Why I'm Using Coffee with the Counselor in Middle School (And why you could, too!)

Let’s face it. 

Parental involvement in middle school looks different from elementary school. Once students get to middle school, parents play a back and forth game of tug-a- war with what their student can handle. Parents give their student independence, but they have to pull them back in when they need help. Whether students adjust flawlessly or with a few missteps, parent involvement is still a key element to their success from 6th to 8th grade. 

So, how did Coffee with the Counselor come about?

This year I’m the Parental Involvement (PI) Coordinator as well as Counselor for my school. When I started brainstorming ideas for PI events I knew I wanted them to support the program's counseling goals. I knew these events could work in elementary, but I pondered how it would look in a middle school. Would the parents attend? Would it start conversation? I ran the idea past my administration, they gave the green light, and I got busy planning.

The first Coffee with the Counselor was August 26st. We started school here on August 17th. It was a quick turn around, but it was so worth it. Here’s why my program is using it this year, and why it could work for yours, too!

              1. CWC generates conversations about relevant topics.

           I gave out a parent survey at our Open House (more on that in a later post) to see which topics   were most needed for my school. I used that information to determine the themes of the Coffee with the Counselor. Study skills and organization was a HUGE concern across the parent, staff, and student surveys. 84% of parents and 71% of the student body thought lessons on study skills and organization were needed or highly needed. Then I planned hands on activities to generate conversation. Coffee with the Counselor is great for our program because the parents care about the subject. 

      2. CWC is getting bang for your buck! 

         Many schools have coffee in a lounge or in the cafeteria. Use that resource to save money! After that all you need is a few dozen donuts and whatever else you want to serve. I used two dozen normal glazed, one package of assorted flavors, a package of muffins, and fruit. I got some inexpensive flavored creamer for the coffee, and I arranged the food on my own pottery. Anything could work for arranging the food. Don't over think it, just keep it easy. That's all. Boom. You're done. Coffee with the Counselor worked for my program because I have to have effective events on a budget. 

    3. CWC is not a huge time commitment for parents. 

          Parents have SO MUCH they are doing for their students. Time is precious. That is why I only made Coffee with the Counselor from 8:30 to 9:30. I also gave out the dates at Open House and they are on the website. Parents have the information for the whole year so they can plan to come if they want to! This event is busy life friendly, and that's great for my parent population.   

      4. Parents are connected and heard! 

           This is last on this list, but certainly the most important. The reason we have these events in the first place is so that parents have a place to collaborate and share about middle school issues! It takes a team. I've only been a counselor for three months, but I feel like that has been the most apparent thing I've learned. Everybody is working towards student success. When parent communication is strong, we can influence more positive change and support for our students. 

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          Be on the lookout for my next CWC post soon! I will talk about the details and results of the first one! Have you used this event before? Any tips? Any anything? I'd LOVE to hear from you! Comment below! 

          I (promise to try :P) will be posting on a more regular schedule starting this week. I am blown away by the feedback and support I've heard so far about the blog. It's a dream come true. (Cheeeeeesy, right?) I have been made aware that the subscription feature is not working properly. I apologize about that! Please know I am working to fix that! Until then, I'm notifying FB, IG, SC, and Pinterest when I post. I appreciate shares more than you guys know! 

More from the middle to come soon!! 

        From the middle with love,

        Mere 

What I Learned My First Week

      I’m brand new. The kind of new that goes straight to work because I don’t know how to get anywhere else. The new that can’t tell the kids which hall the health classroom is on or which teacher teaches 7^th grade math. The phrases “I’m not sure”, “I’m sorry”, and “let me find out” were on my speed dial of responses. Here’s what I learned in my hectic, new, first week as a school counselor.

1.  Conquer your to- do list.

         First off, make a to-do list. It will be pages long, but you will need it. Prioritize the urgent tasks, and be productive. Have you heard that decluttering/tidy rule “if it takes less than a minute, just do it??” Well, I feel that way about my school counseling to-do lists. I changed the minute limit to five. In between appointments, meetings, consultations, etc. find some time to complete a few of your smaller tasks that take less than five minutes. I’ve been amazed at how many emails or phone calls I can get out in fifteen minutes when I put my mind to it.

2. Records, records, records. 

          When you are staring at a pile (a large ever growing pile) of records requests and new students’ folders you have to just keep trucking along. If you are the type of person who likes to finish what you start, your first time dealing with ongoing records will be interesting to say the least. The key is to stay organized. Find a system that works for you, and stick to it.

3. Take a lunch break.

        On the first few days of school you will be bombarded with parents, students, teachers, meetings…you name it, you will deal with it in the first few days. During the first week of school I took a scheduled lunch break. From 12:00-12:20 I closed my door and did not answer my phone. I know that every school counselor reading this is thinking “NO SHE DIDN”T”. Yes, yes I did. I take pride in the fast pace and multi tasking nature of the job, but your mind will literally be racing during the first week. You need to take a few minutes to breathe and refocus. If you can’t take a full twenty minutes for lunch, figure out what you need to recharge, and do it.


4.  Say “I’m sorry”.

      Two weeks before school started my office received a schedule change request from a guardian. They filled it out in front of me and I do not know where it went after that. I think the paper actually disintegrated.  I’m just kidding, but really… I still haven’t found it. On the first day of school when this student showed up in my office with an unchanged schedule I was very sorry. I learned that a sincere apology to a guardian makes a huge difference. Take responsibility, fix the problem, and tell yourself it’s okay. You’ll make another mistake soon, so do your best always and know you’re human.

5. Be ready for ANYTHING, even the first week of school.

      After my first risk assessment I went back to my office and lost it. I'm not afraid to admit it. You were trained. You know what to do. Even if you’re terrified, you have to know what to do when the time comes. Be prepared, and don’t be afraid to do your job. Okay, speech over.

6. Keep a smile.

    Attitude is everything. Even in a bad moment or trying day, you are still the only sunshine some students see. Enough said!


        My first week was exhilarating and exhausting. Since then, I started guidance lessons and had the first parental involvement event. I can’t write the blogs fast enough! What are your first week of school experiences? Comment below to let me know!

Cheers to making it through the first week! Good luck to you, and you, and you!

From the middle with love,

Mere

The ULTIMATE Name Game: Why I'm Learning EVERY Student's Name

You tell students that they matter. You tell them their struggles and issues are your concern. You smile at them in the hallways and say things like “cool shoes”.  You teach them study skills, responsibility, personal safety, self-esteem, and so much more.

You genuinely want them to succeed.

What’s their name?

Do you know their name?

     You may know what sports team they are on. Or if their brother or sister went to your school. You may know who they hang out with or who they date. But do you know their name?

I am making it my personal goal to answer that question with a solid “YES!!”

     This week I delivered my first guidance lesson to each 7^th and 8^th grader at my school. 6^th grade is coming up next week. I talked to my students about the role of a school counselor and why I value their opinions. I told them that I will be there for them whether they just need a smile and “good morning”, all the way to weekly check in meetings. I will stand by what I told them. And, and, AND…I will know their names.

I will know every student’s name by the end of the first semester. That is my goal, and I will keep you all updated as to how it is going! I need to memorize at least 29 names a week. That is going to be a HUGE challenge.

I know that we can impact students in many ways. I am not suggesting that the only way to know your students is to know their names. I just want this for my school and myself.

This is Mere in the middle of trying to put 418 faces and names into my brain! Wish me luck! Any tips or advice? Comment below! 

From the middle with love,

Mere

One More Sleep Until I'm Officially a School Counselor

    I'm up later than I should be since tomorrow is the first day of school. My body's clock isn't used to going to sleep at 9:30, yet. Yes, I go to bed that early. Bahaha Anyway, my point is that I'm still awake and the alarm will go off at 5.

    I have ALL the feels about the official first day of my career. I'm excited, nervous, clueless at times, rocking it at times, pumped, and eager. My office is ready. The bulletin board is done. My little binders are stuffed full of resources.

      But when it all piles up, can I actually keep it all organized? Will I still be compassionate after weeks of exhausting cases? Will I document everything correctly? And don't get me started on testing. Yikes.

And the biggest question rolling through my mind...
Will I make the difference that I have dreamed of making?

There is just one more sleep between me and answering those questions. One more sleep between me and what I spent five years, countless hours, and those wonderful student loans, to do. Tomorrow morning I start my first year as a school counselor.

Lunch- check.
Outfit picked out- check.
Work bag ready.

Now I guess the only thing to do is get to that one more sleep!


Any starting the school year advice? Please leave a comment below!

From the Middle with Love,

Mere

Welcome to Mere in the Middle! I am SO excited this blog is finally happening! Let me introduce myself! My name is Meredith Quinn! I graduated in May of this year from the University of Mississippi with a Masters of Education in Leadership and Counseling Education. Now, I am the school counselor at Hamburg Middle School in Hamburg, AR.

I am a first year counselor, and I am EXCITED. I am joining the school counseling blog community to collaborate and generate resources for our field’s use! I am eager to contribute from the perspective of my new program!

This blog is mostly a school counseling blog, but I also want to write about all areas of my life! I am in a middle school, in the middle of marriage, in the middle of a new town, the middle of adulting, and the middle of starting my career. 

In the past six months I have transitioned from graduate student to professional school counselor, and I plan to tell you guys all about it! I hope to talk about everything: internship, preparing for graduation, interviews and job search, starting the job, and MUCH more.  Be on the lookout for all the posts to come! 

Are you a first year counselor, too?  Are you a seasoned counselor that can give advice or tips? I would LOVE any feedback for my first year, so comment under the post! 

From the middle with love,

Mere