School counselors’ roles have been disputed for years. For so long, school counselors have taken on tasks of administrative duties, records keeping clerks, test coordinators, scheduling, and even thought of as a school-based therapist. Although administrators believe their tasks and roles should shift toward those other assigned duties, America School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model believed it was vital for school counselors to transition those tasks and roles to identify and assist students’ competencies in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social development (2012). According to ASCA (2012) outlined competencies, school counselors should be equipped with knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes in developing a comprehensive …show more content…
The foundational aspect of a CSCP requires counselors to rely on mission statement and vision of their school and CSCP. In creating the mission statement and vision of any program, counselors must tap into their personal beliefs, morals, values, and biases to best help the majority of the students they service. In evaluating my CSCP, I find it quite perplexing to establish clear cut mission statement and vision because stakeholders have different beliefs, morals, values, and biases that do not align with their mission statement and vision. I personally believe the focus should be geared toward student achievement and improving test taking skills to decrease the achievement gap that exist amongst our school. According to Kaffenberger & Young, (2013), counselors should collect and analyze the necessary data to make sure all stakeholders are aware of the achievement gaps that exists to address those educational issues of each student. I am aware of my schools’ mission and vision statement; however, the goals do not align with the school ratings. Therefore, it is imperative I collect and analyze data to inform administrators on the importance of acquiring a CSCP that focuses on student achievement. A CSCP cannot perform at its fullest potential if it does not have the foundational aspects and standards to live by. In turn, the process of preparing students to become …show more content…
Those themes seek to assist counselors in perfecting their skills, abilities, and attitudes toward creating a CSCP. When a counselor takes on a leadership and/or advocacy role, the role should foster collaboration with other stakeholders in creating a systemic change that enhance students’ motivation to become productive citizens of society. As a counselor, I am sometimes viewed as a leader and advocate for students who failed to value education and do not vision a career path outside of sports or music. In order to keep students engaged and take personal responsibility for their education, I usually take leadership roles in making sure he or she receive the additional support needed to achieve their goals in life. In fact, my classroom guidance lessons are geared toward enhancing students’ study skills, character traits, and improving their social/emotional behaviors. If I noticed students who are disengaged or pondering toward negativity, I work with those students to increase their knowledge and skills academically and socially to show improvement from an academic perspective. In any leadership or advocacy position the individual must be courageous enough to want to make a difference and not become stagnant in any leadership position, especially working with
The program audit, provided by the American School Counselor Association, serves to set the standard for the school counseling program. The program assessment aligns with the four components of the ASCA National Model and serves as an instrument for analyzing each component (ASCA, 2012). By using all the components of the audit, strengths and areas of improvement of the programs are determined and goals for the following year are created (ASCA, 2005).
In this paper, it will be explored the meaning behind the ASCA national model, its importance, and how it will shape the counselors to be. As a counselor in training, it was understood the ASCA national model is a guideline for professional school counselors to be more productive and sufficient in the workplace. Therefore, as a trainee it is vital to grasp and implement these four components: foundation, management system, delivery system, and accountability.
Deciding to become a Student Guidance Counselor was not a fly by night decision. I did a great deal of reading and research before making a decision. I knew once I started a graduate program in School Guidance Counseling, it would be both challenging and a commitment until the end. I am somewhat nervous about this new journey that I am about to partake; however, I am ready to accept the challenge and make the commitment. I am a newly licensed teacher and there will be areas and terminology which I am not familiar. But, what I have found out thus far is that a teacher and a student counselor have quite a few things in common. They both work with other teachers, parents, school administrators, and the community in an academic setting. The skills I have acquired as a preschool director and teacher will be integrated into my career as a guidance counselor. I will have the skills to guide and enhance the social, academic, and personal growth of my students by using a variety of strategies which will be my primary goal. I will be able t...
During the past three years of college, my interest in counseling has been affirmed through a variety of experiences. One important experience that influenced my decision to pursue a career as a school counselor was my involvement in my community service sorority, Chi Delta Alpha. Through Chi Delta Alpha, I volunteered on several occasions, among them I babysat children to provide parents with a night off; I was responsible for a group of elementary students as they experienced college classes and I painted a caboose for a local playground. A theme that has remained constant throughout all my different experiences is that making a difference in a person’s life is a rewarding experience, and I know that I desire a career that enables me to support high school students as they face difficult situations.
School counseling has evolved over the years into a significant component of the educational system. School counselors are taking on new roles in schools as leaders, working with “school administration and staff in developing student attitudes and behavior which are necessary to maintain proper control, acceptable standards of self-discipline and a suitable learning environment within the school” (Secondary School Counselor 2012). Counselors work in “diverse community settings designed to provide a variety of counseling, rehabilitation, and support services” (Counselors, 2010). When working in a school district as a counselor, you can either be an elementary school counselor, middle school counselor or a high school counselor. This essays explores a recent interview with a high school counselor.
An effective school leader possesses skills to create, implement, evaluate, improve and share a staff development plan. I met with Ben Rhodes, Sandy Creek Middle School’s principal, to interview him on the specific elements of his yearly staff development plan. We began with the design process focusing on the district and school goals. District goals include improving literacy across the content areas in reading and writing, Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (GVC). Guaranteed and Viable Technology (GVT), and Closing the Achievement Gap (Equity in Excellence). Using a variety of assessments to focus on specific needs, Ben Rhodes and Mary Sonya, our Pupil Achievement Specialist, examined CSAP, Explore, MAP, and RAD data. They use the Colorado Growth Model to help guide them to determine if students have made adequate yearly progress. Together, they created the plan that included the district goals mentioned above as well as continuing to include new technology skills, information on special education changes with Response to Intervention (RTI), maintaining current staff implementation of literacy goals and a new goal of raising achievement in math.
American School Counselor Association. (2012). The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, Third Edition. Alexandria, VA: Author.
To make a long story short utilizing good counseling techniques will progress students self confidence and independence. Once a student is empowered they will see growth within his/herself.
I cannot recall a more rewarding experience than helping facilitate a child’s education while enabling parent participation alike. These experiences have drawn me to my current position as an Educational Assistant where I am constantly interacting and establishing relationships with students, learning about their goals and aspirations. It is that same desire to empower our future students that has steered me towards a career as a school counselor. By enrolling in the Masters in counseling program, I aspire to develop methods and experience to become an effective, experienced, and adaptable school counselor that promotes self-awareness, allowing students to realize their full potential and impetus them towards a promising future. I want to learn skills that facilitate personal and career development, ensuring that our students grow accomplishing their goals and ambitions. To discover techniques that help students improve in all areas of academic achievement, establishing relationships with students and parents alike. By becoming a school counselor, I am determined to become an advocate for underserved youth. I aim to become an effective agent educational reform, providing support for students in the various institutions that may disempower
The school counselor would need to be upfront with the teaching staff about confidentiality. Furthermore, be willing to engage in personal conversations with teachers about the ethical value so there is no misunderstanding. Having an open line of communication can deepen the teacher and counselor relationship without breaking student confidentiality. Sommers-Flanagan and Sommers-Flanagan further discuss general guidelines for school counselors from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). One of these guidelines is, “Have a primary obligation to all students.
What inspires my passion for this organization is its mission of putting excellent schools in every community along with attacking the enormity of educational inequity. Corps members and alumni are guided by this idea, which informs their goals. To me, the intangible aspect of this core value is the question of evaluating our progress. The goal is clear, but I struggle with how to measure our progress. Metrics can look at our students’ growth, proficiency, graduation rates, and behavioral incidents; but none of these numbers measure all that we have accomplished.
I believe that when people understand the purpose of the program, it is easier to see how the program is working. Another vision I have is making sure the school counseling program is seen what it is. School counselors do more than that what people think they do. I would also want to the program to allow school counselors more time to work in groups or individually with students. It is important that counselors are given the time to work with students, even though that is not all we do.
Counselors have large shoes to fill. They not only administer assessments, but are also involved in group counseling, individual counseling, and have to plan and implement comprehensive school guidance programs. A counselor must know and be competent in all realms of their position. School counselors work with all children, including children with disabilities in various settings within the school (Villalba, Latus, Hamilton, & Kendrick (2005 p 449). As stated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school counseling services must be made available to all students in special education programs as part of their right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) (Bowen & Glenn, 1998; Clark, 1998). School counselors are to take on this role in the educational and personal-social well being of students in special education programs. Federal law does require that children, who receive special education services, and do not display appropriate behavior have a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) team (Villalba, Latus, Hamilton, & Kendrick (2005) p 449). This team constructs a BIP. Since counselors should be active on the FBA team, there is a need here that must be addressed because this article defines a lack of knowledge present with practicing counselors. With that, counselors do receive relevant training throughout their program. There are only so many classes and hours of instruction that the pre-counselors receive. The curriculum that is generated encompasses what counselors need, but could their be a few gaps and missing pieces? This study was conducted to determine counselors awareness, knowledge, and role in the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) process (Villalba, Latus, Hamilton, & Ken...
School counselors mostly have a very less time to deal with numerous students. At times they have to interact with the parents of the students or the respective professors of the student. This profession is considered as one of the most rewarding one. Here we discuss 5 of the top essential skills a school counselor should have: 1. Good Listener and excellent communicator
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Code of Ethics (2010) states that a school counselor should “provide students with a comprehensive school counseling program…with emphasis on working jointly with all students to develop personal/social, academic and career goals” (A.3.a.). Additionally, school counselors “are concerned with the educational, academic, career, personal and social needs and encourage the maximum development of every student” (A.1.b.) and “provide and advocate for individual students’ career awareness, exploration and post-secondary plans supporting the students’ right to choose from the wide array of options…” (A.3.c.). A school counselor using SCCT can fulfill these obligations efficiently by guiding students in exploring their strengths, interests, and goals.