What are some things you can do to prepare yourself to be effective in these areas?

Several of you noted you hadn’t considered the complexity of school counselors’ roles, particularly in the areas of leadership, advocacy, and consultation. These roles – and responsibilities – can be overwhelming. Moreover, some of us (most of us) prefer, as Bemak and Chung (2008) to be “nice” and not rock the boat – yet effective leadership, advocacy, and consultation often require us to consider how we can be as effective as possible for all the students we serve. The readings for this unit, including Brown and Trusty (2005) offer multiple ways of understanding leadership and, by extension, the other areas, some of which may be more consistent with your style, future roles, and settings, than others. What are some things you can do to prepare yourself to be effective in these areas?