Counseling Reflection

This has been an adventurous semester to say the least.  I think I took on my practicum during a very stressful time in my life, but I am happy to say that I did complete it!  This has by far been the greatest learning experience throughout my graduate time at Morehead State University.  I had the opportunity to work with two wonderful counselors who are devoted to their work as student counselors and truly want the best for the students.  I spent my practicum hours at an elementary school and a middle school.  Both experiences were great but they were different.

            During my time at the elementary school I was very surprised at all the duties that the counselor takes on.  She is the counselor as well as the gifted and talented teacher.  She also has many administrative duties that she performs for the school as well.  I learned that as a school counselor you have to be flexible, because you never know what the day may bring you.  Considering she was at the elementary level, she spent a good amount of time teaching guidance lessons to students.  She let me take on all the guidance lessons for the kindergarten, first and second grade classes.  This again was a great learning experience, because it has been a few years since I have been teaching in the classroom.  I also had the opportunity to individually counsel two students during my time at the elementary school.  I enjoyed my time with each of these students and feel they quickly learned that I was someone they could trust.  Communication came fairly easy with one student because she was very open with me, but I had to take more time to get to know the second student before he would communicate as much.  I quickly learned that he enjoyed playing board games, so we would play those while I talked to him.  I found that this helped him to open up to me and communicate more.  It made me feel good when he told me that his day was better after getting to meet with me.

     My time at the middle school was a different experience than my time at the elementary school.  While I was at the middle school, I was surprised at how many students the counselor has in and out of her office each day.  I found that I really looked forward to going there because I knew that each day I was there I would get to meet with several students and you never knew what situation you may be dealt with from them.  The counselor that I worked with had a great relationship with the students, so it was obvious at how much they trusted her.  I spent the majority of my time there listening to her counsel students and assisting her as well.  There were days that my heart broke for some of these students and the situations that they were dealing with at home or school.  I learned that as a counselor at a school you also have to deal with problems that arise in the classroom that need you to take on an assertive role.  I was listening to the counselor talk to a student who was getting in trouble in class and he was caught in a lie.  She handled the situation with confidence and enough sternness that the student knew that lying to her was unacceptable. 

            I think the thing that surprised me the most about myself through this experience was how much I miss working with students.  I have been staying at home with my two daughters for almost four years now, but I am ready to be back in the schools with students.  I have a genuine concern for children and I was reminded of that throughout this experience.  I feel that I have gained more confidence throughout this practicum experience.  I was definitely nervous about getting in the classrooms and individually counseling students but with experience it became easier.  I feel that I realize now just how important it is to have a great relationship with all the students, so that they feel comfortable in coming to talk to you. 

Skittles Ice Breaker

I chose to use an ice breaker with the class using skittles.  For this activity I first put some skittles in a small plastic baggie.  I just tried to make sure that there was at least one of each color in each bag. Then the students had to share something about themselves with the class for each color.  The amount of information they were to give depended on how many skittles they had for that color.  Here is what I used:

Red Skittle:  Tell class one fact about yourself.

Orange Skittle:  Tell class one fact about someone in your family.

Yellow Skittle:  Tell class about a place you would like to visit or have visited.

Green Skittle:  Tell class about a favorite memory.

Purple Skittle:  Tell class about a favorite movie or television show.

So if a student had 2 red skittles, then they would have to share 2 facts about themselves with the class.  Then I would do the same process for each skittle color.  This will help the class or group to get to know each other better and feel more comfortable around one another.

Middle School Counseling Experience

I had a great learning experience while working with a middle school counselor.  I was very surprised at how many students come in and out of her office each day.  The counselor was very busy throughout the day meeting with students who came to her office having difficulties they wanted to discuss or having trouble in class.  She barely had time to fit in the administrative duties for that day.  I enjoyed being there because she did meet with so many students each day, which is my favorite part of student counseling.  It was also a very awakening experience to see what problems these students encounter at home and at school.  The counselor that I was working with had a wonderful relationship with the students and it was obvious that they trusted her and felt comfortable confiding with her.  I was surprised that I enjoyed being there as much as I did considering I have more experience with elementary students.

Metaphor I can use while counseling

I found a metaphor that I felt could be beneficial to clients.  The Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favorite movies and I have found a metaphor that can be used to relate this movie to our lives.  The story is based on the main character, Dorothy who is trying to become what she is meant to be.  This is symbolized by her many attempts to get home.  Dorothy learns that she cannot do this alone and she needs the help of others.  Many students are trying to figure out what their future holds and what they want to do with their life, but they must realize that they need the help of others.  Those other people can be family, friends, teachers and counselors.  Along the way, Dorothy meets three people who in reality, are ego states that are within her.  Dorothy learns that to achieve your goal, you need to use your head (a brain), you need to have passion and feeling for what you want ( a heart), and you need to have determination and be willing to take risks (courage).    Through the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy learns that she has all of these within her.   Students need to understand that in order to be successful throughout life that they need and education and to use their head, a passion for what they want out of life and determination.

Dorothy also encounters some characters that help her to learn more about life.  For instance she thought a lot about the Wizard and felt he was strong but realized that those people are often just as ordinary as we are.  She also found out that people who try to hurt us in lots of ways are more vulnerable than we are (Wicked Witch of the West).  Students need to realize that to be successful in life they need to experience this world and look within themselves to achieve their goals in life.

My Thoughts on Counseling-Week 12

I have enjoyed being back in the schools and working with students.  I taught elementary students for six years before making the decision to stay at home with my daughters.  I have enjoyed my time home with them but I have been ready to get back into the working world.  My counseling experience has given me the opportunity to feel like a professional, of course without the pay!  That would be a bonus!  It is great to feel as though I am helping these students, either through my guidance lessons or individual counseling sessions.  I also feel that this is great experience for my future job hunt.  It is amazing at how much has changed in the education world in the past three years that I have been home with my girls.  I can now pursue a career as an elementary teacher or as a student counselor, given that I complete assignments and pass the dreaded exit exam!  Actually having the opportunity to counsel students and observe counselors has given me a greater insight to what is actually involved in student counseling.  It seems so many of my graduate courses have not been specifically related to student counseling, which did not give me a clear picture of what they do on a daily basis.  I feel that I have developed through this experience by gaining knowledge and more confidence. 

My first choice for my career in education would be student counseling.  I do wish that student counselors could spend more time in their day actually counseling students though.  They seem to have many duties and responsibilities in the school system that takes away time that they could be spending counseling with students.  Spending time with students and making a difference in their lives is what excites me about counseling.  I recently had a student tell me that his day had gotten better after speaking with me in an individual counseling session and that was a great reminder of why I am pursuing this career!

Cyberbullying

I feel that it is very important that educators and student counselors address cyberbullying in our schools.  Students are now living in a world where technology is all around them and always available.  The majority of students will carry cell phones that have access to the internet and in a lot of schools they are even allowed to take those phones to school with them.  When I was a teenager we had to actually call each other on a land line phone but now most teens communicate through text messages.  They are constantly sending messages back and forth.  Because of this increase in technology there has been an increase in cyberbullying.  I have often stated that I am so glad that Facebook was not around when I was in high school!  Parents and educators need to address cyberbullying with students and help them to become more aware of this problem.  I think this has changed the work of a school counselor because they now need to add cyberbullying to their curriculum, possibly through guidance lessons.  They will also be dealing with this issue more frequently through individual and group counseling.  Counselors will be counseling students who are engaging in cyberbullying and those that have been a victim of cyberbullying.  I believe those are the ways that I would address this problem in my school as well.  I would first add cyberbullying into my guidance lesson curriculum at the beginning of the school year to reach all students.  My lessons would be geared to the age level of the students.  I will work with the students to increase their awareness of the problem of cyberbullying and help them to develop strategies for resisting peer pressure and communicating in positive ways online. 

Continued Learning as a Professional

As with any profession it is very important to continue your learning because things are constantly changing and it is vital that we keep up.  I am currently not employed so my first professional step is to seek employment as either an elementary teacher or student counselor.  I have been out of the elementary classroom for three years now and it is amazing to me how much has changed in that short span of time.  The only way I have been able to stay up to date is to talk to other professional in elementary education.  I also plan on subbing while I continue to look for a job so I feel that will help me to continue my learning in elementary education.  I will continue my learning in student counseling by continuing a professional relationship with my supervising counselors at the schools that I have been at throughout my practicum experience.  I feel that they will be a great source of information to me and I know that they will not mind to stay in contact with me.  I also plan to continue my education at Morehead State University while working on my Rank I in Student Counseling.  I feel that this will help to keep me knowledgable in the field as well.