Chapter 6 - Due Oct 2

In reading this week’s additional article it made me think back to one of my counselor interviews.  The question that seems to come up over and over again. – What does a counselor do?  I feel as though many school district employees as well as parents are not fully aware of an effective counselor’s roles and responsibilities.  It is crucial for the school counselor to provide information to the staff they work with as well as send information home to the parents.  Many parents do not want their child participating in activities or groups if they do not fully understand what it entails.  This is the time for new counselors to get out there and make the public understand all of the opportunities that are out there for children to participate in.  As a counselor I would not be able to do everything in my first year but I think educating teachers and as well as guardians will need to happen on a yearly basis.  Regulations are constantly changing and the National Model is being updated so other educators need to be aware just like the counselor.  The framework is very clear of what I need to follow once I become a counselor but the general public is not all on that same page and educating them will allow me to provide more specialized services to the students. 
 

I am hoping that when I graduate from the program and hopefully find a job that I will be able to implement the National Model to the level that I envision.  I know I will have a lot of stumbling blocks but I hope that I will have a supportive set of building administrators that share the same love for children that I do.  It will be a much harder uphill road to travel if I have to educate and constantly explain why I am doing certain parts of my job as a counselor. 

 

While reading the article it reiterated how important it is to be flexible as well as adaptable to the unique needs of both the school and the students.  If I plan on running certain groups during my first year I need to remember that there may not be a great need for that certain group and I may need to create new groups based on the students’ needs at the time. 

Also, in conducting my interviews over the past two weeks I have found that more counselors then what I originally thought are using the foundation of the ASCA National Model.  That was a very pleasant surprise to see.  The interviews were a great way to be able to look at different programs and be able to talk one on one to other practicing counselors.  Talking to them gave me a very different impression then only seeing what they do. 

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: K-12 Delivery Systems in Action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.    

Schwallie-Giddis, P., ter Maat, M., & Pak, M.  (2003, Feb). Initiating Leadership by Introducing and Implementing the ASCA National Model.  Professional School Counseling, 6(3), 170-174. 

Blog 4: ASCA National Model

I thought that the chapter regarding the ASCA National Model was very informative.  This is a topic that I was interested in learning about and it worked out perfect that I became more knowledgeable before my interviews.  The chapter began by discussing how counselors need to stay current within their profession.  It is already known that people are unsure of what exactly school counselors do and I feel that at times they have to work even harder to ensure they are doing an adequate job.  When I was reading over the themes of the ASCA model, advocacy and collaboration stood out to me.  I believe that it is vital for students to have someone to advocate on their behalf and fight for what they need.  Every child is in need of something throughout their educational journey and as educators and counselors we need to make sure that it is provided.  The second theme, collaboration, was also a theme that I felt was important.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) stated that the ASCA highlighted the role of collaboration in the model, stating that, “school counselors build effective teams by encouraging genuine collaboration among all school staff to work toward the common goals of equity, access, and academic success of every student”  (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 77, 2012).    At Hamilton, we have professional development everyday from 8:00-8:30 and what I am looking forward to is the collaboration meetings.  It provides us with a time to sit down with the counselor and/or special education liaison to discuss the students and work together at the common goal which is student success.

Next, I reviewed the elements of the ASCA National Model and the one aspect that was vital was the values.  The question that was stated was, “What is most important: academic, career, or personal/social development?” (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 22, 2012)   I feel that each area is important in their own way but we have to keep in mind that there are several factors at stake.  I believe that academic is extremely important but if there is a personal/social issue arising the academics are going to be affected until the issue is resolved.  We have to make sure that we are covering the needs of the students whether they are academic, social/personal, or career.   In terms of career, it should be discussed every year with the students.  I know that the school counselor at Hamilton does a lesson on career with each of the grade levels.  She will modify the information to the student’s level but are still providing the exposure of career even at the elementary level.  In conclusion, I felt that this is an informative chapter that introduced me to the ASCA National Model that I was not aware of.       

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2^nd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

The ASCA National Model

While I was reading Chapter 5 (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012) and after last week's group meeting, I started thinking a lot more about school counselor's experience with ASCA.  Just hearing from classmates and some of the cast studies in our book it seems that many school counselors have a difficult time following ASCA and getting support from their school.  This has started to become a worry of mine that when I am looking for a job I will end up at a school that has "no place" for a school counselor or doesn't take their job seriously.  The reason I wanted to go into this field was so that I could provide support to all the students who get overlooked.  The more I learn the less likely this seems to be.  Last week while our group was meeting we tried to look up different school counseling sites and there are so many schools in the area that put no focus on educating about their program.  It frustrates me a lot because I believe that communicating with the community and the school staff are important in having a successful school counseling program.

Friday, I went to interview my first school counselor for our class assignment.  Because of all the negative experiences and stories we have been hearing about, I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst.  The school counselor I interviewed is from my hometown school district and works at one of the five elementary schools.  Her website describes her entire program and relates it to the ASCA model which was the most we had seen so far.  She has been a school counselor for 13 years now and was the last PSCA president.  Knowing all of this made me feel hopeful that she would be able to successfully use the ASCA model.  While talking with her, I got to hear about how she implements the program and everyone who is involved in making sure the program runs well.  She told me about how she has the support of the administrators, parents, teachers and all of the counselors in the district.  All five elementary school counselors meet on a regular basis to discuss the program and other related topics.  Each summer they also spend time together updating and making changes to the program in place and the core curriculum being used.  I found this to be so helpful because the district is all on the same page and therefore no matter which school a child is going to within the district they will be receiving the same counseling education and support.  She also was able to tell me all about the National Model and how well it works when it is being used.  Her involvement with both the national and state organizations has greatly benefited her counseling career and the support that she gains from her school.  Another thing she mentioned to me was the great relationship that she has formed with her principal.  Each year they create a contract on what her responsibilities will be as a counselor in the school.  She told me this really helps to focus her energies where they are needed so she has little to no non-counseling related duties.

I thought everyone in the class would appreciate hearing about this positive experience.  It may be hard to reach that point but there are school districts willing to commit and support ASCA.  I know that this gave me hope that as a new generation of school counselors are being born, we can create positive change in a twisted system.  Relating this back to the chapter, I can appreciate the National Model better knowing that it can be implemented well.  "They must remain current with their profession, and this means being committed enough to the profession to be an active, involved member of the professional association" (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 75, 2012).  This quote stuck out to me because I feel it is really important to be involved in the organization that should be supporting you.  I want to make sure that I thoroughly understand the program and keep up to date with professional development within the organization.

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog #4: Chapter 5: The ASCA Nationl Model

The ASCA national model in theory is an effective outline of a comprehensive program. In reality, many school counselors are unable to implement the model. In the extreme cases, some school counselors actually have never heard of ASCA. I met a school counselor last week at a private school that was shuffled in house until she landed in the position of college and career counselor. She currently has just begun her graduate work and will complete her program in about five years. She was unaware of what ASCA was. This is certainly an extreme case, but I am finding it more likely that counselors are locked into a pattern of duties and programs that existed before their arrival.

Unfortunately, the school counseling profession is stereotyped and labeled in the eyes of many. The case study of Cadence is a prime example. Many adults have had little to no positive interaction with their school counselors when they were in school, let alone the older generations may not have even had a school counselor. The profession is greatly misunderstood despite a national model. My first thought is to put together a basic fact sheet of "what I am and what I do as your child's school counselor." It should be available at back to school nights, the website, and sent home in parent packets. I also understand why our graduate program has emphasized public speaking in our numerous presentations. I recall about three years ago listening to my son's new school counselor as an incoming high school freshmen. She used "um" and "like" every other word, could not answer one question, and unfortunately, for her she looked all of about 18 years of age. I did not have much confidence in what she may be able to provide for my son over the coming years. Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) quote the National Model in stating that school counselors are to serve as leaders working towards system wide change for the benefit of student success (p. 77). I cannot deny that I will not be shaking in my boots my first year or two as a professional school counselor, but it will be my job not to let others see that fear and it will be my job to understand clearly, what my purpose is as a school counselor. Bottom line, I advocate for each student and partner with them as they face academic, career, and personal/social challenges, events, and decisions.

Dollarhide, C. T. & Saginak, K. A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog #4 - Chapter 5 & my personal view

As Chapter 5 begins with a case study about what a school counselor's job actually is compared to what other people think it is, I found myself really reflecting on how my own view of school counselors has changed over the years. We have discussed this in class as well but I really spent some time reflecting on this more as I read through the chapter and I realized that when I was in middle school and high school I held a lot of the same misconceptions that we are still battling today. My view of a school counselor in middle school and high school was that only people who were in trouble or who needed help went to see the school counselor. It is interesting now that I am going to be hopefully be changing some of the misconceptions that people hold now that I also once held. As I have been interviewing school counselors for the project for class I have been talking to them afterwards about the way that school counselors are viewed and the majority of the answers are that most people don't know what a school counselors role actually is, including school personnel. As I have been talking to them I am realizing that while the ASCA National Model is a great way to have a set of standards for us as counselors, there are always going to be a lot of other things that we are going to have to do as counselors that we would not think we would ever have to do or should do. One of the school counselors that I interviewed was a little late for the interview because she had to help a middle schooler find his retainer in the trash can at lunch. This is obviously not going to be a part of our job description, but it was what was needed. Also, as I have been doing the interviews and just spending more time with school counselors I am getting a better grasp on the ASCA National Model and what it entails and how schools implement it. It is interesting to talk to some counselors who may not remember the model exactly, or may not think that their school is implementing it but then in the course of the interview as we go through things they realize that they are following the model. It may not be in the same systematic way that the model is set up but the basics are the same. The interview project has been a great way to just sit down and learn more about the model from the perspective of an actual counselor.

Blog 4: National Model

Blog 4: National Model

      Reading an entire chapter about the ASCA National Model gives a much better picture of the counselor’s role in the school. The organization and rationale for the model is clear cut yet general enough that it can be adapted to any type of school. As I was reading I was thinking how our group project could prove to be challenging if members views and beliefs are different. This in turn makes me see even more how differing views of administration, other counselors and teachers would make creating a comprehensive program a challenge. I really like that they included systemic change as a theme, it seems more like an overlying theme of all the others. It seems if there is something not working within the other areas systemic change cannot fully happen. As I read I tried to identify evidence of the themes and elements in the counseling program in the elementary school I teach in.

The article on strength based counseling was very informative as well; however I had to read it several times to grasp what it adds to the model. As I read and reread the part that really stuck with me was having promotion-oriented delivery. The example of forming a love of reading can help reduce illiteracy is a very clear example of this. I often think of this when I am in support process meetings and we are all talking about a student’s weaknesses. No one wants to talk about the strengths because they want to get them an IEP or a behavior plan, but I often feel that it is quite backwards. It seems we should be focusing and reinforcing the strengths to see if we can help the child progress without needing more supports. We are supposed to be shooting for the least restrictive environment right?

Finally I wanted to touch on the work we did on our wiki last week when class was cancelled. I really thought that was time well spent and I would love to have some more time like that during class at least once or twice. I do realize that we will need to meet outside of class but I think meeting like that again when Dr. Baker is around could be very beneficial as we get things off the ground here in the beginning stages. Any thoughts? As I have been researching mission statements and process goals of other CSCP I am finding the likenesses and differences very interesting.

Blog #5 The ASCA National Model

In reading the case study it really reiterates to me that a school counselor will need to do a lot of educating of others and their role as a counselor. I feel as though more people (parents, students, and school district employees), then not do not understand the full role of a counselor and all of their responsibilities. I have heard and read about this multiple times and it is reiterating to myself when I start as a counselor one of my roles will be to slowly as well as continually keep educating others what I am there and will do for the students, faculty, and parents. It is upsetting that so many people still have the view that counselors are not needed and that they are only “extra baggage” in a school that do not contribute to the students’ success. A challenge that I am going to face and want to do it in a firm and loving manner is to promote the role and expectations of what my job is in the building as well as for the district. The four main themes of the Model are important to know and understand as well as to be able to explain to others. I feel as though the explanation part is essential to find the perfect way to let others know without sounding as though you are being demeaning. The themes highlight the purpose and nature of the work that a counselor needs to do. I like how the 5 steps are laid out as a template and are very specific that can be followed. Leadership goes hand in hand with advocacy and is a form of how you can be a leader by educating with passion. Any effective team must always work collaboratively no matter what field you are in. If you can’t work well alongside of your colleagues then there is a great need to adjust to work more efficiently with each other for the benefit of others that you are affecting. As a counselor I really hope to constantly analyze the effects of what I am doing so that the students, teachers, and parents are benefiting from what I am doing. If I become inactive in what I am analyzing and doing than other students may not be benefiting as much as they could be by my efforts as a counselor. I feel as though I do a nice job of analyzing the data of how well my students are doing now with improving with their reading and writing scores that I hope that I continue to do that as a counselor. Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: K-12 Delivery Systems in Action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 3: Personal Issues

After reading the chapter on six qualities of comprehensive school counseling programs, there was an important concept that I felt that all school counselors should be aware of.  Our role is to help guide the students through academics; however, if a student is experiencing outside issues than they need to be addressed first.  I was impressed with Mr. Paulson and his initiative to help out Ty.  Even though his supervisor did not seem to be interested in this case, Mr. Paulson took it upon himself to see what he could do to assist Ty.  I understand that all the cases that may be brought to us may not be an issue that we can deal with on our own.  We may need to recommend family counseling but at the very least, something should be recommended and there could still be a time for Ty to meet with the counselor.  As an educator now, I notice the impact of what happens outside the classroom has an effect on their performance within the classroom.  It is a shame that some students are up all night with their siblings, have not eaten, or may have been abused, but unfortunately it is a reality.    Counselors have the responsibility of so many students and it is vital that we balance our primary activities, which according to Dollarhide and Saginak (2012), is to counsel, educate, consult and collaborate, leadership, coordination and advocacy.  We need to be there for the students and help in every way that we can to insure their academic success. 

Another area of the chapter that stood out to be was career development.  I do not believe that there is anything wrong with discussions relating to the career development.  At Hamilton, the counselor has a lesson for grades K-5 regarding careers.  At the age of five you may not know what you want to be when you grow up but that does not mean that you can’t be introduced to various careers.  The decision process is what happens later in life and it may not even happen until you are in college exploring the different opportunities.  I feel as though at any age it is acceptable to have a discussion on careers because it could only help.  It allows you to become familiar of what is out there and as you continue through your education you learn more about a specific career that may spike your interest.  We want to empower our students in every way that we can and encourage them to be successful in this world.  In conclusion, it is important to remember the effects of outside issues that your students may bring with them to school and that it is never too early to educate the students on careers. 

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2^nd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

After reading the chapter on six qualities of comprehensive school counseling programs, there was an important concept that I felt that all school counselors should be aware of.  Our role is to help guide the students through academics; however, if a student is experiencing outside issues than they need to be addressed first.  I was impressed with Mr. Paulson and his initiative to help out Ty.  Even though his supervisor did not seem to be interested in this case, Mr. Paulson took it upon himself to see what he could do to assist Ty.  I understand that all the cases that may be brought to us may not be an issue that we can deal with on our own.  We may need to recommend family counseling but at the very least, something should be recommended and there could still be a time for Ty to meet with the counselor.  As an educator now, I notice the impact of what happens outside the classroom has an effect on their performance within the classroom.  It is a shame that some students are up all night with their siblings, have not eaten, or may have been abused, but unfortunately it is a reality.    Counselors have the responsibility of so many students and it is vital that we balance our primary activities, which according to Dollarhide and Saginak (2012), is to counsel, educate, consult and collaborate, leadership, coordination and advocacy.  We need to be there for the students and help in every way that we can to insure their academic success. 

Another area of the chapter that stood out to be was career development.  I do not believe that there is anything wrong with discussions relating to the career development.  At Hamilton, the counselor has a lesson for grades K-5 regarding careers.  At the age of five you may not know what you want to be when you grow up but that does not mean that you can’t be introduced to various careers.  The decision process is what happens later in life and it may not even happen until you are in college exploring the different opportunities.  I feel as though at any age it is acceptable to have a discussion on careers because it could only help.  It allows you to become familiar of what is out there and as you continue through your education you learn more about a specific career that may spike your interest.  We want to empower our students in every way that we can and encourage them to be successful in this world.  In conclusion, it is important to remember the effects of outside issues that your students may bring with them to school and that it is never too early to educate the students on careers. 

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2^nd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Academic, Career, and Personal/Social

I appreciated the way that Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) started Chapter 4 by looking at the three areas of ASCA and having us reflect on our experience within that area.  As a counselor, I believe the academic portion may be what I struggle with implementing.  Currently I work for the MU Scholars Program at Millersville and I am acting as the student's outreach counselor.  The program is split up into three different components; Academic, Interpersonal, and Residential.  However the main focus is on the academic side because we want the students to be successful in their classes.  I find it very difficult to talk with the students about their academics and would hope that I may find better resources to work with the students.  One section of the book that I could relate to though was the part about the Multiple Intelligences.  I truly believe that all students learn differently and have formed different intelligences in their lives.  "This perspective on intelligence is particularly useful for understanding why a student learns, how a student learns, as well as how a student manifests that learning has taken place" (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 52, 2012).  To me it seems as if this should be an important part of academics and developing a student's learning style.  Perhaps it would even be useful for the students I am working with now.  I find it interesting though that I wasn't introduced to these different intelligences until I was in high school even though I had developed my own way of learning years and years before.

When reflecting on the career component, I thought back to Career Development last fall and how that one class was entirely focused on one aspect of ASCA.  During that class, I had a lot of opportunities to reflect on my personal career journey and how counselors/school had impacted that.  I believe that the personal experiences I had in the past will help me to put a more positive focus on career/interest building within the school.  I think the most important thing I have learned about everyone's career journey is that it is always changing and growing.  When I was younger, I felt that there would be an endpoint where I would have my chosen career and be satisfied.  It is clear to me now that even if you settle within a career you are still developing within that field.  It is very important that students are allowed the opportunity to develop their interests and learn about possible options for themselves.

As the book mentions, the personal/social area of ASCA is the part i feel most comfortable with implementing.  This is what counseling is all about and what I enjoy doing.  Growing up, I remember so many different instances where I struggled with who I was, who I wanted to be and where I was going.  Having a positive school counselor can benefit a child in so many ways.  School is really the place where children learn about themselves, how to make friends and interact with others,  and what they value.  "Together, hope, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem can help most students who are confronting barriers to learning"  (Dollarhide & Saginak, p.56, 2012).  The more I am learning about the ASCA model, the easier it is for me to understand how the three different areas connect and can build on one another.  Strengthening a student's personal and social skills can benefit them within the classroom and ultimately help them later in life.

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog #3 Chapter 4 New Direction

Blog #3 Chapter 4 New Direction

Between the case study and the breakdown of parts of the CSCP’s this was a great chapter to read. The connection between the two definitely shows the breakdown that happens when no program is being implemented. Without a systematic program many students are missed and opportunities to be proactive missed as well. When reading about the Comprehensive school Counseling Programs and the ASCA National Model, it sounds a lot like planning a unit and lessons within that unit during teaching. Some of what is planned spans over the year and then other items are created for months or weeks or days. Without an overall plan it is difficult to make the day to day planning purposeful.  

When looking over case studies it is relatively easy to see where the break down in the program was. With the counselors in Ty’s school, being informed about the abilities of students in comparison with their academic achievement would make them much more effective counselors. As I have said before I think that for some teachers, counselors knowing the academic performance of a student that they want to meet with and connecting counseling to improving that performance will make some teachers more willing. It is so sad to me to hear how unwilling some teachers are to work with counselors to see students but I know it is a harsh reality.

I was also very interested in the case study in this chapter because of its community piece. This is an area that I feel gives me more anxiety when working with students. It is frustrating even now as a teacher to see what students go home to, what they deal with on the streets, and how it affects their attitudes and development in school. I do know that understanding the community in which the students live can be very helpful, however when up against what the community is telling and showing a student and what we are showing and telling them, it is a very uncomfortable yet imperative part of our job to investigate and somehow balance.

                As I read more and learn more about CSCP’s and the ASCA National Model the more I find it very “doable.” I do think there is always going to be a learning curve when implementing something like this. Some individuals will implement some parts rather quickly while others may take longer to develop in some areas and may need more training or support to implement them. Administration, job expectations and staff support would also be a definite factor in implementation of the National Model and to what degree.

Blog #3 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 was a good introduction to what a comprehensive school counseling program should look like and also what we will be coming up with in our groups this semester.  The chapter gives a good overview of the main components.  I like that this chapter is essentially broken down into six different parts of a comprehensive school counseling program: holistic, systemic, balanced, proactive, infused into the academic curriculum, and reflective (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). I also like at the beginning of the chapter that it is explained in brief what these words mean and then as the chapter continues they are each broken down even more.

I acknowledge that all of the six parts are important but for me the reflective piece of it is especially important because this is how we become better counselors.  If we don't take the time to reflect on what we are doing or have done in the past then we will continue doing the same things over and over without realizing if they are actually working or not.  Throughout this program I have learned the value of reflecting in just my own life so I think it will be easy for me to implement it into being a school counselor as well.

As Lisa said in her blog, I also really appreciated the case study of Ty that was presented at the beginning of the chapter and revisited throughout the chapter.  It really helps to see these cases presented and then as the chapter is presented be able to understand it better and have a better understanding of what is needed from us as a school counselor.  As I was reading through the case study I would have wanted to try to help Ty as much as Mr. Paulson did and I hope that I have as much tenacity as Mr. Paulson did in helping him. Even though Mr. Paulson was at first rejected by his superiors he did not give up in trying to help Ty and doing what was best for him to help his situation.  I hope that I can have that same dedication when I become a school counselor and will stand up for my students to make sure they get all of the help that they need.

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

Chapter 4

It is interesting to read the case studies in this book. I would love to get some insightful answers on a Solution Focused way to help Ty out with his problems and where to head as a counselor. I am concerned that a number of counselors that I have run into tend to be like Bob from the case study. I am hoping that is not where the majority of school counselors end up just because the school is broken and they are forced to go down a road they don’t want to be at. It concerns me that so many counselors have gone to school and learned ways to provide assistance academically, socially, and with career development and it seems as though I do not see many of those practices being put into place. Hopefully I will see more of those schools as I work in more districts throughout this program. Do you feel as though they have not been trained properly or do you feel as though the broken schools are forcing them to go down the avenue they are in? In conducting my interviews of current school counselors I am surprised to hear their answers. I would have thought I would have heard more responses that were student centered and focused on ways to help them succeed with their problem. Instead I feel as though I have met more practicing counselors that are like Bob in the case study from the book. It concerns me because I am afraid that the broken school system may mold me into a practicing school counselor that is not in it for the proper reason of helping guide and facilitate the student to foster growth. As a teacher I constantly reflect back to Howard Gardner and the eight multiple intelligences for ways that a student can learn. Reading this chapter made me realize that I need to keep those styles in the back of my head constantly in order to help students in their journey through life. Students will all deal with problems differently and will need assistance in different ways to help get through a difficult situation that they may be in. While running small groups I need to make sure to vary our sessions to spark interest and growth in the given area. In keeping this in my mind it should help me to know the student’s emotions and help to motivate them in wanting to make changes in their life. Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive School Counseling Programs: K-12 Delivery Systems in Action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog #3: Chapter 4: Six Qualities of CSCPs

Reflecting back on my thoughts before reading this chapter and especially before this class began I had much trepidation of putting together a 'comprehensive' school counseling program (CSCP). I had decided not to make myself anxious and instead decided to believe that like all the other classes I will eventually understand. This chapter has given me the visual that I needed since I am a visual-kinesthetic learner. This chapter describing the six qualities; holistic, systemic, balanced, proactive, infused in the academic agenda, and reflective; interwoven in the case study of Ty illustrated a CSCP in action as well as the problems we may face as the counselor. It is overwhelming to think about changing a defunct counseling program and replacing it with a CSCP especially as a new counselor, but I was encouraged by Dollarhide and Saginak's (2012) personal reflection suggesting to acclimate yourself into the school for a year or two before trying to implement a CSCP (p. 64).
What I struggle with is the understanding of what counselors like Mr. Paulson do while working within a dysfunctional program that is not meeting the needs of the students. What does navigating the system look like that enables you to keep your job while still advocating for the students. I know that I will have a support network of other counselors; it just would be nice not to have to fight a system from the get go.
Something has been nagging me for the past year as I have studied stress and its effects on students and relationships. How do you teach students resilience? Do you abandon that teaching when you have an at risk student that is currently at high risk or worse in need of interventions? In the case study of Ty, he is exhibiting quite a bit of resiliency. How can we reinforce his resiliency before he does make decisions that he will later regret? Is it educating him on choices? Of course, as I began reading his case study, all I could think of was what community resources were available to help him and his family.
I have one final thought. Why are we not holding parents to standards for their children's education? When the student is in the school only a quarter of the day we must acknowledge that home must be an integral part of their education. Since the government does not hold the parents accountable for their children's education, then it must be our job to reach out and support the families of our students. That is incredibly daunting and overwhelming. There are only so many hours in the workweek, so how do you fit everything in?

(Instead of choosing to get anxious about this class, I think I have started choosing to get anxious about my first job that I have not yet acquired. I guess I should slow down.)

Dollarhide, C. T. & Saginak, K. A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 2: School Institutions

     As I started reading the chapter on social institutions, the case study hit home.  Bullying is an issue that is prevalent in the elementary schools as well as secondary.  As educators, whether it is teachers, counselors, or administrators we need to be aware of what is going on in the students’ lives.  I was appalled after reading that even teachers were bullying a student and the administrator then supported them by stating that, “it is true that not every teacher will like every student, but that’s life “(Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 19, 2012).   At Hamilton we take bullying very serious and it is something that is not accepted.  We just started a prevention program called Olweus where we meet with the students twice a week and teach them about this topic.  Even today, one of my students made fun of another student and thought it was okay because he was going to say he was sorry.  The students have learned that bullying is a repetition of events.  On Thursday, I hope to make an impact by modeling something that shows them that even though they may be sorry, the words or actions were still done, and that cannot be taken back.       

     Another area of this chapter that I felt was important was when Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) spoke about effective schools.  This section brought up that one of the counselor’s roles involves helping everyone understand youth development.  With this being said, we all need to work together and keep in mind that everyone learns in a variety of ways.  A quote to keep in mind, “If it takes a village to raise a child, then we are all accountable for the education our young people receive in our schools” (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 20, 2012).   In addition, effective school emerges from two principles which are caring environment and an emphasis on holistic development.  These principles do not happen overnight but yet is the dedication and hard work of all professionals, families, and community members.  As a future counselor, it is important to know that our job is to advocate for respectful and caring environments and that we too, take part in the holistic development. 

     Lastly, another point that was brought up in this chapter that stood out to me was the comment about everyone not learning in the same way.  As I stated before, everyone learns in their own way and we need to stop allowing kids to fall through the cracks.  No child or adolescent should get to the point where they feel that they are stupid, worthless, or that they do not belong.  As educators and future counselors it is our duty to meet the needs of the students so that they are successful in this society.  In conclusion, schools consist of many different people with a variety of job descriptions; however, we are all educators and have an impact on the children’s lives that we come across. 

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2^nd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Effective Schools

As I was reading Chapter 2, one of the major themes that jumped out at me was the idea that in order to make schools effective all stakeholders need to be working together and working towards similar goals.  Part of my responsibility as a future school counselor is that I am able to understand the workings of a school environment and advocate for the students' needs and rights.  In doing this, I must be communicating with all of those stakeholders and forming some positive connections.  When thinking to my past, many of the negative interactions or memories from school come from a lack of communication/support amongst the school board, community, administrators, and teachers.  What is most important in making these positive connections in my eyes is individual responsibility.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) talk about how everyone in the school system is putting blame on someone else within the system.  The more we put blame onto someone else the less that gets accomplished.  It may be the easy way out but no one is standing up and taking the risk to change what isn't working.  "If it takes a village to raise a child, then we are all accountable for the education our young people receive in our schools" (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 20, 2012).  This quote stuck with me because I truly feel that we are all accountable for the success in our school systems.  If as a counselor I see something that isn't functioning correctly then I should take the initiative to try and fix it.  Counselors fall in between everyone else that is involved and sometimes it may fall on us to be that positive form of communication and understanding among all that are involved.

Another key point that the chapter makes is that the two most important things to promote effective schools are a caring environment and emphasis on holistic development.  It seems to me that both of these points come about from all involved working together and everyone taking individual responsibility to do what is best for the students.  More and more I am seeing the importance of the school counselor's role and how so much responsibility can be put onto them.  While everyone should be responsible and taking that initiative, the school counselor is the most involved with the most amount of students.  I could see how many people may feel the school counselor should be doing something about it.  In the introductory case study to the chapter, the principal tells the counselor that the school cannot be changed but that she must change the student.  With this negative view that so many have about school systems, it seems extremely difficult to accomplish much of anything.  I believe that school counselors can be the start to some of these conversations within the school and can create positive change.  Going out into the world with the ideas and concepts from a class like this can be beneficial to our future school systems.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) also mentioned the importance of respect and with this respect you can do a lot.  As a school counselor if I can form healthy relationships based on respect in my school setting then I will have a greater chance in having an effective school or facilitating positive change to move towards that goal.

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

blog #2 social institutions

                At times when I am reading our text I feel like I’m on a bit of a rollercoaster. Much of the content is familiar to me and many of the issues I see daily in my job. While reading I sometimes feel empowered to make a differences because the text is very insightful about what successful school counselors do and what can be done in schools, and the next I feel a wave of  frustration because I see the break down happen when not everyone in a school is completely onboard.  As I work to be an effective teacher and run an effective classroom I have found that a reasonable about of delegation of responsibility is needed. In connection to the text, school counselors who try to do it all on their own may find themselves actually accomplishing very little. This of course is when the need for a supportive administration team really comes in handy.

                School counselors need to, above all, know their school. The more informed a counselor is about the climate, demographics, and achievement of their school, the better they can address its needs. In the text Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) state “school counselors must be able to weave literature-based practices with qualitative and quantitative data in order to fully understand the impact of their programs” (pg.28).  This is only possible if the school counselor knows where their school is socially, academically, and emotionally as a whole. This way, the counselor can find programs that are linear in design with the weaknesses that a school has, and then comes the job of getting staff on board.  School counselors need to be able to speak freely and intelligibly about all of these things to both administration and staff regularly. The text asks several times if we think that we can change schools, if we can do the above mentioned task (which is a HUGE task when done well), we can make informed decisions about what needs to be done to move our students, which will then make huge changes and growth in our schools.

                Although this idea of gathering data, getting to know the students, finding programs, and closing the gap is a huge task as I mentioned above, I also believe that it gets easier. Just like when I started teaching eight years ago, I believe the harder you work in the beginning the more manageable the work is as the time passes. I wouldn’t say that the job is easier, it’s still very difficult, but it makes more sense, it takes a little less effort in the planning stages because the pieces come together with less difficulty. The hard work is placed somewhere new, instead of being in the before stages and the planning stages, it is in the doing stage when working with kids, where the real changes are happening.

Blog #2 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 had many points in it that I found to be interesting and thought provoking. As I was reading through the case study at the beginning about the student being bullied and the school not really backing up the school counselor it made me nervous about if that situation would happen to me. We are supposed to advocate for our students and it seems like that school counselor did everything and more that she was mandated to do and it is a shame that there was no support from the school. I hope that when I get a school counselor job, the school that I am placed in will back me up if I need it.

Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) say that, "it is easy to blame others. Parents and caregivers blame teachers, teachers blame parents and schools, schools blame the school board, the school board blames the community and parents, and everyone blames society, movies, music, and the media" (p. 20). I found this quote to be extremely true in that sometimes it seems in school systems that everybody always places the blame on other people and nobody is willing to step up and take the heat if something is not done right. As a substitute teacher I have the advantage of being in the school and seeing the inner workings of the schools but yet still being on the outside and in the community and a sister of a teacher in a school. I see and hear a lot of things about schools and how decisions are made and it really makes me question if the schools are effective and who is truly running the schools.

Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) also state that, "As professionals, school counselors must be able to maintain the belief that young people will rise to our high expectations" (p. 25). As soon as I read this in the chapter it really struck me because I believe it is so important to have high expectations for kids to work towards. It is exactly my philosophy in coaching as well. As a coach, I always set my expectations high for the girls because I know that they will rise to meet the challenges that I set for them. At the same time, I am always aware to not set these expectations too high because failure to reach these expectations could have a detrimental impact on a kid. It is important to know what is going to work for each individual student and be able to adjust our expectations accordingly.

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

Blog # 2 Chapter 2

In class we discussed how important it is to educate others on what our real role as a school counselor is. I never realized how many people do not fully understand the school counselors true job roles. It is an extremely integral part to educate others at the beginning of a new year when starting your new job. I have really thought about this several times this week while at work when multiple teachers wanted our school counselor to do more than her job or to reveal confidential information a student had shared with her. I believe in part it is because teachers view them as another teacher not as a separate entity and resource that works with the students from another angle. School counselors, teachers and all other school personnel need to work hand in hand and fully understand each person’s role to help the children succeed. This is stated perfectly by Dollarhide “If it takes a village to raise a child, then we are all accountable for the education our young people receive in our schools.” (p. 21) Educating an individual is not easy and it takes many people to work collaboratively together. One person can ruin the self esteem or education of an individual and destroy what many teachers have worked together to help create. Over the last ten years of teaching I have seen some individuals that are breaking down children instead of helping build them up by their words and actions. It is heartbreaking and depressing but true. Adults in schools need to listen to the cries for help of all of the children. No matter how small we may think something is it may be monumental to someone else, and no one comment should be ignored or taken lightly. A school counselor should follow up with all concerning comments that are made. If there is one piece of a person’s puzzle missing then they will never become fully complete emotionally or educationally. School counselors need to continually be advocates for children who may not have help from adults at home or are being singled out by teachers or any other one person that they interact with in their life. This is important for the holistic development of students. As a counselor it is important to reflect on your dealings with children and make sure that what you are doing is working effectively. If it is not working then one would need to analyze why it is failing and see what can be changed to benefit the students. As a school counselor, I hope that I do not fall into a rut of working on a daily basis and forget to go back and analyze my effectiveness of what I do on a regular basis with children. Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog #2: Chapter 2: Schools: Social Institutions

The first story regarding Cody grabbed my interest for a couple of reasons. First, because of my own life experiences, I have a strong desire to see justice for every one. Secondly, there have been a couple of situations with my kids that I had to take further up the chain of command because the answers I was getting from teachers and/or principals were not satisfactory. In fact, in one instance, we had to bring the district superintendent into the matter. Turns out that the teacher in question had further buried herself through the discussion and it was perhaps one of the final issues the administration was willing to handle; therefore, a couple months later we noticed that she had been forced to resign. I gather we were simply the straw that broke the camel's back. It is situations like this that I see the necessity to gather evidence of the problem, be respectful, go through the chain of command, and do not quit until there is a satisfactory answer for the student. The struggle that I foresee is that I will not have just four children to advocate for, but hundreds. I hope that if or when a situation like Cody's arises that I will not passively sit by, but rather gather the necessary data for the principal to review in order to make a better-educated decision on Cody's behalf.

Dollarhide and Saginak's (2012) chapter two further opened my eyes to how multi-faceted the role of the school counselor is and how much the school counselor seems to be a central figure in coordinating the various elements of education for the students, community, administration, and staff. The multitude of partnerships that are necessary to effectively advocate for the students seems a little overwhelming. Overwhelming because there are times when particular "partners" (i.e. teachers, parents, students) will be on opposite sides of a disagreement; one in which the school counselor will need to mediate. Being in a position of not taking sides is easier said than done.

It was disappointing as well as encouraging reading Whiston and Sexton (1998) as well as McGannon, Carey, and Dimmitt (2005) on current research of school counseling. Disappointing because there doesn't seem to be enough data to provide enough evidence for the effectiveness of interventions used by school counselors and encouraging because there seems to be an awareness growing for the need of more research. As McGannon et al. pointed out there are several organizations that have been created to focus solely on outcome research for school counseling. Despite the acclimation process to a new position once graduating from this program, I hope that I will be able to work with other counselors in conducting research. One curiosity that arose from reading the articles is where to find the interventions discussed in the research. And is there training involved for some of them (i.e. the STEP intervention)?

Dollarhide, C. T. & Saginak, K. A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

McGannon, W., Carey, J., and Dimmit, C. (2005). The current status of school counseling outcome research. Amherst, MA: Center for School Counseling Outcome Research.

Whiston, S. C. & Sexton, T. L. (1998). A review of school counseling outcome research: Implications for practice. Journal of Counseling & Development,76, 412-426.

blog #1 philosophy and competency

            The reading seemed extremely familiar, since much of it mirrored what we had discussed in class last week. The “definitions” of the philosophy of counseling, education, and school counseling were very interesting. Although not very clear cut, they did help me to start to see how I can mold my teaching philosophy (which I have done a lot of work with) into a school counseling philosophy. As I read I reflected a lot back on our conversations during class, as I said they were very similar to say the least. The portion of the chapter on whether former teachers make better counselors sounded very much like our conversation, at times I feel like this can be a touchy conversation but the reality is that both have their struggles. It seems to me those who feel former teachers have an upper hand are current teachers who have not studied in the field of teaching who do not know much about our program. We have discussed many of the personal qualities of school counselors in other classes; however I really liked how this text reviews the competencies in an applicable way. I was able to see where my own strengths and weaknesses may lay and how a former teacher or non-teacher may have advantages in different areas.

            While reading the philosophies of school counseling I had several ah ha moments as the authors discussed the history of the development of school counseling and how we have gotten where we are today. This transition really helps me see the many jobs of the school counselor and how each has evolved. I also found myself stopping often during this section of reading, jotting notes, and thinking about how this is feasible to intertwine in today’s schools setting and schedule. I am really interested in continuing to develop a Comprehensive School Counseling Program that aligns with my philosophy of school counseling and the competencies that the job calls for. As I read it became clear to me that one of my goals this semester will be to learn the ASCA National Model and the National Standards. Referencing both of these documents often while researching and reading will definitely help me become for familiar with them and therefore my role as a school counselor. As I reflected about this while reading I became more and more interested in conducting my interviews to see where school counselors in the schools today are in this journey. The last paragraph of the chapter Dollarhide and Saginak really sum up what our job is this semester, the most important words being counselors can use these documents to prioritize, design, implement, and evaluate (2012).

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog #1: Chapter 1: The Profession of School Counseling

I thoroughly enjoyed last week's class. It gave good insight into how the whole school counseling program would be tied together. In particular, the conversation regarding the differences between teachers and non-teachers entering the field of school counseling intrigued me. In further reading of the text, it became more apparent that each has their own strengths and challenges within the field. If time allows, it would be beneficial for me to do some substituting to become exposed to the inter-workings of the school system. Regardless of your background, it is evident that the primary goal of the school counselor is to be the advocate for each student (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012).

While reflecting on my own academic background, I realized that either I was not aware of a new position or more likely, there was not an elementary school counselor at my school. Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) explained that school counselors were not readily employed in the elementary schools until sometime in the 1980's. This would explain the absence in my elementary school. During those years, character education, social awareness education, and interpersonal issues were addressed either by the teacher or by the nurse. Middle school was quite similar. In fact, I do not recall ever sitting with the school counselor let alone addressed within a group by the school counselor. Despite graduating in the top 5% of my class, I can recall only one meeting with my high school counselor.

I bought ASCA's book on the framework for school counseling programs last spring and found it especially helpful, especially as I prepared for the small group project in Group Process. It will be interesting to explore further the competencies and guidelines in our efforts to produce our own program. As I continue to observe, shadow, and interview school counselors, it will be also be interesting to compare their current programs with that of ASCA's model. In an effort to secure employment at the end of my program, my greatest fear is to need to take a position within a district that does not value their school counselors and their advocacy for students. Either way, I have found through life that circumstances are rarely ideal and it is what you do with what you have that determines your growth and success. I may not enter the ideal school district, but it will still be my duty to advocate for as many students I can within the parameters I am given. The four personal qualities described by Dollarhide and Saginak for school counselors were of particular interest to me. Creativity and imagination, flexibility, courage and belief, as well as passion are important in a school counselor whether in a district that gives their counselors the ability to utilize their skills, but even more so within a school that undervalues their counselors.

Dollarhide, C. T. & Saginak, K. A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Professional Skills and Personal Qualities

After reading Chapter 1 (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012), I had the opportunity to reflect on the professional skills and personal qualities a school counselor needs to successfully perform their job.  I found this portion of the chapter to be the most important because the skills and qualities we possess/work towards help us to mold the type of counselor we will be for our students.  I took the opportunity to think about which professional skills I already possess and those that I need to work towards in order to be a better school counselor.

 

It was clear to me that I have a basic understanding of many of the skills but would not feel qualified to apply those skills in a school setting.  One of the skills I would really like to work on is understanding the benefits of technology and how I can use in the classroom.  Another area that I had not thought of previously is alternative funding.  Because of the lack of funding in the education field, it is important to use all of my resources and search for other possibilities to benefit my students.  A third area that I believe is extremely important is understanding the school environment and culture.  "Nonteachers had to learn about the school environment and culture, about the various stressors placed on all educators, and how to negotiate with teachers" (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 4, 2012).  As a nonteacher it is an area that I need to think about because I will be entering the school without previous knowledge as to how it works.  The book mentions some different ways to gain more experience as well as discussing similar adjustment issues for teachers.  This made me feel more confident in my lack of experience and also gave me direction to my studies.  Along with reflecting on the professional skills I need to attain, Chapter 1 helped me to look at the personal qualities I have that directed me to this field.

 

The two qualities that stuck out to me the most were flexibility and passion.  Something that I have gotten much better at and continuely work to improve is being flexible in my everyday life.  I feel this is so important to do well in our endeavors.  When you are a school counselor, you need to be able to switch situations, roles and trains of thought almost instantly.  The more flexible you are the easier it will be.  When a school counselor walks into their office for the day, they don't know what that day will entail.  I find this part of the job to be very interesting but it requires that flexibility.  As for passion, I feel this is the quality that drew me into the school counseling field.  The chapter describes this as "profound commitment ... to their students and to education" (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 6, 2012).  In my mind this is the more important aspect of being a school counselor and what can help to break the negative stereotypes surrounding the field.  My passion will give me the strength and skills to work through any situation.  Continued reflection on these skills and qualities will help me to grow and become the best school counselor that I can be.

 

 

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 1: Chapter 1

When reflecting on the case study that was presented in the beginning of the chapter, I feel as though the belief that Robbi has on school counselors is a thought that still comes to peoples mind when they hear the word school counselors.  It is a shame that the vision many people have on counselors is that they have our feet up on the desk and complete only minimal work possible.  When Bobbi stated, "I am tired of worrying about kids and their lives-- I want to be able to relax in my last years before retirement," she has under minded what the role of school counselors truly is.  As a school counselor our role is to support students  through various challenges they may face and aid them in their growth academically, vocationally, and personally.  However, I believe that as time goes on people will realize the difference that school counselors make and will have a more positive viewpoint on what is done. 

I found it interesting when Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) compared school counselors that have teaching experience compared to those that do not.  Even though I have teaching experience, school counseling is a whole new journey.  We will all face challenges as we embark on a new career in our life.  As we continue our journey I feel as though the qualities of school counselors which were creativity and imagination, flexibility, courage and belief, and passion are vital to keep in mind.  When reviewing these qualities, I thought of my experience with teaching.  As an educator my philosophy is that everyone learns in various ways and it is important to meet each individuals need.  This relates to working with a client where you have to address the concern or challenge that they are facing.  In doing so you may have to change your methods to better suit your client.  In our many techniques we need to be creative to meet the particular need and exhibit passion to show our commitment to our clients.     

In conclusion, we as future counselors need to keep in mind the vital role that we play in individuals lives and remember that we do make a difference.  The example that was presented where a young girl threw the stranded starfish back into the see because even though she could not save them all she did what she could to save one at a time was a great illustration of this belief .  We need to remember that we are not miracle workers but we have the ability to make a difference in peoples lives whether we realize it or not. 

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012).  Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Education, Inc.

Blog 1: Week 1 & Chapter 1

After the first week of class and reading through chapter 1 in our textbook I got nervous and excited for this class all at the same time.  I am excited to finally start to tie all of these courses that I have taken in the last year and a half together, but also that makes me nervous trying to remember the things that I have learned and realizing that there are so many more things that I need to learn.  I think that this class will really make the whole program come together for me and help me to fully understand what a professional school counselor does on a daily basis.  Last week in class I had said that I was really looking to just tie everything together and understand a little more about the framework for school counseling and the guidelines set forth from ASCA.  I feel like in previous classes we have mentioned ASCA but I really didn’t know anything about what the competencies were or what the philosophy of the association is as a whole so I am excited to really learn more about it.  We also had an interesting discussion about what we can do as future school counselors to change the way that school counselors are viewed.  It is difficult to hear people say that school counselors just sit in their offices and change class schedules all day and I hope that when I am a school counselor I can make a small difference in changing that perception.  I also have to keep reminding myself that I cannot do everything and need to have small goals and have realistic expectations about how much I can do.

In regards to the reading for this week, I found the chapter to be easy to read and a good introduction for the rest of the book.  I also really appreciate the “Reflection Moments” that are spread throughout the chapter.  I think this is a really useful thing for us to do as we are reading to think about what we have experienced before and how that can apply to what we are learning now.

I also have to say that it was nice to walk into a classroom and know the other seven people in the room; it definitely takes away the nervousness of starting a new class in a new semester! I am excited to go through this semester and learn from everybody else because I think that we have varying backgrounds and can teach each other a lot throughout the course of the semester.

Chapter 1

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the role section that ASCA described about school counselors. The areas include academic, personal/social, and career needs. These needs for people can be addressed in multiple ways but all of them should be addressed and not just one of them. I have seen multiple counselors that address one of the three main areas, which leaves a void in people who have other needs that are being ignored. I have been teaching for ten years and I am amazed at the different counselors that I have worked with, only a few are astounding. The majority of the counselors are not meeting all needs of an individual. Is it because they haev been beaten down by administration or are tired of fighting against teachers? I have seen several counselors focus on one specific area which then leaves the other two lagging. A counselor should be the one seeking out individuals who have needs in any of these critical areas and helping them to grow in all facets of their life. In numerous cases an individual could also be the one going to get individual help on a specific issue. The counselor needs to be open and willing to work through with the student and not just avoid them. In multiple cases I have seen counselors avoid or show great favoritism towards individuals that they work with. I am very concerned at how many needs of individual students are being overlooked. I am hoping that I have seen enough of these ridiculous cases that I do not fall into a trap that others are in and using poor counseling skills. This entire chapter was interesting because it laid out the framework and so many necessary components that counselors need and should do on a regular basis. The competencies were another section that still stood out to me when I was finished reading that I thought are critical to remember and to keep with me throughout my work/daily life as a teacher. Counseling should use prevention and intervention techniques for students at all levels. Being an advocate for students and teaching them to be one for themselves is important because it is easy for some children to be overlooked by staff when numbers are high. Using diverse strategies/perspectives is imperative because not all strategies will work for all students. You will sometimes need to pull out multiple activities for some to understand and to see the light in the tunnel that they want to be heading toward. As a counselor I need to remember that they must come to the realization on their OWN or they will not take ownership and feel as much success in it. This is one of the first textbooks that I have actually enjoyed reading. Most textbooks tend to be written at a high intellectual level and are very wordy, which are not pleasurable for me to read. This book has information that is useful, interesting, and written in terms that are easy to read and comprehend.