"Plan to be Surprised..."

One of my favorite movies is Dan in Real Life, staring Steve Carell. I watched it over the holiday break and could not help but think of the final quote of the movie with the week I have had so far....

I have been constantly reminded this week that as a school counselor, you can plan, but it is inevitable that your plans will change.

It is ironic that I love to be surprised at school, because in all the other areas of my life I am a MAJOR planner. It makes me anxious when I am not in control of the situation or when I cannot plan things in advance. Outside of work, change, in general, tends to make me uneasy.

In my career as a school counselor, however, I love the uncertainty of my day. Each day, I go into school with a plan of how I am going to spend my day, what students I will meet with, what lessons I will facilitate, which classrooms I will visit, etc.   I know however, despite my efforts to plan, my day will be a complete surprise.  Things come up such as new student tours, student outbursts, unexpected visits from students, or a crisis of some sort.  Sometimes I do not even get to a single thing that I had planned for the day.

I love that I can go into school each day and not know what the day will bring. No matter how challenging the day is, I will enjoy every minute of it. I still like to have a plan, but since becoming a school counselor I have to "plan to be surprised," in the words of Steve Carell's character from from the movie Dan in Real Life.



What do you love about being a school counselor? Comment below, email me, tweet, or share on the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page!

Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at School Counselor Blog, a place where school counselors share innovative ideas, creative lesson plans, and quality resources.  Contact Danielle via email, follow her on twitter, and become a fan of the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page.

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