Before the new school year officially begins, I’m starting a new series where I’m talking with counselors from different grade levels to gather insight into their roles and the specific struggles or challenges they face with the grade level they serve. Today, I’m kicking off the series with middle school counselor Lauren Tenholder. Lauren shares what high school counselors need to know about incoming ninth-grade students and their transition to high school.

When incoming ninth graders enter high school, high school counselors often feel like they have to start from scratch by gathering information on their students. However, Lauren emphasizes using their feeder middle school counselors as a resource. She believes communication and collaboration amongst middle school and high school counselors will make a student’s transition to high school smoother and make the ability to take action on serving their social and academic needs easier.

Throughout our conversation, Lauren provides a lot of insight into the common struggles eighth graders have about entering high school, the pressure parents can put on their kids when it comes to academics, and the growing number of expectations these students are facing. I loved the perspective Lauren conveyed about a student’s transition to high school and what kind of information they’re equipped with and still need to know. So, if you’re a high school counselor who works directly with ninth-grade students, this episode is for you!

Resources Mentioned:

• Resource: Transition to High School Ninth Grade Presentation
• Resource: Freshman Year Planning Guide
• ​​Resource: Freshman Year Planning Bundle
• Leave your review for School Counseling Conversations on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Lauren Tenholder:

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090560221288&mibextid=ZbWKwL 
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/onecraftycounselor   
• Etsy: https://etsy.com/shop/onecraftycounselor

Connect with Lauren:

• Sign up for the free, 3-day prep for High School Counseling Job Interviews: https://counselorclique.com/interviews
• Visit my TpT store: https://counselorclique.com/shop
• Send me a DM on Instagram @counselorclique: https://instagram.com/counselorclique
• Follow me on Facebook: https://facebook.com/counselorclique
• Send me an email: mailto:lauren@counselorclique.com
• Join the Clique Collaborative: http://cliquecollab.com

Full show notes on website: https://counselorclique.com/episode136