Most high school counselors have a love/hate relationship to scheduling. If building schedules is part of your duties, you get to actually see all of your students, and that’s good. On the other hand, if all you do with this time is put together a list of classes, that’s more a matter of logistics, and less a matter of counseling.
What are the best ways to make this time rich with counseling interactions? Here are some tried-and-true approaches to consider:
Advanced communication Giving students a heads up that scheduling is coming is a good way to prepare them for the task. Letters/emails/and texts to home (and parents) gives students a chance to think about what they’d like to take next year, and, with encouragement, explore some possibilities.
Provide examples Really effective advanced communication goes the extra mile, and provides students with examples of schedules to consider. For many high schools, this is pretty easy to do—of course, you’ll want to add some language saying these examples are only examples:
Ninth grade Most ninth graders take the same English, Science, and Social Studies classes, and their Math and (if available) World Language classes are typically assigned by ability. Throw in the Phys Ed class that’s likely required for all freshmen, and building a 9th grade schedule likely boils down to deciding on one or two electives. That’s easy to spell out.
Tenth grade Tenth grade is also pretty predictable in most high schools, with grade-level English and Social Science classes, one of two or three Science classes, and the next level of Math and World Language. Again, this leaves room for a couple of electives, and those are easy picks.
Eleventh grade Many high schools give students choices in all subjects at this point, and students can customize more of their schedule. This is also when many high schools allow students to take Dual Enrollment classes, or classes in the Voc-Tech area. This letter will be more detailed, and should include any required grade-level classes, but it’s still a good idea to present 4-5 examples to get them thinking ahead of time.
Twelfth grade This advanced communication often includes a printout (or link) of the remaining graduation requirements the student must complete, so they can build their schedule accordingly. Be sure to include any required courses, but be ready to still spend some time in the meeting focused on scheduling nuts and bolts.
Group meetings? With an advanced communication in place, many counselors hold scheduling meetings in small groups, or even grade-level classes. This gives you a chance to review the scheduling information; more important, it gives you a chance to put in some kind of counseling lesson appropriate for the grade level that can typically be 10-20 minutes long. Many counselors will devote this time to grade-level counseling about college or careers, but it’s also a good time to present on topics of mental health, study skills, hygiene, or any other facet of the school counseling curriculum.
Advanced review There will always be students who, for a number of reasons, will best benefit from an individual meeting. This is best scheduled before meeting the group meetings, and requires the counselor to review all students in advance, to determine who to help one-on-one. In requesting the meeting, supportive language is a must—“I want to make sure we build a schedule that best meets your needs, so let me know when we can meet.”
Scheduling time doesn’t have to take away from counseling duties—in fact, it can be a great way to enrich meaningful relationships with students.
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