What does an elementary guidance counselor do?

Whenever I am meeting new people and the inevitable question, So what do you do? arises, I am generally met with a polite smile and confused expression when I answer, Oh, I'm an elementary school guidance counselor. Inevitably they ask,

So what does an elementary guidance counselor do?

Always a great question.

Let's see how best I can answer it. 

In any given week, I have a set schedule of responsibilities which include the following:

•  Teaching whole class lessons on topics such as empathy, problem solving strategies, friendship skills, self-esteem, emotional awareness, etc.
• Seeing kids in small groups for counseling. Oftentimes these groups are based on building social/friendship skills, though sometimes they have a different focus such as self-esteem, anti-bullying, anger management, etc. We play games, do paper and pencil activities, do role plays, and work together as a group towards many common goals. It is not "counseling" in the traditional sense of the word, but more a small group setting to model and teach specific skills.
• Seeing kids individually for counseling, depending on their needs. Some students are too overwhelmed by the small group setting and need more direct, personalized support and some students have sensitive issues that would be inappropriate to address in a group format. Therefore, I see these students individually. Sometimes we are working on activities or playing therapeutic games and sometimes we are just talking in a more traditional counseling sense. It all depends on the student, their age, and their concern.
• Collaborating with teachers. I spend a lot of time in meetings and informal discussions with teachers to help address concerns they may have behaviorally, socially, or emotionally with their students.
• Writing and implementing behavior plans. For students with behavioral challenges, I work with teachers to create, implement, and track behavior plans.
• Serving as the Section 504 coordinator. I write Section 504 plans for students with disabilities who receive accommodations in the classroom and I manage their plans by organizing annual reviews and the paperwork that accompanies them.
• Attending grade level team meetings. I attend grade level team meetings weekly to remain abreast of current situations and concerns throughout each grade that I service.
• Meeting with parents. I spend a lot of time either talking with parents on the phone or meeting with them in person regarding concerns they or I may have for their child.
• Serving lunch and recess duty--a necessary part of every teacher's job! :)

While those are the responsibilities that I maintain on a weekly basis, on a daily basis, I address any significant concerns that simply arise as the day goes on. These could be bus issues, recess problems, a student who is simply having a hard day, behavioral issues in the classroom, friendship conflicts, etc.

Each day brings something new--that's for sure! And that's what I love about this job!