As I settle into my new job at ASD, I have been so encouraged to find a comprehensive international school counseling program already in place. It is great to enter into a job with excellent programs and systems established. Now I have some work to do to develop further as a school counselor within these programs! We are being asked to create a professional growth & collaboration goal, so I have had the chance to sit down with a collaborative partner and discuss some areas where I could develop further. I feel fortunate to have time, collaborative staff, and PD opportunities dedicated to doing just that!

In the process, I have narrowed it down to two topics: child protection and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (formerly known as collaborative problem solving). Regarding the former, the school counselors from preK- 12 have met for the past two years to examine current practices and ensure alignment of the curriculum across grade levels. I have joined the discussions and have been working to catch up with all of their hard work. I have also been selected to attend the AISA International Child Protection Symposium in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2015! I look forward to learning more about different aspects of child protection, but especially about research-based curriculum and its use with appropriate developmental levels. Oh, and for school counselors who are passionate about social justice and child protection… check out AISA's Child Protection Handbook!

I discovered that one of my fellow school counselors is a trainer for Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, and she is willing to mentor me as I learn more about the philosophy and techniques! I have been intrigued by Ross Greene's methods, as many counselors speak highly of its effectiveness. Collaborative and Proactive Solutions seeks to understand the child's need for skills rather than believing the child is willfully challenging adults and peers. I find the approach compassionate and affirming of the unique qualities each child holds. I hope to research CPS, integrate it into my current practices, and then assess the effectiveness in my own school setting. 

I feel blessed to be in a school that encourages us to grow professionally! I would love to hear about the topics and methods you, as a school counselors, are pursuing in your professional growth, too… comment below to share!

I like to use social media to connect with other school counselors. Because many of us are the only ones in our school buildings, we can be rather isolated. I find so many great ideas and lessons in my "online PLCs" through Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other counseling blogs. 

To find counselors, I often use hashtags (learn more on this webpage). My favorites are:

#escchat
#scchat
#SCcrowd
#psycchat

Now, I'd like to add a new hashtag for international school counselors! I propose we call it #intlSC and use it to share ideas, research, and lessons unique to counseling students overseas. If you are an international school counselor, join us!

I have exciting news! I will be moving to another country to work at an international school! I will continue to work as an elementary school counselor. To learn more, click the picture to the left or follow this link (and please let me know if the link does not work!). 

I added a page to this website about international school counseling where I plan to post about counseling techniques and resources when working overseas. I also plan to post about my travels in this blog… so stay tuned!