Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified. Today I am sharing three school counseling game changers. These are practical, actionable strategies that I have seen truly transform school counseling programs. They are simple, bite sized, and easy to implement right away to make your day to day feel more manageable.

My goal is to give you one game changer for each tier of your counseling program so you can start making improvements across the board.

Tier 1 Class Lessons One of the biggest game changers for Tier 1 is having a streamlined scheduling system for class lessons. In many schools, scheduling falls entirely on the counselor, which can quickly become overwhelming. Creating a clear sign up system removes that burden and makes the process much more efficient.

You can use either Google Sheets or Calendly to set this up.

With Google Sheets, start by looking at your own calendar and identifying when you are available to teach lessons. Be sure to block off time for planning, meetings, and lunch, and avoid scheduling during times that do not work well for you. List your available time slots in the sheet and share it with teachers. Teachers can then select a consistent time, such as Tuesdays at 1:00, which becomes their recurring lesson slot. You can then add these to your calendar for the entire year, making adjustments as needed for holidays or schedule changes. This eliminates constant back and forth communication and creates a clear, organized system.

Calendly is a more automated option. You can input your availability, send the link to teachers, and allow them to book their own time slots. Calendly will automatically sync with your calendar and send reminders, making the process seamless for both you and your teachers.

Tier 2 Small Groups The game changer for small groups is incorporating games. Student engagement and buy-in are essential, and games are a powerful way to help students feel comfortable, open up, and build rapport.

Some easy options include discussion cards, Boom Cards, playing cards, and board games. These tools make sessions interactive while still supporting skill development.

Tier 3 Individual Counseling For Tier 3, the biggest game changer is using data to guide your decisions. As school counselors, we provide short term, solution-focused support, which means it is important to track progress and measure outcomes.

This can be done through behavior surveys sent to teachers and caregivers before and after sessions, as well as student self assessments. This combination of data gives you a well-rounded view of how the student is progressing across settings.

At the end of a six to eight week cycle, this data allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your interventions and make informed decisions about next steps for the student.

These are three simple but powerful game changers that can make a meaningful difference in your counseling program at every tier.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join IMPACT

• https://brightfutures-counseling.com/blogs/blog/5-strategies-for-stress-free-scheduling

• Data Collection Behavior Surveys

• Self-assessment Super Bundle

• School Counseling SEL Game Board Bundle

Connect with Rachel:

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• Facebook Group

• Pinterest

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!