Guidance Counselor

Middle School Career/Guidance Counselor

Holds a valid Illinois Teaching Certificate, holds a certificate as a guidance counselor, bachelor's degree, and the ability to function effectively as a member of the school staff. Reports to the principal or designee. Maintains liaison with parents, staff, and administration. Communicates on a regular basis or as requested by parents, staff, or administration.

Job goal:
To help middle school students adjust to the many changing aspects of adolescence, and to aid the students and teachers in gaining as much academic improvement as possible.

Performance responsibilities:

I. Management and coordination of student services:

• Observes students in their classrooms and other school settings.
• Concentrates efforts in the area of student development through individual and group counseling.
• Works with students to explore and plan educational career opportunities.
• Works cooperatively with the teachers, school psychologist, and social worker in the areas of coordinating staffing, applying staffing recommendations through counseling, and provides professional input for special education students at staffing.
• Maintains student cumulative records, interprets records for students and parents, and makes student records accessible to the teaching staff.
• Maintains contact with building administration to ensure that there is a coordinated effort and program to help students develop responsibility for their behavior.
• Has knowledge of community agencies that can assist students and coordinate community agencies where applicable.

II. Assistance to instructional staff:

• Works with the staff in determining the needs of the students.
• Advises teachers on the social, emotional, and career development of the middle school student.
• Works with individual teachers to assist with situations that help will improve the teachers effectiveness working with middle school students.
• Works with staff to coordinate and implement a group guidance program.
• Coordinates and administers State and District wide tests.

III. Staff and professional responsibilities:

• Maintains and submits accurate and timely records/reports as required by law, Board policy, and administrative guidelines.
• Follows building and district rules, procedures, and policies.

Terms of employment:
Salary is based upon Schedules A&B of the collective negotiated agreement. Evaluation:
Each employee in contractual continuing service shall be evaluated at least once every two years. Each employee not in continuing contractual service shall be evaluated once every year.

Physical demands:
Handle work which deals mostly with people, objects, equipment in a general setting; depth perception and field of vision are important. Employee regularly is required to bend, stoop, twist, turn, reach, lift (up to 50 pounds), carry, pull, push, climb, and kneel; walking and standing approximately 50-75% of each shift. Employee must recognize differences in sound, such as voices/noises that are loud and playful instead of angry and combative;

ability to differentiate tones and volumes in conversation.

Mental demands:
The teacher must ensure that children are supervised at all times, and that children are involved in safe and appropriate activities. There may be a number of situations happening at once, and the teacher must be prepared to handle accidents and emergencies at any time.

Work environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The teacher will be working in a busy and occasionally noisy environment. There may be a number of activities and situations happening at once, and the teacher will have to supervise all students at all times.