Bridging the Gap between School Counselors and Teachers: A Proactive Approach.

Direct counseling services can include individual, group, career, and family counseling as one integral component of a balanced school counseling approach that also consists of pedagogical, consulting, referral, information, placement, and assessment services (Baker, 1996). Indeed, school counselors today are required to wear many hats as they fulfill a variety of roles and functions within the school context of students, teachers, administrators, staff, and parents/guardians. However, there are barriers that prevent school counselors from successfully providing all of these services. One such barrier may be the misunderstanding that results from differing expectations about the role of the school counselor. Based upon the senior author's previous experiences as a high school teacher, there is an implicit concern that many teachers not familiar with the purpose of the school counselor may perceive his or her role as consisting primarily of administrative duties, career counseling, and testing. More specifically, the perception of school counselor held by many teachers is that of someone who: (a) sends an office helper to interrupt the class with a note to see a student with little or no explanation, (b) sits in her or his office all day drinking coffee, waiting for something to happen, or (c) is just another administrator. As a result, teachers may be reluctant to send students to the school counselor for fear of sacrificing valuable classroom instruction time. This reluctance among many teachers is a legitimate concern because their accountability is, unfortunately, measured by end-ofcourse grades and test scores. Since school counselors rely upon teachers for referrals of students, the relationship between school counselors and teachers is an area worth further consideration.According to the American School Counselor Association Position Statement, "the school counselor establishes and maintains a cooperative relationship with faculty and administration to facilitate the provision of optimum guidance and counseling services" (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 1984, cited in Baker, 1992, p. 336). Therefore, one of the school counselor's ethical responsibilities as an agent of change for students in the school environment is to establish a solid foundation of rapport and mutual understanding with teachers and administrators (ASCA, 1990; Schmidt, 1991). This article outlines four methods by which school counselors may ensure mutual understanding with teachers about their role while developing rapport and further improving their professional status as competent counselors whose primary interest is in the welfare of the students. Based on our experiences, the methods discussed hereinmeeting the faculty, consulting with teachers, observing classroom dynamics, and enlisting teachers as co-facilitators-are effective strategies for bridging the gap that exists between school counselors and teachers. MEETING THE FACULTY: THE FOOT IN THE DOOR Many school counselors talk about being introduced to the faculty during scheduled faculty meetings. This usually takes the form of a brief introduction to the faculty with a cursory"if your students experience problems, send them to the school counseling office," without much time spent on role definition.We have found it useful for school counselors to take the time necessary to meet with each faculty member individually and face-to-face. We realize the enormity of such a task, as some schools have quite a sizable faculty. However, with careful planning, this task can be carried out within the first month of school. In secondary and middle schools, teachers usually have a scheduled planning period. This schedule can be easily acquired from administration. Once obtained, the school counselor can plan a few visits (5 or 6) each day with teachers. Planning periods for teachers are valuable, so visits should be brief, concise, and respectful. …