Perceived Roles

My impression of counselors before I really researched them were kind of well....dull. I really thought the primary jobs of counselors (even before I started teaching) were to assign students classes and schedules. When I was in high school the only time I spent with counselors was during advisement days and that was one day per month. Now that I teach, I see that counselors have a lot on their plates in terms of the issues that students have to deal with. I never knew that counselors dealt with so many kids during the school and so many different situations. When I talked to some of the counselors at my school, I know that they have to keep in mind that they have to account for the students IEP requirements, home situations, and most importantly, their mental well-being. I've actually thought about being a counselor because I've learned that you have to have a general love for kids because it's so time-consuming, and sometimes you will get attached to the kids. Sometimes you definitely have to take a closer look at someones daily life to understand what they have to go through and I'm definitely glad I did that. Counselors definitely have my respect because they have to deal with so many students with different situations, you have to be strong mentally and physically to be a counselor and only the one's who love the job will be good at it.