Blog 12- Developmental CSCP

     I am pleased to see the breakdown of the CSCP through the school levels in the reading. I feel that I have a descent understanding of how the programs work and are developmentally appropriate for the age differences. I take away a new word as well-transesence. This is the time of adolescence in which there is still crossover between childhood and later adolescent maturity. I have often been aware of this developmental time period. It is interesting to watch within school level break down how this transesence plays out. Some schools may have 6^th grade at the elementary level, others combine 6,7 & 8^th. 6th grade is sometimes housed within the 6,7,8 building, but shielded from the rest of the school. I don’t see one model that would work in all cases, but I do see that educators and counselors need to remain aware of this developmental shift when planning curriculum and events. 

     The Rayle (2006) article discusses the concept of mattering. This is one of the bonds that make our program unique. People in the psychology and education fields approach life from a perspective of wanting to affect change and inspire a better life in others. The article compared the personal satisfaction and stress levels of elementary and upper secondary school counselors. I can understand the differing pressures and the perception of support counselors feel within the levels. I believe school climates have a hand in this as well. Elementary schools are based on providing a community for the students. Counselors spend a lot of time in the classrooms- interacting with the teachers and the students directly. As the students age, the counselor spends less time with them. Though the number of students an elementary counselor has in a case load is large, they report to feel better connected to each of the students. There seems to be a shift in middle school where the counselor is no longer the support system they were in the elementary level. Many middle school counselors take a more hands off/ accessory approach. The counseling office is often near the principal’s office which causes a perception that they are more closely (disciplinarily) aligned. Perhaps it is the middle school brain that is more self conscious and envisions the counselor as stepping in when something is going wrong. This is a shift that must be addressed by middle school counselors. Some possible approaches would be to continue the classroom supports through scheduling (surprise) visits during TAP time, connecting with students through pep rallies and incentive days, recognizing student efforts and focusing on the positive to counteract the reactive components of the school day. 

     A few of the counselors I have spoken with have mentioned the large amount of emails they encounter through their day. I suppose this is considered to be a direct service as we are in contact with the family or teacher, yet it feels quite disconnected. I feel there will be a fine line between getting bogged down reacting to these emails and creating a balanced time to act proactively as well. 

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

Rayle, A. (2006). Do school counselors matter? Mattering as a moderator between job stress and job satisfaction. Professional School Counseling, 9, 206-215.