BCS Guidance Meeting
September
And so comes the Fall
And So Comes The Fall…
The smell of a fresh bowl of candy corn… Pumpkin flavored everything...the colors of autumn. These are things that come to mind when we think about fall. Fall is a time for a fresh start. A time for reflecting on previous seasons with a focus on moving forward. The same can be said for the start of the school year. Fall is one of the busiest times for counselors. We spend time making sure the previous year’s records are accurate, assessing what needs to be done to start the school year, figuring out new schedules, enrolling and withdrawing students, planning for professional development, and let’s not forget testing.
Sometimes it is easy for us to get overwhelmed with all the things that have to be done. Let’s not forget why we do them in the first place. We all have the desire to help others or else we would not have chosen to be school counselors. But just because we desire to help others doesn’t mean we don’t struggle with our own issues. So when reflecting on what needs to be done for the students in order to help them have a successful school year, let us not forget our own mental health and wellness. If you’ve ever flown on an airplane, you’ve heard the speech about what to do if the oxygen masks fall from the ceiling. They tell us to put the mask on yourself first and then help anyone next to us who is not able to help themselves. That’s an important lesson because if we don’t take care of ourselves, then we won’t be able to take care of others.
As the fall is upon us, here are some things that we can do to make sure that we remain healthy and productive throughout the school year:
Check your wellness- Reflect on your own social, emotional, physical, intellectual, occupational, financial, and spiritual wellness. It is important for us to engage in positive interactions with others for our own social wellness. Be aware of your emotional reactions to things. Take note if this is an area in your life that you need to assess and/or restructure. Look at your physical health by examining your diet and exercise habits. Do you need to change something? If so, the fall is a perfect time for that fresh start. Exercise your brain! Think about what specific professional development opportunities you want to experience this year and how to use that knowledge to improve your intellectual abilities. Reflect on your happiness with your current occupational status. Are you happy doing what you are doing? Are you happy where you are? Are there things that you want to add to your ‘job’, including paid and unpaid things? Are there things you want to take away? Think about your financial wellness. We obviously didn’t become counselors for the money, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to think about our finances. Recent studies show that 85% of US adults are sometimes worried about their finances, while 30% report they are almost always concerned about their finances. Think about how much time it takes to worry about money. We don’t have to be rich to not worry about money though. If we assess our finances and make adjustments in order to live within our means, we can achieve financial happiness. And lastly, but certainly not least, take a look at your spiritual wellness. This involves reflecting on our overall purpose.Examine your beliefs and traditions and make any needed adjustments for you to achieve spiritual happiness.
Maintain boundaries- We all are used to living in small towns where practically “everyone knows everyone”. That feeling of closeness and sense of community is comforting; however we still have to be careful to maintain our professional boundaries. It is in our nature to help others and oftentimes in order to do that, we feel it’s necessary to cross over those boundaries. We have all run into our students at the grocery store or somewhere in town. We may have even had a student serve as our waiter or waitress at dinner. While, we can’t put on our ‘imaginary’ invisible cloak when we go out, we can maintain professional boundaries. While one may be well meaning by answering your personal phone and talking to a parent about a situation at school, situations like these set us up for difficulty in maintaining those boundaries. We are counselors. We enjoy helping others. We do not want to turn anyone away. These are all qualities that make us who we are and led us to our current careers. We just don’t want these qualities to be the reason we become burnout with our lives and chosen careers. It is possible to enforce boundaries without damaging relationships. Just be aware of any lines that may be crossed and take action immediately.
Take time to live your own life- Let’s face it. We love our careers! Notice I didn’t say ‘our jobs’. That’s because sometimes there are things about our jobs (testing), that are not at all in line with our chosen career. However, we understand that those things are necessary and we have to balance the “have to’s” with the “get to’s”. Things get muddy when we start allowing our work to take over our life. If you feel like you can NEVER be out of work for any personal reason, then I’m talking to you. A part of maintaining our own mental health is being able to focus on ourselves from time to time. Don’t let your ‘job’ keep you from achieving something that is important to you!
Don’t forget that you have help! The Blount County School Counselors are awesome! There is always someone that is willing to help you out when you have a need. Our group of counselors are an inspiration to other systems. We are there for each other. If there’s a tragedy in your school, we are all there for you. If there’s an achievement at your school, we are all happy for you. From helping others get ready for testing, talking with them on the phone about credit requirements, figuring out what lessons others are using in their classrooms to bonding at the annual conference; we are there for each other! Don’t ever forget that you have support!
So, as we think about the changing of the seasons and new beginnings, I will leave you with these final words from George Eliot… “It is never too late to be what you might have been”.
Lisa Butler
Next Meeting Date
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2018, 08:00 AM
Blount County Resource Center
What We Need to Get Done Today
Work on Common Web Pages
Do some Mandt Training
Learn about a New App to help our Parent
Hear From the Bold Goals Initiative
Prepare for the Pre-ACT