If anyone is actually going to read my blog entry this week then please bear with me because it is going to sound incredibly stupid in my opinion. I didn’t enjoy reading this chapter in the Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) text for the course. The chapter made it seem as if we were going to get a concentrated, yet basic, understanding of what exactly is entailed by a “comprehensive counseling program.” I don’t know about you but I definitely left class on Tuesday feeling stupid in that I felt it was something I that I should know what it is but Dr. Baker left us all feeling like none of us knew what it was. I felt even more stupid because just the night before I was reading empirical research for my Pre-Practicum Competency Project. In one of the articles I was using from one of the journals we have to use it talked about implementing a comprehensive social-emotional learning program that is preventative in nature. So I thought I fully understood the contents of the article. But when Dr. Baker was talking about the concept of a comprehensive counseling program I thought I had a basic understanding but I definitely did not. So when I read Chapter 1 I thought I’d get a little bit better understanding beyond what I had Tuesday but I honestly don’t think that I did. It seems that from the perspective of the text we won’t be getting that understanding until at least Chapter 5. Obviously Rome wasn’t built in a day but I’m very impatient and want to begin to get a decent understanding of what is entailed in a comprehensive program and if I’m at least somewhat correct in my assumptions. I am thinking that based on the detailed look back on the history of philosophies of education that if we’re going to be counselors then we have to use an approach that includes teachers as well although this much is obvious without even reading that. But as a counselor, factoring in NCLB, you’re going to be fighting against the modern-day emphasis on traditional education and are going to try to be progressive. I guess this was the sentiment and foundation that Chapter 1 was trying to establish.

As for what else was discussed within the chapter even though the initial case study was clearly hypberole I found it to be incredibly funny because it’s an example that Dr. Gardner has given us several times in Theory I and Theory II. Despite this I had that exact kind of counselor in high school so that has been one of my motivating factors in trying not to do that if placed in a secondary setting. I know from personal conversations that Amanda feels that way too.  I also agree that intuition coupled with being taught results in the best possible counselors. I look at the difference between myself last year entering the program and now because I feel more confident from what I’ve learned. I also found the section describing competencies to be very relatable if not for the fact that many of those concepts were talked about as something people wanted to cover when announcing their 3 aspects.  

Either way, I look forward to seeing how close or far away my assumptions from my first paragraph were and what light the text is actually going to shed on it because so far I’m not a fan of the text. But that might just be me being lazy.

Blog 1 - Nakia Eckert

The first chapter of the book got me excited to start really delving in to the profession of a School Counselor. I have enjoyed learning about theories and history, but I am a big fan of applying coursework to the “real world” to give us a greater understanding of what it is we will actually be doing. That being said, a concern that I have is that the book paints a picture of what a School Counselor should be doing according to the ASCA model as something that I truly believe is not what School Counselors are actually doing day to day. I work with these professionals on a daily basis, and I know that they are being asked to do things that fall far outside the guidelines put forward by ASCA.  In the role description on p. 14 in the text I did not see “date stamping” listed. The example I gave in class of a School Counselor date stamping PSSA folders is something my stepmother (a high school counselor) does every year. Her department is also responsible for organizing and proctoring these exams as well as coordinating retests for students. I am actually not against School Counselors performing these types of tasks. I firmly believe that first and foremost we will be employees of the school district, meaning our primary responsibility will be to make sure that things that need to be done each year (i.e. date stamping PSSA folders) are done. Working at a college, sometimes I have to do things that are “outside of my job description”, but if it is for the good of the order it is something that I do with no questions asked. 

Like Julia, I was also very intrigued to see the section about whether or not former teachers make better School Counselors. This is something that I run into at my current job when we are working on hiring a new employee. Usually the posting is open either internally, externally, or both and there are varying philosophies as to if HACC experience will help or hurt the person applying for a new position. Sometimes it is best to come into a new position with a brand new perspective and a fresh attitude. Other times it will benefit the students if the person has a working knowledge of school district policies and has already built a rapport with students and faculty. This would have to be judged on a case by case basis, and obviously the book’s example did not paint teachers in the best light to be great School Counselors.

Lastly, I think the most beneficial skill for a School Counselor to have has to be courage. School Counselors are often separated from the rest of the teaching staff both physically and even philosophically as they might have to challenge a teacher to advocate on behalf of the student. Keeping the student’s interests at the forefront of their thoughts is something that takes courage when you are up against others who might disagree. “Having courage in the face of these challenges comes from knowing that counselors make a difference, and that, while the larger pattern of meaning might not be immediately visible, all things do happen for a reason” (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012, p. 5).

Dollarhide, C.T., & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs (2nd Ed.). New York: Pearson, Inc. 

Blog 1

Reading chapter one of Dollarhide and Saginak's (2012) text increased my confidence regarding my current knowledge about CSCP a bit. I understood what was being discussed, even though that's most likely because the information covered was historical in nature and was a reminder of many prior counseling classes. But regardless, I believe I have recovered from the syllabus shock from last night.

This sense of related information from prior classes was especially prominent on page 3. In the discussion of qualities that a professional school counselor should have, I was pleased that I felt comfortable with the idea of individual, group, and multicultural counseling (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). It was the first time that I really understood the culmination of our classes becoming applicable to our future careers.

One item in the text that was a bit surprising was in Dollarhide and Saginak’s (2012) text was the idea that there is an idea among professionals that teachers make better school counselors (p. 4). I am in no way negating this perception; it was just an idea I had never really thought of before. Call it ignorance, but the fact that there are several current teachers in our program always seemed like a coincidence. I never knew it was a common enough occurrence that it had become almost a stereotype. This section went on to partially disillusion me to the thought that teachers (who I have heard are under-recognized for their hard work both in society and in the school system) have more “perks” thank school counselors! This section specifically made me truly want to believe in our generation as being the counselors who demand to be appreciated and put in positions of helping as we were trained to do.

I struggled somewhat with Dollarhide and Saginak’s (2012) section on the philosophies of education. It may be that the word “pedagogy” is not part of my daily vocabulary, but I had to read the section several times to understand which of the teaching styles was preferred and which ones had become obsolete. When I think of progressive teaching, I more or less picture a Montessori school, however all the different progressive hybrids began to throw me off course. I’m hoping this is something we discuss in detail in class.

I enjoyed ending the chapter with information on the development of the phrase “professional school counselor” because often I correct people for calling my future position “guidance counseling” but I’m never exactly sure why it is wrong. Overall, this book is pleasantly readable while remaining informative and interesting.

Dollarhide, C.T., & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs (2nd Ed.). New York: Pearson, Inc.