This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
"Rewards and Challenges"
To see a student that you have nurtured and followed transform into adulthood, on the right path academically and socially, graduate; this has to be a mountain top experience. Other rewards include helping to bridge the communication with the student, parent and teachers. To actually be able to help a student in need of services or help solve a problem is rewarding. Challenges would include the many responsibilities of the profession. The large student to counselor ratio, in addition to limited resources available due to funding. Further challenges include listening to constant complaints about scheduling from students, parents and teachers. As I get mature, it is clear that every profession has challenges but when you enjoy what you do, you focus more on the rewards.
I definitely agree with you Alfreda, I do think that watching a student grow from a freshman to a senior while maintaining a sense of self and accomplishing their goals is a wonderful feeling. Counselors have such a great advantage because they develop rewarding relationships with students and are more often viewed as a "trusting guide" to the world. Yet, on the other hand, it can be challenging because of the demand to help so many in need. Most counselors are overwhelmed and like you said have very little resources to deal with the many student concerns and issues. At my high school, we have started a push to include more teachers in the counseling role with academic advisement. A lot of the guidelines and standards that the counselors have to implement are assigned to teachers during student advisement. This has helped because it takes some of the burden from the counselor and gives the students another resource for information
ReplyDeleteI agree with you also Afreda. The development and maturation process for a student (child) to an adult is definitely a reward. A counselor actually has more of an opportunity to see a student transition in their classes and how they adjust and transition to post-secondary life.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you, Alfreda regarding the challenges. In my personal experience,as a teacher, lack of funding for educational needs and supplies are an extreme challenge. If a counselor tries to implement a program, workshop, training, etc and the funds are limited, this will definitely challenge or discourage a counselor.
I agree with you about the large ratio of students being a challenge. The large class size will make it hard for the student to learn and for the teacher to teach. Then that will lead to an academic decline in the student grade point average.So now we will have to sit in on a very uncomfortable parent teacher conference to explain the way of the world of education.
ReplyDelete