FDR high school--Visit by Counselor Yang

The main purpose of our interview with Counselor Yang is to help students better understand the role of a school counselor. Firstly, let's introduce Counselor Yang's background. She was born and raised in China and decided to come to the United States to pursue her graduate studies when she was around 26 years old. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics in China and worked in a bank for a year after graduation. However, she did not enjoy her job and resigned to work in Shanghai for a year and a half before deciding to come to the United States for further studies. She chose to study school counseling, a two-year master's program, and worked as a substitute teacher and part-time counselor at other schools before starting her full-time job at FDR High School in May 2021.

What follows is a conversation between Senmi and Counselor Yang:

Senmi:“What do you think are the main responsibilities of a counselor?”

Counselor Yang: "The main areas are divided into three domains: Academic Aspects, Career Planning, and Mental Health, or it can be called Social Emotional Growth. When she encounters students who are new to FDR, she always asks them about their courses, how well they are adapting, if they have made new friends, and if they have joined any new clubs. She strongly encourages students to participate in new clubs as a way to make new friends."

Senmi:“How do you arrange your students' classes?”

Counselor Yang: "The courses offered at our school are actually very fixed. There are six compulsory subjects: English, History, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, and Language. Beyond these, the seventh period is dedicated to elective courses where students have the opportunity to choose. Starting from next year, our school intends to emphasize educational options, which means selecting a career pathway and then taking elective courses aligned with that field. For example, if a student chooses the coding pathway, they would study computer programming, or if they opt for scientific research, they would develop research skills in marine biology. Other options include subjects like fine arts or graphic design. In this situation, it primarily depends on how you choose to shape your future. At this point, I will recommend courses that are more suitable for your individual interests."

Senmi:“How can you help a student if they have difficulties?”

Counselor Yang: "Firstly, we have recently issued the Report Card, which provides the grades for each subject and comments written by each teacher. If a student fails in all subjects, it may indicate difficulties in adaptation or a prolonged absence from school. Another scenario is when a student fails in only one subject, which could be due to challenges in a specific area. In such cases, tutoring is available after school for free, and parents may inquire about their child's need for additional support. My general attitude is that if there are extra resources at home for tutoring, it can be beneficial. However, the school will not require you to pay for tutoring at specific locations."

Senmi:“If there are some conflicts between students and teachers or between teachers and students, what method will you use to resolve them?”

Counselor Yang: "Firstly, we have recently issued the Report Card, which provides the grades for each subject and comments written by each teacher. If a student fails in all subjects, it may indicate difficulties in adaptation or a prolonged absence from school. Another scenario is when a student fails in only one subject, which could be due to challenges in a specific area. In such cases, tutoring is available after school for free, and parents may inquire about their child's need for additional support. My general stance is that if there are extra resources available at home for tutoring, it can be beneficial. However, the school will not require you to pay for tutoring at specific locations."

Senmi:“What do you think about the degree of participation of Chinese students in FDR in certain activities? Is the degree of participation positive?”

Counselor Yang: "Can you give me examples of what types of activities are available?"

Senmi:“For example, some extra activities of clubs and schools, such as broadcasting those activities, do you think they have a high degree of participation?”

Counselor Yang: "This is also something that I have been concerned about and have always wanted to encourage more student participation in. Firstly, the school's broadcasting is managed by the Student Government. However, the mechanism of the Student Government often involves continuous applications and promotions starting from 9th grade, which is not very friendly to Chinese students who may have transferred to our school in 9th, 10th, 11th, or even 12th grade. At that point, your primary goal is not necessarily to directly join such school clubs because you may not have fully understood them yet. So, in many cases, it is up to you to find a group that suits you. In this regard, our school also has a Chinese film club, which is actually a great starting point. However, it can also be a double-edged sword because since everyone speaks Chinese in that group, the interaction tends to stay within that circle, and there is no driving force to move forward. Therefore, in such situations, I would actually encourage you, for example, from the perspective of course selection, if you are taking a programming course, to participate in the summer coding camp or join a sports team during the summer. This way, you can take the next step and get to know more students from different groups, and you can receive training in various aspects."

Senmi: "I believe that the school can provide more information and resources in various aspects to students of different languages, allowing them to understand and participate in clubs based on their interests and hobbies, which will help their future development."

Counselor Yang: "Yeah, I agree."

Senmi:“How can you and your students work together to make them more productive or just make the most of their time in high school?”

Counselor Yang: "High school education in the United States is indeed very different from the educational environment in China. In the U.S., it is often necessary to think clearly about what you want. However, we may start this process a bit later compared to other American students because we have been more accustomed to a spoon-feeding approach, where we were not told how to choose or what to do. Even when you first arrive and your language proficiency is not sufficient, you are required to take language classes. So, in that whole process, it is important for you to gradually develop your own thoughts and ideas about what you want and what you don't want. I believe that the role of a counselor is to encourage you to have these questions and guide you in exploring them. If you remember, I have always told you to go and ask, to try it out. Even if it's just a little bit, I can accompany you in exploring and opening up this world. But if you don't have anything, if you don't know anything, then even though I have a treasure trove here, there's too much, and I don't know how to help you find or access it."

Senmi: "Some students may not have found their direction yet and need time to adapt because when they first come from China, they may have less control over their own lives. In China, others make decisions for you. So, when they come to the United States, where they have to make all the decisions themselves, it can be a bit uncomfortable for them."

Counselor Yang: "Do you feel scared when making your own decisions? Of course, you do. It's natural to be afraid of making the wrong choice."

Senmi: "So, at this point, we still hope that you can provide suggestions, offer some useful advice that we can consider."

Counselor Yang: "So, when you have doubts or uncertainties, I still strongly encourage all of you to come to me. Even if you're not very sure, based on my own experience, as you know, I changed my college major once, and I've made many changes in my life choices. So, in such situations, at least tell me that sometimes it's okay to make the wrong decision; it's still an experience."

The above dialogue is a recorded conversation between Senmi and the counselor, conducted with the counselor's consent.