Teach. Counsel. Repeat

Most school counselors do not lack ideas. We lack the time, permission, and support to try them. Article link

What stays with me is that real change happens when someone is given space to experiment in service of students and is not immediately shut down by workload or labels. I appreciate you being here and taking a moment to reflect on what might be possible.

Something I Keep Noticing

I recently read an article from GovTech about a school counselor who used AI to support more students, and it stopped me in my tracks.

Not because of the technology itself, but because of the context.

She was carrying a high caseload, one that felt very familiar to me. At one point in high school counseling, my caseload hovered around 340 to 400 students. When you are holding that many students, the work becomes a constant balancing act between urgency and limitation. You are always asking yourself who needs you right now and who you are hoping will be okay until you can catch up.

That is the reality for many counselors.

What This Article Brought Up for Me

The counselor featured in the article, Hanna, found a way to respond to that reality instead of accepting it as fixed. At the elementary level, she created a chatbot nicknamed Pickles. It helps older students work through minor concerns, explore career paths, and access support in developmentally appropriate ways. Teachers can use it as well, and the data helps flag when students may need more direct follow up.

What struck me was not just the creativity, but the intention behind it.

Hanna said it herself. “I don’t want people to think that it’s something that would take away your role or something that diminishes or dismisses what we do. This is just like an assistant to us that students can access right away.”

That distinction matters.

She is not trying to replace counseling. She is trying to protect it by creating a way for students to get support sooner and for counselors to better see where their time is most needed.

The Environment Matters More Than We Admit

In the age of AI, there is so much potential for school counselors to expand how they support students if they are given the chance to explore and implement thoughtfully. I imagine Hanna had administrative support or at least an environment that did not immediately shut the idea down. Now that support is paying off for students.

Earlier in my career, I felt that same excitement about trying new, sometimes out of the box ideas to help students. That curiosity was often buried under clerical demands. I remember hearing more than once that there was not enough time because counselors were viewed primarily as clerical support.

I was also told some version of this: you are idealistic now, but once you have more years in, you will realize this is not how it works. Just do what admin needs to meet deadlines.

I have heard that echoed across sites, districts, and even across the state.

What This Looks Like in the Bigger Picture

What counselors like Hanna show us is that innovation does not come from ignoring reality. It comes from responding to it creatively when the environment allows.

Her work does not replace counseling. It extends it. It creates another access point for students, offers early support, and gives counselors more information to decide where their presence matters most.

That is not less human. It is more strategic and arguably more humane.

What This Means for Counselors Worried About AI

If the idea of AI in school counseling feels uncomfortable, that reaction makes sense.

Used poorly, technology can distance us from students. Used thoughtfully, it can protect time, surface needs earlier, and reduce the pressure to be everywhere at once.

What stands out in Hanna’s work is that AI is not replacing relationships. It is supporting them. It acts as a first point of access, not the final one.

For counselors carrying heavy caseloads, tools like this are not about doing more. They are about responding sooner, with more clarity, and with more care.

What Feels True Here

School counselors are not short on ideas, care, or commitment. What often limits impact is not vision, but whether the system allows room to try.

When counselors are supported instead of boxed into clerical roles, students benefit. When innovation is encouraged instead of dismissed, new forms of support emerge. And when someone is willing to test an idea in service of students, the ripple effects can be real.

Reading this article made me genuinely hopeful. Not just about AI, but about what becomes possible when counselors are trusted as professionals and problem solvers.

You can help others

I share reflections like this to help counselors and educators. If this was helpful, subscribing or sharing helps others find this perspective and allows me to keep writing. I appreciate you so much more than you think.