The beginning of each school year brings with it not only new schedules, but new challenges and new hopes and goals. However, in all the excitement of the fresh start, how often do we, as guidance counsellors, pause to ask students what they need from us? As counsellors, we have our list of prioritized Start Up tasks that we work through to ensure a smooth start each September. Although this list is an essential tool that works for the beginning of the year start up for the school and the staff, how about the students? When we, the adults within the school and school system, design models of support without student input, we are making assumptions about what students are experiencing. At times, this may unintentionally create gaps for students. The most impactful counselling begins with student voice, not adult assumptions. At the start of the school year, guidance counsellors are in a powerful position to build trust and shape meaningful support structures. But to be truly effective, we must begin by listening – really listening – to students. Student voice should be central in shaping counselling practices, programs, and priorities. Listening doesn’t mean just hearing feedback – it means taking action on what is shared.
So, what are some ways to use Student Voice within the Guidance Department?
The guidance department lends itself to including student voice in several areas, simply due to the work that occurs in student services. Since we service students, to include their voice makes sense. Some ways we have included student voice, is in our grade level presentations. We have invited students to participate in the presentation to give their perspective on relevant topics and issues. Their insight often adds a layer of authenticity and relatability that adults sometimes miss. After our presentations, we always ask students for feedback. We have given students a few ways to offer their feedback anonymously so that they feel secure in giving their honest opinions. We also have students talk to us about what they would like us to focus on – this informs our presentations. We listen to the feedback and try our best to make any changes/edits to the presentation for the following year. This reflective exercise gets students on board with what we as the guidance team is trying to communicate. By asking for their feedback and then making those changes, our students understand how impactful their opinions, feelings and views are and help shape future presentations for their peers. When we use our student’s voices in this way, I have found that it increases engagement, trust and relevance. It builds a stronger connection between the guidance team and the student body, making our work more collaborative and student-centred.
Another way to use student voice in the Guidance Department is to allow students access to your social media. For example, as guidance counsellors, we always communicated to the community via X (formerly, Twitter), email blasts and announcements. However, post-COVID-19, we asked students if they found this method of communication effective and they told us that Instagram was the way to go. So, we developed an Instagram account and recruited student volunteers to help inform what type of messaging they would deem important to post to get students to follow us and read our posts. We have student social media creators, who come up with inspiring, informational, and effective messaging to the student body and community, highlighting the monthly self-care strategies we are in and the message we are trying to communicate. This has been extremely effective. By having students involved in shaping support services I believe we have had positive outcomes and an increase in student engagement. The content feels more relevant because it’s created by students for students, bridging the gap between school messaging and student needs.
Every September, we sit down with plans to support our students – academic calendars, intervention strategies, wellness programming.
Let’s try something new this school year. Let’s make it a point to co-create some of those plans with our students and include their voice. It’s not just about hearing students – it’s about letting their voices influence our decisions. Before we can offer direction, we must understand the terrain – and no one knows it better than the students walking it. Students need to understand that they are experts in their own lives, and our job is to create a safe space where they can speak freely and we, the supportive, caring adults, are able to listen. In doing so, we move beyond simply delivering services – we begin forming authentic partnerships that empower students and elevate our work as counsellors.
By: Anna Macri
