Saturday, September 1, 2012
week 2
Well, it only took me 30 minutes to figure out how to sign on to my blog lol! I think the true meaning of being a counselor is to simply help people. Counselor are extremely important in a school setting even though we do not always get the respect we deserve. As one of my fellow counselors told me we have been teachers but teachers have not been counselors so they do not always understand what we do. At our school, we do some administrative duties but I would say my role is very comparable to a firefighter. I put out fires all day long with students, teachers, and parents. I love being a counselor because it is in my nature to help people. I am a natural mediator as well. I feel I contribute to the everyday life of my students by caring about them and most importantly giving them my most valuable possession, time!
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I like how you noted that many people do not realize the amount of work that goes into counseling and the vital role a counselor plays in the school setting. I have heard teachers too many times note that "counselors sit in an office all day" and "they don't have papers to grade". I think the reason for this reaction is that, unless you are enrolled in a counseling program or served as a counselor, you are not really aware of the many hats that a counselor wears. Even within the community, most people are unaware of a counselor's total role in the school setting. To help change this idea, some counselors create a website highlighting the services offered by their guidance department. I think advocating for the counseling profession is something we can all do to increase awareness of the importance of guidance counselors in schools. Like you noted in your post, there are certain key personality traits of all good counselors -- a good listener, mediator, empathetic and caring nature, etc.
ReplyDeleteI too think that counselors must truly want to help others. However I am afraid that some people go into for the wrong reasons, to fix themselves or for the pay raise. Unfortunately it is the kids who suffer from this.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of work that a counselor does. He/she must be willing to do this in order to best benefit the children. Cutting corners to just get by is not an option for effective counselors.
I think your point about giving students your time is really important. Many of the students that I have in class have absentee parents or don't get a lot of attention at home. Having a positive adult mentor is so important to student success, especially for those coming from backgrounds of poverty. Teachers often get caught up in teaching content and can forget about the personal needs of students. I think it's really awesome that your students know you are there and that you care.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the part of your weekly blog in which you compared being a counselor to being a firefighter. Counselors spend a part of their time mediating, leading, and providing support to everyone in the school. Contributing to a student’s life was one of the main reasons why I too chose to become a school counselor.
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