Added December 31, 1969
School counselors need to be proficient classroom managers to successfully implement the school counseling core curriculum; however, few recent empirical investigations of school counselors’ classroom management knowledge and skills exist. The aim of this Delphi study was to fill this gap in the literature by co-creating (along with a panel of school counselors with expertise in classroom management) a list of classroom management competencies specifically for school counselors. The authors arranged the resulting list of 81 competencies into 12 broad themes: 1) interacting with students; 2) designing classroom lessons; 3) assessing student understanding; 4) counselor behavior and demeanor; 5) meeting the needs of all students; 6) responding to student behavior; 7) collaborating/consulting with others; 8) characteristics of the counselor; 9) maintaining lesson structure; 10) knowing and utilizing classroom behavior management; 11) multicultural competence, sensitivity, and awareness; and 12) creating classroom rules. The two most populated themes were interacting with students (which featured 16 items) and designing classroom lessons.
The 81 competencies and their subsequent themes align with the school reform movement’s emphasis on rigor, responsiveness to learner’s needs, and assessment of effectiveness. School counselors may benefit from these results by using them to ensure that sufficient and efficiently targeted education efforts are offered by associations at the local, state, and national levels. Best practices in the realm of classroom management can be included in school counselor association documents (e.g., ethical standards, position statements, the National Model) and education and advocacy efforts (e.g., confabs with administrators and legislators). Both school counselors and counselor educators with expertise in classroom management could create professional development webinars and other platforms for sharing expertise, addressing concerns, and answering questions about effective classroom management for school counselors.
School counselors could use the inventory of competencies to inform their professional development planning. For example, school counselors and teachers together could engage in professional development regarding the competencies that are congruent for both groups of professionals. Likewise, specific educational efforts could be targeted for each group based upon competencies that are distinct. In addition, school counselors in various districts who exhibit exemplary classroom management competence may be given the wherewithal and resources to assist other school counselors in the district to enhance their effectiveness in this vital arena.
School counselors may discuss these competencies regarding classroom management with their supervisors during supervision. They could use this list as a self- or peer-assessment tool or to inform individual school counselors’ professional development efforts. It could also be advantageous for school counselors to discuss these competencies with school administrators to help establish appropriate expectations regarding classroom management.
School counselors can use the competencies to educate and advocate with stakeholders for the resources, time, and support needed to effectively implement the curriculum. In addition, the competencies may guide development of appropriate expectations and evaluations of school counselor classroom management skills and techniques. This could provide invaluable assistance in delineating and effectively targeting areas of strength and struggles. Overall, accurate assessments of classroom management competence can increase accountability and help steer future efforts to enhance school counselor effectiveness and productivity
https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19834293
March 12, 2019
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