Counselors as Leaders – Being “Called to the Table”
By Shelley Klaas, American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Elementary PIN Facilitator*
As the PIN (Professional Interest Network) Facilitator for Elementary Counselors for the ASCA Scene, I have been asked to write a few blogs this year to address areas of interest for elementary counselors and to share my thoughts about this incredible profession of which we are a part.
I have been thinking a lot about the concept of leadership and counselors as leaders. In the state of Iowa, teacher leadership/compensation are being addressed at the state and local levels, with many educators being “called to the table” to share their opinions about what that leadership should look like in order to benefit kids. There seems to be some confusion, however, about where counselors “fit” into this picture – which is somewhat surprising to me, as it seems clear to me that counselors belong at the heart of teacher leadership and building support!
School Counselors connect directly to Steven Covey’s concept of “servant leadership”: the idea that we serve first, then lead, based on principles. In discussing servant leadership in the business world, Covey once stated:
As the PIN (Professional Interest Network) Facilitator for Elementary Counselors for the ASCA Scene, I have been asked to write a few blogs this year to address areas of interest for elementary counselors and to share my thoughts about this incredible profession of which we are a part.I have been thinking a lot about the concept of leadership and counselors as leaders. In the state of Iowa, teacher leadership/compensation are being addressed at the state and local levels, with many educators being “called to the table” to share their opinions about what that leadership should look like in order to benefit kids. There seems to be some confusion, however, about where counselors “fit” into this picture – which is somewhat surprising to me, as it seems clear to me that counselors belong at the heart of teacher leadership and building support!
School Counselors connect directly to Steven Covey’s concept of “servant leadership”: the idea that we serve first, then lead, based on principles. In discussing servant leadership in the business world, Covey once stated:
“You’ve got to produce more for less, and with greater speed than you’ve ever done before. The only way you can do that in a sustained way is through the empowerment of people. And the only way you get empowerment is through high-trust cultures and through the empowerment philosophy that turns bosses into servants and coaches…”
It is true that, in education, we are also being asked to do more with less and at greater speeds