The Insights Regarding the Duties and Nature of the Job - Essay Example

Counseling Interview Introduction: The highly competitive nature of the employment scenario in the United s has resulted in high emphasis on quality education. As a result, modern education is highly stressful for students in a variety of ways. In order to assist them, school boards across the states provide the assistance of trained counselors who can help or assist students, parents, and school authorities in tackling the problems created by this stressful situation. According to Dougherty, the counselor helps the students and teachers also. In the case of the latter, the person can advice the teacher on how to deal with a particular student effectively (Dougherty, 1999, p. 6). This essay is based on an interview conducted with a LSSP (Licensed Specialist in School Psychology) in the state of Texas. The purpose is to provide a view of a career as a school psychologist. It will provide readers with an overall view of a career in this field. The essay is divided into five sections based on the interview and is categorized as duties and general nature, preparation for the career, method of entry, methodology and beliefs, and a personal reflection. Duties and general nature of the job: The insights regarding the duties and nature of the job derived out of the interview are briefly discussed below. Duties can be broadly classified into those performed within and outside a school setting. The duties that are usually performed within a school setting are as follows. The counselor should be well equipped to handle a crisis (emotional) and should advise the staff and students on tackling an issue if one arises. Apart from this, personal and social issues can crop up. In such case, a one to one or group counseling needs to be done. The counselor will also have to provide assistance in student placement and also help in personally evaluating the psychological and emotional profile of individual students. Students with special education needs are seen in many schools and the counselor will have to assist the student and staff on how to provide appropriate facilities for effectively imparting training to such students. In case the school is taking the services of outside psychologists, doctors, clinicians, occupational and physical therapists, speech pathologists, the counselor is to evaluate their qualifications and capabilities. The counselor also has to prepare and evaluate personal reports in connection with the above duties. Helping students with course selection and advising on how to effectively complete (graduate) the course is also part of the job of a counselor. The school district routinely conducts ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal of students) meetings. The counselor must present an evaluation of the same. Once every three years a re-evaluation of the procedures must also be done and any changes can be recommended. This is not a routine desk job, and the typical work day of the counselor involves all the above activities as and when they are required and include student observations in a classroom setting. Then there are meetings with the SAIL (Behavioral Unit) twice a week to discuss any student problems or issues. Finally weekly meeting with diagnosticians, occupational and physical therapists, speech therapists, school directors, and staff is done to assess the needs and help special needs student. As seen from the above, tasks are varied and except for periodic activities, there is no typical work day for counselors. In case of ethical or legal issues, the counselor can follow the guidelines provided by the Texas Education Agency and State Board of Education Certification (as per directives of NCLB) is to be followed. It should be noted the counselor should not allow personal prejudices to come into play and should always behave in an ethical and moral way coupled with a strong personal conviction that no student will be treated unjustly. Preparation for the career as school counselor (LSSP): According to the interviewee, two types of qualifications are needed to be a valid and effective counselor, namely technical and emotional. The Texas Education Board requires a Master’s degree in psychology to be technically qualified for the post. The candidate also has to hold a valid licensure to be a counselor issued by the Texas State Board of Examiners and Psychologist in Texas. It has to be maintained throughout the tenure in the school and the counselor has to undertake periodic professional development programs as required by State rules. The emotional part is that the person should be service oriented rather than money oriented. It is possible to practice independent psychological counseling and will probable earn the person more financial rewards when compared to the school job. Another emotional area that has to be tackled is the occasional frustration when the counselor is helpless in assisting some students who have gone off track with regard to their education. It may happen that some student’s may not respond to counseling and advice and will revert back to bad habits. This can be quite frustrating. Method of entry: Apart from being technically qualified to hold the post, a person has to be first selected by the authorities to become a counselor. After applying for the post, qualified applicants will be included in the ‘pool’ of potential counselors. Individuals from the pool will then be required to attend interviews at schools that have openings for the post. But the final selection can only take place if the director of Psychology recommends that the candidate is capable of holding the post effectively. This indicates that personal attributes (integrity, sincerity etc) is also considered when selected as a counselor. The director has to have a favorable impression of the candidate without which a recommendation is not possible. Methodology and beliefs: The interviewee believes that there is no one single method that is effective in tackling a particular problem or issue. The human mind is complex and is influenced by many factors. Hence each problem or issue has to be tackled by taking into the factors that influence of affect a particular student and a suitable methodology be worked out. But effective intervention can result in a positive behavioral modification in most instances. It is always helpful to assist students set goals for themselves. The interviewee believes that this will help that set a target which can be achieved with help and assistance from the counselor, the staff, and family of the student. A person with no target to achieve can feel lost and helpless. Hence goal setting is an essential factor and the counselor can be of assistance to the student regarding this. But regular follow up should be done with those who have set effective goals so that the counselor can ensure that they are still on track. Personal reflection: This section is highly personal and the reflections of individual counselors may vary. So the opinions provided by the interviewee cannot be considered to be universal. However, some of the opinions may be shared by others as well. For him, there is no other occupation that is more satisfying and rewarding as the post of a school counselor. He is of the opinion that the LSSP is an essential factor in the success of students in school life and after. One disappointing factor that is seen is lack of apathy of some teachers regarding the needs of special students. They are not motivated enough to take care of the extra needs that such students require. The interviewee is due to retire soon, but personally wants to continue for another twenty years. This indicates the commitment of this person towards his role in helping students. Conclusion: This essay based on an interview with a very experienced counselor (LSSP) provides a broad picture of post. The opinions and the facts can be taken to be accurate taking into consideration the experience and of the interviewee. As a concluding remark, he states that a positive attitude and a strong commitment to the well-being of each and every student are essential for an effective counselor. The counselor should be a people person and be willing to go that extra mile to help a student if the need arises. It is a challenging and exciting job with the occasional frustration of being helpless in some situations. Adaptability and flexibility is part of the job and no days are alike. Each day can bring about new challenges and commitment and sincerity can help in overcoming them. Works Cited Dougherty, A M. (1999, Oct). Psychological Consultation and Collaboration in School and Community Settings. 3rd edn. Wadsworth Publishing: Florence, Kentucky. Read More