Blog # 12

                 Dollarhide and Saginak ( 2012) start out the chapter stating, " schools should be built around an understanding of the development of young people; this understanding should include a balanced consideration of academic, social and emotional needs" ( 209). Knowing the developmental, social and emotional needs of the students at your school is important to being a successful school counselor and making a positive impact on the school and its students. Elementary, middle and high school are three levels, that need different attention at any specific time throughout the school year. As Dollarhide and Saginak point out, the elementary school years encompass a large period of developmental growth. Students are still connected to their primary care givers, need appropriate guidance of social skills as well as focusing on self esteem and independence. Intermediate school students are developing peer relations as well as coming into their own and developing their own personalities and self concepts. High school students need guidance on career outlook and the possibility of college or technology school ( 2012). They need to be prepared for the world outside of school.
             Each one of these levels requires the school counselor to understand where each student is developmentally as well choosing which interventions and prevention programs would work best for that specific age. Middle school students are developing peer relations, small group activities and counseling sessions are key in building positive peer groups. When I observed the middle school, the counselor was working on Rachel's Challenge. She was meeting with about 120 students to come up with activities that could be done over the lunch period to encourage positive interactions among peers as well as getting to know students whom you have never met before. One of the activities is called mix it up. Students must sit with different people at lunch and are given tokens to participate in different activities. I wish that I could have been able to witness the activity. I personally would really like to work with  middle school students, especially because they are such a unique group of students and at times possible the most challenging to work with. A lot of the activities and assignments I have done for prior classes have involved the middle school level. It is important to know which delivery system works best and use collaboration and consultation to get the best outcome.
       Throughout this semester, we have been talking about a lot of areas of concern and uncertainty in our large class discussions as well as small group discussions. Regardless of what is discussed in class, I feel it is important to always look at things from different angels. Think outside of the box, and things are not always as difficult as they seem. The ASCA National Model is set up in a way that we can use all stake holders to create a school climate that uses all resources available and is a safe environment for the students to discover who they are and want to become as the grow.

  
           

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