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ASCA National Model: Calendars

3/9/2017

21 Comments

 
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The counselor's time is always in demand but there are so many hours in the day. How can you cope with all the demands without sacrificing your program (or your sanity)? I've already shared how to use your calendar as a productivity tool.  Today, we are going to look into the annual and weekly calendar components of the ASCA National Model. Check out my video tutorial. 

Video Transcript

Calendars are commonly used by school counselors to keep track of meetings, appointments, and other job duties. How detailed are the calendars that you keep?

The saying goes, if you don’t plan your time, someone else will help you waste it. Calendars provide structure to your program and to your day. While unexpected issues will always arise, keeping a detailed calendar will help you to quickly determine what needs to be done when. When looking back at your calendar, you want to be able to see where you used your time and whether it was the most effective way to spend that time.

In the ASCA National Model there are two types of calendars: the annual calendar and the weekly calendar. The annual calendar shows the scope of the program and identifies program priorities. All major activities delivered or coordinated by the school counselor or counselors are included. The annual calendar should be posted in the school or on the website so that all stakeholders can learn about the opportunities available to them. The weekly calendar shows planned activities and then documents other responsive activities as they occur. The weekly calendar will have a public version that includes all scheduled activities, duties, and responsibilities and a private version that will include students’ names and information.

Let’s look at the process for creating calendars. ASCA has an annual calendar template available on their website. This template is not required for RAMP submission. In the template, we can see that there is a section for ongoing services and then each month of the school year. The columns are used to list the different types of activities. What are the activities that you know will happen in August? In December? Other activities like 504 meetings, individual counseling, and crisis response are ongoing services provided throughout the year. Make sure to include parent nights, core curriculum lessons, groups provided, consultations with grade levels or teachers, and any other services typically provided throughout the year. It is helpful to highlight any activities related to your program goals. You can choose to color code these by goal or to literally highlight the services.

Here we have a list of possible activities to be included in your annual calendar. When listing items like groups and classroom lessons, be sure to list by topic and not a blanket “groups” in every month. A comprehensive list of your annual activities is a great tool for sharing your program with stakeholders. Consider how you will share your calendar at your building. Will you post in the office? Link on your website?

Let’s look at the process for the weekly calendar. The weekly calendar shared in the National Model process is intended to be a snapshot of a typical week in the Fall and Spring semesters. For ASCA National Model recognition, you turn in only 2 weekly calendars per counselor. However, keeping a detailed calendar is a best practice for all counselors. When you plan your time, check in on your use of time, and hold your time accountable for productivity, you create space in your day. When thinking about your calendar, it’s best to think of each section of the day as an appointment. ASCA’s Use of Time template has the day broken down into 15 minute increments. You may also decide that 30 minutes works best for you.

In our example, we see an actual calendar from a Middle School counselor. At the beginning of the week, the counselor knows that they have their daily duties, groups, planning tasks, parent meetings, and school based meetings. It looks like the counselor has a lot of “free” time. However, we know that the counselor will be busy during each of these more open blocks.

As the week goes on, the counselor fills in their individual counseling, consultations and discussions with parents. As you can see, their calendar quickly becomes full. In this public version of the calendar the students’ names are omitted but the grade level and topic are included so that stakeholders can get an idea of what types of work the counselor is doing. In the counselor’s personal calendar, they would note the student’s name as a record of their time with that student.
To make the calendar easier to read, ASCA requires that weekly calendars be color coded by category. In our example, the counselor provided the key for color coding and the percentage of time spent in each category at the bottom of her calendar.

An even better option is to create a pie graph showing your use of time. This pie graph can be copied and pasted to informational materials about your program or put on your website. To create a pie graph type the categories of time and their percentages in two columns, highlight the cells and click on the pie chart button found in the insert tab. Excel will automatically make a pie chart with your percentages. Your weekly calendar should align with the recommendation of 80% direct and indirect services to students and 20% or less in system support and program planning. If yours does not, use this as an opportunity to discuss your time as a counseling team or with your administrator.

ASCA has a use of time template that will help you to calculate your time. Thank you for joining us today! As always, if you have any questions, please contact me.

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21 Comments
Meredith Quinn link
3/13/2017 05:47:59 am

I would LOVE to have a paper version like the one in the pictures. Do you offer that as a digital download that I could purchase?

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Rebecca Atkins link
3/13/2017 06:30:46 am

Yes! Thanks for asking, the planner is available on my TpT store. You can see it here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counselor-Planner-2016-2017-2534529

You can read about it here: http://www.counselorup.com/blog/its-planner-time

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Vicki
3/14/2017 06:39:34 pm

I used the planner this year and I love it. I was able to customize it to meet my needs.

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Rebecca Atkins
3/14/2017 06:40:24 pm

Thanks!! Glad you love it :)

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Christina
3/21/2018 01:33:42 pm

Thank you so much for posting this video and providing the templates. I am going through my School Counseling program now and this really, really helps!

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Ruth
4/12/2018 05:47:50 pm

Hi, Im very glad I read and watch your video. I am going to apply this to be more productive in my daily schedule. I am mexican and I work as a counselor in a school with kinder gardens, middle and high school students. I've been reading about ASCA National Model and I love it. You know, there is not such thing in my country. Do you know if theres a way to be teached about it or take courses related as a foreign psychologist?

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Rebecca
4/15/2018 11:17:41 am

Hello! I’m glad you find these posts helpful! ASCA offers webinars on their website. I would check those out first. I also have videos for every component here.

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Wanda Martinez
12/17/2018 06:13:57 am

Is the calendar free to download on the ASCA website? I wouls like to begin using the caldendar.

Lea
4/10/2020 06:17:58 pm

Hello I would if possible you can help me with some resources. I am studying school counseling and I have to do a group project on Creating a group for pregnant teens and how we can support them in their academics and career readiness. My part is to do the Use of time and Calendars (Yearly, Weekley) Please let me know if you can help me with any examples for high school since my project is due in a week and I have no idea where how to start. Please let me know if any resources. I appreciate it!

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Rebecca Atkins
4/13/2020 04:59:23 am

Hi Lea, the Use of Time and Calendars are components to organize the school counselors time based on the needs of the program. I am not sure how you would do a Use of Time or Calendar for a group? The group would be an activity you are doing with students. I suppose you could create a calendar that shows when the group will meet? I would ask for more clarification on the assignment.

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Lea
4/16/2020 10:07:46 am

Ok, thanks Do you have the example fill out of the USe of time in the video you show available to purchase or just blank? Please let me know I would like to take a look at an example. Thank you

Rebecca Atkins
4/16/2020 12:24:26 pm

ASCA has the Use of Time template, with an example included on their website. Go to their national model section and then templates. If you download the 4.0 templates, the Use of Time is there.

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Lea
4/17/2020 11:25:48 am

Hello Rebecca, I would like to purchase if you have the sample shown on the video how it was filled? Please let me know if it's available to purchase and please send me the link. Thanks

Rebecca L Atkins
4/20/2020 06:31:04 am

Hi Lea, you can purchase the planner: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counselor-Planner-2019-2020-2534529

Jules
6/5/2020 12:48:20 pm

Hi! I love your site. I am in my graduate program for school counseling, and this site has been great! I would love to view the template, but it will not load. Are they still available?

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Rebecca
6/5/2020 02:31:43 pm

Thank you! I checked the links and they are working for me. ASCA now has these templates in National Model 4.0. You can download them from their site.

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Christy Cosh
9/28/2020 11:49:23 am

Can you give some examples of what would go in the last column of annual calendar?

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Rebecca Atkins
9/29/2020 07:55:36 am

Hi Christy, I think you are referring to the “foundation, management, accountability” column in National Model 3.0 calendar template.

Examples would be: working on your national model, looking at data to determine need or effectiveness of programming, planning lessons or groups and sharing program data with stakeholders.

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La-Keesha
11/26/2020 02:11:53 am

As a new elementary counselor this was very helpful!

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Lydia Velasco-Mayock
8/18/2022 09:36:44 am

Best wishes in all for this new school year 22-23. Rebecca I found very usefuo tour 2017 video of the annual and weekly ASCA model calendars. I would like to download it or buy bur have not find one like the ones in the video. Please let me know. Thanks

Reply
Lydia Velasco-Mayock
8/18/2022 12:48:43 pm

Best wishes in all for this new school year 22-23. Rebecca I found very useful your 2017 video of the annual and weekly ASCA model calendars. I would like to download / buy them , but I haven't found the ones I saw in the video. Please let me know. Thanks

Reply



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    Rebecca Atkins

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