Elementary, Middle or High School

I found this week's readings to be interesting because which level I prefer is a question I have often asked myself. Before entering the School Counseling Program at Millersville I always believed that elementary was the right level for me. I have the majority of my experience in elementary schools and have worked with young children quite often. My internship in my undergraduate years was in a local elementary school and I found myself being able to connect easily with the children from those ages. Each summer I work at a summer camp with children ages 6-13 and my favorite part is always working with the younger kids because they are so impressionable. They wanted to play the games and make the crafts and would listen when we talked to them about the rules of camp. Because of all the connections I have made, it seemed to make my decision clear from the start. However, I always knew that it would be more beneficial to me to have a dual certification and be eligible to work with any grade level. This gives me the opportunity to apply to any level wherever there is an open job.

Once I started my graduate degree at Millersville, I also started my graduate assistantship working with the MU Scholars Students on campus. These students are mostly from minority backgrounds and are all lacking in some fundamental skills to be successful in school. This age group was much different than what I was used to but it gave me the chance to explore something new. As I started to gain more experience the possibility of working with an older age group became more likely. My students are close to seniors in high school and their transitioning difficulties are very similar to that of a freshman in high school. I appreciated that I could work with different age groups because it seemed to make my transition into the world of work something that would be easier.

As I read Chapter 12 in Dollarhide & Saginak (2012), Kanika's Conundrum brought up the interesting idea of what if there is a job open in an area you are less familiar with working. The only area that I do not have much experience with at this point is middle school. I also know very little about what middle school counselors do because I have no recollection of my middle school counselors and have learned a lot through my experiences about the other two levels. Kanika showed me how important it can be to gain those different experiences and be aware of what the different jobs might entail. For her to assume that at the elementary level all you do is read Mother Goose books all day was completely wrong. There is a lot that goes into each level as a school counselor and it is important to do the most we can that is appropriate for that age group.

After reading the three different school examples from elementary, middle, and high school, I found myself feeling that I could truly fall into any level successfully. There were activities, ideas, and job roles that I could relate to and see myself performing at all levels. This provided me with some relief knowing that although you are working with different ages, I could fit into different levels. I am still unsure as to which level I would be most interested in working but I feel that I am on the right track.

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