Counseling Program

Mission:

The mission of the school counseling department is to prioritize the development of the whole child. The program will do this by focusing on academics, career, and social/emotional development. The program will be accessible to all students and will strive to frequently implement Tier 1 interventions. Collaboration with families, educators, and the community will be a priority to make our 339 program a success.

Advocacy:

The most important job of a professional school counselor is to advocate for all students. As an advocate, it is my job to assist students in removing potential barriers to their success. Barriers to their success can include academic struggles, battles with their social and emotional well being, and struggling in their career development. If students are struggling, it is the school counselors duty to assess student need and help get them what they need.

Systemic Change:

An important role of the professional school counselor is to constantly collect and gather data to support the need for change. The most prominent issues in schools are constantly evolving. This is why it is important to assess the need for change, then advocate for that change by using collaboration and being a leader. Collecting data such as school wide achievement, behavior data, bullying incidents, attendance, etc. The role of the school counselor is to remove these obstacles and advocate for change to make the school a safe and productive space for all students.

Collaboration:

Through my training in becoming a school counselor, I have learned the importance of collaborating with administrators, teachers, families, members of the community, fellow school counselors, and other professionals. Collaborating with colleagues within the building and school district will help to create a united front to best serve the student body. Collaboration should be done frequently through team meetings, parent conferences, surveys and questionnaires, advisory council, and special programs. Through collaboration, the professional school counselor will have access to additional resources.

Leadership:

Part of being a leader is setting a good example for students and other staff to follow. A big part of leadership is following the ASCA ethical standards for school counselors and demonstrating high levels of professionalism on a daily basis. Collaborating with others in creating and implementing a comprehensive school counseling program also makes you a leader. School counselors are role models for students and always treat others with respect.

PDE Essay Question

The Most Important Qualities of an Outstanding Educator

There are many qualities that make up an outstanding educator. When I think back to some of my favorite teachers, the ones that made the biggest impact on my life, there are three main qualities that come to mind. Being a lifelong learner, being engaging, and being passionate about kids are the three most important traits an outstanding educator can have. These are also the traits that I possess that make me want to teach kids and be the teacher that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

One thing about becoming an educator is knowing that the learning does not stop upon getting your degree. The most humble of educators know and are open to learning something new every single day, sometimes even learning something from the students you are supposed to be teaching. There is something so fun and exciting about getting to watch your teacher light up about learning something new or learning right along with their students. Educators who are committed to being lifelong learners make their students feel like they are not alone in their journey and reminds them that their teacher is also human.

An outstanding educator is engaging. Thinking back to my high school career, I could not tell you one lecture and set of notes that I remember copying and learning. The things I do remember include building a bridge out of K'nex in Physics to see how much force it could withold, designing the floor plan of my dream house just to find the area of each room and the house as a whole, and creating my own product and presenting it to "Shark Tank" in Economics class. Students learn through doing and being apart of the learning, and an outstanding educator will do just that.

Last but certainly not least, outstanding educators are passionate about kids. Notice I did not say they are passionate about their jobs, or passionate about teaching. It was not accidental that I said passionate about kids. Students can always tell when they have a teacher that doesn't enjoy being around kids, or is only there for a paycheck. They are usually miserable, mean, and only care about getting the school work done and that is it. Being an educator is about so much more than just content! Being an outstanding educator means making sure the student knows they are cared for, making sure their basic needs are being met, being a listening ear, being a student's biggest advocate, teaching them how to be a good person, spending hours outside the classroom to help a student, and much more. The best educators in the whole world all have one thing in common, they are passionate about kids.