Forward and Context I must give you a context from which I come up with my advice to beginning school counselors. I have worked my Education Career in rural and remote school districts in the state of Washington. We have been chronically underfunded and on average place 47th in the nation for class size. In other words only three states have larger class sizes. Over the last 31 years I have been: a Substitute Teacher, a Spanish Teacher, a Special Education Teacher, or a School Counselor. Through these roles I learned many things and principles which made my career in school counseling a success. In this short booklet I have summarized some of the things I have learned. No liability is assumed or accepted. Introduction Congratulations you have completed a graduate program and you have decided to serve the needs of students. You will soon learn that it takes tact and skill to be a good school counselor. It also will take some personal fortitude and perhaps a bit of luck in order to be successful and thrive in your chosen field. They probably never mentioned the above to you but it will be ok if you keep your wits about you.