School Counselor Office Space Design

     
           Every profession that receives their own office space or classroom, has a specific way they want the space set up. The picture shown above shows how I would have my office space. I would have it set up in sections. This is because I feel like if the classroom is in sections, then the students will not be overwhelmed, and they will know where things go/are. The table, computer, and chair represents the groups section of the room. The table allows more than one student to sit there and work. This is also where the technology would come into play. It seems to me that technology is becoming more and more used in lessons than ever before. So, we could use the computer to incorporate technology into the lessons, and to keep in the know on what is going on in the community, etc.   Then the couch and chair would be my individual student area, or even the area that if students need to cool down they can lay down or sit down. Then the small table would be for a few books or even puzzles for the students to do. Then there would be a books section for the students to choose from, and that is where the book case comes in. This is also an important section, because this is a way to incorporate multiculturalism into the curriculum. (Erford, 2015) Then there is the artwork on the wall. I think that having artwork and plants will help keep a calm atmosphere in my classroom/office. The easel is a great way to let students create artwork. I think art is calming for a lot of students, so I feel an art center is essential.
          There are also some things on here that I would like to add that were not a part of the choices to put in the office. One would be more pieces of artwork. I feel like the right types of artwork can really make the office a lot more calming and homey for the students. Another piece I would add would be a teachers desk. I think that part of self care is having your own space. So, having my own desk, and computer would help me have a sense of personal space. I would also include maybe a section of small tables for the students to sit during a whole class lesson. I would also add bins for cushions for the students to sit on at the small tables. Another thing I would add is a scented plugins or mists to also help the students have a calming atmosphere. I would use scents like lavender. I would also include a little bin(s) or even cart for art supplies such as crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, etc. That way my students can color or do art projects to calm down or self-sooth if they need to. This would go along with the art easel I have in my picture. I think by having an office, you need to have your own personal touch on it, but also set up so it is inviting and safe for students to come into. I feel like by having my office set up this way, the students will have mounds of success!

Resource
Erford, B. T. (2015b). The ASCA National Model: Developing a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program. In B. T. Erford (Ed.), Transforming the school counseling profession (4th ed., pp. 29–44). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.