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Pathfinding Panthers is a small group opportunity for Juniors and Seniors age 16 - 20 years of age who are unsure of what they would like to do after high school. This group will explore more about who they are as an individual and research post-secondary opportunities.

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To ensure students, teachers, faculty and parents are aware of the Pathfinding Panthers group it is important to ensure the information reaches everyone. A flyer advertising the group is a great way to advertise to all parties, as it can be hung up on the walls of the school and be shared through social media, email, and parent square.

Another way to let teachers, staff, and students know that there is a small group geared toward helping Juniors and Seniors plan for the future is through morning announcements. Morning announcements is a time to let the school know what events and activities are coming up.

Newsletters are another way to inform parents and teachers about Pathfinding Panthers. The goal is to create and distribute a newsletter once every six weeks and this letter is geared toward the parents but we share with the teachers as well.

Personal invitations may be the most effective way of getting students involved as I can recommend the group to a student when they come to visit with me. When inviting students to come visit about their future I can invite struggling students to join the group and be able to explain the benefits of joining and allow them to ask questions. When they leave I can send a flyer with them so they can ensure they share it with their parents.

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When making the decision as to who would be the best fit for the small group, it is best to do a prescreening or preassessment. The first prescreening that is done should be a google form that is distributed to all the Junior and Senior students in the school. By first providing a google form for them to complete, I can have a small idea of where the student is at emotionally and physically in making plans for after high school graduation.

Next I will call students in for a one-on-one interview to ensure I am fostering a meaningful connection with each group member prior to the first meeting (Gedwed, 2025). During the one on one meeting I can build a foundation for us to work together and assess whether a student is ready to start discovering themselves and plan for their future.

During the face to face interview I can ask questions to determine if a student is ready to start working towards a plan for after high school or would the want to just be in the group to goof off. Once it is determined who will be members of the Pathfinding Panthers, I will invite them back individually to ensure they know the rules of the group and to let them know when we will be meeting and what they need for the meetings.

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Informed consent must be received from the parents of the students who wish to participate in Pathfinding Panthers. Under Panther Creek Consolidated Independent School District (n.d.) board policy it is required to obtain written consent from the parent or legal guardian to keep in the student's permanent folder prior to the child participating in small group counseling sessions. To receive informed consent from the parent or legal guardian of a student I will send home a letter with a flyer for them to have additional details about the small group their student will be participating in.

To ensure a student understands the group they are joining, I will request that they sign a student assent during our individual meeting letting them know I am inviting them to join the group. The assent will remind them what we will be discussing in the group and that what we discuss is to remain confidential. It will also reiterate that joining the group is voluntary and not a requirement.

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Ground rules help to set expected behavior for how the members of the group conduct themselves (CarnegieMellon, 2005). To ensure group members understand the ground rules and abide by them they should be discussed during the first meeting. Since students would have signed a form of assent prior to the first meeting this just gives us an opportunity to review what ground rules were established and for others to be suggested. Some ground rules include:

Listen actively and attentively

Ask for clarification if something confuses you

Do not interrupt one another

Be respectful to each other

Build each other up, do not tear down

Confidentiality is important in small group sessions

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"All groups are unique, but the stages of a group are predictable" (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015). There are three stages every group goes through during the course of their time together.

1. Getting acquainted and building trust - Being in a small school students have been together for years and know each other fairly well. There is an occasion where new students have joined the class or maybe the students are more quiet and don't know each other as well as they think. This is why after reviewing ground rules and agreeing to them, I like to begin the first group with a get to know you game. During the game we sit in a circle and every student has an opportunity to draw a question from a bowl and answer a question that they pull from the bowl. This will allow the students to get to know more about their group members. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions during this get to know you session.

2. Work together to accomplish individual and group goals - During the first meeting every student will have an opportunity to create at least one goal for themselves regarding what they would like to get out of this group. Through the course of the group meetings students will learn to communicate with each other and help each other work toward those goals. To ensure they all continue to work toward their goals I will be actively monitoring the group and visiting with students to answer any questions they may have.

3. Ending the group - It is always hard ending a small group as everyone mourns the loss of the support they have garnished over the previous weeks. When ending the group it is important the students realize that the support does not end. The people they have been building a relationship with are still there to help bounce ideas off of and that I am still there when ever they need additional support or want help exploring something further. After the group ends I will call students in one at a time to talk about what they got out of the group and how they are feeling now that the group is over. This will allow them to see that I am still available for consultation and check to see how they are progressing on their own.

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Transformational leadership style will be the best leadership style to use with the Pathfinding Panthers. Transformational leaders are able to motivate and inspire others to follow while directing positive change in the group (Cherry, 2023). Transformational leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate and are committed to helping the group meet their goals and fulfill their potential. Pathfinding Panthers require a leader that inspires them to reach their goals and fulfill their full potential so that they can create a plan for after high school.

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Pathfinding Panthers will provide several therapeutic group factors through the course of our meetings.

1. Universality - Starting with the first meeting students will see they are not alone. They will find that other students are struggling with what they would like to do after high school.

2. Instillation of Hope - This group will instill hope in each other. As students starting to put together a plan for after high school it will give other students hope that they can also create a plan for after high school.

3. Direct Advice - Students will be able to provide each other with advice regarding things they discover in the process of this course.

4. Interpersonal Learning - Students will be able to receive feedback from each other. There are times people see things in us that we do not see in ourselves and this can be beneficial researching and discovering possible plans for after high school.

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Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment

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Legal/Ethical - Confidentiality in Group Counseling

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Legal/Ethical - Confidentiality in Group Counseling

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According to the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2022) school counselors must inform students of the purposes, goals, techniques, rules, and procedures of counseling, including informed consent and limits of confidentiality (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2022, Standard A.2.b).

As a school counselor we are held to a much higher standard than others. Therefor it is important to ensure confidentiality with students, but we must also ensure they know the limitations as outlined in the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. The American School Counselors Association (2022) emphasizes the legal requirements in which confidentiality may be breached such as when it is necessary to prevent serious and foreseeable harm to students or others (Standard A.2.f). By ensuring these standards are met it helps to reduce liability for the school and protects students welfare.

Trust is built with students when you maintain confidentiality with them as outlined by the ASCA. This also encourages honest participation and aligns with legal protections for student privacy.

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The Pathfinding Panthers group gives students an opportunity to not only explore themselves, careers, and colleges but it also builds important mindsets and skills that will help students succeed in school, work, and life.

The American School Counselor Association (2021) created a set of Mindsets and Behavior Standards that help students grow in social/emotional development, academic development, and career development.

In our group we focus on the following mindset and behavior standards.

M 3 - Positive attitude toward work and learning

M 4 - Self confidence in ability to succeed

M 5 - Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes

M 6 - Understanding that postsecondary education and lifelong learning are necessary for long-term success.

B-LS 1 - Critical thinking skills to make informed decisions

B-LS 5 - Media and technology skills to enhance learning

B-LS 7 - Long- and short- term academic, career, and social/emotional goals

B-LS 9 - Decision making informed by gathering evidence, getting others' perspectives and recognizing personal bias

B-SM 5 - Perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals

B-SM 6 - Ability to identify and overcome barriers

B-SS 2 - Positive, respectful, and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them

B-SS 5 - Ethical decision-making and social responsibility

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Legal/Ethical - Academic, Career, and Social/Emotional Planning

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Legal/Ethical - Academic, Career, and Social/Emotional Planning

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According to the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2022) school counselors must identify and examine gaps in college and career access identifying biases (Standard A.4.c), and provide and advocate for all students' career awareness, exploration, and post-secondary planning (ASCA, 2022, Standard A.4.b).

As a school counselor it is my job to make students aware of career and educational opportunities and help them plan for post-secondary education and careers. I am also responsible for helping to identify gaps and find ways to close those gaps. Pathfinding Panthers is all about helping students explore, discover, plan, and overcome barriers.

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American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44a18814-d7e0-470e-9811-50dbf305f48a/Ethical-Standards.pdf

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Carnegie Mellon University. (2005). Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation. Ground Rules. https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/solveproblem/strat-dontparticipate/groundrules.pdf

Cherry, Kendra. (2023, June 27). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Gedwed, Holly. (2025, May 12). From start to finish: Conducting successful group counseling sessions. Southlake Integrative Counseling & Wellness. https://www.southlake-wellness.com/post/how-to-conduct-a-group-counseling-session

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups.

Panther Creek Consolidated Independent School District. (n.d.). Board policies. Panther Creek CISD. Retrieved September 11, 2025, from https://policyonline.tasb.org/PolicyOnline?key=302