Last blog ever

Before starting this course, I admit that I wasn’t entirely convinced that the ASCA National Model should be the prescriptive model for school counseling programs. After learning much more about it and having the opportunity to actually participate in creating a template for such a program, I am entirely convinced of it’s value. Although I didn’t really need any further confirmation, this week’s reading certainly reinforced this belief for me, although I did find it interesting to read about some of the differences among counselors at various levels. According to the results of a survey of school counselors implementing the ASCA National Model in Alabama, middle school counselors were more likely to be involved in student-related tasks, such as helping students use interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to develop and manage relationships. I was not surprised to read this, as this seems to be the target age group for when problems in this area start to present themselves. I was also not surprised that the high school counselors placed greater emphasis on addressing academic and career planning, although I think that the career planning component in high school should be part of a comprehensive program that builds on specific goals and activities for each grade level and begins in elementary school. Middle school counselors were also more likely to be involved in academic development, which I found somewhat surprising, as I thought high school counselors may have similar influence in this domain. I also enjoyed reading about the professional development needs of counselors at various levels. Since career and academic development were not identified as priorities for elementary counselors, it makes sense that these topics were identified as a training need. Hopefully as these counselors feel more comfortable with their knowledge in these areas, they will place an emphasis on delivering high-quality programming in these areas. Middle School counselors seemed to be most competent in addressing all domains, while high school counselors identified a need for professional development related to creating a broader vision of beliefs and priorities about the importance of comprehensive programs, as well as issues related to classroom guidance, group counseling, and personal/social competencies. I am happy that we have already participated in a number of courses focusing on these issues in this program, so I definitely don’t identify these areas as deficits for my future work in a high school. However, some areas of potential focus for my professional development may include such issues as social justice skill development and strategies for collaboration with teachers and other school and community members (Dahir, Burnham, & Stone, 2009). Dahir, C., Burnham, J., and Stone, C. (2009). Listen to the voices: school counselors and comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 12(3), 182-192.