It’s National School Counseling Week! Every day this week, we will be highlighting counselors in our district who have gone above and beyond to help our students. Today we are highlighting Sanford Middle School Counseling Department head and 7th grade counselor Angela Avery.
Why did you become a school counselor?
I became a school counselor 17 years ago because I wanted to be that person who students could trust, open up to and work through their problems with. I believe every student deserves to have one trusted adult who they can talk to about family concerns, friendship struggles, and more. Adolescence is tough. I specifically wanted to help middle school students because I know it's a very challenging time emotionally. I wanted to provide a safe space for children to feel seen and heard.
What do you love about being a school counselor?
I LOVE my job! Middle school kids are hilarious, strong, brilliant, resilient, truly honest, and willing to learn. I sincerely believe they will change the world. I'm grateful to get to know them along that journey of figuring out who they are, what their strengths are, what they want to do with their lives. I appreciate that students feel comfortable sharing with me things they may never have told anyone else or that they sincerely need support with. I love playing games like Uno with a student who is feeling stressed or painting to support anxiety in small groups. I love teaching SEL lessons in classrooms, talking about future aspirations, and seeing students' big ideas come to life when they share a project or goal they want to accomplish.
What does a school counselor do?
Our jobs are diverse and important in schools. We are one of the few people in the building who strives to reach *every* student through proactive, preventative education and teaching skills so they may be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and with their future career and college goals. We counsel students individually; facilitate small groups where students learn skills about friendships or coping through mental health concerns; help build self esteem and confidence; teach skills related to decision making, etc. We also teach classroom lessons about goal setting, how the brain works, substance abuse prevention, kindness and preventing bullying, etc. We talk with families, meet with teachers and administrators, create support plans, review attendance - and more! It's a fun job and no day is the same. We help students connect the dots between home, school and friends so they may feel strong, brave, healthy, supported, and successful.