"Changed Impressions"

Wow, my perception of Guidance Counselors has changed greatly. I believed that their primary duties were simply to "guide" students to make good decisions. I had no idea of the level of education and skill required to be an effective Guidance Counselor. I never thought of them as advocates for the student. Everyone, including the students, knows that they are there, but no one goes to visit them until they are in trouble. I find great comfort in knowing that students do have someone to rally for them by collaborating with everyone involved in the student's life. Also, I had no idea that guidance counseling was so data driven. I now know that the counselors lead, advocate, collaborate, and adapt to system changes in order to ensure that each and every student has an individualized plan of action to succeed.