My main office

Since I work at two schools, I have two offices. But this is the one I spent most of my workdays in. But that not entirely true, because I try to be where the students are, in the hallways and classrooms.

 

I have a big billboard outside in the hallway, then my office is just beside a group-room.

Here you can se my small corridor, another billboard and my door.

I try to make it as inviting as I can with the colorful dots saying Educational and Vocational counselor, my small whiteboard for my daily events, and my sign that says "Come in!" on the one side, and "Come back later" on the other side.

I often write a note before the weekend, as well as when I'm working from somewhere else, like my other school.  I didn't know what to do about the window in the door. Just for fun I added a tape that looks like a road. I have the Swedish word for road in my work title (VÄG = studie- och yrkesVÄGledare)  for the students who get that preference.

Once inside my room the desk is the first thing you see. I love saying hello to the students walking right by in the hallway, and it's easy for them to ask me anything as long as my door is open.
I wanted my desk to be smaller, so I removed some part of it, but I think it's still pretty big.
To make it more colorful and welcoming, I bought a nice fabric from Ikea and put it around the desk. It's not perfect but it works for me.

Behind my desk I have a set of windows. Have bought pens so I can write direct on the glass, but I haven't done that yet.

As well as I don't have any curtains. The ones I had before didn't match the fabric from Ikea, but I've made some paper circles to sew on a tread and hang up, once I get the time.

Then I have the small table. It's here I try to sit most of the times with the students. Since I just have a laptop-computer it's easy to take it with me to the table. Here I would have some stuff to make it more inviting as well. Like some fiddle-things in a basket wouldn't be a bad idea. On the side of the bookshelf to the right I have a paper with the questions  Who am I?, What do I want?, Why? and How do I show it?

Beside the table I have my closed bookshelf. Here I have all the catalogs about high school, practical working life, economy for high school students, workbooks and news on how to study abroad. Some things here are well used, and some are not.

Then comes my white board. I haven't used this enough but the students love to draw on it. On the left side I have a planch about high school and all the different programs divided in educational and vocational programs as well as topics. In the right corner; a small painting about Counseling I've made from a tips in Leif Andergrens book about counseling skills. Then comes the comfy chair. I have an idea to put a blanket there, as well as a fluffy pillow at least.  Then I have two planches about the high school choice.
 

On the small bookshelf I have my only plant is this room. I got it from a colleague and of course it needs some water :)

On top of the bookshelf I have some catalogs ready to hand out, as well as a homemade planch with the question: What do I want my future to look like? And a small book made from an earlier teacher from this school.

On the other shelf I have a paper sorter with some stickers, maps and other office supply. Beside that I have my plastic binders with different themes, as well as my big red binders. The big orange box is About our community and is a workbox for teachers.

On the highest shelf to the left, is my blank papers with pencils and markers at ready. A small box with tissues, and in the middle my Guidance box. This box contains:
x  Post-it notes, both in different colors as well as arrows and hearts
x   Cards with all the high school programs
x   Work cards, from new Zealand with the Kiwi-bird
x    A paper flea that the earlier counselor left to me, with work-themed questions
x    A work memory

Then I have another box with more bigger things like;
x    The charts about eligibility for university studies after choosing one of the more educational high school programs.
x   A book about different professions and to that book: a workbook for students

x   Toolkit to use when talking about a more equal community; where gender does not
determine the future of young people

x   A teaching materials for self-knowledge, to take decisions and ethics & morality.

There I also have my big billboard. Now that I'm looking at it I realize how badly it needs to be reorganized.  And then I have the clock, and a paper with the three steps in counseling; Now. Want! and How? - questions to be answered during the sessions here.

And of course under the clock, my little pocket with whiteboard-markers as well as two small signs to put on my big sign on the door with the notes; "Lunch-break", "At a meeting", "Be right back!" and "In the staffroom, a classroom or in the hallway.". To make it more plain the letters are red.

So this is my office. How is yours?