Mentors Application

Mentee Application

Welcome to the GSCA Mentoring Program. Your Mentoring Chair for this year is Devin Jones. We are so excited about providing support and resources through GSCA for our new counselors and students throughout the state of Georgia.

From this area of the website you will be able to access applications to be a mentor and also to be a mentee. You can also find helpful hints and words of wisdom from others in the field. We also plan to post announcements about upcoming mentor program activities and other information about GSCA’s Mentoring Program. Please check back from time to time to see if additional items have been added to the site. We plan to add information throughout the year.

Overview

We are inviting you to join us this year in being a member of our Mentoring Team. We are looking for veteran professional school counselors that are willing to share their experiences and offer support to new professional school counselors in the field. We are continuously seeking new mentee counselors that we will match up with the mentors. Mentees will receive assistance with resources and professional nurturance to develop confidence and direction in their careers. To sign up to be a mentor or mentee, please see below for applications. You are certainly welcome to send us any items of information that you would like to share with others. Please help us to promote this program by recruiting mentees that are new GSCA members.

Purpose and Invitation to Participate

The purpose of the GSCA Mentoring Program is to create a network of services that addresses the many varied needs of first year professional school counselors. Those needs include support, resources and professional guidance and nurturance.

Experienced professional school counselors are invited to be mentors. They will be matched with new counselors throughout the state of Georgia. The mentors will assume the roles of consultants, teachers and counselors. To sign up to be a mentor, please fill out the Mentor Application here. To participate as a new professional school counselor you are encouraged to complete our Application Form for Mentees here. We will arrange to have a Mentor make contact with you.

Words of Wisdom

Your first few days will be quite busy in your new environment. Try to make a one on one contact with every one that you can to meet them and let them know that you are new in the building and are interested in what they do. These personal contacts can and will pay off when you have questions about who to contact for different needs. You can start a special resource folder for contacts in the building. If someone provides special help, always let them know how much you appreciate what they do. Sometimes a little note in their box or a quick e-mail can brighten up their day. Chocolate or another small treat will make you a lifelong friend!

Tips to Not Just Survive, But THRIVE as a New School Counselor!

1. Practice Self-Care
2. It’s Okay to Ask Questions
3. Build Relationships with Other School Counselors
4. Make Sure to Eat Your Lunch
5. Flexibility is Key- Develop a (Flexible) Calendar
6. Be Familiar with the DFCS Reporting Protocol
7. Consult! Consult! Consult!
8. Seek Professional Development Opportunities
9. Seek Out Opportunities to Get to Know Your Students
10. Create To-Do Lists and Set Priorities with Each List
11. Join Professional Organizations (GSCA)
12. Celebrate Your Accomplishments
13. Be Organized
14. Do Something that Makes You Laugh
15. Have Fun!!