Blog 10 The Unique Nature of Middle School Counseling

Blog 10 The Unique Nature of Middle School Counseling

For blog 10 I chose to focus on the article because I am in the middle school group for our CSCP project and I wanted to write about some important pieces I want to integrate into our CSCP. 

The article mentions qualities that make the middle schools unique and I believe those qualities may be the reason why I want to become a middle school counselor.  According to Akos, middle schools recognize early adolescence as a unique developmental phase requiring, student-centeredness, flexible scheduling, creative exploration, and sensitivity to physical changes associated with the transition from childhood to adolescence (Akos, 2005).  I think what I like most about middle school students is their; complexity, increased abilities in metacognition, experiments with autonomy, and the formation of identity.  In my opinion, middle school students are cognitively able to have in-depth discussions about morality and their identity that elementary students are not quite able to do.  Middle school students are interesting to me because they have one foot in childhood and one foot in adolescence.

Akos lists the three most developmentally influential forces in a middle-school student’s life as; puberty, identity formation, and autonomy (Akos, 2005).  One of the pieces I took away from Akos regarding puberty was the idea of “growing up” groups.  When I think about sex education and puberty-related education, my first thought is, thank goodness the health teachers and nurses have this covered, however this is not exactly true.  Many students have emotional struggles relating to early or delayed puberty (Akos, 2005).  “Growing up” groups seem like an effective way that school counselors can help health educators teach students about their body and the emotional and mental struggles that accompany the many changes students experience. 

Akos also discusses the unique qualities of identity formation that emerge during early adolescence.  Akos references Erikson and the need for students to feel industrious, that is skillful and aware of his/ her likes and dislikes (Akos, 2005).  I see this as a unique opportunity for school counselors to introduce more personalized career exploration.  Perhaps one way I may incorporate career exploration with in the frame of identity formation is administering a personality test and discuss which types of careers may suit a student’s personality.  I personally believe getting to uncover personalities and teaching students how to study themselves is very fascinating and fun.  I also see this as a great opportunity to uncover strengths and guide students to uncover ways to use those strengths in the real world as well as uncover motivation for academic success. 

Lastly, Akos discusses the many ways middle school students begin to make choices and test boundaries (Akos, 2005).  School counselors can provide valuable feedback in regard to making healthy choices and positive ways to assert independence.  Middle school students are notorious for testing boundaries especially with adults.  School counselors are in, what I think is a really influential and thus exciting position, as a “safe” adult to test out new ideas and beliefs.  School counselors get to be different in the eyes of students, not a typical adult who squashes their attempts to grow up, but someone who can guide them through praise and feedback. 

Akos, P. (2005). The unique nature of middle school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 9(2), 95-103.