If you’re a school counselor, you already know about the many responsibilities of this role, especially school counselor time management. Not only are you juggling the dynamic and changing needs of students, but you also have the staff, families, and the greater learning community to keep in mind! (No pressure.)

It is possible to have a successful school counseling program while also effectively managing your time, maintaining balance, and having the impact you were meant to have on your students and school.

[If you’re looking for more learning and growth as a school counselor, be sure to put your name on the waiting list for the “Organize and Maximize” course, coming to you in February!]

 

How should school counselors spend their time?

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone handed us a compass on our first day as a school counselor? Of course, our role as school counselors is way too dynamic for that! Instead, we have to identify the areas for improvement and prioritize them. 

To identify areas for improvement in your school counseling program, consider administering a needs assessment or conducting surveys and focus groups.

Identifying areas for improvement takes some time, but prioritizing them is even more difficult! 

When you have a group of students who are struggling with school-related anxiety, staff who need more professional development on conflict resolution, and a family in dire financial distress… which one comes first? 

In the life of a school counselor… every issue is important.

When every issue feels important, and your to-do list is growing by the minute, you are headed straight for burnout. 

I wish I could come to your school, sit down with you for a cup of coffee, and help you prioritize your task list. Since I can’t do that, here are a few tips to help with time management as a school counselor, avoid burnout, and continue to love your job!

 

Time Management for School Counselors Tip 1: Prioritize!

Try using the Eisenhower decision-making framework to prioritize your to-do list. This framework is designed to categorize tasks based on urgency and importance. 

Here’s how you can use the Eisenhower Matrix to help with time management as a school counselor:

The matrix categorizes tasks into four quadrants based on two criteria: urgency and importance.

Quadrant I – Urgent and Important:

Tasks in this quadrant are both urgent and important. They require immediate attention and are crucial to your role as a school counselor. 

Examples might include responding to a student in crisis or addressing an urgent behavioral issue.

Quadrant 2 – Not Urgent but Important:

Tasks in this quadrant are important but not necessarily urgent. These are tasks that contribute to your long-term goals and the overall effectiveness of your counseling program. 

Examples include planning proactive interventions, professional development, or long-term program development.

Quadrant 3 – Urgent but Not Important:

Tasks in this quadrant are urgent but may not contribute significantly to your overarching goals. These tasks are often reactive and may be delegated or minimized. 

Examples could include responding to non-urgent emails or routine file organization.

Quadrant 4 – Not Urgent and Not Important:

Tasks in this quadrant are neither urgent nor important. These are typically time-wasting activities that should be minimized or eliminated. 

Examples might include scrolling Pinterest for random counseling ideas or coloring in a motivational poster for the wall.

You will list out all of your tasks on your plate. (Yes, ALL of them!) Then, you’ll categorize each task into one of the four quadrants based on its urgency and importance. 

Start by prioritizing the tasks in Quadrant 1, then move on to Quadrant 2. For Quadrants 3 and 4, consider delegating them if possible or eliminating them altogether!

 

Time Management for School Counselors Tip 2: Create a Well-Organized Schedule

You only have so many hours in the day! You need ways to effectively manage your time as a school counselor to ensure you can provide valuable support to students, parents, and staff.

As a school counselor, you likely have all of these activities scheduled in your calendar regularly:

• Individual Counseling Sessions
• Group Sessions
• Classroom Interventions
• Administrative Tasks
• Collaboration with Colleagues

… and so much more!

You can use a strategy called “time blocking” to allocate specific blocks of time for different types of tasks. For example, you might hold your individual counseling sessions in the mornings, complete your admin tasks in the afternoons, and have specific days for group sessions or program planning.

When you group like tasks together, you avoid all of the transitional pieces involved with switching from one activity to the next. 

Imagine the task switching involved if you had an individual session in the morning, 20 minutes before your group session to sneak in some admin tasks, and a classroom session right after lunch before wrapping up the day with another group session. (Phew! That’s a lot of different tasks jam-packed into one day.)

You’ll avoid this mess by time-blocking as much as possible and including buffer time to manage unexpected situations. Say “no” if it means offering yourself an extra moment to breathe. (And don’t forget to clearly communicate your schedule and set boundaries!)

You already know your students will benefit more from a fully present school counselor than an exhausted, burned-out one! 

 

Time Management for School Counselors Tip 3: Rely on Digital Tools

You knew this was coming, didn’t you? As much as I love a good pen-and-paper planner, there are many productivity tools that can be game-changers for school counselors who want to streamline their tasks, stay organized, and save time!

Here are a few of my favorite digital tools to help school counselors save time:

• Google Workspace: Utilize Google Workspace tools like Google Calendar for scheduling appointments, Google Docs for document creation and collaboration, and Google Forms for collecting data and feedback.
• Appointment Scheduling Tools: Use appointment scheduling tools like Calendly or Google Calendar’s new scheduling feature to simplify the process of scheduling counseling sessions or meetings. These tools allow participants to choose available time slots, reducing back-and-forth communication.
• Task Management Apps: Explore task management apps like Trello, or Asana to organize and prioritize your tasks. These tools help you create to-do lists, set deadlines, and track progress.
• Google Forms: You know I love to use Google Forms for observations, surveys, and feedback. Read more here!

By integrating these digital tools into your daily time management plan as a school counselor, you’ll be able to focus on the most important and urgent tasks on your to-do list! (And show up with the spaciousness you need to do your job well!)

 

Time Management for School Counselors Tip 4: Leverage Collaborations

You can lean on collaborations to help you save time and have more impact! 

Collaborate with support staff, interns, or your fellow counselors to delegate specific tasks when needed. Oftentimes, when you lean into your own strengths and the strengths of your team, you can find ways to lighten the load for everyone.

Engage related staff to develop programs, deliver workshops, and align services. It’s worth spending time as a team deciding which tasks are best covered by which team. Remember, you’re all in this for the same goal- to collectively address the needs of the student.

 

Time Management for School Counselors Tip 5: Stay Curious

Just like we set goals at home to drink more water or walk 30 minutes a day, setting goals at work can keep us motivated and excited about our careers. 

Here are a few tips to help you with setting up an ongoing goal-setting routine as a school counselor:

Establish feedback loops and schedule regular feedback sessions to identify areas for improvement. You might even consider using a 90-day goal cycle to identify specific areas for tracking progress, communicating achievements to stakeholders, and enhancing skills and knowledge. Each 90-day cycle gives you the chance to reflect, share your wins, refine your strategies, and set new goals for continued growth!

Find relevant professional learning communities to share insights, address challenges, and share knowledge and ideas. This commitment to lifelong learning and growth can keep us moving, even through the challenging times.

[If you’re looking for more learning and growth as a school counselor, be sure to put your name on the waiting list for the “Organize and Maximize” course, coming to you in February!]

From addressing the evolving needs of your students to engaging with staff and families, your job as a school counselor is demanding. But by putting time management strategies into place, you maintain a sense of balance so that you can stay focused on making a positive impact.

With school counselor  time management, you can thrive in your mission to support students and contribute to the success of the community. You’ve got this!

Tell us below, what is your favorite time management tip for school counselors?