The most rewarding experience for a counselor is go into the classroom and teach guidance related activities directly to students. These activities include the following: How to prepare for academic success, Decision making, Conflict resolution, Substance abuse, Applying for Financial Aid, Preparing for the SAT, Time management skills.
The most challenging experience for a school counselor would be to do scheduling, particularly at the beginning of the year or at the beginning of the semester. Scheduling also includes making changes to existing schedules. It is a stressful time by sheer volume of work that needs to be done. It is a busy time, it is intense, it is high-paced, and people express high emotions. The work is decidedly difficult because it is impossible to please everyone. Sometimes counselors have to deal with angry people, who may be teachers, students or parents.
Thozi, I have just finished reading your impression of the rewards and challenges experienced by Guidance Counselors. I must admit that I think the counselors find the classroom introduction to careers and the how to of colleges as a bit of a bore. I think they get more from actually allowing the students to engage in the experiences through college tours, college fairs, and speaking engagements. On the other hand I agree wholeheartedly about the challenges that the counselors experience with managing the students' schedules. I saw particular frustration associated with the leveling of classes this fall, both on the part of the counselor and the student. I must admit that the pressures of administration and poor understanding of CTAE requirements places a heavy burden on the Guidance Counselor. Unfortunately, I have realized that administration doesn't always have a full understanding of the CTAE classroom. As a result, the Guidance Counselor is often faced with recreating assignments which should have been created within the boundaries of CTAE guidelines, i.e., pathway sequencing. Thanks for posting and allowing me to express my view associated with your post.
ReplyDeleteI hear you well. However, my comments were based on an interview with a live counselor where my child attends school. These were not really my opinions, as such. This particular counselor remarked that her father was a teacher. I remarked that the way she explained so many things makes me believe that she is a good teacher. Teaching is in her blood, I said. She replied, with a smile, saying that her father would be pleassed to hear that.
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