Blog 8 - Chapter 10 and article

First, I hope that everybody stayed safe during the storm and didn't lose power (or lose power for too long) and didn't have too much damage in your area!

I really enjoyed the reading for the week about collaboration and consultation because I feel that this area is one of my strengths and will be one of my strengths as a counselor.  I have been a member of some sort of a team for as long as I can remember and I really value the way that a team operates and depends on one another.  I think it is really important as school counselors to have a team that can come together and make decisions about what is best for the students.  I like the definition of collaboration in the book that says “the building of interdependent systems to achieve a common goal that cannot be achieved by each entity working alone” (Dollarhide and Saginak, 2012, p. 164).  This definition tells us that it is essential to work together to achieve a certain goal.  I know there are going to be some things as a counselor that I cannot do alone and should not be doing alone and I hope that my colleagues will embrace the idea of collaborating as much as I do.  I also appreciated the different scenarios that were presented in the book about consultation and the differences between consulting and counseling.  Consultation is going to be another important part of our job and a way to gather as much information about a student to get a more holistic view.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) do a great job of breaking down Caplan’s model of consultation and going into detail about what each different grid represents.  Prior to reading this chapter I did not realize how much detail fell under the consultation heading and with that the many different types of consultation. 

The section on expertise and resistance was helpful in giving us ways to reduce resistance particularly from parents.  We should not be surprised if we find resistance when consulting with parents because as the book says they may feel as though they are being blamed so it is important to be cognizant of the way that we approach the consultation.

The article was also good to read because I personally have found a lot of success using the solution-focused model so it is nice to know that it is an accepted theory to use in the schools.  I think it is important for students to recognize what they have done well in the past in relation to their issue and build off of that success.  The solution-focused approach is one that I will use (when appropriate) with a student as a counselor because I feel extremely comfortable using the theory and applying it with a variety of cases. 

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

Kahn, B. B. (2000). A model of solution-focused consultation for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 3(4), p. 248-254.

Blog 8 – Chapter 10 and Solution Focused Consultation article  

This chapter was very informative and addressed some of the concerns that I am having with transitioning from a teacher to a counselor. Both collaboration and consultation with students, parents, and colleagues is a focus and concern of mine. Even as a teacher I find myself making these things a priority because I see so much value in having positive working relationships, but it proves to be a real challenge. From the very start the authors discuss the importance of all parties to be able to have “courage, willingness to risk, objectivity, ego strength, flexibility, adaptability, willingness to compromise, confidence, and a spirit and attitude of optimism that exudes cooperation and perseverance” (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 164, 2012).  I cannot possibly go into the depths and details of how each of the above mentioned pieces are a challenge when working with teachers and parents, and it would sound quite negative. So, what is the solution? The text is completely right in saying that these things are of great importance and would (and do) benefit students greatly when working efficiently. What can we do to get the ball rolling and continue progress in these areas throughout the year?

First I appreciate the text laying out different models in collaboration and consultation because I think following a model or protocol is often the best way to present this kind of work or begin this type of discussion. The more it can be about a process or procedure the less personal it may seem to the teacher or other professionals. The text presents a variety and this is also important to me because the longer you are in school the more familiar you become with the roles of teachers and the dynamics of the relationships between them. Some models may lend themselves better to a school population or specific teachers. Adelman and Taylor’s model was appealing because of its very general layout and adaptability to many situations; however the specific structure of the collaborative culturally competent model lends itself to a counselor and psychologist in a particular setting finding common ground.

The scenarios and examples were very helpful in this chapter since there were so many models presented and a wide variety of concepts were discussed. When I finished my reading I felt that I would be referencing this information in the future as a resource.  

The article followed nicely to the concerns I mentioned when reading the chapter. I have to admit that this method, in the article, seemed much easier to read, understand and see myself using. This is probably because we have so much practice with solution focused counseling, with adults, in Theory I, and students in Theory II. Funny how we used solution focused counseling to help each other in Theory I and I have even found myself using similar methods with friends, but I never thought to use it in consulting with other teachers as a counselor. This article is also a good resource to come back to later.

Dollarhide, C. & Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs: K-12 delivery

systems in action (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Khan, B. (2000). A Model of solution-focused consultation for school counselors.

            Professional School Counseling, 3(4), 248-254.

Blog 8: Collaboration and Consultation

When reading the chapter on collaboration and consultation, I was able to relate to what Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) were saying regarding collaboration to my job.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) stated that it has been found that collaboration between groups has resulted in a positive effect on student achievement and success in school.  I believe it is important for a counselor to gain positive relationships with all staff and students within a school and the case study of Yer's Island" is a perfect example.  ASCA highlights the role of collaboration and states, "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" (pg. 164).  At Hamilton, as a fourth grade team, we meet on a biweekly basis with the counselor and discuss our students and learn about resources available.  At our previous meeting, our counselor brought up the SAP referral system and we discussed the difference between that and the student support plan.  I felt that it was important to understand the difference between the two and be aware of the resources that we have available to us.  On an additional positive note, the barriers that Staton and Gillgan (2003) reported which were lack of time and administrative support are areas that I feel that are adequate within Hamilton.  Even though we could always use more time, we are given the time to meet whereas before there was no time allotted.  I believe that the administration is supportive because they understand that we all need to work together as a team in order to reach the common goal of student success.    

In addition to collaboration, consultation was another aspect that was brought up in this chapter.  I found it interesting how they compared consultation to counseling and how even though they are similar they are also distinct in their differences.  The way that they are different is that, with counseling, you are looking at making direct changes in a persons individual life.  On the other hand, consultation involves three people where the problem has to do with the consultee and the third party.  The scenarios that Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) brought up helped me understand the differences in how counseling focuses on the individuals feelings whereas consultation focuses on setting an intervention to solve the problem two people are facing.  However, there are similarities between the two which the main one that Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) state is, "they are predicated on a helping, genuine, respectful relationship, and both are focused on the goal of an independent, fully functioning helpee/consultee" (pg. 171).  When reading this, it related to the article on "A Model of Solution Focused" by Kahn (2000)  The article brought up evidence that this consultation has been used successfully with individual and group counseling as well as with a full range of students.  Using the solution-focused method with students of mine, I have seen great success.  Instead of me telling them what to do, they are able to discover solutions independently.  I am there to guide them through the process of looking at exceptions and creating goals in a positive manner.  One of the quotes that stood out to me was, "Exploring the problem only tells more about the problem, not necessarily about solutions" (pg. 253).  I found this enlightening because all we do at times is focus on the problem and not how we can work towards the solution.  In conclusion, the information presented on collaboration and consultation is important to keep in mind when working with students.  As stated before, it is vital to establish positive relationships so that collaboration, consultation, and counseling will be effective and result in student achievement and growth within the school.

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.

 

Kahn, B. B. (2000). A model of solution-focused consultation for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 3(4), p. 248-254.  

Blog #8: Chapter 10: Collaboration and Consultation

Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) and Kahn (2000) eased my apprehension in conducting consultations. Strong collaboration skills are critical to effective consultation. Collaborating with others requires recognition of the strengths that each party brings to the table. This is one area I feel prepared. However, this list Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) give on the characteristics of collaboration is a little more daunting: "courage, a willingness to risk, objectivity, ego strength, flexibility, adaptability, willingness to compromise, confidence, and a spirit and attitude of optimism that exudes cooperation and perseverance" (p.164). I admit that taking risks is not my forte as well as ego strength. I am also more of a realist so a spirited optimism is challenging. Lastly, the objectivity is probably the most difficult for me. I acknowledge that I come from a long-standing perspective of being a parent and therefore often find fault in the teacher rather than my child. I recognize this as an area that I must address and remain aware during consultations with teachers. Collaborating with a multitude of professionals, including but not limited to school administrators, school psychologists, social workers, staff, etc., is something I welcome. I believe that we all bring unique perspectives of the student or students in question that will only provide a more thorough holistic view of the student.

I agree consultation needs to be more readily defined for not only school counselors but also for everyone. Consultants are generally stereotyped as having the answers that they are willing to impart to others. Consultation as defined by D. Brown, Pryzwanski, and Schulte (1998, cited in Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012) is "a voluntary problem-solving process…engaged primarily for the purpose of assisting consultees to develop attitudes and skills that will enable them to function more effectively with a client…" (p.170-171). Integrating the solution-focused model with consultation helps to keep the ownership on the consultee and not the consultant. Kahn (2000) clearly described Solution-Focused Consultation (SFC). It was beneficial to have the case study for reference and to understand what SFC looks like. The process is obviously aligned with solution-focused counseling and therefore I find that I am no longer as apprehensive with consultation as I was before reading the article. However, it was appreciated when Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) gave the scenarios distinguishing the differences between solution-focused consultation and solution-focused counseling. However, they brought to attention an area that I am concerned with; when a teacher's behavior or attitude is what needs to be changed, not the student's. This is a delicate area that I would appreciate a little guidance.

 

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

Kahn, B. B. (2000). A model of solution-focused consultation for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 3(4), p. 248-254.

Solution-Focused Consultation

Consultation is "an interaction between the counselor and another person with the primary focus of assisting that other person to function more effectively with a third person or group within a work, school, or interpersonal system" (Dollarhide & Saginak, p.170, 2012).  This chapter discussed the importance of consultation and how it is a necessary part of the school counselor's work.  Because there are so many stakeholders involved, it is essential that effective collaboration take place to make consultation work successfully.  School counselors have caseloads that are so large it would be impossible for them to work individually with all of them.  Teachers are able to better understand their individual class because they work one on one with each of their students.  This allows for a more effective way for school counselors to reach the students.  It gives them the opportunity to plan and implement strategies to help the students be more successful in their educational environment.  The time it saves gives school counselors the chance to work with even more students.  Consultation is then a very critical way of working with students.  It is part of the responsive service in the delivery system.  As I have learned from the ASCA National Model, we should be spending 80% of our time in the delivery services.  Therefore consultation is a huge part of what we should be doing.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) describe that counselors need to gain a better understanding of consulting and the practice of consultation.  It seems to me that it should be a crucial part of the school counseling education.  Currently we are no longer required to take consultation and it makes me wonder if maybe we should be asked to.  In the Classroom Management class we do have to take we learn about the basics of consultation and behavioral modification.  However, I think it would benefit us to go more in depth the actual consultation process, working with the teacher to help the student.

The article by Kahn (2000) that we had to read for this week discussed a solution-focused consultation model that has been found to be a lot more beneficial than traditional consultation.  It was interesting to compare what I have learned in Classroom Management to how the article laid out the consultation process.  Often times the problem is more of the focus than solutions and weaknesses become great importance to the student's success.  In the solution-focused model, the focus is on strengths and solutions.  Just like in counseling, the solution-focused ideas benefit the client and participants more and tend to work better in the long run.  The solutions and strategies are future-oriented and the only time they look to the past is for exceptions.  After reading Kahn (2000), I think that it would make sense to try and implement a system similar to this in order to benefit the greatest number of students and stakeholders.

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

Kahn, B. B.  (2000).  A model of solution-focused consultation for school counselors.  Professional School Counseling, 3 (4), 248-254.

Blog #8 Consultation Models

                Currently being a teacher before going into school counseling has helped me to see the broad spectrum of both occupations.   It is tough for teachers to see and understand that information that is shared with the counselors by the students is confidential.  In the past years of teaching I feel as though it has opened my eyes and that is one aspect that will need to be addressed with teachers.  Constant collaborating and consulting with administrators, teachers, and parents is crucial for a school counselor to be successful.  Collaboration is imperative in helping the students to be successful. There are a million ways to accomplish any one task.   I think it is the most beneficial to solicit advice from your peers to see how you can get the most out of an activity. 

In reading the case study I felt as though I was really a part of it.  I think that this is an issue that several people will face (including myself).  I feel as a special education teacher I have already had to deal with this similar problem, when regular education teachers are asking me to pull the students and fix them so that they succeed and get good grades.  One person is not going to be able to change an individual unless they themselves want the change.  I have had the exact same feelings that Yer is dealing with currently.  I am able to work with teachers a lot easier when I already have a close working relationship with them.  My fear comes when I do not know the person’s personality as well as what I would like to know them.  Knowing the other educator allows you to know when you should tread lightly and when you can push and be a little more forceful with getting the change that you want for the student.  One educator alone cannot help the student improve.  The key phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” is so true when it comes to educating a child.  The individual needs to grow in all areas (socially, emotionally, academically, etc.) in order to be successful in school and then in their own personal lives. 

I am curious as to how you can speed up the process of having a good rapport with other teachers or other adults in different organizations that I will need to work with when I am counselor.  When needing to collaborate and work on a specific situation, I feel as though it is always easier when you know the other person on a closer level.  One of my main goals during the first year as a counselor is to really get to know the other staff members (teachers, aides, custodians, secretarial staff, social workers, etc.) as much as possible.  Having a good relationship with the staff members will be one step close in making more head way when using one of the models of consultation.  The one that stood out the most to me was the generic process model of consultation when I am working with a client. 

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 7: Accountability

            Over the years, data and accountability has been an issue that has needed to be discussed.  However, as time went on there has became a larger focus.  According to the article by Gysbers (2004), the thought of a program needing to be complete started in 1930 and evolved over the years.  It was found and noted that a well developed program would result in better grades, attendance, fewer discipline issues, better all around school, etc.  I found it interesting reading a quote that Hudson (1935) stated, "These are days...when all school activities are subject to the sharpest scrutiny, and the administrator is called upon to justify every expenditure of time and money in the operation of the school," (pg. 21) made in 1940s.  The interesting part is that in my opinion things have not changed in that sense.  We are always being looked at and questioned in what we are doing and how it is supporting our students.  Essentially we need to support the resources that schools are using and have evidence that what we are using works.  Then in 1970, the accountability deepened even more bringing in the terms of goals, objectives, implementation plans, and design for evaluation.  Pine (1975) stated that "In this age of accountability the evaluation of school counseling is of paramount concern to all counselors regardless of their theoretical and philosophical biases" (pg. 136).  Currently, accountability continues to grow and now it is required for teachers and counselors to provide data that proves growth in the academics, personal/social, and career paths of our students.  It is not good enough just to say that a particular program works.  What we need to answer is how do you know?  What evidence is presented. 

            This then leads into the chapter on accountability which focused on data.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) open the chapter with a vignette regarding "Mt Data's Dilemma."  This vignette brought many discussion topics and the first area that stuck out to me was the fact that teachers are more familiar with data compared to counselors.  As a teacher we are held accountable throughout our day and with all that we do with our students but how do counselors collect data?  As a teacher going into the counseling profession I feel as though I have background knowledge that will aid me in this process; however, I need to look at data in a different light because it is not just academics.  Even though I need to be looking at the academic, I also need to be referring to the personal/social and career aspects.  One area that I feel as though could be looked at; at least in my school is the impact of the Olweus program.  I would be interested in comparing and contrasting the survey that went out the students last year to the same given at the end of this year.  This would hopefully show that the program that we participated in affected the student population in a positive manner and decreased the amount of bullying.  Bullying is a major issue than may not ever be completely eliminated but the hope is that with the right program the issues would decrease.  When it comes to accountability, I feel that everyone in the school needs to have some accountability with the growth of our students because we are all there to reach the main goal of student achievement and building a better all around school morale.  In conclusion, accountability will continue to grow and evolve.  As future counselors, I feel as though we need to be aware of how data can be collected across various topics.      

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.

Gysbers, N. (2004). Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: The evolution of accountability. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 1-14.

Blog #7 - Chapter 7 - Accountability, Action Research, and Data-Driven Outcomes

Pre and Post assessments keep coming to mind, as I further understand data-driven outcomes, research, and accountability for school counselors. I know that the first year or two as a new professional school counselor will be overwhelming and that I will need to acclimate myself to the new environment. However, creating pre and post assessments do not have to be that complicated and will be effective in justifying my position as well as helping to focus the program on interventions that are necessary and evidenced based for effectiveness. Knowing my strengths and preferences in learning, I would truly appreciate seeing first-hand a school counseling program that is effectively evaluating their program. I would need to be immersed in the data program and somehow to see the process in its entirety. In learning the ASCA model through our program, I also wonder if it would be beneficial for there to be an entire class devoted to each of the four main components of the national model: Foundation, Delivery, Management and Accountability.

Through the evaluation process, school counselors are disseminating data, disaggregating it to identify focus areas, and thereby interventions that will potentially "fix" problems. School counselors are continually collaborating with other stakeholders, especially the building's principal and other administrators. One valuable piece of advice I was given this past week by a school counselor was to take positive news to your principal. Often something negative is being attempted to improve through interventions and problems that are being taken to the principal. Beyond the fact that some stakeholders are unaware of what a school counselor's true role is, there is potentially a constant correlation of negativity and the school counselor. If all the school principal hears is negativity from you, then they begin to avoid you. Her advice was to take positive data and anecdotal news to t he principal.

Ultimately, school counselors are accountable to all stakeholders, but primarily the students. Avoiding or ignoring evaluation methods and actions will not serve the students or justify your position as a school counselor.  As can be seen in Gysbers (2004), evaluation has come a long way. It may seem overwhelming, but we must not fear it or see it as a threat. We must focus on the results as well as how they are to be applied to the school's improvement plan. Lastly, Gysbers (2004) points out that it is time for action.

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.

Gysbers, N. (2004). Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: The evolution of accountability. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 1-14.

Accountability

Accountability is probably the most difficult aspect of the school counseling to comprehend. There is a lot that goes into the accountability process and it is so crucial to the profession. After reading both Chapter 7 and the article for this week, I definitely have a clearer understanding of the importance of accountability and what it can do for a school and a school counselor. Often times accountability has been looked at as a way to measure the services provided but I have learned that the results being seen are far more beneficial to a program. Accounting for a school counselor’s time is necessary but does not tell us what they have done for their school. How has their time benefited the students and the environment?

I think the most important concept I gained this week is that showing our results and demonstrating accountability is providing reasoning for our field. School counselors already struggle with their purpose, role and place in a school. Each and every school has a different perspective on how beneficial a school counselor is to that environment. Displaying what our services can actually do for a school and the students is giving us a purpose to be there. "What are school counselors supposed to accomplish and what practices illustrate effective functioning?" (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 119, 2012) It also shows all of the stakeholders how we can help in different areas and that we are all working towards a similar goal. Gysbers (2004) demonstrates that the school counselor's survival is dependent on accountability. It is the issue that keeps resurfacing and seems to provide the most evidence that our role matters.

The article provided a good background of how accountability is necessary and how it has come to be what it is today. The themes that were discussed at the end of the article sum up pretty well how I feel about the topic of accountability. As a school counselor I need to take on the mindset that this is a part of my everyday duties in a school. It can improve the work I am doing and the services being provided to my students, so I should be accounting for what my services are doing all the time. The second theme looks at the results of counseling work. When interpreting the results, schools can determine what is most important to focus on and gain involvement and support from all stakeholders. Lastly, the article demonstrated that talk is not enough. For years it has been stated that accountability is crucial yet until action is taken, we are helping no one. Small steps can be taken in every school that will help to account for the results occurring.

Now that I am convinced that accountability will help me and can impact the program, I want to gain a better understanding as to the specific tactics I can use to collect data and interpret it. Going through the chapter I saw how different types of data can benefit a school counselor and provide information to make clear and measurable goals. However, actually collecting that information and finding creative ways to measure it is what I am unsure about. What techniques are being used by school counselors who follow ASCA??


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

Gysbers, N. C.  (2004).  Comprehensive guidance and counseling progams: The evolution of accountability.  Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 1-14.

Chapter 7 and article

After reading the chapter on accountability as well as the article, I am interested to learn more real life applications of accountability and how current school counselors are making sure that they are more accountable.  The book gave a solid outline of the different types of analyzing data that schools can conduct but I am interested to see how the schools are keeping track of all of the information.  Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) explain that as school counselors we have to be able to show that we are valuable and are having a positive effect on student development and academic achievement.  They also presented many different data drive accountability models on pages 116 and 117 that can be used and I would like to know more about these different models and if some are better than others.  How do you know which one to use?  As I said above, I am interested to get into schools and ask different counselors which accountability model they use, if any.

The article by Gysbers (2004) gave a very detailed history of accountability in school counseling that I did not realize dated all the way back to the 1920's.  I liked being able to see the decades broken down and be able to see the progression from then until now.  As I was reading the section of the article when Gysbers (2004) talks about the fear of accountability and wanting to avoid it I related that back to the case study that was presented in the book at the beginning of the chapter.  I understand why there may be some fear from counselors about being more accountable, but I think we need to remember why it is important to be accountable and that is for the sake of our jobs. As with any profession or any job that you do I think it is important that you justify why you are doing what you do and as school counselors we need to abide by these same standards.  I keep track of what I do as a coach and then if I see that something is not working then I either change my approach or try to figure out why the system is not working as it should be.  I think it is huge for us as future school counselors to be able to keep track of data and then be able to examine it and justify what we are doing in the schools.  I don't think it is something that we can be afraid of because whether we like it or not it is a part of our reality and we have to integrate it into the way we will be running our counseling programs.

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

Gysbers, N. (2004).  Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: The evolution of accountability. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 1-14.

Blog 7 – Chapter 7, ASCA, and Accountability article

Blog 7 – Chapter 7, ASCA, and Accountability article  

This chapter was a refresher for me for the most part because we talk about accountability, data driven instructions, format and informal assessment, qualitative and quantitative data, and effectiveness and needs assessments. However I think that looking at data as a counselor is very different in how you look at it and what you do with it. The discussion in the chapter around process, perception, and results data and their uses was especially good to read from the counseling perspective. Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) mention when analyzing data we must consider the best use for the data, one interesting example is to use data to inform professional development for the school’s teachers.

Most of the processes involved in the evaluation and accountability of counselors make sense to me. Counselors are educators so of course they should be held accountable for what they are teaching students and how students are improving front heir direct instruction, guided practice and showing growth through assessment. The evaluation process is two parts, evaluation of your own program and the evaluation of the counselor. The evaluation of the program can be planned at the beginning of the program, possibly before it is even started. As the program progresses, the evaluation process can be used to see if it is producing the outcomes that it planned to. It seems to me the evaluation from principals may be difficult if they are not informed to the comprehensive school counseling program and/or the ASCA National model.

The article aligned with the history that we have been piecing together throughout this course. Just like many topics in education, accountability has been a recurring focus many times over the years. I could really connect to parts of the article where the author’s discuss the idea that many feel accountability is a “gottcha” so to speak for educators (counselors). I think many educators need to change their thinking about this; it is about making sure that we are all doing the best job we can, constantly reflecting and improving for the betterment of our students. As the article states it is important to be results driven so that you can reflect on what you have done and how well you did it. The school improvement plant is a HUGE part of this and I was really glad to hear it brought up. Knowing where to find your school improvement plan and how to align your CSCP with it is very important and will be useful in showing that your position is important in plan and projected future.

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

Gysbers, N. (2004). Comprehensive guidance and counseling programs: The evolution of accountability. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 1-14.

Chapter 7 - 10/23/12

                I think schools have changed tremendously over the last 10 years.  I have been teaching in Lancaster County for that time frame and it is really eye opening at how the pendulum swings back and forth so much.  The majority of the schools are forced to jump on and swing with the changes.  Sometimes I feel as though it might be better to stay in the route you are going and not make so many drastic changes.  I think it is always key and critical to evaluate the effectiveness of what you are doing and make changes based on the needs of the current students that you are working with. 

                As a teacher I am constantly reflecting on my teaching practices to make sure that the students are making growth in reading and writing.  I hope that I am able to keep the practice as prominent in my daily work as a counselor.  It is easy to measure a teacher’s success with their students by making sure they are making at least a years’ worth of growth in a current school year.  If the growth is not being shown in the words they read per minute or the amount of math facts they learned there are several interventions that you can look and move toward.  As a counselor I think it will be more challenging to measure the student’s self-worth, self esteem, self concept, etc. but I hope that is my main focus to make sure that I am making a strong impact on student’s lives. 

                As a counselor I hope that I will continually keep looking at the student body as a whole but also in several small subgroups.  If I see that not all subgroups are improving at an appropriate rate I hope that I will make additional changes for the subgroups that are not making as much progress as some of the others. It is crucial to publicize the data of how well the group as a whole is improving and it is imperative that I am very respectful of each subgroup because some nationalities will take some interventions personally and think that they are not being treated fairly.   As a counselor I will need to treat all groups fairly and not show any favoritism towards anyone group of another.  Sometimes as a school employee it is hard to stay non-biased and treat all students fairly. 

                I have not seen any of the data-driven models put to use by any school counselors that I have worked with in the past.  A few of the models look as though they would be helpful and beneficial to use.  The IDEAS model seems very clear and concise to use and all staff members could see your results easily.  Once you evaluate yourself I think it would be beneficial as a counselor to share that growth at faculty meetings with other staff members. 

Blog 6: Counseling

After reading the chapter on counseling, the topics sparked a lot of questions that I had in regards to what happens in the school district that I work.  However, I want to first point out the fact that Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) stated that, “Counseling is not just for students who are “troubled,” as counseling enhances a student’s academic, career, and personal/social functioning” (pg.123).  This concept becomes lost as time goes by and students are falling through the cracks due to the main focus being on “troubled” students.  Unfortunately, due to the ratio of counselor to student, it becomes difficult to meet with every student.  This being said, I believe that it is important for counselors to be out and about showing their face seeing all students as much as they can.  Next, I would like to discuss the two areas of the chapter that sparked questions which were crisis intervention and group counseling.        

In terms of crisis intervention, I was curious what is done when a crisis does occur within our district.  After speaking with the school counselor, I learned that the school counselors have been broken down into teams.  Next, if a crisis occurs the principals are notified and the counselors are pulled for the day to handle the situation that occurred at the given school.  For example, last year one of the students had been killed and my counselor was pulled to go to another school to support the students with the tragedy.

The second area that made me question what we do is group counseling.  I was aware that groups were pulled in the school that I teach but I wasn’t sure how everything worked.  I learned that if a group has to be created whether it is focused on bullying, anger management, etc., then the counselor will send home letters in order to receive parental support.  Next, the counselor will screen the students in order to determine whether they are “group ready.”  In order to be “group ready” they need to be able to admit the problem that they have and be willing to share.  The next and final step is to pull the groups during lunch and recess so that they are not missing instructional time.  The first meeting the students are given the chance to develop rules and/or procedures of how the meetings will go.  Allowing the students to come up with their own rules allows them to take ownership of the meeting.  Finally, the groups meet on a weekly basis to discuss the problem they are facing.  In conclusion, this chapter brought many issues that as a counselor you need to be aware of in order to have an effective comprehensive school counseling program.    

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.

Counseling

Chapter 8 was an easier chapter to read because it focused on the aspects of being a school counselor that I am excited about, the actual counseling.  I appreciated that the chapter was broken up into all the different types of counseling that are essential to a school counselor's job.  The first part that really stuck out for me was the section on multicultural counseling.  Since entering the program, I have felt this to be the most interesting while the most challenging topic.  During career development, we focused part of the semester on addressing multicultural perspectives and I really struggled to understand the process.  While I understand the importance of discussing culture and being aware that it affects students, I had a hard time with the material because it seemed to stereotypical to me.  My goal has always been to approach each person as their own individual who has different life experiences and views.  Throughout the counseling program I have seen these ideas form but from a basis of stereotypical material.  Currently I am also in Multicultural Counseling so this semester I have been gaining much more information about the topic.  I am starting to better understand how often it gets overlooked and how much it can affect a counseling session with a student.  The way that the book approached the idea was that "any characteristic that could conceivably alter a person's value system, perspectives, and self-perception" should be addressed within a counselor client relationship (Dollarhide & Saginak, p.126, 2012).  It also talked about the importance of gaining multicultural experiences and working with diversity.  I completely agree that in order to better our counseling skills we need to work with groups outside of our comfort zone and stretch our understanding and awareness.  My job as an outreach counselor for the MU Scholars Program is so beneficial to my future career as a school counselor.  I am having the opportunity to work with students from all backgrounds and gain a better respect for their different cultures and how it has influenced their lives.  It is definitely hard to do but important to know how to do.  I can also see the discrimination that these students are facing on a regular basis, even in the smallest form.  Can you imagine the years and years of discrimination that students may face without it ever being addressed or recognized?  School counselors have the chance to bring those issues to light and make the school environment a better place for all students.

Another area of the chapter that seemed crucial to me was group counseling.  The experiences I have had so far in the school counseling field have involved a lot of group work and I have been able to see the benefits that it can provide to the students.  As an intern working at Fulton Elementary, I had the opportunity to be a part of several small group sessions as well as try to run one myself.  The school counselor I was working with used these groups quite often to bring students together and focus on skills they needed to develop.  One of the best run groups I got the chance to observe was a self-esteem group for fourth grade girls.  I found it to be very interesting because the group included a couple of the bullies in fourth grade, a couple of the popular girls and a really quiet girl.  Bringing together different types of students for the same purpose and finding common ground.  I was easily able to relate these groups to the Dollarhide & Saginak text (2012).  They mentioned how in research it has been found to be more successful to address the needs of students than individual counseling especially at-risk students.  Fulton Elementary is a Lancaster School and has a huge variety of students from different backgrounds and SES.  It makes sense to me that group counseling was such a big part of the school counseling program there.  It gave the school counselor more of an opportunity to reach out to more students while connecting those students to each other.  I find groups to be extremely adaptable as well.  They can be used for varying sizes, students, topics and can be done in different formats.  I think what I would like to see more of is group counseling in high schools.  It can be just as beneficial but it is harder to get the students out of class.  I hope that wherever I end up someday I am able to use the benefits of group counseling to help my students.


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 #6 - Chapter 8 - Counseling

The case study Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) highlighted in Chapter 8, "Counseling", caused me to reflect on an incident I recently walked into. I was observing a first grade classroom for my practicum portfolio when we went to retrieve the students from recess and found the recess aide walking a boy (approximately second grade) to the door with a concerned look on her face. The boy had threatened to get his dad's gun and shoot the boy who had cut in front of him in line. The principal was out of the building as was the counselor who was on vacation. When I asked about the chain of command and whom to turn to, the two teachers who were present and the recess aide were unaware of such a thing. This example and further reading of this chapter in which it is stressed once again, reminds and reinforces the necessity of communication. The school counselor must play a pivotal role, a leadership role, in ensuring communication amongst all staff, administration, parents, community, and of course the students. Obviously, this particular boy needed disciplinary action; however, I am not sure whether it is understood that the counselor should meet with him to informally assess his situation and potentially implement an intervention plan.

I feel unprepared to deal with an emergency or crisis at school or even to handle suicide prevention. However, I am aware that my upcoming practicum will alleviate some of the worries and uneasiness that I have surrounding these areas. I, too, understand that my first year or two as a professional school counselor will be focused on acclimating myself to the system I am implanted in. What I hope to address between now and then is how to meet the students' needs as I am learning the ropes. Whenever one of my children ended up in the classroom with a brand new teacher, fresh out of college, I was always apprehensive to their ability to teach effectively. I have been pleasantly surprised and I have been disappointed. I do not wish to disappoint when I start working. I feel that our graduate program has given us much valuable information and it seems only appropriate to have it culminate in the practicum.

Dollarhide and Saginak's (2012) review of many of the concepts such as multicultural considerations, group and individual counseling, assessments, and multiple intelligences that we have covered throughout the graduate program was a slight confidence booster since I felt I knew much of the material. Again, on the topic of suicide prevention, crises, and legal and ethical concerns, I wish to learn much more so that I can feel somewhat more prepared and confident in my ability to manage them.  

 

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

Blog #6 - Chapter 8

Chapter 8 was a very helpful chapter to read because it seemed to condense a lot of the things that we had learned in previous classes in this program and put it into one chapter with helpful tips for each section. It was nice to read a chapter in which I knew the terms and subjects that were being talked about because I have the background about all of it from other classes. My biggest concern in reading through this chapter and in putting everything together is knowing what strategy is best to use with each student to effectively work with them. I guess I will learn and work through some of these concerns through my practicum and working with a school counselor. The section on developmentally appropriate counseling was one of the most helpful sections for me to read because I think we all need to remember the manner and the content with which we are counseling students. Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) say, "In terms of the manner  in which we counsel students, we need to be aware of their activity level and attention span" (p. 128). I think this is something that we need to keep in mind in working with each individual student in that they are all going to be different and we need to be able to adapt what we are doing to suit the needs of each individual student. The bullet points at the bottom of page 128 give a good framework in how to approach working with a student and I am going to try to start remembering and using those points as I am working with my client in Brief.


I also found the sections on "prevention, intervention, and treatment: When to counsel and when to refer" and "legal and ethical considerations" helpful because both sections gave helpful tips and information on what we need to do as a school counselor in certain situations (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012, p. 123 and 129). I feel very unprepared in knowing what to do in crisis situations and I know that a lot of the learning will come in my first year as a school counselor and that there are many things that are on the spot trainings, but that does not put my mind at ease. Like Nate said in his blog, I feel that the legal and ethical issues are my weakest areas just because we have not really learned the ins and outs of the legal and ethical issues. As I have talked to current school counselors I am realizing that my fears right now will be addressed and that I just have to be prepared for anything in my first few years as a counselor. There is no way to be entirely prepared and I think I am becoming more comfortable with the feeling of being uncomfortable.


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

Chapter 8 - Counseling

                In reading the first section of this chapter, I feel as though my first year of counseling is going to be a major uphill battle.  The part of the job when I will get to work with students individually, in a group, and as whole classroom sounds really appealing to me.  I am concerned that I will not be able to spend the majority of my time on that as I wish I will be able to do.  I am in a school and I have been working in this building for three full years.  I feel as though it has been a constant fight as a special education teacher to get the students what the need and deserve.  While reading this chapter today I have this awful feeling that I am going to have to do more fighting to be able to work with students and provide the necessary counseling that I should be doing and not all of this secretarial work.  If the precedence has already been set that the school counselors complete the 504 plans is it possible to not complete those and have a regular education teacher be a case manager?  Is that a battle that is worth fighting in the first few years of being a new school counselor in a district or not until years down the road?  I feel as though if I wait for a few years to address a paperwork issue then it is set in stone even more and it is expected that you will complete it every year in the future.

                While reading the second portion of the chapter on group counseling I feel tremendously motivated and I want to be able to have a job to put into practice all of these neat ideas.  I am very hopeful to be able to use group counseling with the students in the building that I work in.  The one limitation/worry that I have deals with the students being confidential and not using any piece of information against a student a later point in time.  Bullying is a huge problem in middle schools today and in some situations I feel as though the members of the group would need to be handpicked and limit the number of students that could possibly be the culprit of a bullying situation.  That individual would need to be in a group to reap the benefits of the topic that is being taught but with different individuals.  I would try my best to make sure that no one takes information they hear in the sessions and uses it in a negative situation where one student is overpowering another one. 

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 6 – Chapter 8 – Counseling

Blog 6 – Chapter 8 – Counseling

This chapter gives great insight to the many aspects of counseling. As Nate mentioned the chapter did answer a lot of questions I have wondered about throughout the program. Very clear lines are drawn about what our job is and is not. Within the chapter are guidelines for when it is a good idea to refer out to other resources and services. I think this is a very important aspect of the chapter because counselors have such a high burn-out rate that perhaps we need to look at how counselors delegate to other sources and how that benefits students and their families.

I really liked how the text referred to multicultural (counseling) as “any characteristic that could conceivably alter a person’s value system, perspective, and self-perception” (Dollarhide & Saginak, p. 126, 2012). Issues in multicultural education are constantly changing and need to be redefined often so that all groups are represented and recognized.

The legal and ethical concerns section was informative but left me realizing that I need to read up on this topic more because our book only brushed the surface of this area of counseling. I’m sure I will read for a refresher before taking the praxis and interviewing for jobs.

The assessment portion was very large which I think speaks to the push for assessments in counseling. The examples in the text for types of testing was a good refresher, we are not just talking about academic data that is important to record. I think it is very true that many counselors try to get away with the excuse that so much of what they do is not measureable through data, but that is just not true. If you really believe that the work you do with children is not measureable to show growth than you may as well kiss your job good bye. I really do think that much like requirements of teachers, requiring data and assessment from counselors will make struggling counselors better and good counselors best.

The breakdown of the different types of counseling was a nice refresher and reading about structured versus process groups had me thinking a lot about the types of kids I work with and the skills they need to be taught. Structured groups are part of the backbone of what got our social skill program up and running many years ago.

I often have conflicting feelings when reading about and discussing peer facilitation, I felt that even when I was in high school it was not implemented properly and students did not take it seriously. As of now I am really not sold on it and not motivated to use it in my own school counseling program. Any thoughts?

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 5-Chapter 6 & Initiating Leadership

The article and chapter that we read this past week correlated with the interviews that I did with practicing school counselors.  According to the article on initiating leadership, Schwallie-Giddis, Patter Maat,  and Pak defined leadership as “the ability to lead… one who guides” (pg. 171).  The article supports that the ASCA National Model focuses on this theme and can easily be followed as well as others.  In order to make this happen, we need the support of parents, teachers, and administrators.  In addition, time needs to be provided to create a well developed program.  Throughout my interviews, I received mixed messages of whether or not they felt like leaders within their district.  Two of the three felt that they were; whereas, the other felt, that what they did was under the direction of someone higher up.  I believe that we can be seen as leaders if we have the support that is needed to form a successful comprehensive counseling program.  However, for this to happen, we need to make sure that we have the resources available.  This was another point that the article brought up, stating that teachers voiced that they needed more resources, money, and time.  In regards to that need, one of the counselors that I spoke to noted that those three components are barriers in the school district of Lancaster (SDOL).      

The ASCA National Model does not seem to be followed by the SDOL, as well as trainings not being offered.  On the other hand, the counselors that I spoke to are communicating personal/social, academic, and career needs with the students.  When reading about the developmental guidance and counseling program, I noticed that it involves a lot that is done at Hamilton.  Dollarhide and Sagniak (2012) expressed that the interventions that are included in this program is individual, small-group, and large group.  In regards to individual counseling, the students are allowed to fill out slips that state why they would like to speak with the counselor and rate the importance.  Then with small-group, the counselor has lunch bunches or will meet with particular students regarding a topic.  Finally, with large group counseling, I see as the guidance lessons that are given each month.  During this instruction, the students are taught a variety of lessons related to personal/social, academics, and career.  Even though there are a lot more components with a developmental guidance program it is something that could be accomplished especially if you have the time, resources, and support of your administration.  Another key factor which Dollarhide and Sagniak (2012) state is that the program, “depend on the collaboration and participation of everyone working together to promote students’ personal, academic, and social growth (pg. 90)”   

Finally, having experience at the high school, when Dollarhide and Sagniak (2012) mentioned, “decision making and problem solving, peer relationships, motivation, conflict resolution” (pg. 90), etc it made me think of the ARCH homerooms that were in place at McCaskey East.  On Wednesday’s our homeroom time was extended from seven minutes to twenty.  This was a time that the homeroom teachers would address these conversations as well as the counselor coming in from time to time.  In conclusion, it is important to have a developed comprehensive counseling program so that you are meeting all needs of the student population.

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.

Schwallie-Giddis, P., Patter Maat, M., & Pak, M. (2003). Initiating leadership by introducing and implementing the ASCA National Model. Professional School Counseling, 6(3), 170-174.

blog 5 - chapter 6 & article -leadership

Blog 5 – Chapter 6/article - Leadership

Since I had just finished my interview project, as I read the chapter I was using the schools I was recently hearing about when relating to the different delivery models. When I first read the developmental guidance and counseling model it sounded ideal but I can see how that would not work for all schools, although ideally it would be nice. As I read about the results-based program I thought back to my interview with Tiffani from King Elementary and how she described her time not being honored and the “chaos” that she characterized her school with (T. Brunner, personal communication, September 19, 2012). I thought about how if she could keep data on those 6-8 kids she meets with regularly and show results that her program is helping them academically or socially she may be able to gain more of a precedent and more respect for her program in her school.

When reading about strengths-based I again thought of my school as I did when we read the article a few weeks ago, it very much seems like this might be where my school counselor at Washington is headed. She has focused a lot of our faculty discussions on focusing on the student’s strengths and building on them.

In the article there is a lot of information that I feel we, as future counselors, can you later to defend ourselves when we face barriers in scheduling and time. In the article the authors state, “This model is a paradigm for unifying new and veteran counselors as well as counselors with their schools and community” (Schwallie-Giddis, Patter Maat, & Pak, 2003, p. 172). This quote shows even more how we can use this model to defend what it is we really need to do in our schools for the students. Our jobs may be in jeopardy as many say but we can only change that by showing them that it is more than needed, “the model provides legitimacy to the school counseling profession” (Schwallie-Giddis, Patter Maat, & Pak, 2003, p. 173).

Schwallie-Giddis, P., Patter Maat, M., & Pak, M. (2003). Initiating leadership by introducing and implementing the ASCA National Model. Professional School Counseling, 6(3), 170-174.

Blog #5 - Chapter 6 - Models of Delivery Systems & Leadership via the ASCA National Model

Prescriptive or non-prescriptive, delivery models are to fall into one of these two categories. Why? How is it that there is no in-between? I agree that there needs to be details in what to do and what not do, guidelines on how to spend your time, and what type of activities to be engaged in as school counselors. However, I believe there also needs to be some degree of the school counselor aligning with the needs of the students and school. I have trouble defining myself as one who is purely prescriptive or non-prescriptive. I do admit that I lean a little more towards structure and consistency, but my desire for justice, for the students, will keep me looking at the non-prescriptive models and wanting to incorporate aspects of their delivery systems.

I really grabbed onto the idea of an advisory program, the teacher-advisor program (TAP) specifically. Considering the many stories I have heard from adults about how someone made an impact in their life while in school, it only seems logical to recruit teachers and even staff or administrators to take on a group of students that they will find ways to meaningfully connect with over the course of the students' academic careers and hopefully beyond. I do not necessarily agree that it should be contained within a "homeroom" period. I envision a connection that would go deeper and more personal for the student rather than be couched in guidance lessons with a large group. This idea of course seems a bit lofty since there is only so much time in the school day.

We have discussed numerous times the importance of developing positive working relationships with teachers, staff, and administration as well as many other stakeholders. Upon reading about collaborative counselor-teacher relationships, I recalled one of the last counselors I observed in a middle school. I was pleased to sit in on one of the "team" meetings where all the teachers for eighth grade met with the school social worker and school counselor. This was a small school with an eighth grade class of approximately 125 students, so there were only four teachers present, one from each of the core subjects. Through the course of the meeting, teachers highlighted certain students and the concern they held for him or her. Discussion and next steps followed each concern. If this is not already happening within the school I find myself working in, then I hope to implement it. It may not be conducive in this format for high school, but with a little finagling, I hope to find a way so that there is regular conversation about various student needs and concerns.

We continually read about effective models, delivery systems, frameworks, and so forth. We also repeatedly hear how little time school counselors have, as was such again in this week's article (Schawallie-Giddis, ter Maat, & Pak, 2003). What I would like to understand or see is the evidence of efficiency, of course after effectiveness. I believe that we may be fighting a losing battle when it comes to implementing anything other than what is already established within a school out of fear, stubbornness, or simply lack of understanding. School administrations seem to have their own idea of what works and do not have the desire to utilize something such as the ASCA National Model that may cause things to change especially since they know very little of the model. Schwallie-Giddis and colleagues (2003) suggest leadership teams to educate and collaborate so that the vision of the National Model can be turned into action. That is a little scary as a new counselor-in-training. I want an effective model with a delivery system that is efficient and I know that the first couple of years I will need to focus on acclimating myself to the school's culture, pattern of operation, and idiosyncrasies.  What I need to be cautious with is falling into the trap of complacency.


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.

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

Chapter 6 and article

Blog #5 - Chapter 6 and article

As I was reading the chapter and article for this week I found myself relating a lot of things back to the interviews that I did with the school counselors.  I was a little skeptical about the project at first because I was not sure what to expect and I felt weird going in and talking to people about the model when they were unsure themselves about using the model.  In doing this project, I have a better understanding of the model as well as a better view of school counseling in general.  It was nice to be in the school and talk to the counselor about what they do and how it relates to what we are being taught.  When I was reading Chapter 6 about prescriptive and non-prescriptive models I was remembering what the counselors told me about what they do on a daily basis and I was trying to fit that into one of the two systems. It seems to me that the counselors that I interviewed used a combination of both delivery systems.  Some aspects of the counseling programs seem to follow the ASCA model which would be prescriptive whereas other parts of it are based on the needs of the school and the students which falls under the nonprescriptive system.  Is it okay to use both delivery systems or is it one or the other?

The article was also interesting to read because it explained clearly how the model came to be and how it was refined and presented to school counselors in a manner in which they could understand it and implement it as they see fit at their schools.  It seems that the researchers put a lot of time and effort into making sure that the model was what was needed and changed and adjusted things as they received feedback from the model.  The article states that, "The National Model has several components that must be implemented in all schools for strong and effective programs. This will take time, but the results will be worth the effort" (Schwallie-Giddis, ter Maat, & Pak, 2003, p. 174).  I think it is important to keep this in mind when we are talking about the model because as we have said in class it is still in the beginning stages of implementation and we cannot expect that it is going to be perfectly implemented at this point.  One of the school counselors that I interviewed said that it is about "tempering the ideal model with the real model" which I agree with because it is good to know the model but at the same be realistic and know what will work in the specific school that we are in (W. Merryman, personal communication, September 27, 2012).


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

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

Leadership with ASCA

A major theme that stuck out for me during this week's readings was that of leadership. This is also a main element of the ASCA National Model. It is becoming much clearer to me that being a school counselor means being a leader within your school and district. Without you there would be no one else to advocate for a counseling program and no one else who is so actively involved in every aspect of a child's live. While finishing up my school counseling interviews and summarizing our conversations, I noticed that leadership was a crucial part of what makes a counseling program successful. Without having that leadership within school, school counselors may get pushed aside or used incorrectly. We need to be advocating for not only the students but for ourselves. A successful counseling program can benefit an entire school environment. There was a clear difference between the three counselors that I interviewed for the research project. The woman that I spoke of last week in my blog spends a great deal of her time advocating for a comprehensive school counseling program. She also makes sure to communicate with all stakeholders and ensures that she is spending the majority of her time where it is needed. I believe that her taking an active role in the state and national organizations as well as coordinating monthly meetings with the district's counselors allows her to lead her school in a positive direction. In comparison, I interviewed a school counselor from the same district at the high school level and there was such a huge difference in the program. Even though it is clear that the district as a whole supports ASCA and what a comprehensive program can do for its students, the high school is not using ASCA at all. The woman I met with described to me that there is little time to complete all that is required and so many other things need to be done instead. She mentioned the importance of a career education program yet discussed how difficult it was to set up. In my opinion, she seemed content with how the program was functioning and did not seem to want to make any changes. This really demonstrated to me that as a school counselor it is my responsibility to advocate for a comprehensive school counseling program and make sure that steps are being taken to benefit the school and the students. If I do not take those steps then no one else will.

While reading this week's article, "Initiating Leadership by Introducing and Implementing the ASCA National Model" (Schwallie-Giddis, Ter Matt & Pak, 2003), I was able to pick out different ways that school counselors need to become leaders within their schools. One important aspect is that whoever the counseling coordinator is, they should be communicating regularly with the school administration as well as other school counselors in the district. In order to be a successful leader, the school counselors much establish good working relationships with all stakeholders and therefore allow a cooperative effort to occur. Creating this positive line of communication is important but not always done. We need to take those steps to form a team within the school that is all working towards the same goal. Another part of the article that I thought was a great idea was the summit that was held to introduce ASCA and open up that communication. It seemed to benefit greatly the participants by having the opportunity to discuss what ASCA can bring and what is needed in order for it to be successful. Within our school districts we can create these conversations and meeting times to promote the program and show its success.

Once again while I was reading Chapter 6 (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012), I noticed the importance of leadership within the delivery models of a school counseling program. There are so many different models that can be used within a school and it is the counselor's job to determine what would be the best one to use for their particular school. Being a leader means making beneficial decisions for your school environment in the hopes to help as many students as possible. Because every school district is so different, as a school counselor you should know what resources you have available to you and be able to fight for more. Being viewed as a leader can be helpful in this fight to support the students. As Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) discussed many of the delivery models it became apparent that many of the programs and organizational styles involve the counselor taking a stand and creating change within their school. For example being able to organize programs for the teachers and students to work together to help each other. Not only will this help the school but it gives more time to the school counselor to help in other areas. Some ideas were TAPs, peer mentoring and peer tutoring, or teacher-counselor lessons within the classroom. The counselor needs to be responsible to set these programs up and make sure they run smoothly. I can see how crucial being a leader within your school can be. I believe it can make all the difference in the world and as a school counselor I will need to take the same steps.

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.