IDEAL

ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR

The Ideal Role of a School Counselor Christy Zimmerman The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR Abstract With the strong emphasis on student academic achievement in American schools today, an essential question remains: Who is consistently seeking the best interest of the whole child? This purpose defines the school counselor. An ideal school counselor is a

compassionate educational leader who consistently advocates for the thriving of students in their personal lives, academic growth, and career planning. This ideal school counselor operates from basic fundamental beliefs and dispositions that prioritize the value of all students. She believes that all students are worthy of love and have the potential to grow. She is both a proactive leader and a selfless servant. Additionally, the school counselor works at three distinct, yet interrelated levels within a school: she serves the needs of individual students, the needs of diverse groups of students, and the needs of the school as a whole. At the individual level, the school counselor develops personal relationships, fosters positive change in students lives, and advocates for individual students. With groups, she works diligently to identify and meet the needs that affect particular populations of students. To serve the school as a whole, the ideal school counselor implements a holistic guidance program, collaborates with other adults in the students lives, and acts as a community and family liaison. All of these duties are essential aspects of a school counselors role, and they allow her to be effective in her mission to foster personal, academic, and career development for all students. Ultimately, a school counselors work in this way allows her to prepare students for thriving in our dynamic global community.

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR Introduction Schools are filled with a variety of professional adults working to help their students succeed. Teachers support academic development and administrators seek to

correct or improve behaviors. While each of these roles is imperative for student success, several questions remain: Who has time to support students emotional and social growth? Who will advocate for students without personal bias or agenda? Who has time to merge academic and behavioral issues to benefit the whole child? With the increasing demands on teachers and administrators, there must be another trained school professional devoted to issues of this nature. This person is the school counselor. An ideal school counselor is a compassionate educational leader who consistently advocates for the thriving of students in their personal lives, academic growth, and career planning. This ideal school counselor operates from basic fundamental beliefs and dispositions that prioritize the value of all students. Additionally, the school counselor works at three distinct, yet interrelated, levels within a school: she serves the needs of individual students, the needs of diverse groups of students, and the needs of the school as a whole.

Operates from Basic Fundamental Beliefs and Dispositions In order for a school counselor to be most effective, she must embody particular foundational assumptions and attitudes. These principles are centered on the disposition of compassion, and they include the beliefs that all people are worthy of love and that all people have the potential to learn and grow. She also exemplifies the character of both a proactive leader and a selfless servant. All of these beliefs and temperaments reflect the

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR counselors justice and equity-oriented frame of mind, and this compassionate nature exists at the core of her identity. All People are Worthy of Love Because a school counselor works with a wide spectrum of diverse students and families, she must genuinely value the worth of all human beings. School counselors often work with students that believe they are unlovable, and the counselor must inherently believe in the falsehood of this notion in order to help her students reject it. Theses values also imply that a school counselor is culturally competent and embraces diversity of all kinds (Ethical Standards, 2010). I have worked with school professionals that do not manifest these beliefs, and I have seen their students lose confidence and trust as a result. All People Have Potential to Learn and Grow A school counselor must also believe wholeheartedly in the potential of every human to self-actualize. Self-actualization is the process of becoming ones best self.

Even when all circumstantial odds are against a person, a school counselor is the voice of hope for her students, and she offers a vision for a brighter and limitless future. As society bombards students with messages of cannot, I have personally witnessed how the contrasting message of can may inspire a student toward personal change. Coupled with this belief in students self-actualizing potential is the embodiment of a strengths-based approach to school counseling. A school counselor must be willing to help all students reach their potential by guiding them to discover and utilize their personal strengths. Taking a strengths-based approach in working with middle school

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR students is more likely to achieve results in promoting their academic achievement and overall well-being (Clark, Flower, Walton, and Oakley, 2008). The Disposition of a Proactive Leader Leadership is another essential component of a school counselors identity. This quality, however, is not automatically ascribed to a school counselor; she must earn this

reputation through her actions. The school counselor demonstrates leadership by actively involving herself in school duties and activities, contributing to an overall positive school climate, and offering a strong voice and opinion in school-wide decision-making. Mason & McMahon (2009) emphasize leaderships crucial role as one of the four major themes of the ASCA National Model: Because other essential skills such as advocacy, collaboration, and systemic change assume a certain degree of leadership, leadership may be considered the foundation of the other essential skills. The Disposition of a Servant While a school counselor acts as an influential educational leader, she must also maintain a demeanor of humility and selflessness. Because a school counselors first obligation is to students (Ethical Standards, 2010), she must be willing to partake in the tasks necessary to serve those students. She must not do her job with self-service or selffulfillment in mind. Instead, she must be other-centered, purposeful, and hardworking.

Serves the Needs of Individual Students Working individually with students allows the counselor to fulfill her duty to students most directly. This service involves developing relationships, fostering positive

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR change in students lives, and advocating for individual students. All of these behaviors

contribute to the goal of nurturing all students development based on their unique needs. Develops Personal Relationships Although students have relationships with their families, peers, and teachers, the counselor-student relationship serves a particular and important purpose. Societal pressures such as perfectionism and people pleasing often impinge on students relationships with others. Students may therefore lack a safe place to fully explore and develop their true selves. A school counselor allows students to freely engage their inner selves without fear of judgment, rejection, or punishment. This trusting relationship is a necessary foundation for invoking positive change in students lives, and theorist Carl Rogers especially supports this notion (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). Fosters Positive Change in Students Lives Along with developing a secure relationship, a school counselor also acts as a catalyst for stimulating change in individuals lives. For example, a student may seek out his school counselor because he is struggling to combat peer pressure to smoke despite his personal opposition to smoking. In this scenario, a school counselor may guide the client to clarify the particular thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that he would like to change. The counselor also provides her students with insights and tools that will prepare them to prevent and/or cope with future challenges. The school counselor empowers students to make self-directed decisions that support their positive development (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). Advocates for Individual Students

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR Not only does the ideal school counselor work with students, but she also works on behalf of individual students. When students cannot or will not advocate for their personal needs, the school counselor fulfills this purpose (Ethical Standards, 2010). A

school counselor genuinely has the best interest of all students at heart, and the counselor ensures that each student is aware of this. Perhaps an Asian student is struggling to live up to her teachers severely unrealistic expectations, and she believes these expectations derive from the teachers stereotype of her culture. Not only should the counselor work directly with the student, but she may also advocate for the student. This may involve working with the students teacher or administrators in order to ensure that the student is being treated equitably.

Serves the Needs of Diverse Groups of Students As a culturally competent and equitable educator, an ideal school counselor also facilitates growth for demographically unique groups of students. These groups include (but are not limited to): race, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and limited English proficiency (LEP). The category of high need includes students that are struggling academically and/or personally. Identifies Student Groups of High Need The school counselor may disaggregate and analyze school profile data to determine a particular group of students that demonstrates lower academic achievement (Ethical Standards, 2010). Gibbons and Borders (2010) emphasize the importance of this early identification of high need: Assessments that identify middle school students

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR most at risk for non-[college] attendance would help school counselors address the barriers facing these students proactively. Test scores, however, are not the only measure of groups with high need. A school counselor may also gather informal or qualitative data to determine what groups of students exhibit a need. Perhaps the counselor surveys students and teachers and discovers that many students are struggling with issues surrounding newly divorced parents. She might then decide to create a support group for some of those students. Actively Works to Meet Needs of Diverse Student Groups After the school counselor has identified specific groups of students that demonstrate need, she must take steps toward addressing that need. One significant part of this role is to work to close the achievement gap among diverse groups of students.

The counselor must actively seek to remove barriers to learning for her students. She may do so by offering new opportunities and support services for minority students that may otherwise never enroll in academically rigorous courses. In one study, counselors developed a long-term group-counseling program for middle school boys with low selfefficacy. By the conclusion of the sessions, the perceived attitudes of the great majority of the participants toward school became increasingly positive, and they expressed more focused interest in looking to the future (Clark, Flower, Walton, and Oakley, 2008). This study is just one example of the myriad ways that a school counselor may foster personal and academic growth of diverse groups of students.

Serves the Needs of the School as a Whole

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR

An ideal school counselor reaches all students by serving the entire student body. While performing tasks at the school-wide level, the counselor maintains the students best interest in mind and works to support students in a systematic manner. Some of these tasks include implementing a holistic guidance program, collaborating, and acting as a community and family liaison. While most of these duties are indirect services, they are still vital in a counselors mission to support students overall thriving and development. Implements Holistic Guidance Program Perhaps the most important way to serve all students is to enact a comprehensive developmental guidance program. This comprehensive program encompasses students personal/social, career, and academic needs. Character education is essential to students general wellbeing and ultimately their academic success (Benninga, Berkowitz, Kuehn & Smith, 2006); it teaches them skills for coping with a variety of personal situations, and it equips them to contribute to their communities in positive ways. Counselors also devote part of their guidance programs to academic and career planning in order to provide students with self-exploration and decision-making tools necessary for choosing their future paths. This long-term and holistic aspect of a guidance program has proven effective in increasing students academic performance (Sink, Akos, Turnbull, and Mvududu, 2008; Dodson, 2009). Dodson (2009) reported one significant finding of implementing a mandatory freshman and sophomore guidance seminar: A higher percentage of students are selecting 2- and 4-year colleges and universities for their postgraduate plans. A comprehensive guidance program also serves the important purpose of problem prevention. When all students were exposed to preventative classroom guidance

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR curriculums, counselors in one study were found to spend less time responding to individual students crises and more time implementing activities that create a

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welcoming school climate, as well as collaborating with teachers and families (Epstein, 2010). Collaboration At the school-wide level, the counselor has a critical role to play as a team member. Epstein (2010) claims, Counselors need to work on a team of educators, parents, and others to organize a sustainable partnership program. Amatea and WestOlatunji (2007) contribute three other collaborative roles of school counselors. These are: (a) serving as a cultural bridge between teachers and students (b) functioning as a partner with teachers by connecting the curriculum more directly to students' lives, and (c) teaming with teachers to create a more welcoming, family-centric school climate. Working together with other school leaders allows a counselor to share opinions, gather new ideas, develop support, and delegate tasks. Collaboration provides for the exchange of ideas among school personnel, including the administrators who make school-wide decisions and teachers who interact with students on a daily basis. Ultimately, collaborating with colleagues allows the school counselor to be more effective in her mission to support students by involving other influential adults in students lives. Community and Family Liaison A similar component of a school counselors role is to create links among the school, community, and families. Together, these three institutions have the power to impact students in drastically positive ways, and a counselor is often the direct

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR connection among them. Epstein (2010) supports this contention; he argues that family and community partnerships are not optional, but essential components of students success. Moreover, he recommends that school counselors devote 20% of their time to this purpose in order to promote parental involvement, encourage outreach, and to

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address behavior and academic concerns collaboratively (2010). Steen (2010) also relays the necessity for school counselors to connect low-income students to health care services, as their physical condition often impacts their schoolwork. Epstein (2010) asserts, [A]ll partners who care about students have roles to play in both prevention and treatment interventions.

Conclusion Overall, the ideal school counselor possesses certain inherent dispositions that allow her to cultivate students personal, academic, and career growth. This counselor believes that all people are worthy of love and are capable of reaching their potential. She also operates from the dispositions of both a leader and servant in order to reach all students effectively. Further, the ideal school counselor serves students at three distinct levels: individual, group, and school-wide. This variety of work with students allows the school counselor to be a dynamic and thorough educational leader. Ultimately, the ideal school counselor impacts all students by fostering their individual flourishing and by igniting their journeys toward becoming productive global citizens.

IDEAL ROLE OF A SCHOOL COUNSELOR References (2010). Ethical Standards for School Counselors. American School Counselor Association. Retrieved from http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/EthicalStandards2010.pdf

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Amatea, E. A., and C. West-Olatunji. (2007). Joining the Conversation about Educating Our Poorest Children: Emerging Leadership Roles for School Counselors in High-Poverty Schools. Professional School Counseling, 11(2), 81. Benninga, J. S., Berkowitz, M.W., Keuhn, P., and Smith, K. (2006) Character and Academics: What Good Schools Do. Phi Delta Kappan, 87 (6), 448-452. Clark, M., Flower, K., Walton, J., & Oakley, E. (2008). Tackling Male Underachievement: Enhancing a Strengths-Based Learning Environment for Middle School Boys. Professional School Counseling, 12(2), 127-132. Dodson, T. (2009). Advocacy and Impact: A Comparison of Administrators' Perceptions of the High School Counselor Role. Professional School Counseling, 12(6), 480. Epstein, J. (2010). School Counselors' Roles in Developing Partnerships with Families and Communities for Student Success. Professional School Counseling, 14(1), 1. Gibbons, M. M., & Borders, L. (2010). A Measure of College-Going Self-Efficacy for Middle School Students. Professional School Counseling, 13(4), 234-243. Henderson, D. A., & Thompson, C.L. (2011). Counseling children (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Mason, E., & G.H. McMahon (2009). Leadership Practices of School Counselors. Professional School Counseling, 13(2), 107. Sink, C. A., Akos, P., Turnbull, R. J., & Mvududu, N. (2008). An Investigation of Comprehensive School Counseling Programs and Academic Achievement in Washington State Middle Schools. Professional School Counseling, 12(1), 43-53. Steen, S. A. (2010). A Broader and Bolder Approach to School Reform: Expanded Partnership Roles for School Counselors. Professional School Counseling, 14(1), 42.