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The Riverbend Awareness Project brings you a new conversation each month about important causes and issues in our community. Each episode features a conversation with a professional from our community about significant issues like heart health, Alzheimer’s, literacy, and more. Our goal is to share resources and information that will help you have a better understanding of the particular problems and solutions associated with each topic.
Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are solely those of the individuals participating and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Riverbend Media Group or the Riverbend Awareness Project, its affiliates, or its employees. It is important to note that the discussion presented is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified health care professionals for any medical concerns or decisions. The Riverbend Awareness Project is a product of Riverbend Media Group.
Maddie: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to yet another episode of the Riverbend Awareness Project. Woo. Yay. Yay. I'm just joking.
As our final special of back to school awareness month to all of those who are heading back or have children who are heading back, we are gonna be hearing from our final guest and I will allow you to introduce yourself.
Ms. K: Yeah. My name is Mackenzie Klotfer. Go by miss Kaye at the school or coach Kaye. Excited to be here.
I'm excited for you to be here. Thank you so much for coming in, by the way. Of course. We, had the first guest was one another one of Melissa's educator friends, and the second guest was actually my mom. K.
And then the third gal was some teacher over in whatever district the Reverea is.
Ms. K: Look at you guys branching out.
I know. It's like, it's it's hard at this time of year to get guests because they're all going back to school. But thank you so much for coming in, and we'll just kinda get this ball rolling.
So what led you to becoming a coach and a school counselor? Was there like a is that a what did you go to college for? How long have you been doing? Give me the whole rundown. Yeah.
Ms. K: So I mean, I you have to have a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree to be a school counselor. Really? Okay. So got my bachelor's degree and was working just behind the scenes at a counseling agency. And Nice.
Yeah. I loved it. And I was told growing up that I was a good listener and that I'd make a pretty good counselor. So I was like, let's, you know, let's go for it. So Might as well.
Went to ISU, got into their counseling program, and it was, you know, a really good experience. I always thought I would do, like, marriage and family therapy, like, counseling with couples and just families because I was like, hey. The best way to help kids is to help the parents. Right? Because it's gonna trickle down in the whole family.
And I just love kids so so much, and I want them to have the best home life and just the best experience. Sure. So I went to school that first semester and, right, everyone in the ISU program graduates with a licensed professional counseling degree if you pass your test. Mhmm. But there's different, like, routes you can go.
There's a school counseling route. There's a mental health route. There's a rehabilitation and probably missing one, but there's a couple different, like, emphasis that you can have. Nice. So I started off the program in the marriage and family one.
Still loved it. I loved learning all that things. And, of course, you take most of the same classes. There's just one or two that differ. Yeah.
But then it was time for, like, the first practicum experience. So, like, outside, you know, outside from the school. The real world. The real world. Right.
Like, I was like, okay. So gotta find somewhere to go to do a few hours. Right. And my sister was a teacher here in the district, District 91 over at Ethel Boys Elementary School. Nice.
And so I was talking to my sister and my mom, and they're like, you know what, Kenzie? Maybe you should go for just trying, like, the school counseling gig. Like, try your first practicum in a school. And I was like, you know what? That sounds fun.
Like Yeah. Middle scores are a little bit more forgiving. Yeah. Right? Like, I mean, so Elthaboz is elementary.
So I was like, yeah. I'll go. I'll try it. And had a great experience there. Like, the counselor that was there with me mentoring me was absolutely great and just loved it.
And so after that first, like, semester of few hours in the elementary, I was like, you know what? Maybe school counseling is the route I wanna go. So I switched my emphasis, decided to take those school counseling classes. And then Mhmm. That next semester we had, we started our internship.
And there was Taylor View Middle School was hiring a intern and applied for the job and got it. And Here you go. Ever since. Yeah. So between, we actually talked to a couple of elementary school counselors.
I wanna say a month or two ago. It was Child Abuse Awareness Month. And they came and talked about, you know, like basic students and stuff. What was, like, the biggest difference you saw between elementary school counseling and middle school counseling and kinda like the mental health issues some of these kids kids are having? Sure.
Like, I would say the elementary level is definitely right. A lot of classroom lessons. The counselors going in and you're teaching those classroom lessons or you have kids that are acting out a little bit more and you do, like, a little behavioral group with them. Or I had a group of sixth graders, and we did, like, a friendship group. And so that was, like, getting up to where the middle schoolers are at, but definitely middle schoolers, right, are more trying to figure out where they belong, who they are, what their dream is in their life.
And, like, I love the elementary kids, but I love the middle school where I'm at. Like, I feel like I can just connect with the students. I have a way to get to know them and develop those relationships. And sometimes I think they just need someone that they can go talk to or that cares about them. Right?
Like, they have families that care about them for the most part, maybe some not as much as others. And Mhmm. If I can just be that sounding board and be someone that they can come to and trust, like, I don't know. It makes it all the worthwhile. That's so awesome.
You said you also were a coach? Yeah. So I coach basketball. Nice. Love sports.
Love basketball. It's definitely my the main sport I love, and it's kinda fun. So my last name is super hard to pronounce, so it's Cloepfer. And so I just Tell the kids. Yeah.
Like, super hard. So I tell the kids, I'm like, just call me miss Kaye. And then coach Kaye, you know, came about. And Uh-huh. I used to live in North Carolina and I'm a huge Duke, like, called the college, Duke basketball fan.
And so their coach used to be coach k. And he's, like, coached the men's Olympics, coached the boys, and just the legendary coach. So once I kinda got that coach k title, I'm like, this is fantastic. Like, I can't let this go. Right?
Right? Kind of like my own little celebrity on this side. You know? Like, I just felt Let's see it. Great.
So I coached the girls and the boys at the middle level. So with you having your toes dipped in both the counseling side of things and the sports side of things, you got a pretty well, rounded experience with the student body. How would you say you put your I'm trying to figure out how to word this because wording is not my strong suit, obviously. I'm sure you've already found out by now. No worries.
But how do you find a way that supports the students across such a broad personality range and mental health range and kids finding themselves? Like, what's how do you gauge how to help each student with all of their Sure. Individual issues? Yeah. Right.
I think everyone is unique and has their own set of insecurities or problems and things. But also, a lot of it goes back to the same, like, a universal problem. Right? Like, I think a lot of humans in general just wanna be loved, wanna be heard, and wanna feel like they're significant, right, and needed. And so for me, just with being a coach at, you know, coaching basketball and getting to those students, I try to just get to know them and get to know what makes them themselves.
Right? Like, what interests do they have? Like, what do they like who they are? Like, what things they have going on their life? And as I show that I genuinely care about them as an individual, like, they're more willing to come to me when they have those those issues or those those concerns.
Nice. Back to school week. I'm sure you've already because you've already been back to school for what? This Yeah. This is the second week.
So last week the kids came back. What advice especially since you're you guys are kind of angle deep in it. What advice would you give to some of the students that are coming in and, you know, having this yearly experience? Because, I do know that Taylor View is seventh and eighth. Yeah.
The last gal, we had sixth, seventh, and eighth. And I was like, oh, I did not know until, like, two seconds, like, the last few seconds of the podcast. And I felt like an idiot because I was like, sixth to seventh grade? That's crazy. She's like, no.
It's You're like, it's normal. Yeah. Because I know that's a pretty big jump just, like, loosening the the the leash on responsibilities within the students and stuff. And also just you're taking all of these elementary schools and you're dumping the kids into a new social pool. Yeah.
What would you say is, like, the best piece of advice you'd have for everyone going through with that whole social ordeal? Right. There's, I mean, maybe many of pieces of advice, but I think so right now, I'm over the seventh graders. You get to move with your grades. So last year, I had eighth graders and absolutely loved and adored up.
They were my first group I ever had their seventh and eighth grade year. So it's Yeah. Okay. Now that they're not here, I'm like, oh, man. Like, I've just seen them around.
Right. But these new seventh graders, like, I love them already and there's a few I've already connected with and I think, you know, just knowing that they're not alone. That's right. So there's a lot of schools that feed into Taylor View. So there's a lot of kids that don't know each other already.
So they're on these teams. We have three different teams for each grade and so most of their core classes are with like with that team. Mhmm. And a lot of kids, you know, are like, I don't know these people in my classes or I only know, you know, five to 10 of them because that's who was at my elementary school. So I think it's just a cool opportunity to get to know other kids and to, you know, be kind to everyone, learn people's names because that's huge.
Right? Like, if you can learn someone's name, then they're more willing to to wanna talk to you and wanna, you know, get you are. Get that. Do you have any, like, classes where the your three teams get to intertwine? Or do you have any, like, social events where you gotta do that?
Yeah. So electives, they get to all be together or lunchtime. Nice. I think the team system really in middle school is super genius. I don't know how they have it structured in other schools because I know what you're talking about because I've lived through it.
And I've been, you know, cast into that new social pond and stuff. But I think just kind of starting the kids off with a little bit more people and then you can with those electives and with those, like, like, team building events and stuff, you can kind of expand your social pool. And I think it gives the teachers a great opportunity to get to know their students even True. More. Right?
Like, they're not worrying worrying about all 400. It's like, here's my 130 or 120 to really get to know. And do they the teachers on the teams, do they work together as, you know, or the designated math teacher, the designated English teacher? Yeah. Yep.
K. So, like, get a little bit more communication between, you know, having students as well. Yeah. So is there something that you see students struggle with a lot as a collective group when going back to school during that first week or second week? Whether it be like, like organization Yeah.
I think paying attention. Honestly, probably just the stress of a new year, new people to interact with. Right? New teachers Right. New students because even if, like, if they were in seventh grade before, now they're on a whole new team in eighth grade.
They have a whole new group of kids that they're getting to know. And you have your core group of friends and that's great, but, like, always a new dynamic. Right? Or Right. Or the stresses of, man, I don't know how this teacher is gonna respond to this one.
This is how I acted in seventh grade or this is how I acted in sixth grade. Like Right. I think it's just those first few weeks and first few days where you're trying to find the routine again. What do you think is a good way for students to be able to establish that, you know, routine? Starting at home is always always great.
Right? Like, a routine of family dinner time or family activities or whether, you know, getting to bed at a good time so that you can make sure you're awake and alert for the day. Mhmm. Good breakfast. Right.
But also at school, just having that communication, like, being willing to go talk to your teachers if something's not For sure. Hitting you in the right spot or coming to talk to your school counselor. Right? They're here to they're here to help you. Like, pretty big open door policy?
Yeah. We do kind of at Taylorview specific. Of course, anyone can come see us whenever they need to. We do like this Google form system so the kids can submit, like, who they wanna go see. Right?
Like, the school counselor, the nurse, the principal, and Yeah. Then they rank, like, how urgent it is, kind of a brief, you know, synopsis of why they wanna come talk to you. And then Right. Depending on all of our schedules, we coordinate that. Because right.
We don't want a kid coming down and we're in the middle of a meeting. Yeah. Or if they are, of course, then they can come grab us if it's something Or urgent. Significant and urgent. For sure.
I know finances can be a little hard for a lot of people during this time of year. Yeah. And I've talked to this talked about this with a lot of educators, over the last month and last couple episodes. But I also know, counselors specifically tend to oversee the making sure students' needs are met For sure. Like their basic needs.
Yeah. Not only just like food, you know, hygiene products and stuff, but also tools have them succeed during the school year. Theoretically, if there was a student that had a family that was struggling financially and they didn't have those needs met or they didn't have the school supplies they needed specifically, would that be something that they reach out to you about? Yes. Do you guys have like, a program?
Yeah. They definitely come talk to the school counselor. Even our front office staff is aware of it. And Mhmm. There's a local area like, a group that helps with school supplies.
And so we're able to get communication with them and get them what they need. Because Right. Right? Everyone needs to make sure they have those basic needs met and also can have a pencil and have a notebook. Right?
We don't want anyone to go without. Gotta get that big old Velcro trapper keypad. Right? Those those big ones. Yeah.
Hold it all. I mean, they use memories. I feel I mean, now it's mainly that Chromebook. Right? Chromebook and Yes.
And the notebook. But Yeah. I, was a victim of the giant Velcro. Oh, yeah. Do you have one of those?
Did, unfortunately. And then I we didn't we couldn't have backpacks, So I then switched to the messenger bag Oh. Which doubled as a backpack. And that was a very wise decision on my end because no one gave me any flack for it. So that was a win in my book.
Since we're running short on time here, is there anything you'd like students and families to know about how school counselors can help and what just kind of maybe clear up some misinformation or is there any final words you wanna get out to the community about the work you guys do? Sure. I think, you know, sometimes school counselors aren't completely understood. I think some of the people think we're there to provide long term counseling or to diagnose or to, I don't know, tell something like, tell their kids something to that's maybe not what the parent wants. And that's really not it.
Like, we're here to support the student and the family. Absolutely. And so I hope that people would know, like, if they have questions on what school counselors do that they can come and ask. Like, we're more than happy to tell you the things that we actually do in a school. Right.
Right? We're there to support. Yes. I have conversations with kids, but that's all approved. Their parents now have to mark that they can go talk to a school counselor.
And so that's you know, things have changed since, yeah, since you've been in school, since I've been in school. But I just I hope, you know, families know that school counselors are can be trusted. And I don't know. I hope that kids sometimes I just wanna, you know, I just wanna be there for them. And so Right.
School counselors sometimes can be an official When you guys title. But Serve as an extra layer of that support system. I think, especially at school, you genuinely need all the support you can get. I Because it's not just academics. It's not just extracurriculars, but it's that social part.
You're there for eight hours a day. You've got all of your major life events happening. You're growing as a person. You're figuring out who you are. And I think the more people, especially in like having teachers in your circle, I The more people in your circle the better.
Right? I absolutely adored my teachers at Eagle Rock and Skyline. Like adored. And I there's nothing I've been more grateful for than having them in my circle because, you know, they knew me as a person. They knew, you know, if I had something going on, they can make sure that I had this, I had this, and just kinda give you that extra reason to grow better as a person.
So I agree with you because educators and counselors are important. And I think, right, you want more people in your circle, and the more you can count on to Right. Help a child, the better they're gonna do. What's that saying? Like, it takes a community to Takes a village.
A village. Right. That's the word. I was like, I don't remember. Not even a village.
It takes, like, a whole, like, metropolitan city. Like, it the work you guys do and it's very much so appreciated and it's fantastic work. So thank you for all you do. Thanks. I love what I do and I love the students I work with and the the coworkers I work with too.
So Taylor View is a great school. Go Go, Grizz. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. K.
Well, thank you so much for coming in. I appreciate you and all that you do and taking the time to come in, especially after you just got off school. So Well, thanks for having me. It was fun to be here. Alright.
Thank you so much for listening to the Riverbend Awareness Project. If you like what you hear here, and would like to check out kind of more of the stuff that we do, you can check out any of our podcasts anywhere you listen to podcasts. So anyways, thank you so much for listening, and I hope you have a wonderful day.