Week 3

This chapter allowed me to get a greater view of the “big picture” of a comprehensive school counselor program.  I appreciate how organized and practical the chapter was, and the fact that it referred to the case study repeatedly to emphasize certain points.  There were some parts of the chapter that I especially connected with.

First, I like the concept of “safe risk-taking.”  This is how natural consequences allow young people to learn for themselves and never make the mistakes again.  Too often I feel that kids are given too many boundaries, which can “suffocate” them, and never allow them to truly learn for themselves.  It seems that, as a result of forced (logical?) consequences, so many young people either terminate a behavior out of fear, or some do not terminate at all, and sometimes rebel; therefore eliminating intrinsic motivation, which I believe is severely lacking in youth.

On page 56, Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) state that self-esteem is a process (meaning lifelong effort) and a practice (meaning that self-esteem must be actively earned).”  Self-esteem is a very difficult thing to instill in young people, especially in students who are at a “at risk” (or, as was stated in the book, “at promise,” which I affectionately thought of as a very Dr. Garner-esque term)!  It is absolutely a lifelong effort, and many of us will not see the outcomes of our efforts in this regard. It is something I struggle with!  With self-esteem, as with any type of positive characteristic, I do not believe that there is a “one-size-fits-all” approach.  It is not something you can teach; it is only something you can inspire.  Inspiring self-esteem is one of the greatest challenges I have had as a teacher, and I cannot wait to continue working toward this challenge as a counselor.

Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) stress systemic importance as part of a comprehensive counseling program.  Family is an integral part of a child’s development, for the better or otherwise.  “The developmental resilience of young people will reflect the extent to which the systems in which they matured were healthy, respectful, and nurturing…when this influence is positive, children can learn positive social skills” (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012, pp. 58-59).  I do agree that families are one of the greatest influences on the social and emotional development of children.  In addition, Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) state that “[Family] problems can have a direct correlation with academic achievement, career development, and personal/social life functioning” (p. 59).  Because the family system has such a huge impact on students, it is imperative that as counselors we work with and involve families in the most positive ways possible.  That being said, I continue to struggle with what to do for children who are in problematic or inconceivable situations at home.  Certainly school needs to be their safe zone; however, the influences outside of school can often overpower those in school.  I would love to learn more about programs that promote healthy systems no matter the circumstances.

Lastly, I loved the part of the case study when Mr. Paulson met with Ms. Epps.  First, I thought his initial statement, “Tell me what I can do to help you teach your kids,” was packed with positive and solution-focused implications.  Any teacher would feel that the counselor is in his/her corner with a question like that.  I also loved the idea of counselors doing lessons that both meet academic standards along with ASCA standards.  That, my friends, is a win-win-win situation. 

Reference:

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