Ok...so when I first got to my school, the only thing I knew about counselors were from my own personal experience; and my counselor in high school was terrible. He had not a clue of anything; a social misfit; a clueless individual with an IQ not much more than a house plant.
When I started getting students with poor behavior, poor testing, poor academics, I talked with the counselors about ramping up my program. The counselors listened and became concerned when those poor students started failing my class and asking to be transferred out.
I met with them again and described that they could send me ANY student as long as that student WANTED to be there. Within a year, the student in my classes changed. My students WANTED to learn; they wanted to be there.
My impressions changed over this time period because they (the counselors) asked me for input so they could get that information to a prospective student. This tells me that counselors listen to the student when they talk; thus the student, my classes, and the counselors have achieved success.
I think the biggest change occurred through honest and open communication. The counselors at my school take pride in matching teachers with students to achieve success. We have a good relationship with the counseling department as I often request their feedback almost daily...and they respond in kind!
Tracy, I agree with you! I myself had a bad experiance with a guidance counselor in high school. He retired my senior year, I guess he was ready to go. I have got alot of upperclassmen in my beginner classes, which causes behavior problems. I am now settling in at the school, where I know what I need to do, to hopefully get a less troublesome student.
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