School Counselor (Middle Grades)

JOB GOAL

To help students overcome problems that impede learning and to assist them in making educational and career plans, as well as positive personal and social choices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Holds a valid Tennessee teacher's license with appropriate endorsement; and meets health and physical requirements.

REPORTS TO Building Principal

FLSA STATUS Exempt

SCHEDULE 200 Day 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provides counseling to students having problems in attendance, retention, and discipline;
• Identifies potential dropouts, and works with teachers, parents, building-level administration, and other appropriate school personnel to prevent students from dropping out of school;
• Conducts classroom guidance dealing with topics such as abuse, goal-setting, organizational and study skills, anger, conflict resolution, and self-motivation;
• Coordinates AIDS, drug/alcohol awareness-abuse prevention, and family life education;
• Consults with outside agencies and community resources regarding services to students;
• Coordinates homebound services on the building level;
• Secures assignments for students placed in the Modified Academic Program;
• Works with other school personnel and community resources to provide educational enrichment within the school;
• Obtains and disseminates occupational information to students;
• At the direction of the principal/supervisor, provides staff development activities for school personnel on such topics as achievement, behavior management, motivation, and human development;
• Assists students in course and subject selections in relation to four (4)-year plan;
• Interprets test results to students and parents;
• With approval of principal, attends and participates in continuing education and keeps abreast of current research/literature;
• Works with students on an individual basis in the solution of personal problems related to such problems as home and family relations, health, and emotional adjustment;
• Provides counseling to students having problems in attendance, retention, and discipline;
• Confers with parents relative to student-related problems whenever necessary;
• Schedules conferences with teachers, administrators, parents, etc., as appropriate;
• Attends work regularly and on-time;
• Maintains necessary confidential counseling records for report of services; and
• Performs other duties as assigned.

[NOTE: In those schools which have more than one counselor on staff, one counselor should be in the counseling office at all times.]

TEMPERAMENT (Personal Traits)

• Adaptability to performing a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure;
• Adaptability to accepting responsibility for the direction, control, and/or planning of an activity;
• Adaptability to working with students; and
• Adaptability to making generalizations, evaluations, or decisions based upon sensory or judgmental criteria.

CAPACITY AND ABILITY REQUIREMENTS

Specific capacities and abilities may be required of an individual in order to learn or perform adequately a task or job duty.

• Intelligence: The ability to understand instructions and underlying principles; the ability to reason and make judgments.
• Verbal: The ability to understand meanings of words and the ideas associated with them.
• Numerical: The ability to perform arithmetic operations quickly and accurately.
• Data Perception: The ability to understand and interpret information presented in the forms of graphs, charts, or tables. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This job may require lifting or carrying of objects that exceed fifty (50) pounds, with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds. Other physical demands that may be required are as follows: kneeling, hearing, seeing, talking.

WORK CONDITIONS

Normal working environment.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills of personnel so assigned.

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

The Wilson County Board of Education does not discriminate because of age, race, color, gender, national origin, disability, religion, genetics, creed, or veteran status in the provision of services, in programs or activities, or in employment opportunities or benefits. The Wilson County School System is an Equal Opportunity Employer and member of TN Drug-Free Workplace. Employees or applicants who need reasonable accommodations should contact Human Resources for assistance.