I received the pleasure of interviewing two school counselors, Mrs. Jean Harmon and Mr. Devon Herrick. I was excited about interviewing school counselors within the Chicago land area. Despite many negativities spoken about the Chicago Public School (CPS) system, I desire to work within CPS. I’ve heard many pros and cons of working at a selective enrollment school, compared to a public charter school. By interviewing these two individuals, I assumed that I would get a snapshot of a potential work day for a school counselor. Mrs. Harmon is a school counselor at King College Preparatory high school. Mr. Herrick is a personal counselor at Urban Prep Charter Academy- Bronzeville campus. It was interesting in learning about the daily responsibilities, …show more content…
Her motto for working with students is “kids are my business”. She made sure to imply that her business and work within the school is planned around the students. Mrs. Harmon described her daily work as a counselor as unpredictable. She expressed that every day she usually spends time responding to emails and phone calls, and making calls out to universities and community organizations. She stated that she focuses more within the academic part of counseling and, depending on the level of severity, she may refer a student to the school social worker for social emotional counseling. She stated that 70% of her time is spent evaluating the academic, personal, social, and career of the students, while the other 30% is used to focus on the students social emotional matters. While speaking with her, I noticed that many students were in and out of her office for various reasons; some of the reasons included students looking for bus cards, scholarships, candy, clarity on course requirements, and informing her of the issues between the students enrolled at King. I noticed students referring to Mrs. Harmon as their mom at school. She had an open door policy and was available to every student that needed her, even as I interviewed her. Mrs. Harmon explained how she has 400 students (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors) that she supports throughout the
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).
First and foremost the ASCA National Crosswalking Tool have sections that primarily focuses on the key components of an exemplary school counselor performance and accountability model for structuring a comprehensive guidance program. The ASCA National Model Crosswalking Tools can be used to develop the appropriate scope and sequence for a guidance curriculum.When implementing this tool correctly in a school system, there are major influences that can be utilized in helping students. In the paragraphs below I will describe key points of how it will improve student learning, foster student development of career awareness, and students will acquire self knowledge to enhance their personal and social development. This tool is useful and effective when applied in state education agencies and is most effective tool for students to transition throughout their academic settings.
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...
After interviewing my school counselor who has an advance degree in School Counseling/Death and Dying (Thanatology), I’ve learned how she address issues of grief as well as promoting healthy grieving for students as a School Guidance Counselor. As a School Counselor it is part of her duty to educate students in grief interventions using theories in preparation for the educational settings. I am aware now that most grief counseling training occurs through continuing education rather than in graduate programs.
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 responsibilities of a professional school counselor are to design and deliver comprehensive programs to promote student achievement. The guidelines
The school counselor leads the organization and organizations tools of the program including calendars, assessments, and agreement. Advocating is used by the counselor’s regular evaluations of the program to ensure it is the best program possible and the it is helping the most students possible. For instance, an advisory council, which is made up of stakeholders, is used as a way to advocate for students through collaborating with the stakeholders to make decisions because all the different perspectives are combined to make one “voice”. Also, the advisory council is used in systematic change by data collection, measurement of the program to ensure that program is working. The program, counseling, and closing the gap measurements included developmental, prevention, and intervention services to measure student competences, achievement of students. Calendars are used to keep students, parents, and faculty informed of the counselor’s availabilities and it holds the counselor accountable of their
Ms. Sandy, Ms. Sandy, a familiar sound I hear everyday from students rushing past me in the hallways. From as far back as I can remember, I have wanted to become a school counselor. I can vividly remember sitting in my counselor’s office chatting her ear off about any and everything. Flash forward I am now that same counselors listing and comforting students.
Modeling and following ethical decisions are extremely difficult. School counselors, face the dilemma in providing accurate and professional service to students while being ethical and professional. School counselors must be aware, and must be knowledgeable of ethical codes of conduct, and standards at work. American Counseling Association [ACA] (2014), (Remley & Herlihy) states in page 407, that counselors have to be knowledgeable of ACA Code of ethics, and they must abide by their regulations (Code C.1). To make an ethical decision, school counselors need to understand the ethical codes provided by ACA. In order for school counselors not to fall under the category of being unethical, counselors need to create a network
(Owens, Thomas, & Strong, 2011) In order for professional school counselors to be successful in their interactions with students, parents, and fellow faculty, they must have excellent verbal communication skills. Speaking with students is an essential part of the school counselors’ job and they must be able to effectively connect to each student on his or her own specific level and provide positive feedback in a way in which the student will comprehend precisely what the counselor is saying. Counselors must also be able to suggest ideas tailored for each individual student and get them to engage in active discussions about their goals and aspirations that they would like to achieve in the
After working for 15 years at AT&T, Sandra decided it was time to complete what she started in 2003 and that was to finish college. After the birth of her son, her perspective on life changed and she decided to pursue a career in social work. Twelve years ago she attended Houston Community College (HCC) but since then has moved. Her new address zoned her to Lone Star College and she attended classes both online and in-person without a break from the summer of 2015 until the fall of 2016. She received her Associate Degree in Arts and
The school counselors meet the needs of student in three basic domains: academic development, career development, and personal/social development. The knowledge, understanding, and skill in these domains are developed through classroom instruction, assessments, consultation, counseling, coordination, and collaboration. For example, in assessment, school counselors may use a variety of personality and vocational assessment methods to help students explore vocation needs and interests. The classroom guidance lessons are designed to be preventive and include self-management and self-monitoring skills. The responsive services component of the school counselor's role provides individual and/or small group counseling for students. For example, if a student's behavior is interfering with his or her achievement, the counselor will observe that student in a class; provide consultation to teachers and other personnel to develop (with the student) a plan to address the behavioral issues, and then work together to implement the plan. They also help by providing consultation services to family members.
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...
Therefore, one activity that I would implement as a school counselor would be a “Teach-In day”. This day would be extremely significant for students in the elementary school, since career development awareness starts in elementary school. As a school counselor, I would contact professionals with different occupations to talk or teach students like Sandra, a student with learning disabilities, (Iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu) about their experiences in their profession as well as their college life.
There is never a dull moment and his job is anything but monotonous. Paul also takes time to make policy changes and to work in the community on boards and committees, where he promotes positive changes and is a voice for Utah County’s children and adolescents. He has been a lobbyist for children’s issues and he is on the local suicide task force. I love the variety of Paul’s job with Alpine School District. I have been interested in teaching, public speaking and counseling throughout my life. I am intrigued by the prospect of continuing my learning and research as a social worker. I love that social work is an avenue for me to develop and express these