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.