School counselor/educators...

[carrie123]

Maybe you could help with a question that has been plaguing me about the master's degree I'm pursuing, in school counsleing.

Last night was an orientation class, and the professor worried me, she said school counselors are the first ones who get canned when budgets get low in the public schools and we would have to fight with lots of data and numbers to keep our jobs later, and that's if there are even any jobs out there when we graduate. She also said that the teachers usually treat the school counselors as outsiders and don't really have a team mindset. I sincerely hope this is not true.

I have always enjoyed helping children on a more personal basis, especially when I worked one-on-one for a few years, which is what swayed me to want to be a counselor to begin with. Too many children need someone to talk to help them through some problems outside the classroom. I think it makes them more productive in the classroom.

As a substitute teacher, I can appreciate the mountains of paperwork, lesson plans, meetings, etc. that the teachers have to deal with. I hope that having a counselor nearby would make teaching easier for some if the students can focus on the school work in the classroom and work through some more personal issues with the counselor and of course the parents, guardian, etc. outside the classroom.

I am 34, with 2 teenagers and a husband who believes I am working toward a more secure future for all of us. Last night I had a dream that I quit my masters for counseling and went back to school to be an elementary teacher. I am pretty confused. I love helping others, but graduate school is so very expensive and time consuming (not to mention the excruciating pain from sitting in my car for the 1 1/2 hr. drive one way, and the 2 3-hour lectures), that I would hate for it to have been for nothing later on. Any opinions on this??? I wouldn't be able to survive graduate school if I thought even for a moment that it might be for nothing

I really do love teaching, especially elementary. I sort of wish that I hadn't listened to my advisor. He told me to get my degree in Business, after I had started taking education classes, and then get my degree in counseling, because they went hand in hand he said. He said if you understand levy's and budgets, and so forth, (business) then I wouldn't have a problem fitting in with the administration dept. (counseling). I was so confused that I just did what he suggested. Ok I've written a book here, Have a nice healthy, clean dinner tonight and take care.

Hopefully, I'll be able to check back in before I leave. Take care




Carrie

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[RunninTeach]

Hi Carrie,

I'm a middle school teacher; one of my very good friends is a middle school counselor (we used to work together before I changed districts). My view of the counselor's role is that s/he is in an interesting position as a go-between for all -- they must deal not only with the needs of the children but also the demands of the admin, the teachers, and the parents. It's a delicate balance that I am sure is not always easy, so I think networking skills and the ability to work well with all kinds of personalities - both adult and child - are essential qualities that a good counselor must have. I know my friend did sometimes feel "left out" of team activities, but he's also a social creature and overcame that. I would think that since an elementary setting is structured differently, you might not run into the same problem.

I have not heard of counselors' jobs getting cut. In the districts I have worked in, it is always the "specials" teachers (art, foreign language, music) who are rumored to be on the chopping block when the budget cuts loom.

I view my guidance counselor as a lifeline, not an outsider, and I think you will find that many teachers feel the same. Of course, you are going to have those who are difficult, and whereas, I can shut my classroom door and not deal with those individuals, you will HAVE to as part of your job.

As far as I know, counselors do not get directly involved in budgetary issues, but I imagine that that specialized knowledge would benefit you.

Have you done a practicum or internship in the guidance office yet? I think that will go a long way in helping you figure out if this is indeed the right path for you. I wouldn't be too alarmed by your dream - it's just your unconscious mind working out your worries, which are completely understandable given the picture your prof painted.

IMO, the degree is good to have even if, for the moment, you decide you are not ready to leave the classroom. The Master's degree will give you a boost on the pay scale, and it gives you options down the line.

Best of luck!
[font face="garamond" font color=deeppink size=+2]~Cathy [/font face]http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/4.gif
"Out on the roads there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be." -George Sheehan

 

[carrie123]

Cathy,

I can't tell you how much your response means. Thank you soooooo much.

My professor painted that picture and there is no reason why I should let someone else alter my perception.

They won't allow students to do practicums until all other courses are complete. For me that means another year from now. But you gave me a nice idea, to ask if I can shadow for awhile and maybe conduct a casual interview and get different outlooks. Of course, I wouldn't think of bombarding a school counselor right now, but maybe in a few weeks after the initial wave of school beginning.

Thanks again

Carrie

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