Tips for Lone Rangers & Rural School Counselors
Presented by:
Franciene Sabens, M.S. Ed., LPC, NCC
Leslie Goines, M.S. Ed.
The Rural Route LSSSCA Virtual Conference
February 4, 2023
Our Journeys
Leslie Goines, M.S. Ed.
@lesliegoines
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Masters + 45)
McKendree University, Principalship
Experience: 15 years
Lone Ranger Experience: 6 Years
Rural High School Experience: 15 Years
Franciene Sabens, M.S. Ed., LPC, NCC
@FSabens
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (Masters + 21)
Experience: 14 years
Lone Ranger Experience: 11 years
Rural High School Experience: 11 Years
Download the full presentation & resources from SchoolCounselorSpace.Blogspot.com
Session Summary
This morning we will share time-efficient, field tested, strategies to help you plan, or fine tune, your school counseling program and improve student outcomes.
Program SMART goals, strategies, outcome data, tools, and materials from two high schools will be shared. Technology integration and the impact of cultural, social, and environmental influences on student success and opportunities will also be discussed. We’ve got everything you need to feel confident implementing the ASCA National Model (4th edition) as a lone ranger or a rural school counselor.
Download the full presentation & resources from SchoolCounselorSpace.Blogspot.com
What does it mean to be a rural school counselor?
Defining Rural
Government and scholarly literature do not have a singular definition for what constitutes as rural setting or a rural community. The National Center for Education Statistics is the most widely accepted.
Perspectives
Suburbia
Rural
Voices from the Field
Informal Survey-Rural School Counselors
Over 75 Responses
Other Groups:
23 States Represented
Common Challenges for Rural School Counselors
School Counselor Challenges
Systemic Challenges
Meet a Lone Ranger
Challenges
Having students see beyond the opportunities just in their own town
Families that gain access to your personal numbers and text or call at all hours
Obstacles
“Time! Prioritizing! As the Lone Ranger, I often have to decide what is most important bc I can only tackle one thing at a time. A looming deadline or a student crisis?
Also, sometimes we are seen as a administrator which can put barriers between me and the student’s trust in my counseling.”
-- Monica Wilson, Texas
Solution = Comprehensive School Counseling Program
Addressing Lone Ranger/Rural School Counselor Challenges
Challenges:
Having students see beyond the opportunities just in their own town
Families that gain access to your personal numbers and text or call at all hours
Obstacles
“Time! Prioritizing! As the Lone Ranger, I often have to decide what is most important bc I can only tackle one thing at a time. A looming deadline or a student crisis?
Also, sometimes we are seen as a administrator which can put barriers between me and the student’s trust in my counseling.”
-- Monica Wilson, Texas
Annual Student Outcome Goals
Time Management Boundaries
Annual Administrative Conference & Role Advocacy
Tier 1 School Counseling Curriculum Lesson (College-Going Self-Efficacy [M2, M4]) & Tier 2 small groups
What does it mean to deliver a comprehensive school counseling program?
The ASCA National Model guides school counselors in the development of school counseling programs that:
“The road may be rural, winding and filled with obstacles, but that does not mean we can turn our backs on our ethical obligation to provide a comprehensive, data driven school counseling program for our students.”
-Franciene Sabens
Social Justice Advocacy
A social justice perspective “acknowledges the role that dominate cultural values have in shaping the educational success and failure of youngsters, as evidenced by the achievement gap.”
-- Holcom-McCoy (2007)
Research with rural populations identifies social justice advocacy as a key strategy to address inequities in rural education
(Cuervo, 2012)
Rural culture = rural consciousness
A perspective that society unfairly allocates more resources & support to cities, focusing on the needs of minority populations while ignoring rural community needs
Rural School Counselor Implications for
Social Justice Advocacy
School counselors “must accept responsibility as social justice advocates, focus strategic and intentional interventions to remove barriers to learning and raise the level of expectations for students for whom little is expected.”
Dahir & Stone (2009)
ASCA National Model
Simplified
Tips & Strategies for
Rural School Counselors
Don’t be a bulldozer on an island…
Take the Pulse, Learn the Community
Role Advocacy
Advocacy Examples
Introduce yourself to the school community
FRONT BACK
Make a copy of this sample via this link
Include your department Mission Statement at the bottom.
Create a School Counselor intro video for free with Animoto
Use Canva to create postcards. Send one to every student as the year progresses.
Adopt a color for School Counseling communications so families know it’s happy mail.
Advocacy
Examples
Cup of Cheer
At the beginning of the year personally welcome every staff member back with a copy of your department Mission, Vision, SMART goals, info on the role of the school counselor and a treat.
Advocacy
Examples
Advocacy
Examples
Advocacy
Examples
Advocacy
Examples
Advocacy
Examples
Teach a lesson, build a bulletin board
Lesson details here.
Freshman Academy Results Report
Assess your program & share your data with your school board at least once a year, make it a habit to present at the board meeting every June.
Present to your School Board
Communication Tips
Your SIS allows you the ability to schedule messages to families!
Email, voice and/or text.
Time Management Tips
Connecting with Families
Creating a Legacy
Challenge: Having students see beyond the opportunities just in their own town.
Strategies
“As the lone ranger I often have to decide what is most important because I can only tackle one thing at a time. A looming deadline or a student crisis? Also, sometimes we are seen as an administrator which can put barriers between me and the student’s trust in my counseling”
-- Monica Wilson, Texas
Strategies for Creating
Rigorous Academic Opportunities
Expand your PLN
SMART Goals
Annual Student Outcome Goals
Annual Student Outcome Goals
School Counseling Lessons that Deliver
You like it? You want it? You got it!
School Counseling Curriculum
Presentations
Ideas
It’s all here for you…
Examples
Resources to plan your Curriculum
Paid Links
High School Curriculum
Freshman Year
Foundation
Have students create a SMART goal for each domain. Check out this Freshman Focus Lesson.
High School Curriculum
Sophomore Year
Set your Sights on Success
High School Curriculum
Junior Year
*Note to counselor: stay connected & keep trying new ideas because you never know what will be that student's "aha moment" to turn it around, or get serious about the next step.
High School Curriculum
Senior Year
Academic Presentation Flipped
Career Collaborations & Supplemental Activities
Workplace Dilemmas & Scenarios
Social/Emotional Supplemental Activities
TOILET TALK
Monthly themes of reading material hung in bathrooms throughout school (in stalls)
Program Results we have Achieved
Franciene Sabens @FSabens
Leslie Goines @lesliegoines
Funding Resources
Resources for Funding
Mental Health Resources for Rural Communities
Mental Health & the Rural School Counselor
Mental Health Challenges
Accessibility
Acceptability
Availability
have to travel long distances to receive services, lack of public transportation, less likely to be insured for mental health services & less likely to recognize an illness
The stigma of needing or receiving mental healthcare
Chronic shortages of mental health professionals exist
Mental Health Resources/Interventions
Create your
Action Plan!!
Thank you for joining us!
Please stay connected & share your greatest takeaway from today’s presentation via Twitter!
Franciene Sabens
FrancieneSabens@gmail.com
@FSabens
Leslie Goines
leslie.goines@gmail.com
@lesliegoines
Resources
References