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What does an elementary school counselor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does an elementary school counselor do

An elementary school counselor is primarily in charge of providing support and counseling to students as they navigate through their academic, social, and personal lives. Their responsibilities typically revolve around developing and executing programs for students' welfare, conducting student evaluations and interviews, mediating on various issues, and assisting students in preparing and processing scholarship applications. Furthermore, there are instances when an elementary school counselor must refer students and parents to social services and conduct interventions when necessary. Should there be any signs of abuse or neglect, It is essential to report to the authorities right away.

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Elementary school counselor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real elementary school counselor resumes:

  • Select to serve as the tier 2 PBIS coach and serve on district PBIS tier 1 team.
  • Train entire staff on PBIS theories, data and methodology.
  • Prepare and present Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on treating the grief and loss issues of incarcerate students.
  • Prepare and deliver PowerPoint presentations.
  • Serve as administrative representative for IEP meetings.
  • Participate and collaborate with administrators about RTI design and implementation.
  • Complete documentation, including IEP documentation according to GPS district guidelines.
  • Conduct small group counseling for elementary students dealing with study skills issues, divorce/separation family difficulties, dealing with feelings appropriately.
  • Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
  • Monitor grades, post graduation planning, scheduling, enrollment, PowerSchool.
  • Record the progress of each student by inputting the information in the PowerSchool counselor log.
  • Utilize age-appropriate and culturally sensitive approaches to conduct HIV education and outreach in the community.

Elementary school counselor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Elementary School Counselors are proficient in Social Work, Professional Development, and Crisis Intervention. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Compassion, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Elementary School Counselors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Social Work, 14%

    Interacted closely with school psychologist, lead teacher of special education and social worker to implement instructional curriculum.

  • Professional Development, 9%

    Participated in various professional development seminars, including training in technology and small group instruction.

  • Crisis Intervention, 7%

    Facilitated referrals including crisis intervention, psychiatric assessment, outpatient therapy and community support services.

  • Math, 7%

    Offered guided math intervention and independent exploration of math concepts using rotating stations.

  • Community Resources, 6%

    Provided all community resources and referrals to homeless families.

  • Kids, 5%

    Worked with elementary kids with slight learning challenges after school helping them with homework and teaching them life-skills.

"social work," "professional development," and "crisis intervention" are among the most common skills that elementary school counselors use at work. You can find even more elementary school counselor responsibilities below, including:

Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for an elementary school counselor to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "school and career counselors and advisors interpret student records, schoolwide data, and assessments to match interests and abilities with potential careers. ." Additionally, an elementary school counselor resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "trained entire staff on pbis theories, data and methodology. "

Compassion. Another essential skill to perform elementary school counselor duties is compassion. Elementary school counselors responsibilities require that "school and career counselors and advisors often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be able to empathize with their clients and students." Elementary school counselors also use compassion in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide at-risk youth with therapeutic and compassionate services. "

Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of elementary school counselors is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday elementary school counselor duties, as "school and career counselors and advisors must be able to work with people of all backgrounds and personalities." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "demonstrated ability in crisis intervention, decision making, problem analysis, conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships, planning and multi-tasking. "

Listening skills. For certain elementary school counselor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "listening skills." The day-to-day duties of an elementary school counselor rely on this skill, as "school and career counselors and advisors need to give full attention to students and clients in order to understand their problems." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what elementary school counselors do: "design and implement weekly study skills lessons emphasizing listening skills, time management and test preparation. "

Speaking skills. Another crucial skill for an elementary school counselor to carry out their responsibilities is "speaking skills." A big part of what elementary school counselors relies on this skill, since "school and career counselors and advisors must communicate effectively with clients and students." How this skill relates to elementary school counselor duties can be seen in an example from an elementary school counselor resume snippet: "presented and demonstrated appropriate backpack ergonomics to school-aged kids utilized aota guidelines in order to ensure evidence-based knowledge transfer"

See the full list of elementary school counselor skills

The three companies that hire the most elementary school counselors are:

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Compare different elementary school counselors

Elementary school counselor vs. School social worker

A school social worker specializes in counseling students, families, and faculty members. They are responsible for coordinating with the school to develop programs that prioritize the students' emotional and psychological well-being, respond to any issues and concerns, build rapport to identify their needs, and communicate with support services to provide necessary assistance to any students or families. There are also instances when a school social worker must assist teachers in handling students with behavioral issues, investigating the underlying reasons. Moreover, it is crucial to identify any signs of neglect or abuse, conducting interventive measures right away.

We looked at the average elementary school counselor salary and compared it with the wages of a school social worker. Generally speaking, school social workers are paid $19,872 higher than elementary school counselors per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both elementary school counselor and school social worker positions are skilled in social work, professional development, and crisis intervention.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between elementary school counselors and school social worker. For instance, elementary school counselor responsibilities require skills such as "math," "kids," "mathematics," and "guidance curriculum." Whereas a school social worker is skilled in "social emotional," "group therapy," "classroom observations," and "autism." This is part of what separates the two careers.

The education levels that school social workers earn slightly differ from elementary school counselors. In particular, school social workers are 26.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an elementary school counselor. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Elementary school counselor vs. Guidance counselor

The primary role of a Guidance Counselor is to help students develop skills for success, both in academics and social development. They also develop and implement educational and counseling plans with modern methods of teaching and mentoring.

On average, guidance counselors earn a $13,170 higher salary than elementary school counselors a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both elementary school counselors and guidance counselors have skills such as "professional development," "crisis intervention," and "community resources. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, elementary school counselor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "social work," "math," "kids," and "public schools." Meanwhile, a guidance counselor has duties that require skills in areas such as "mental health," "financial aid," "substance abuse," and "k-12." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Guidance counselors tend to reach higher levels of education than elementary school counselors. In fact, they're 12.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Elementary school counselor vs. School coordinator

A school coordinator is primarily in charge of managing programs and curriculums, ensuring the welfare of students and workers. Their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the training procedures of teachers and other employees, establishing academic guidelines, liaising with external parties, and coordinating with administrators. They may also devise strategies to produce effective teaching materials and facilities, create progress reports, and identify areas needing improvement. Furthermore, as a school coordinator, it is essential to monitor the progress of students and faculty staff, all while implementing the school's policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed.

On average scale, school coordinators bring in higher salaries than elementary school counselors. In fact, they earn a $13,343 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on elementary school counselors and school coordinators resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "social work," "professional development," and "community resources.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from elementary school counselor resumes include skills like "crisis intervention," "math," "kids," and "behavioral issues," whereas a school coordinator is more likely to list skills in "data collection," "cpr," "community outreach," and "coordinators. "

Most school coordinators achieve a lower degree level compared to elementary school counselors. For example, they're 5.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Elementary school counselor vs. Counselor

Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.

Counselors typically earn higher pay than elementary school counselors. On average, counselors earn a $1,241 higher salary per year.While both elementary school counselors and counselors complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like social work, crisis intervention, and community resources, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An elementary school counselor uses "professional development," "math," "kids," and "public schools." Counselors are more likely to have duties that require skills in "patients," "substance abuse," "cpr," and "family therapy. "In general, counselors hold lower degree levels compared to elementary school counselors. Counselors are 7.3% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of elementary school counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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