In my course work and practicum experience, I have come to
realize that the role of school counselor is not the same image that I had as a
student. There was a time when I thought
school counselors spent the majority of their time counseling. If a student had a problem, either at home or
at school, they would sit down with the school counselor and talk about
it. If a teacher had a concern with a
student, he or she would likewise refer the student to the counselor. While this duty does still exist for the
school counselor, it is just one of many hats this position requires. In reality, school counselors are support
staff. They offer support services for
students, teachers, parents and administrators.
School counselors must be concerned about student emotional well-being,
academic success, social relationships and career readiness. Because counselors provide support to all
stakeholders in a school, their role is extremely important. Teachers educate students and administrators
set expectations and maintain the stability of the school. It is the role of counselors to answer academic questions, listen and guide
students with disruptive home lives and create a focus on college and career
readiness, all while administering state testing and coordinating the master
schedule.
I want to be a counselor because I have come to see
firsthand how many students need personal guidance and college/career guidance
because this is an area that is oftentimes neglected in their home
situations. I work in a high poverty
school and realize that if students do not start making their way towards a
successful track early on, they will likely become a part of the vicious cycle
of poverty. I hope that the rapport that
I am able to build with students will help me create a sense of trust with
students and parents that will allow me to assist them with reaching their
potential as students and young adults.
Counselors at the school where I work do so much that is behind closed doors that the other staff does not see. If for some reason our counsleor misses a guidance class because there was an situation that needed to be addressed immediately, some staff memebers get frustrated because they missed their 'break' time for the day. Participating in the counseling practicum has really opened my eyes to what counselors do within my school and I find myself getting quick to defend counselors when others start to say negative things toward our counselors.
ReplyDeleteIn my area, I have also seen how students can fall victim of their own surroundings and students in middle and high school need to start thinking about their future and mapping ways to reach success. I think counselors are lie GPS in this sense and can provide direction to students who might get of track easily in reaching their success destination.
Like you noted in your post, counselors provide support for all stakeholders in the school setting. They are often found coordinating the master schedule and spending a great deal of time performing administrative duties. They wear so many hats at all levels, whether at the primary, middle, or secondary level. One area that is often overlooked that was mentioned in your post was that counselors serve as a source of support for teachers. When teachers notice academic or behavioral changes in students in the classroom, they cannot always leave the classroom to talk with the student. This is where the counselor comes into play. Having someone to call with immediate concerns is a blessing for teachers. Also, the counselor can make the teacher aware of issues that he or she might need to know about concerning a student. Supporting all stakeholders, whether it be students, teachers, administrators, or parents, is the key role of a school counselor.
ReplyDeleteI think we are all realizing the many roles that school counselors are responsible for in the school system. I think it is important for school counselors to work with administration to find the perfect balance of these duties. I decided to get my Master's in School Counseling because I wanted to help struggling students and I think it is important that counselors still have time each day to counsel students.
ReplyDeleteI think that the career guidance is especially important in the region in which we live. Many students do not know what their options are. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of "learned helplessness" and following in the parents' footsteps. With guidance these students can work toward being more productive citizens.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right in concluding that school counselors wear many hats and have many duties within the school. In counseling for 15 years now in the high school setting I have done all of the following: individual counseling, group counseling, teacher training, test coordinator, meeting facilitator, supervision, teacher of character lessons, mediator between student/parent as well as teacher to teacher, scheduling coordinator, records keeper, teacher evaluator to name a few. I have had the privilege of being able to counsel hundreds to thousands of children in my career but the job has involved much more than just that. I love my career but wish at times more of it coule have been spent just sitting and listening to those who needed it and just needed someone to care in the moment.
ReplyDelete