Monday, May 18, 2015

Getting Out Of Your Space

When I was in grad school I had a professor who told us about the "Better. Better. Great." philosophy.  It really struck a chord with me way back when and 20+ years later, I still follow its principles.

Better. Better. Great. means that each day we should simply try to pick a goal and work towards it. We are looking to be great.  For students it could mean getting Great grades, or being a Great track star.  But, Great, may be far off in the distance for some, so what we need to focus on is Better.  If we focus each day on Better, we will soon reach our goal.  But, what is Great?  How can it be defined?  Is it the end of the path?  Or, can Great be Better?

I want to think of myself as a Great counselor.  But, tomorrow I'll learn something new that will help me to become Better.

Thursday, I had the opportunity to have a counselor from another local school district shadow me for the day.  We talked about our programs and what our typical days looked like.  We talked about how our schools ran and the programs we offered.  We talked about what we thought worked, and what needed improvement.  When the day was over, I learned a lot.  I got ideas and feedback, and spark to try something new.  I am looking forward to spending a day with her at her school to see her space and her in action.

If you have the opportunity to get out of your space and see what other programs look like, do it. You can learn so much.  It's much different than attending a local, State, or ASCA conference because you become a part of the experience.  Experiencing is learning at its finest and you walk away with that tactile experience.

While we're at it, here is another way that you can get out of your space and catch a glimpse of someone else's.  Join the #SCin30 conversation and put together a quick 30 second video for the question of the week.    More details can be found here.

This week's question is: How do you see the roles of school counselors changing in schools today?


Want to make a video, but don't blog?  Send me the link and I'll put it up here.  In addition, let me know your thoughts on getting out of your space.


  1. When your colleague visited, did she sit in on your individual counseling or group counseling sessions? I would love to visit another school, but am not sure how that would work with confidentiality. I'm curious how other counselors handle that. Thanks!

  2. Awesome post! Great reminder for us to continue learning.