Don't Make Me Use My Counselor Voice!

My counselor voice has many sides. The calm and consoling voice for students who are feeling down and need words of encouragement. I have the assertive and demanding voice for those students who need reminders on expectations and appropriate behaviors. There is the supportive and understanding voice I use with parents who seek advice on how to deal with their children. 

Then there is THE counselor voice I use when I'm at my wits end, and it doesn't matter if you are the principal, a parent, a colleague, or a student, you will hear what I REALLY think. Sometimes people need a reality check, someone to tell them how it REALLY is...when it's needed...that's THE counselor voice!

I had to wear the shirt below on the Friday of the first full week of school. In the next two days, my team of 6 counselors have to make sure all 2500 students and 120+ teachers have the appropriate classes, taking into consideration classroom caps of 36 students and teacher contractual overall caps of 182 students. 

With recent budget cuts, these numbers are often too difficult to make a reality. Many students are in classes well over 40. Many teachers are well over their 182 cap. Each counselor has a caseload of 400+ students. Students and parents are complaining of class changes and teacher changes that the counselors have to do to meet the "numbers". With Advanced Placement classes, support classes, remedial classes, graduation requirements, and college pre-requisites, the counselors job of scheduling students is a puzzle of 15,000 pieces (2500 students x 6 classes). 

So this shirt is a warning to all those I work with, "Do not make me use THE counselor voice!". 


DecalGirl AET-REALITY Asus Eee Touch PC Skin - Reality
Encyclopedia of Counseling By Rosenthal, Howard
Basic and Avanced Counseling Skills By Smaby, Marlowe H./ Maddux, Cleborne D.