As school counselors, having the right tools and resources in the office to help students grow and develop academically and socially is important.
Some of the most essential things every school counselor should have in their office include a variety of resources for academic planning, career development, social skills building, and more.
Here are the top seven items every school counselor should have in their office to help their students:
- Pictures of them as teens themselves
- Pictures of famous people
- A stuffed animal
- Two comfy chairs
- A whiteboard/chalkboard
- Healthy snacks
- Plants
Are you a school counselor looking to up your game and be more effective? Continue reading to see why you need these items in your office.
Why Your Office Space Should Align With Your Goals
Your office is a sanctuary for not only yourself but your students. The objects in it should reflect your mission and goals.
Make sure your environment is on point and filled with objects your students care about.
Your office should be:
- A place where you can feel relaxed and de-stress.
- A place where you can work on your mental health.
- A place where you can be productive and get work done.
- A place where you can meet with students.
Now that we know what your goals are, let’s take a look at the top 7 things every counselor needs in their office!
The Top 7 Items Counselors Should Have in Their Office
We’ve reached out to counselors and paired with our experience, below are the top items school counselors should have in their office to be the most effective.
1. Pictures of them as teens themselves:
Include one to two photos of yourself as a younger person or student. Preferably photos of you achieving “stuff.” This will humanize you to the students and show that you have accomplished things in your life.
Having these photos will also help you gain greater respect and understanding of the school environment and what it takes to be a student.
2. Pictures of famous people:
Many school counselors use pictures of famous people as inspiration for their students. Having these pictures in their office can help remind them of their goals and dreams, and can also serve as a conversation starter with students.
Pick a famous person most people respect and it can act as a talking point for when the student needs to learn a lesson or be inspired.
3. A stuffed animal:
Silly? Not at all. This works for all ages. Having a stuffed animal in your office can help school counselors seem approachable and non-threatening to students of any grade level who may be reluctant to talk to them.
4. Two comfy chairs:
A comfy chair is a must for school counselors, as they often spend long hours talking to students about their problems.
But don’t forget the student! Effective school counselors level up their chair game and give students comfort to sit in.
5. A whiteboard/chalkboard:
Seems like a no-brainer, but it’s often missed. Whiteboards or chalkboards allow for brainstorming ideas or keeping track of important information.
You can even decorate your chalkboard with a theme depending on what your students need assistance with the most.
6. Healthy snacks:
What student isn’t hungry almost all the time? Keep healthy snacks on hand for students who may not have access to them at home.
This can help students concentrate and feel more comfortable in the counselor’s office.
7. Plants:
A few well-placed plants in your office can help to create a calming, relaxing atmosphere for students.
A study showed that having plants in an office can reduce stress by up to 47%, making school counselors more effective at their job.
Bonus: School Counselor Resource Materials to Make Life Easier
Every school counselor should also have access to high-quality resource materials and tools to grow their knowledge.
View our list below for what we recommend you dive into:
Spotivity
Spotivity is a school engagement platform used by school administrators and counselors who wish to manage school activities safely and cheaply while gaining never-before-obtained student data.
With features like track in-school & after-school activities, pull reports for each student, geo-fence attendance check-in, and more.
Atlas MH
They offer in-app private social networks and podcasts. Atlas also partners with schools and provides a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum within their app.
The curriculum focuses on trying to improve mental health, strengthen academic performance, and develop habits of wellness.
Naviance
Naviance is an online guidance counseling platform with a great market presence and brand recognition. The platform is one of the largest SaaS in the college counseling space and helps families better plan for higher education.
It allows school counselors and administrators to communicate with students throughout the college application process.
SchooLinks
SchooLinks is a modern, AI-powered platform that assists counseling departments with guiding students while delivering personalized experiences to students and families.
The platform organizes all planning activities from career interest inventory to personalized college recommendations.
Lessons.com
Lessons.com allows students to be matched to an instructor that fits their needs. Students can then decide to message/call instructors to hire them after reading reviews.
Conclusion
It can be challenging to get a teen to get involved in something. The first need of any solid connection between Counselor and student is a shared and positive connection. The counselor’s office is the location where this relationship begins and sets up any relationship for success starts here. The above information outlines easily achievable ways to make that first impression as positive as possible for first impressions. Following that, moving on with conversations, decisions, and road map planning can thoughtfully begin.
Fortunately, you can use spotivity’s revolutionary app to find after-school activities for high school students across sectors like sport, art, career, tech, and life skills.
The right software can reduce the amount of work a counselor has to do regularly. With all the tasks that a counselor needs to do with students, teachers, and families, it can be difficult to keep track. spotivity makes it easier to track and manage the whole progress.
Click here to take advantage of our offer.
