The Effect a School Counselor can have on a Student’s Success is Immeasurable

The Effect a School Counselor can have on a Student’s Success is Immeasurable

Today, school counselors offer academic assistance, as well as ensure emotional and mental wellbeing of their subjects. This role has evolved over time from concentrating on academic issues without paying attention to personal problems to guiding students in matters concerning their social and emotional wellbeing. In addition to emotional and social wellbeing, a counselor is tasked with guiding the students in career choices (“Guidance to School Counselor”, 2017). Counselors engage other stakeholders to facilitate interaction between the latter and students. Therefore, they focus on strengthening interpersonal relationships and shaping the school policy to deal with issues that affect learners (“School Counselors”, n.d.). However, each individual has varied experiences with the counselors, given their diverse approaches to address student’s issues, as well as personality attributes. While professional counselor in high school assisted me in realizing my strengths and choosing the right career, respondents, whom I interviewed, have mixed experiences concerning high school guidance.

My experiences with counselors in high school are positive due to their impact on my personal and career life. One of the essential aspects I remember about my counselor is the ability to listen and assist an individual in finding solutions. She was empathetic, which facilitated opening up regarding the problems I faced in high school. She was concerned about social life and academic excellence. She also assisted me in choosing the career that resonated with my personality. Her involvement in both academic and social life helped me to cope with daily challenges.

One of the challenges that she assisted me to cope with is the difficult times that we were undergoing as a family. Mum and dad were not in good terms, an issue that affected not only my emotional wellbeing but also academic performance. She was quick to notice the change of behavior and performance in school. The extraordinary support she offered helped me to concentrate on education.

One of the high school graduates that I interviewed recounted negative experiences with his high school counselor. The graduate who is more than forty years narrated the ordeal in high school. When the counselor asked him the course he wanted to pursue, he stated that he wanted to be an engineer. The counselor, however, disapproved his choice and suggested an alternative career. He affirmed that the student was not capable of being an engineer. Since the counselor based his advice solely on high school grades and ignored other personal attributes that are worth considering in choosing career, he has lived to blame advisors who do not take time to learn about their subjects. Despite the discouragement, the responded pursued a Bachelors of Science Mechanical Engineering, and he has been successful in practice and engineering management. This experience shaped his view about the counselors, making him skeptical of their advice.

Another interviewee, who is a colleague, will always be grateful to her high school counselor. The school counselor helped her coping with difficulties in her family. Her parents’ divorce affected not only her emotional wellbeing but also her academic performance. It took the counselor only three days to notice a change of behavior, after which he contacted her. She attributed the success in school to him due to the support he offered her. Being an introvert she suffered a great deal of emotional remorse as she adored a family with both parents. Therefore, when her parents separated, she was unstable. The counselor, however, guided her to accepting the situation. This continued support not only assisted her in academics but also influenced her to pursue psychology, as well as a career in school counseling.  Therefore, the high school graduate benefited significantly from school counseling.

The school counselor role has changed gradually from being involved only in academics but also in personal life. This aspect is essential as social experiences affect motivation as well as performance in schools. Based on my experience, counselors guide students in improving academic grades, choosing careers, and overcoming social obstacles them (“Guidance to School Counselor”, 2017; Wilder, 2018). However, those who graduated from high school thirty years ago have varied experiences from those who left recently. Those who graduated recently attest to the involvement of counselors to personal matters, career, and academic performance. As a result, counselors have significantly shaped lives of those who graduated recently. In contrast, for those who graduated 10 years ago, counselors primarily guided them to academic excellence and career choice. Therefore, nowadays, school counseling involves guidance regarding social life, academics, and career.

History, philosophy, and trends are instrumental in making school counseling effective. Philosophy asserts the need for educators to create a conducive environment for learning, where the student is not only understood but also supported.  History informs the primary objectives of counseling, which include enhancing learning experiences and preparing future workforce (Wilder, 2018). Trends also shape counseling as the educators identify and assess social needs for positive learning experience. Overall, history forms the foundation for school counseling, while philosophy and trends shape the practice.

In conclusion, high school graduates have varied experiences with their school counselors. Some appreciate their guidance, while others recount negative experiences. Nevertheless, school counseling has evolved over time from providing academic guidance to ensuring social wellbeing of students.

References

Guidance to School Counselor: The evolution of professional school counseling. (2017). Online Counseling Programs. Retrieved from https://onlinecounselingprograms.com/blog/history-of-school-counseling/.

School Counselors (for Teens). Teens Health from Nemours. Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/school-counselors.html.

Wilder, C. (2018). Promoting the role of the school counselor. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory & Research, 45(2), 60-68. doi: 10.1080/15566382.2019.1646085.