Week 4 Reflection

In my first few weeks of practicum, the counselors that I have been working with are very involved with assessment at all levels.  At the building level, the focus has been on making sure that everyone has completed MAP testing and then evaluating whether or not classroom placements need to be adjusted.  The other big focus for these counselors is the PLAN test and the ACT.  The PLAN test will be given very soon and I have been helping our counselors setup logistics for the day of the test, as well as talking with students about the importance of the test.  Because the ACT is a part of accountability and has such a big impact on student's college placement, we are beginning ACT prep activities to prepare juniors for the test in March and working on curriculum ideas for teachers to use for ACT prep.  

I have had the opportunity to work with two students one-on-one so far.  These students are very open to talking about their families and school life.  My take so far is that these are teenagers who do not get a lot of individualized attention at home.  The children that our counselors see are usually of this type.  The students with emotional or psychiatric disorders are seen by counselors that come in from the local mental health agency.  I think that many more students get this same kind of guidance from classroom teachers that they feel comfortable with.  I know that I have had countless similar conversations with my own students that could be considered counseling in this context.  There are a few students who come to see the counselors to discuss personal issues, but the majority of students that I have observed seeking out the counselors are those with academic or college concerns.