Montessori school counselor supports student development
Natasha McLaurin’s passion for supporting students has led to an award-winning counseling program at Buckner Terrace Montessori that focuses on social emotional learning and guides students as they begin discovering new possibilities for their future.
As an elementary school counselor, McLaurin takes on the unique task of making college and career readiness meaningful for young students. While in high school, students often focus on life after graduation, McLaurin said the goal at elementary school is to help students learn how to dream.
“We want them to dream of all the possibilities of who they can be and not take anything off the table,” she said.
Through two campuswide initiatives, McLaurin has found creative ways to support students as they explore who they are and who they might become.
One of those initiatives, This is My Story, is a weekly activity McLaurin has led since she started working at Buckner Terrace. Each week, a teacher or administrator shares a personal story about their journey into education. Whether an educator followed a direct path or arrived through multiple careers and life experiences, students can hear these stories on College Mondays.
“It’s a wonderful way to bring a personal touch to discovering college and make it more tangible,” McLaurin said. “Students can connect the reasons why people go to college to adults they know and see every day.”
Another key program she began is the school’s Character Board, which highlights students who demonstrate integrity and strong character in the classroom and with their peers.
“We are a Montessori campus, so our goal is for students to be intrinsically motivated and proud of themselves without external rewards,” McLaurin said. “But we also know they’re kids, so we find small ways to encourage them.”
In her six years with Buckner Terrace, McLaurin has grown alongside the campus through major transitions, including the pandemic and recent building renovations. She said each shift brought new lessons that prepared the school for its current moment of working toward national recognition through the American School Counselor Association.
McLaurin’s dedication recently earned her the Lone Star School Counselor Bronze Award, the first step toward silver and gold recognition through ASCA and the Lone Star School Counselor Association. Through a data-driven application process, McLaurin documented how the counseling program supports students’ academic, social and personal development.
“There’s no way you can earn this award by doing everything on your own,” McLaurin said. “With the help of other teachers, our campus is deeply rooted in social-emotional learning and in building community, culture, and climate.”
Since earning her bachelor’s degree from Southern University, McLaurin has spent 22 years with Dallas ISD. Originally from New Orleans, a city known for its warmth and hospitality, she brings that same energy and enthusiasm into the halls of Buckner Terrace. These attributes are an essential part of the counseling program’s strong sense of community.
For the past four years, Buckner Terrace has been recognized as a No Place for Hate campus. The student-driven program promotes inclusion and respect. Through this initiative McLaurin helps students set the tone for a school culture rooted in belonging and compassion.
“Counselors are the heart of the school,” she said. “I’m most proud of the way we’ve been able to focus on inclusivity, empathy and treating others the way you want to be treated.”
