As a school counselor, you have the opportunity to have a profound and positive impact on children. Even though we often think of children as being innocent and carefree, the reality is that life offers many obstacles, and even the youngest among us are affected by the ups and downs of life. However, young children don’t have the same coping mechanisms that adults have, so a good school counselor can become instrumental in helping them navigate some of the disappointments and heartbreak that can come in life.

Before you begin your career in counseling, though, it is important to make sure you understand the unique challenges associated with counseling young children. The good news is that there is plenty of help available to you. You can get help from the Internet, in the form of informative web sites that offer counseling ideas, tips and advice. If you are hoping to be of use to young children, here are 30 Q&A sites that can help you better understand how to help your smallest clients:

General Topics for Counseling Young Children

These Q&A web sites deal with a number of different topics that might affect children. They also include helpful general hints for counseling young children, and techniques that can help you be more effective.

1. Student Intervention: A great resource for learning about how to tackle problems with young children, from identifying at-risk children to helping them overcome problems.
2. Teachable Moment: Learn how you can grasp teachable moments and better connect to children.
3. School Counselor: A great Q&A site with resources, and helpful hints for counseling and educating children, including young children.
4. Concern: Visit this site for helpful information on counseling young children, as well as learning about foster care for children.
5. Stop Bullying: A great Q&A resource for those who are trying to help stop bullying. A great resource for counselors and others.
6. Advocates for Youth: A helpful place to start for counselors who are working with GLBTQ children, or those who are struggling with related issues.
7. Child Counseling Techniques: This brief overview answers questions about different child counseling techniques, and how they can be used.
8. Types of Counseling Techniques: Use this handy resource to answer questions about which techniques are appropriate for different age groups.

Grief Counseling for Young Children

Children deal with loss in ways that are different from the way adults do. Whether it’s the loss of a pet, or a parent, it is possible that a young child needs the help of a good counselor. Here are some great web sites that can help you out.

9. KIDSAID: This is a safe place for kids to grieve — and help each other through the loss. However, it also provides a great Q&A that can be of use to counselors.
10. Grief Recovery: Learn more about how to help those coping with loss, including young children.
11. Amanda the Panda: Resources, tips, and answers to questions related to helping children grieve and overcome loss.
12. Counseling for Loss: Learn more about grief, counseling, and how to help young children through a tough loss.
13. The Healing Place: Q&A on helping children who are grief-stricken. A great resource for counselors who want to help with loss.
14. The Dougy Center: Provides answers to questions about helping children make it through loss, as well as valuable resources.
15. Helping Children Cope with Loss, Death and Grief: A helpful resource that can answer your questions about counseling techniques to assist children.
16. Grief Counseling: A straightforward look at helping children with grief. Provides helpful answers to commonly asked questions.

Guidance Counseling for Young Children

Sometimes children need a little help determining what’s next. You can use the following web sites to help you learn how to properly guide children in a way that keeps them safe while providing them with better opportunities to succeed.

17. Counseling 4 Kids: Learn how to help children, and get them beyond some of the issues that might hold them back.
18. Family Guidance Center: Access resources, tips, techniques and other helpful information and answers.
19. The Common Problems School Guidance Counselors Come Across: This helpful resource answers questions about problems you might run into as a guidance counselor.
20. Sample K-12 School Counseling Lesson Plans: New Jersey Schools offers some great samples of lesson plans for guidance counselors. Learn to effectively counsel children.
21. Counseling Community: Guidance counselors working with young children can have their questions answered, and learn valuable techniques.
22. Character First: Learn how you, as a guidance counselor, can help children develop good character. Helpful Q&A for counseling with children of all ages.
23. National Center for Youth Issues: Answers to questions, practical resources, and helpful hints.
24. A World of Prevention: Q&A, resources and more about helping young children and families.

Web Sites of Professional Counseling Organizations

One of the best things you can do is to join some sort of professional counseling organization. Many of these organizations include helpful Q&A sections that can help you find out more about counseling different clients, and keep you on top of the best techniques.

25. American School Counselor Association: Visit this web site for information that can help you be a better school counselor, and provide insight into helping young children.
26. American Counseling Association: Offers information on all types of counseling. Includes resources on counseling young children, and helpful hints for improving your performance as a school counselor.
27. Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development: A great resource for counselors looking to help students in a multicultural setting. Plenty of great resources, and information about counseling children.
28. American Educational Research Association: Helpful and informative resources related to research. Includes Q&A, and great resources for school counselors looking to better help young children obtain an education.
29. American Mental Health Counselors Association: Great for answering questions about mental health. Includes information and resources for helping young children improve their mental health.
30. American Association of Christian Counselors: You can get access to helpful resources, and have your questions about helping young children answered on this site. A great place to start if you are interested in counseling young children from a Christian perspective.

Just because you have a master’s in counseling doesn’t mean that your internet researching days are over. The field of academics and education is constantly changing, and counselors can’t wait for the administration to issue updates the second they become available. But is there really a way to do serious, safe searches over the web that can help students and keep your computer history clean?

We think so and have gathered 20 amazing search engines and databases for high school counselors. You can use them to get the latest lesson plans in all sorts of subjects, look up the latest journal entries without a subscription, and even help college bound students select and pay for a higher education.

Amazing Academic Search Engines and Databases for High School Counselors

1. iSeek
   Worried about an innocent search turning up questionable results? Then stop here for a targeted search engine for students, teachers, administrators, and caregivers. Peer reviewed sites and searches are constantly featured from trusted universities, governments, and private organizations.
2. Ref Seek
   Academic information is made available to everyone on this search engine. It searches more than one billion documents, including web pages, books, encyclopedias, journals, and newspapers to bring you results. You can even do a document search.
3. Google Scholar
   With the power of Google turned in a scholarly fashion, it is no wonder this is a must have for high school counselors. Use the engine to search for articles, journals, and even legal opinions and patents. You can even make your own custom page of citations.
4. Academic Info
   Their in-depth directory is a roundup of the best and most useful links and resources within a specific subject area. Search from over 25,000 trusted resources on everything from 19th century America to Zoology. You can also search for video courses.
5. Awesome Library
   This database organizes over 37,000 academic resources from the web. Search for everything from the arts to sustainable development with the K – 12 student in mind. They even include the top five percent in education.
6. Thomson Reuters Science
   Get a master list of all their scientific publications here. Not just for chemistry or biology, the series of journals also cover arts and the humanities, as well as other subjects. They even have a Firefox add-on.
7. IPL
   Get a virtual Internet Public Library with a visit here. You can look up resources by subject or even by special collections. There are also options for kids and teens.
8. Virtual LRC
   Similar to the above, this is a virtual learning resource center. The directory includes the arts, biographies, recreation, technology, and many others. It is even available in eight different languages.
9. Dewey Browse
   Are you used to searching for items using the Dewey Decimal system? Then stop by this site that has organized the web into just that. Everything from news to biographies and other teaching resources are shared.
10. Edu Hound
    All this technology confusing you or your students? Then stop by this database that seeks to combine education and technology. Get an A through Z search of many topics and even lesson plans.

Amazing Guidance Search Engines and Databases for High School Counselors

11. College Board
    Their goal is to get as many students into college as possible. With a special section just for school counselors, you can learn the latest news, information, and tools in the field. Most popular choices currently include AP Central, districts, and explaining financial aid.
12. College.gov
    Need more inspiration to get your students into higher education? Then stop here for a why, where, and how of college. They even have help in the form of a YouTube channel and FAFSA tips.
13. National Center for Education Statistics
    The NCES has the latest news and numbers on education in the U.S. Check out the latest studies or get a data snapshot right on the homepage. There are also Fast Facts and even a college navigator on the site.
14. The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
    If your students know which schools they are interested in, stop here. The database allows you to search the school and see if it is accredited, which agency it has been accredited by, and when they are up for renewal.
15. Student Aid on the Web
    Many high school students are afraid of the high cost of colleges. Visit here to learn the latest on financial aid, including grants and the FAFSA. You can even help a student set up an online account here so that they can explore on their own.
16. Wordsmyth
    There are loads of online dictionaries available over the web, but high school counselors will appreciate this one. It is intended for those in education and even offers a thesaurus. You can even get a widget for faster word searches.
17. American Counseling Association
    Get counseling for counselors on this site. They have the latest news and information on the topic, as well as resources for students. Be sure not to miss the ACA podcast with even more.
18. American School Counselor Association
    The ASCA supports school counselors’ efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social, and career development. You can nominate outstanding school counselors here, as well as get loads of tips online. There is also a special section for parents and the public.
19. American Mental Health Counselors Association
    The AMHCA is an organization that works exclusively for the mental health counseling profession. They have both news and advocacy items right on the homepage. High school counselors can click on News & Publications to learn more about their journals, news, and tools just for counselors.
20. The Environment Directory
    If you have a question about how to help your students or school go green, click here. The directory has done an impressive job of gathering environmental topics in an educational manner. Everything from agriculture to wildlife is shared.

Bonus: Certification – If you are considering getting a certification in counseling, click here. The National Board for Certified Counselors offers more information on certification and state licensure exams with just a visit.

One of the most rewarding jobs is being a school counselor. You have the opportunity to guide students on a path to a successful life. This can be a great source of pride in yourself. You can help students overcome problems, and prepare for the world.

Of course, a school counseling job isn’t always easy. You have to deal with deep issues, and sometimes counsel students with serious problems. You need all the help you can get when you are a school counselor. If you are looking for helpful information on dealing with school-age children, you can turn to solid resources offered by various educational institutions. Here are 50 dot-edu resources that school counselors can use:

Developmental and Child Psychology

A basic understanding of how the mind develops can help you as you help students. You should understand developmental psychology. Additionally, child psychology — and adolescent psychology — resources can help you gain valuable insight into the ways your students’ minds work.

1. Developmental Psychology: Join this division of the APA for insights into the developing psyche.
2. Teaching Resources: Even if you aren’t teaching developmental psych, these resources can provide you with plenty of insight and helpful places to get information.
3. Online Developmental Psychology Resources: The Children’s Memory Study at Loyola offers a look at different resources related to developmental psych.
4. Developmental Psychology: Indian University offers a resource guide that can help you find journal articles, as well as dictionaries and more.
5. GMU’s Online Resources for Developmental Psychology: Anyone — not just GMU students — can get access to these great resources.
6. Adolescent Psychology: Great subject guide that provides you with information on adolescent psych.
7. Child & Adolescent Psychology: Access to databases, articles, books, and more related to the psychology of children and adolescents.
8. Moral Development and Moral Education: An Overview: A great look at how morals are developed, and the role of education in psychological development.
9. Teen Years Explained: Interactive guide to adolescent development.

Depression and Mental Health

Understanding the basics of mental health, especially depression, can be useful for school counselors. Children and teenagers are dealing with a number of pressures in this age, and being able to help them with their mental health outcomes can be a true life-saver.

10. Resources for Depression: This resource from Colorado State University offers you a good place to start.
11. Mental Depression Resources: A number of helpful resources, from articles to citations, on mental depression.
12. Depression Research Clinic: Standford provides access to information, as well as the results of research into depression.
13. Psychosocial Research and Depression Clinic: Access research, training opportunities and more related to depression.
14. National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health: Ideas, developmental points, and ideas for health mental health development in children.
15. Mental Health Resources: Great direction for learning about mental health and finding the resources you need.

Body Image, Sexuality and Physical Health

Body image is a big deal for most teenagers. Even younger children are being affected by body image problems. Learn more about helping young people improve their self-image and live healthier.

16. Body Image: A research guide that can help you find background on body image and health.
17. Body Image Dissatisfaction: A Growing Concern Among Men: We focus a lot on females and body image. Don’t forget to look at males as well.
18. Body Image and Adolescents: This chapter takes a look at body image challenges for teenagers.
19. Teen body image — reality versus perception: An interesting look at how teens view themselves. Don’t forget to watch the video.
20. Health Teen Development Resources: Covers physical health, sexuality and more. Great resources.
21. Teen sexuality: A great opinion piece on sexuality, as well as misconceptions seen in the media.
22. Safer Sex Resources: Helpful information and resources for school counselors who deal with teen pregnancy and sexuality.
23. Teens in Trouble: Eating Disorders: Learn more about eating disorders, and addressing dangerous aspects of these problems.
24. Eating Disorders: Myths and Campus Resources: While this resource is aimed at college students, it is still helpful for school counselors dealing with younger people.
25. Go Ask Alice: Great insight for teens, and a good resource for school counselors.

Drugs and Other Addictions

Substance abuse can be a very real issue for many young people. You should have a working understanding of the signs of an addiction, as well as some ideas for what you can do to treat the problem, or find someone who can help.

26. SAMHDA: The University of Michigan offers this helpful access to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Data Archive.
27. Street Drug Slang Dictionary: A searchable resource so that you are informed.
28. The New Science of Addiction: Find out how addiction affects the brain.
29. Alcohol Abuse and Young People: Looks at the realities of drinking and students.
30. Drug and Alcohol Resources: Where to turn for information and help.
31. Alcohol & Other Drugs: A look at news related to teen health and substance abuse.
32. Teen Drug Use: Interview on teen drug use.
33. Teen Alcohol and Drug Use: More on teens and substance abuse.
34. Internet Addiction: Learn about this growing threat.

Bullying

Resources on bullying can help you keep tabs on students, and help them overcome problems. It is important to remember that bullying is more than just physical altercations. Verbal and emotional bullying can be devastating, and digital forms of bullying (cell phones or the Internet) are on the rise.

35. SourceBook of Drug and Violence Programs for Children and Adolescents: This resource focuses on violence as part of substance abuse and other issues, and can help you prepare anti-violence programs.
36. Stop School Bullying: Plenty of great resources to help you prevent all types of bullying.
37. Bullying Prevention and Intervention Resources: Stage an intervention/prevention program at your school.
38. Case Five: Cyber Bullying: Find out about this growing threat.
39. Bullying Research Network: Plenty of information about bullying, and how to prevent it.
40. The Bullying Epidemic: A look at confronting bullying and changing the outcomes.
41. Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center: Help prevent aggression and bullying.
42. Olweus Bulling Prevention Program: Implement this program to reduce bullying in your school.

Child Abuse

Many children and teenagers are subject to child abuse. You need to recognize the signs that someone is being abused physically, emotionally or sexually, and be prepared to provide support and assistance to the abused.

43. Child Abuse Prevention Network: Plenty of help from Cornell University.
44. Child Abuse Prevention Project: Helpful information and resources, as well as study results.
45. Signs & Symptoms of Abuse/Neglect: A look at how you can possibly identify signs of abuse.
46. Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognizing, Reporting, and Responding for Educators: This resources is fairly straightforward, and aimed at educators and others working in schools.
47. Child Physical and Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for Treatments: Advice on helping victims.
48. Child Abuse Prevention Society: Get involved, and find information on child abuse.
49. Child Abuse: Covers the basics of child abuse, so that you know what you are dealing with.
50. Prevention: Do your part to help prevent child abuse, and be on alert.

Education has seen many great turnarounds in recent years; in part due to the No Child Left Behind act. However, many of the wonderful turnaround stories are mostly due to the diligence and persistence of great teachers and administrators. Here are 10 examples of great turnarounds in schools across the US.

1. Chamberlain School District, South Dakota: Chamberlain’s school district has a large Native American population. Before the school fell under the No Child Left Behind act, just 27% of Native American students in the district were proficient in math, and just 45% were proficient in reading. Six years later, in 2009, 63% were proficient in math and 61% were proficient in reading.
2. Viers Mill Elementary, Silver Spring Maryland: Viers Mill Elementary used to have the nickname “slumville”. But the school has had a major turnaround, that they like to call “gradual progress”. But, this gradual progress was so significant that it merited a visit from President Obama this year.
3. Palmdale, California: For ten years in a row, the school district grew by about 1000 students per year, forcing the district to focus its resources primarily on building new schools to handle the influx. This led to a lack of effort in ensuring the standards were high. But, all that has changed. Now, math and reading assessments are given every six weeks, and their results are used to change curriculum focus as needed.
4. Creighton Elementary School, Phoenix, Arizona: Two years ago, this district had six schools that were identified as “under achieving” and one as “failing to meet academic standards”. Today, these eight schools are all identified at least at the “performing” category, and most are at the “performing plus” designation.
5. Nickloff Elementary School, San Diego, California: In 2007, this school was failing to meet API targets. But, by 2009, the school had raised its API scores by 67 points, quadruple the state’s average for the year.
6. Hillsboro Deering Elementary School, Hillsboro, NH: In 2007, this school was in corrective action for English Language Arts. Over the course of two years, the school was able to reach all AYP targets, going from 32% of their students scoring substantially or partially below sufficient to 23%. In addition, students scoring at proficient or proficient with distinction rose from 68% to 77%.
7. Shawnee High School, Louisville Kentucky: Shawnee was recently listed as one of the top 10 schools receiving focused turnaround attention from a national program.
8. Boston, MA:11 elementary schools in Boston were the target of a program by Boston College. The program links each child to a tailored set of intervention, prevention and enrichment services within the community to enhance that student’s performance and well-being. So far results have seen students who previously ranked at the 50th percentile move to the 75th by grade 5 and students in the 25th percentile move to around the 50th.
9. New Orleans, Louisiana: New Orleans schools have seen quite a turnaround since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In 2005 64 percent of the schools in New Orleans were deemed “academically unacceptable” by the state of Louisiana. Today, that number has been reduced to 42% and activities are ongoing.
10. Digital Harbor School, Baltimore Maryland: Once plagued by violence and litter, Digital Harbor School is now a model for the turnaround an inner city school can achieve. Every student has a laptop, and students who come to the school reading under expectations are quickly put on a program to bring them up to standard.

There are, of course, thousands of schools that have seen great turnaround over recent years, in part due to a focus of federal money on programs for the lowest performing of these schools. And, as this funding goes forward, we can expect to see many more schools get the assistance and attention they need to improve the education they provide to students.

School counselors usually do not operate in a void. News, updates and concerns at the local to national and international levels can keep counselors apprised on issues that surround students and families — sometimes, entire communities. The following top 50 blogs by school counselors include blogs by and for counselors, by counselors for students and families and resources that can help counselors with issues such as bullying.

The list below is categorized, and each link is listed alphabetically within those categories.

School Counseling Blogs

1. College Counseling Blog: St. Margaret’s Episcopal School’s counselors offer a venue for students, teachers and community surrounding this K-12 private school.
2. Dr. Husson’s School Counseling Blog: Dr. Husson provides a resource for students and parents with her blog.
3. DVC International Counseling Blog: Diablo Valley College international students can use this blog to stay in touch with updates, news and events.
4. Florida School Counselor Association News: This is just one example of a state-run school counselor organization and its function to inform.
5. Lassiter School Counseling Blog: This school district offers a blog that promotes news and information from the counseling office.
6. McDowell Counselor’s Blog: A middle-school counselor offers a resource for communication at her school.
7. McNair Elementary School Counselor: Mr. Harris reaches out to parents and the community to help residents stay connected to McNair.
8. Ohio School Counselor Association: Another large statewide school counselor association, focusing on news, awards, resources and more.
9. School Counselor Blog: An elementary school counselor in Iowa began this blog as a way to collaborate with other counselors.

College Counselor/Counseling Blogs

10. Admitted: This is the official blog of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
11. College Counseling Culture: A blog generated by Willard Dix, a college admission dean and college counselor who works with adults and organizations who counsel and support first-generation and minority students on the way to college.
12. Minding the Campus: This is a project devoted to a revival of intellectual pluralism and the best traditions of liberal education.
13. Rethinking Admissions: This Wake Forest University blog speaks to students, parents and counselors about the changing face of college admissions.
14. SU School Counseling Program Blog: Dr. Poynton is the program director for counselor education at Suffolk University.
15. The Chronicle of Higher Education: Find blogs listed in the lower left at this link — tools that can help counselors stay ahead in the counseling field.
16. The College Puzzle: Dr. Michael W. Kirst at Stanford University’s School of Education writes this college success blog.
17. The College Solution Blog: Lynn O’Shaughnessy is a journalist and college consultant who is skilled at generating discussion.

Resource Blogs

18. A Better Education: Tracy Stevens is interested in education that fosters a curiosity beyond the traditional straight-line academic format.
19. ACA Blogs: The American Counseling Association creates a space for counselors to blog with other counselors.
20. ASCA Scene: This blog is for members of the American School Counselor Association.
21. Character Counts: A resource guide for counselors and teachers of younger children from the Josephson Institute, Center for Youth Ethics.
22. Creative Learning Systems: Learning Styles Blog: Yvonne Eve Walus walks readers through various learning styles.
23. Education Week: Click on the blog tab at top to read through various blogs geared toward educators and counselors.
24. High School Counselor Week Blog: This blog is geared toward students and to help counselors stay on top of relevant topics.
25. Intervention Central: Jim Wright, MS, is a full-time trainer and consultant to schools and organizations on issues relating to intervention.
26. Miriam’s School Law and Reform: This attorney is a special education law expert, author and reformer who graduated from public schools.
27. Naomi Drew: Learn more about bullying, parenting, conflict resolution and character education from the author of seven books.
28. National Center for Youth Issues: Gain practical insights, guidance and resources from the blog produced by the NCYI.
29. School Counselor Blog: This blog provides a place where K-12 school counselors can share ideas, create lesson plans and share resources.
30. Study Hacks: Around half of the content is student-specific, while the other half is applicable to anyone interested in “building a remarkable life.”

Geared Toward Students and Parents

31. Campus Grotto: This is a national college news blog that covers a wide range of college-related topics.
32. College Blender: Students, faculty and alumni are encouraged to offer advice, news and an “unfiltered look at campus life all over the country.”
33. College Thrive: A blog filled with resources, tips, and advice for college students.
34. Get Schooled Challenge: This blog’s main focus is to get students to do better in school, to go to college and to improve futures.
35. Homework/Study Tips: Grace Fleming has worked with students for many years as a college adviser and admission counselor.
36. My College Admissions Blog: While geared toward high school students, this blog can bring light to current topics for high school counselors.
37. My Usearch: This blog is dedicated to providing a completely unbiased resource for students searching for colleges.
38. NextStepU: This online and print magazine helps students plan for college, careers and life. Use this resource to learn more about updated issues and topics.
39. Parents Countdown to College Coach: A counseling blog for parents to help them navigate the college maze.
40. Student Branding Blog: Stay on top of the student branding solutions offered by Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert, the author of Me 2.0, and the publisher of the Personal Branding Blog.

Professional Counselors

41. Admission Scoop: News, advice and information for the college-bound student from Lynn Radlauer Lubell, publisher of InLikeMe.com.
42. College Admissions: Jeannie Borin, MEd, offers college admission news, advice and tips.
43. HEAD4COLLEGE-NE: Sharon McLaughlin operates McLaughlin Education Consulting, a college planning service in Central Massachusetts.
44. International College Counselors: This business blog focuses on college strategies for high school students.
45. Montgomery Educational Consulting: This company provides “affordable, expert advice to students and their families” in navigating the college selection and admissions process.
46. Reading, Writing & Math Help for Dyslexia, LD & ADHD: Bonnie Terry, MEd, BCET, is a Board Certified Educational Therapist and best selling author with over 35 years of experience.
47. Successful Education Solutions: This site is focused on coaching families through the college experience.
48. The Admission Game: This business offers an ongoing discussion about factors that impact the college planning process.
49. The Fat Envelope: Jennifer and Gary Cohen have years of experience with coaching students through tests and into the application process.
50. The Ivy Coach: Bev Taylor, founder and president of The Ivy Coach, is an educational consultant in the field of college admissions.

Teachers and counselors have lots of technology on their side these days. The number of applications and websites available that are relevant to your career is simply amazing. Check out these 19 web applications that can make your job as a counselor easier and your life a bit more fun, too!

For Your iPhone

1. Evernote: You’ll never take notes on paper again. It’s so easy to take notes on your phone and save them or file them. You can easily catalog notes for later and eliminate carrying that notebook around with you all the time.
2. Remember the Milk: This is a great app for making electronic lists and keeping track of the things you have to do.
3. TED: TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design: This app is great for finding out plenty of interesting information. You’ll get access to lots of great speakers and speeches here.
4. Keynote: The iWork Keynote app is ideal for on-the-go presentation development. You can also import Microsoft Powerpoint slide decks with ease.
5. Stanza: Read books on your iPhone with this great digital reading interface. You won’t believe how clearly you can read with Stanza.

For Your Android

6. WaveSecure: As a counselor, you may have confidential information stored on your phone. WaveSecure keeps it safe.
7. Titanium Backup: Back up the information on your phone quickly and easily.
8. Astrid: This is a great to do list application that will really keep you organized.
9. Folder Organizer: This lets you organize your apps, bookmarks, contacts and shortcuts by creating labels. You can also customize the icons for the labels that you create.
10. Good Reader: This is a great Google reader app for the Android. You can read your RSS feeds and other docs on Google with unbelievable clarity.
11. Urban Dictionary: Keep up with what those high school students are talking about with Urban Dictionary. Look up modern slang phrases quickly and easily.
12. World Stats: This is one of the best online references you’ll ever find. What’s the capital of Brazil? How many people live in the capital? This app can tell you in a flash.

For Your Computer

13. Wridea: Take notes and then color coordinate them for easy reference. You’ll love how easy it is to organize notes with this website.
14. Awesome highlighter: Highlight information on web pages and then create a link to that page for future reference. Go back to the highlighted information with the click of the mouse.
15. School Counselor: This is the website for the American School Counselor Association. It offers resources and news for school counselors.
16. ACT School Planner: Keep up to date with the activities secondary school counselors need to stay abreast of with this ACT website.
17. The American Counseling Association: This site is a great resource for counselors of any kind. This organization works to promote the field of counseling and the people served by counselors of all kinds.
18. National Career Development Association: One of the most important functions of a secondary school counselor is helping students decide on a college major or a career. The NCDA is a great resource to help counselors help their students.

Your work life can be so much easier with just a few great tools of the trade. All counselors can benefit from these websites and applications to help them do a better job, be more organized and stay more informed. Watch your productivity soar, your knowledge increase and your life become much more organized just by using these websites and applications. You’re sure to see a great benefit at work and at home. New apps are created every day, so be sure to stay informed on the newest apps that can make your life easier.

A school counselor is someone who as an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to every K-12 student. He touches topics and issues like developmental school counseling curriculum lessons, annual planning for every student, and other topics. Here some best blogs for School Counseling has been discussed out.

1. Schcouselor.com:  This blog was started by Danielle, who herself is a counselor in January 2009 as to get solutions to various problems of counseling like finding creative lesson plans, innovative ideas and quality resources. She is a K-12 Certified School Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor.
2. Hscounselorweek.com: This is a blog to suggest an idea upon marketing to high school counselors on college admission issues. As every student tries to seek advice from a college counselor this is a website that tells how to market high school counselors as part of your overall marketing plan and this is a great to do so.  HSCounselorWeek is a unique and extremely inexpensive way to keep your name and logo in front of a crucial advisor in the college admission process.
3. NACAC Blog:  This is a official blog of National Association For College Admission Counseling that has 23 state and regional offices to help student with their proper guidance through post secondary education. It works collaboratively in providing the best possible assistance to students throughout the US in taking admission.
4. Mindingthecampus: This blog is devoted to revival of intellectual pluralism and the best traditions of liberal education. It thinks to develop a new climate and environment that works in tandem of civil and honest engagement of all sides that provides an engaged debate for concerned wit the state and conditions of modern universities.
5. The Student Branding: This blog is the number one resource for career and personal branding advice and suggestions. This blog is for the students who are not ready for continuing education. With the help of experienced college counselors help students to capitalize with their own unique abilities and resources.

School Counseling or Guidance Counseling are where aspirants looking for better career opportunities, vocational and academic advancement are guided by school counseling experts to follow up or pursue career of their choice and opportunity. They help students at every level from elementary school to college to choose upon the area where they wish to carve out career and opportunities for them.  They advocate on career related issues not only students but also individuals and organizations as well like state unemployment office or placement services as  to promote academic, career and social development.

• Nature of the Job: School counselors evaluate students’ abilities, interests and personalities to carve out realistic and practical career goals. They use interviews, counseling sessions and aptitude assessment tests to evaluate and advise students. They also run career information centers, career day events and career education programs.  They provide counseling generally outside the traditional school setting.  They evaluate the client’s education, work history, interests, skills and personality traits.



• Qualification: In order to become a school guidance counselor one is expected to be a 4-year undergraduate degree holder. A Bachelor’s Degree in Education or Sociology is best suited to prepare one for  2 to 3-year master’s degree, most prominently having the Master of Education in Counseling, which most of the states and employers need. Master’s programs provide students with a capacity of learning and fieldwork in local schools. All states requires school  counselors to have their state school counseling certification, while some other expects from them as counseling as well teaching certificate. It is the counselor’s duty to become conscious of the education, certification and training requirements within the state they have planned to work.




• School Counseling Certification and Licensure: In United States, all states need certification for school counselors, and some other states held a counseling test for licensure as well. A master’s degree followed by two years of practical experience is imperative for state licensure. By other states teaching certificate is also needed for practicing school counseling.  Career counselors generally require a master’s degree, and licensure is normally accredited after the master’s degree level. State’s licensure requirement is very necessary incase someone wishes to practice school counseling as a private practice. Apart from that school counselors like other counseling option if situated out of school must accomplish there annual education requirements.



• Salary: The average salary for school counselor working within school districts occurs to be around nearly $44,894, while counselors employed at the college or university makes an average salary of around $37,587 annually, as informed according to the statistics of PayScale.com.

Master of school counseling is an extremely interesting course for the discerning and the fact that it can be done online is just the tip of the iceberg. The course is beneficial not only to the person that intends to take it on as a career choice but also for all those that will be counseled by this person. It is proving to be a popular course especially in this day and age where life is becoming more and more complex by the hour.

Counselors have a major impact on our lives whether we like to admit it or not and the more qualified they are then the better. A counselor is the person every student can run to when they have issues be they at home or at school and get a free session that leaves them feeling that much better. The master of school counseling is a course that should be taken by all those that have every intention of molding the different characters that roam the school halls on different levels.

This course as with every other is highly competitive with careers opportunities being on the rise day after day. As such it should be taken on with all the zeal and zest that a person can master and if it is online then all the better. The online course is an excellent route to take as it gives the counselor room to grow in their career while still spending valuable time with the people that need the services the most.

The online classes are not only flexible but readily available without inconveniencing the students or any faculty that may need to be counseled. This is a cost effective way to get more qualifications and the fact that there is no physical class time required makes it all the more inviting. The qualifications are indeed accredited and if for nothing else they give the students that the person that is counseling them knows what they are going on about.

There are many institutions the counselor can work in and these range from elementary school, junior high, college and even university and even though in some cases the role of the counselor may be under estimated they are a vital part of any organization. The master of School Counseling course can be done online with ease both in the financial and physical sense.