Through a comprehensive developmental school counseling program, counselors work as a team member with school staff, parents, and the community to create a caring, supportive climate and atmosphere whereby young adolescents can achieve academic success. Middle school counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic achievement.
School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community. The professional middle school counselor holds a master's degree and required state certification in school counseling. Maintaining certification includes on-going professional development to stay current with education reform and challenges facing today's students. Professional association membership is encouraged as it enhances the school counselor's knowledge and effectiveness.
My philosophy of education, no matter the age of the learner, is to create an atmosphere of emotional comfort and security so that one feels at ease enough to absorb information that is being presented. If the learner is feeling anxious, worried, insecure, etc., then the brain will not absorb the amount of information as compared to when the learner is feeling calm, content and comfortable in the academic setting.
For these reasons, my goal is to make the students on my caseload feel content and secure in their environment so that they can have as pleasant, enjoyable and enriching academic experience as possible in middle school.
My role is to work with students in all three grades in either a group or individual setting to help support them through various transitions that occur in life. Students on my caseload may be in regular or special education. Focuses of group work may include:
Social skill development and enhancement, stress management, self esteem enhancement, assertiveness and self-advocacy training. Groups also are formulated according to specific needs.
Engrained in all group and individual settings is encouragement to learn about and accept individual strengths and weaknesses and to try to accept differences in other's (empathy). Empathy is a skill that needs to be nurtured and encouraged to promote peace, tolerance and acceptance.
If we encourage empathy in our children and model this skill ourselves, we will foster in them life skills that will help them accept themselves and get along with others.