Having been a College and Career Professional for several years now, I have tried many different ideas to work with students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Some ideas have been more successful than others, but time and time again what I have found to be most crucial in all the things I attempt to do to help students prepare for career and college after high school is to form a relationship with each student on my caseload. This can appear to be a daunting task, but I am here to tell you, it is doable. I begin meeting students when they are in the 8th grade as we help them create their 4-year Education Plan. I enter their school and their classroom with a cheery countenance, excited to help them plan their high school career and eagerly answer their questions they may have about high school courses and high school life. When these students are Freshmen, I meet with them in their classrooms to review their 4-year Education plans and conduct career research activities. The following year when they are Sophomores, I meet with them in their classrooms to lead them through opening their College Board accounts and understanding their PSAT scores. When the students are Juniors, I meet with them one-on-one to discuss their individual plans after high school, college entrance exams, and answer their questions. By the time these students are Seniors, I again meet with them one on one as well as through events and in classrooms to help them prepare for their career and education plans after high school.
Using this pattern for visits with students, I find that students are comfortable with me and can address me by my name by their Junior year. I have the goal of being a safe place for the students. It is helpful to see me in the hallways, in assemblies, at events, and as an important piece of the school coming into their classrooms frequently. Having this connection with them helps to build that critical relationship with the individual students. It helps me learn more about their goals and their challenges. It helps me gain their trust. The students know I am a resource and that gives me credence with students who may be the first in their family to plan on attending college, have a 504 or IEP and want to pursue further education, may be from a different culture than most of their classmates, or may be unsure what they would like to pursue after high school. These are the students I find most important for me to build that relationship with so that we can work together to meet their needs and find their answers. Without investing in building those relationships, many of these students may avoid my office and I would miss out on the opportunity to make some very important connections. Having established a relationship with my students also became very helpful when needing to reach out to students during the Spring of 2020 when schools closed due to COVID. Later when returning to school, relationships were critical when working with students who were in quarantine at home due to the virus.
I encourage you to find your own way to create relationships with each of your students. The rewards you will experience as you assist your students will definitely be worth the extra efforts you make to get to know them as individuals.
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Written by Jessica Butler, Region 6 Next Steps Idaho Ambassador (2021)
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