The constants: change and professional growth.

Mr. C, my principal, invited me into his office. "How do you think you are doing?" he asked. "So far, so good. I don't think I've missed anything yet," I answered.

He continued, "I think you're working out fine. You know you're here on probation this year. I don't have time to train you so you're on your own."

My natural apprehension for a new position, new job classification, and new coworkers intensified with those words. I was the only counselor in a small junior high school with no counselor mentor and no one to share my concerns. This began my school counseling experience.

The next 16 years of my career were spent as the counselor at Bethel Junior High/Middle School located at the foot of Mount Pisgah in the beautiful Smokey Mountains of rural western North Carolina. As I reflect on my career, the one constant is change. When I began on August 6, 1989, school counseling was inclusive. I was expected to fill any shoe or hat that my administrator wanted me to fill. My responsibilities included scheduling, record keeping, attendance, test coordinating, and referring exceptional students. I was in charge of all types of special programs. In addition, I often served as coordinator or committee chairperson regardless of my expertise, and I represented our school on central office and community committees. I coordinated all school clubs, honor societies, and award programs. In my role as school counselor, I held conferences with parents, teachers, and students and counseled students on academic, personal, and career issues. An important responsibility included facilitating transitions from elementary to junior high and from junior high to high school. The job was overwhelming. Many days I would get to school early and stay several hours late in order to have time to spend with students.

As the years progressed, my job changed. Five years after I was assigned to Bethel Junior High, it became Bethel Middle School, and the focus changed to the middle school concept with emphasis on a team approach and the social/emotional developmental needs of students. At the same time, the focus of educational reform in North Carolina centered on academic success as demonstrated by student test scores in reading and math. Haywood County created a lead teacher position, and test coordination became part of the duties of this position. As time progressed, administrative support staff used computerized record keeping and scheduling to complete many tasks that were previously mine.

As my duties changed, I was able to devote my time and energy to promote the academic, social/ emotional, and career development of students. Because I believe that all students ultimately have a desire to learn and want to be successful, I focused attention on helping students identify and overcome barriers to success and learning. In part, this involved teaching students effective coping skills. Counseling middle school students is an awesome task because there are so many factors that they cannot control. Some students needed glasses; some needed dental work; some had attention or impulsivity problems; some had hearing problems; some had nutritional needs; and some needed school supplies. There were students who needed clothing, shoes, or personal hygiene items. Additionally, some students needed structure or help with schoolwork. For some students, motivation for schoolwork was a problem. Some students did not see the relevance of schoolwork and learning to their future. I often sec grade improvement after the barriers are removed and students realize how they can positively influence their future. The ability to focus on eliminating or minimizing the impact of barriers and facilitating student development has enabled me to concurrently contribute to students' social/emotional development, educational and career planning, and academic success.

In my efforts, I found two ingredients essential for effective middle school counseling. First, one must have the support of the central office, the school administration, and the school's faculty and staff.

Second, one must keep informed on the current issues, information, and strategies of the profession. Fortunately, I had the support of the central office, Mr. C, and my colleagues at Bethel Middle School. They contributed to my success as a counselor and collectively allowed me to use my strengths to impact student success and development and encouraged professional development that would enhance my skills. I could not have met the challenge without continued professional development and growth. Further, I was encouraged to become active in local and state professional organizations hat enabled me to be on the cutting edge of my profession while being involved and continually earning from the best of the best.

Counseling in the middle school is an ever changing and challenging profession. There is never a dull moment. From my perspective, it is important to remember that flexibility is the key to change and professional development is the key to flexibility,

Harriet Worsham is a retired middle school counselor from Bethel Middle School, Waynesville, NC. She was the 2003 ASCA Middle School Counselor of the Year. E-mail: [e-mail]