Counseling Intern
Binder Contents
(Make sure you include anything you
create as well!)
Inquiry/Question Notebook: Write
down every question you have about school
counseling and leave room to write a
response as a way to reflect on your learning
experience.
Summary of Resources: Try to note
every resource that you or your mentor uses.
Write a sentence or two about how it’s used.
When you internship is done you will have a
valuable resource if you make this a habit
Schedule of the Year: Don’t let deadlines
creep up on you. Use the school’s schedule
along with your academic requirements to
make sure you have fulfilled your internship
obligations on time.
School Statistics: Get familiar with your
student population and school performance
record. How does the information relate to
what you know about high-risk populations
and achievement gaps?
Procedures for Reporting Possible
Abuse/Neglect: Your counseling mentor
cannot report for you, nor can you report for
a teacher or staff member. You (along with
your mentor) may also need to inform
teachers and “concerned family members”
that school counselors are not able to report
second-hand information. Always provide
those people with the information to make
the report themselves.
Before You Go
Closure for Students: Don’t just leave.
Some students have abandonment and/or
self-esteem issues that may be complicated
if they have formed a relationship with you.
Letter of Recommendation: Try to get
a letter of recommendation from your
mentor, an administrator, and at least two
teachers. Having a variety of letters of
recommendation will show your ability to
work with and meet the needs of a variety
of stakeholders.
Mock Interview: Have your mentor ask
you interview questions. Practice makes
perfect and it helps reduce jitters!
Exit Interviews: Meet with your mentor
and admin after you have received your
final evaluation. Be candid about asking
what types of qualities that they look for in
a counselor and what they look for in an
interview.
Recommendations for Improvement:
This is a biggie and it shows that you are a
life-long learner. Everyone has something
they can work on…no counseling program
is perfect. Times change and we must be
adaptable. Just think of suggestions as
ways you can become even more awesome!
36 Must-Have
Experiences for
School Counseling
UW-Whitewater Counselor Education
262-472-5426
262-472-2841
E counslred@uww.edu
P
F
http://www.uww.edu/coeps/departments/counseled
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Counselor Education
Show Up Early: Promptness will never
be overrated by educators, but tardiness
is frowned upon BIG TIME.
Stay Late: You only have a set amount
of hours before your internship will be
over. Maximize your time by giving it all
you got! Educators spend a lot of their
own personal time preparing for lessons
and learning new things.
Keep a Counseling Intern Binder:
You need to have one spot to put all of the
wonderful information you will learn
(and create). Write it down and keep it in
one place.
School
Climate/Involvement
Ask Your Mentor How to Navigate
School Politics: This one is tricky.
Each school has its own political
structure and its own rhythm of how
things get done.
Volunteer: Volunteer for at least one
extra activity…PTO event, chaperoning
the dance, setting up for the play…this
can actually be a lot of fun!
Join Committees: Schools have oodles
of committees. Joining a committee
shows that you want to be part of the
team and puts you in a great position to
advocate for your school counseling
program.
School Counseling
Program Experiences
Individual Sessions: Building rapport, goal planning,
intervention, process, progress monitoring, closure. Try to
have a few of “your own kids” on your caseload if possible.
Group Sessions: Try to participate in as many groups as
possible, better yet run as many group sessions as possible
(and as many topics as possible).
Classroom Guidance Lessons: The more, the better!
Classroom management is mastered through practice. Try
presenting in as many different grade levels possible on as
many topics as possible.
Attendance/Truancy Program: Attendance is a major
predictor in school success.
Create a Behavior Plan: Behavior plans can
vary greatly. Work with the student, parents,
and teacher if possible when creating and
implementing the behavior plan.
Progress Monitor the Behavior Plan:
Review behavior plans periodically to see if
what you are doing is working or if you need to
try an additional intervention. Progress
monitoring can take place weekly, bi-weekly, or
monthly depending on the needs of the student.
Create a Handout or Informational
Resource for Parents: Parents will come to
us for information about every topic under the
sun. Show that you can meet their needs with a
tip sheet or attractive brochure.
Collaborate with Teachers: Keep your ear to the
ground for any opportunity to work with classroom
teachers.
Create a Handout or Informational
Resource for Teachers/Staff: Specific
topics pop up from time to time. Teachers will
need information to deal with hot topics: grief,
divorce, incarceration, deployment, etc.
Collaborate with Administrators: Principals are
usually big on ideas but short on staff. Solving one of their
problems puts you on their radar and it will give them
something to write about in their letter of recommendation.
Participate in Student Achievement
Activities: Show how a school counselor can
help boost academic achievement. Study skills,
test taking skills, goal setting, etc.
Collect Pre/Post Data: Accountability is key. Advocate
for the need and effectiveness of school counseling services.
Test Preparation: Most counselors have
some involvement in standardized testing and
the chances are likely that it will come up
during an interview.
Use Data to Identify a Need: Needs assessments,
attendance, behavior referrals, suspensions, work habits
and standardized test results can be used to drive
counseling programs.
Create Programming to Meet the Need: After
reviewing your school’s data, work with your mentor to
identify a need and then create a program to meet the need.
This can be a lesson, group curriculum, or parent
presentation.
Develop and Present a Class Lesson: You will create
countless presentations as a school counselor. There is a big
difference between delivering a previously tested lesson
plan and an untested lesson plan.
Develop and Deliver Group Curriculum: Meeting the
needs of a small group is a vital skill…no two groups are
alike and chances are you will continuously tweak your
group curriculum to meet the specific needs of your group.
Educational Planning Activities (K-12):
Learn how Education Development Plans
(EDP’s) work at the elementary and secondary
level along with Special Education Individual
Education Plans (IEP’s) The responsibilities a
counselor has regarding IEP’s varies greatly
from school to school.
Documentation: How does your mentor
document sessions, groups, meetings,
consultations, and follow-up? Stay on top of
paperwork. . If you think you will get to it later,
later never comes…something else does.
Office Organization: How does your mentor
store supplies, lesson plans, and resources?
There is usually a rationale behind why things
are arranged things the way they are.