward location, and the candidate's education and experience. According to the Usa Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for school and career counselors in 2022 was $56,310.ⁱⁱ Through 2028, employment for school counselors is expected to grow by eight%, which is faster than average for all occupations.²

Helpful Skills and Feel

Since schoolhouse counseling requires working with students, parents, teachers, and administrators, people in this function should be excellent communicators. Counselors should be peachy listeners, able to easily relate to people of different ages and backgrounds, and compassionate. Since school counselors will likely mentor students with emotional or behavioral issues, they should possess kindness and a natural power to empathize. It is helpful if the prospective counselor has prior experience in counseling children, either through an internship or previous employment.

Possible Job Titles for This Career

• Career Counselor
• Higher Counselor
• Elementary Schoolhouse Counselor
• Guidance Counselor
• High School Counselor
• School Counselor

Boosted Resources

• The American Schoolhouse Counselor Association: The American School Counselor Association (ASCA), supports counselors at schools with professional evolution opportunities, publications, research and advancement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What types of courses do I take to become a schoolhouse counselor?

Answer: The courses required volition vary depending on the school, but most schoolhouse counseling programs will require coursework in fostering bookish development, group and individual counseling, as well as sociology and psychology.

Question: Do school counselors get summers off?

Reply: Depending on the school, some counselors might become their summers off. Cheque with the individual schoolhouse to find out more.

Question: How much do school counselors make?

Respond: The salary for schoolhouse counselors depends on a diversity of factors, but according to the BLS, the median bacon for a schoolhouse counselor in the US is $56,310.

Question: What caste do yous need to be a school counselor?

Answer: In most states, a principal's degree in school counseling is required to go a school counselor. There may be exceptions where a provisional license with a bottom caste may be issued, with the expectation that a chief's in school counseling be pursued inside a specified fourth dimension period in order to achieve full licensure.

References:
1. American Schoolhouse Counseling Clan, "The Role of the Schoolhouse Counselor": https://world wide web.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/ee8b2e1b-d021-4575-982c-c84402cb2cd2/Function-Statement.pdf
2. Agency of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Schoolhouse and Career Counselors: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/school-and-career-counselors.htm

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