When I read the first case study about Bobbi, I chuckled out loud because it really seems ridiculous to me. Upon further reflection, I actually found myself feeling angry at people like Bobbi who perpetuate the "old school" definition of school counselors, sad that this has been the reality in many schools, and then ultimately I felt challenged to help change those perceptions. It won't be easy. When I think back to my exchanges with my high school counselor (I don't recall any in K-8??) they were very limited. She called me in once to tell me I should take my SAT's over because she thought I could do better and another time she asked me if I had applied to colleges. I had and that was the end of that. I was one of the kids who rarely got in trouble. I was one of those who was probably not even on the radar screen of the school counselor.
My 87 year old father-in-law was recently visiting us from Seattle. He is a retired Art teacher. He asked me what I was studying in graduate school and when I told him that I wanted to be a school counselor he laughed and said, "We hated those guys!". I asked why and he said they got away with doing nothing and in his opinion did little for students or teachers. As upcoming school counselors, we need to promote our profession whenever possible. I don't know where I will be employed and what perceptions will be in place about school counselors at my new school, but that will be something I will want to check the "pulse" of soon after I arrive on campus. It is important to not only have students, teachers, and administrators on board with your plan (and a comprehensive school counseling plan it will be!) but also to have parent and community support. We need to be our own public relations reps!
As I get closer to graduation, I have started doubting myself more. I wonder if I really have what it takes to be an effective school counselor. I enjoyed reading the "Personal Qualities of a School Counselor" section in our textbook. I was so pleased to see that the authors included "Creativity and Imagination". These two qualities are important to me and I was glad to see them recognized.
Chapter one also got me thinking about my philosophy of counseling and education. While I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, I have nothing concrete. I wonder if this is something we will create in this class as we learn more about the ASCA National Model and the Comprehensive School Counseling Program. I hope so.
I am excited to get into this class. This is what I've been waiting for when I really think about it. I am ready to put things I have learned into real life applications. I am also excited about our class makeup and our community of sharing and learning!
Dollarhide, C. T. & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs. (2nd ed.). New York: Pearson, Inc.
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