Positive Impact of Guidance Counselors Essay

A school counselor, usually called a guidance counselor, is one who helps guide students through different aspects of their life whether it be academic, career, college, or social aspects from grades K-12. At some levels a guidance counselor may help students with bullying or a bad home life, and at other levels they help students stay on track and guide them down the right academic path for the student’s success and graduation. No matter what direction the guidance counselor is going, their mind set is always one that will have a positive impact on their school climate and culture. Guidance counselors have the ability to work collaboratively with other educators to make program changes necessary to help prevent students from dropping out of school. With the help of the counselor, students can be directed down correct paths that will prevent student drop outs, thus positively affecting the school climate and culture. An effective guidance counselor will also spend time with troubled students helping them work through their issues, thus creating a better classroom environment for the teachers. When troubled students are receiving the help they need outside the classroom, teachers can maintain an orderly environment free of disruptions, and therefore higher learning can take place. This is yet another example of the positive impact that the counselor has on school climate and culture. The school culture is positively affected by counselors yet again due to the fact that guidance counselors help connect the school with the community, and the school with the parents. Counselors help connect the family as a whole to the educational process by having informative sessions with the community in regards to things like: how to file the FAFSA; explaining what test scores mean; offering help with ACT study sessions, etc. Counselors also send home informative newsletters keeping the parents and community informed about what’s going on inside the school building. In conclusion, it is evident that a school counselor has numerous positive impacts on a school’s climate and culture. They are an irreplaceable resource for the students, school, and the community. Without their presence, schools and students could not and would not be where they are today.