Getting Involved & Managing It All
BY Carol Lemmon, Guidance Counselor - Midlothian High School, TX
Ms. Lemmon is involved with several organizations, including The National
Association of College Admissions Counselors, The Texas Association of College
Admissions Counselors, CollegeBoard and is an active member of the Making It Count
Educator Advisory Board.
As counselors we often wonder why we work such long hours, especially when others
rarely notice. For most of the counselors I know, the answer always comes back to,
"I do what I do because it is good for the students (and parents) I serve." Given that
counselors are frequently the hardest working people in the school building, why do
some of us choose to add more to our already full plates by becoming involved in
professional organizations? The answer, of course, is that we do it to help our
students.
That fact became particularly clear to me a few years ago. I was advising with a
very bright senior girl who was working hard to overcome an eating disorder. By the
end of her senior year she had things fairly under control, but her biggest fear was
that she would get to college and relapse. Because of my active involvement in several
state and national organizations, I knew just how to help this young lady. I called a
colleague who had served on a national committee with me and who just happened to be
the Vice-President of Enrollment at the university my student planned to attend.
Not only did he tell me about support services that were available at his institution,
but he also gave me the name of a woman in his office who had also overcome an eating
disorder. This wonderful woman had agreed to serve as a resource and personal mentor
for my student. I sent my student off to school that fall armed with a list of resources
and the name of a very special person whom she could choose to call if she felt the need.
So, yes, my time spent on that committee meant that I had to be away from the office for
a few days three times a year, but the extra hours that I had to spend to make sure my
"real job" was also done, were truly a small price to pay for such a valuable connection.
One could truly argue that time spent being active (that's a key word) in professional
organizations actually saves a busy counselor time in the long run. The most valuable
by-product of participation in professional organizations is the opportunity to build a
strong network of colleagues who can help share the load. When my school needs to know
how other districts are planning to respond to the latest legislative mandate, they always
seem to want to "poll the audience." I have a colleague in each of the surrounding districts
that I can get an immediate answer from. Unlike other members of the staff who are trying to
figure out whom they should call, I have my answer in just a few short minutes. When we need
a procedure for a new program or a form to handle some new project, I have a whole cadre of
friends who will come to my aid with suggestions of things to do or pitfalls to avoid.
When I need a speaker to come from a college to do a parent program, I have college admissions
reps on speed dial who are delighted to give up an evening of their time to help.
All these people also know that they can count on me to reciprocate when they are the ones
who need assistance. Some of my best ideas on things to do for my students have been "stolen"
from other counselors as we have shared ideas in the buffet line at some conference. In short,
I see my time spent away from the office in professional growth as a way to work smarter, not harder.
Thinking about getting more involved in professional organizations? Here are
a few tips that can help you get involved and manage it all:
- Think about what organizations are best for you and your career.
- Do some research, talk to colleagues about the organizations they're involved with.
- Once you've selected the organizations you’re interested in, see if a colleague would be
willing to help you get involved.
- Once you decide on the right organization to join, you should be to be willing to make a
commitment: go to the meetings, network with the members, volunteer for a committee, etc.
- As you are balancing everything, learn how to work smart; don't waste time. When you have
free time at school or during conferences or meetings, use it to check emails, make phone calls,
things like that.
- Prepare yourself for the possibility that you'll also probably have to work some nights and
weekends in order to balance your professional involvement.
