Master of Science in Counseling
Option in School Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services School Counseling Credential
California State University, Long Beach
A 3 to 5 page (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins) personal statement is required. This statement should reflect a clear, focused, and comprehensive profile of you as a person and a prospective professional school counselor. Pages should be numbered and your name included as a header or footer on each page. Organize your statement into 4 sections using the following headings:
BACKGROUND/INFLUENCES/CONTRIBUTORY RELATIONSHIPS
Describe your educational, work, volunteer, and pertinent life experiences. Discuss interpersonal relations, interests, and special skills you possess that you believe will enhance your work as a professional school counselor. Describe the experiences, people, and information that have influenced your decision to select the school counseling profession as your career goal. Also describe how your family, friends, education, work, and leisure have contributed to your being a desirable candidate for entrance into the school counseling profession.
SCHOOL COUNSELOR ROLE
Describe your perception of a school counselor’s role and responsibilities. Discuss relationships with other disciplines as well as
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I believe as a counselor, I will meet all types of individuals who are seeking healing. As a school counselor, I understand the relationship with the client is strictly professional, meaning the relationship does not continue beyond the work space. Nevertheless, I believe as a school counselor one has to genuinely and sincerely be present in every moment for all children. I have come to learn most children have a keen sense of awareness of whether one is being sincere or not. Consequently, their reaction is a reflection of the counselor or other individuals’
The responsibilities of a professional school counselor are to design and deliver comprehensive programs to promote student achievement. The guidelines
A professional school counselor is skilled and trained to use his/her best judgment when it comes to students’ rights and confidentiality. One should behave as a professional at all times and be mindful of their behavior. One not only have to be aware of professional values they should also be knowledgeable of applying these standards as they apply to the role of the school counselor. The professional school counselor is responsible for removing barriers to learning and to advocate for change for all students. In the case study assigned for review, I will examine ethical violation as it contains to student rights, confidentiality and professionalism relationships. The school counselor lives and works in a community where one socializes
Deciding to become a Student Guidance Counselor was not a fly by night decision. I did a great deal of reading and research before making a decision. I knew once I started a graduate program in School Guidance Counseling, it would be both challenging and a commitment until the end. I am somewhat nervous about this new journey that I am about to partake; however, I am ready to accept the challenge and make the commitment. I am a newly licensed teacher and there will be areas and terminology which I am not familiar. But, what I have found out thus far is that a teacher and a student counselor have quite a few things in common. They both work with other teachers, parents, school administrators, and the community in an academic setting. The skills I have acquired as a preschool director and teacher will be integrated into my career as a guidance counselor. I will have the skills to guide and enhance the social, academic, and personal growth of my students by using a variety of strategies which will be my primary goal. I will be able t...
I received the pleasure of interviewing two school counselors, Mrs. Jean Harmon and Mr. Devon Herrick. I was excited about interviewing school counselors within the Chicago land area. Despite many negativities spoken about the Chicago Public School (CPS) system, I desire to work within CPS. I’ve heard many pros and cons of working at a selective enrollment school, compared to a public charter school. By interviewing these two individuals, I assumed that I would get a snapshot of a potential work day for a school counselor. Mrs. Harmon is a school counselor at King College Preparatory high school. Mr. Herrick is a personal counselor at Urban Prep Charter Academy- Bronzeville campus. It was interesting in learning about the daily responsibilities,
Individuals’ perceptions of their life/worth have the power to control the goals that they can carry out and meet. Every day we are learning new things and everyone has his/her own unique ways of learning. My strong desire to help students with their academic, personal, and social needs make me a strong candidate as a school counselor. While completing my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Program Administration I learned a great deal about myself. I have a passion for learning and want to share and express that love for learning with students. I feel that the Master of School Counseling program provides a direct path to my career goals of helping students to comprehend subject matter while learning to love learning as I do. Not only will
Professional school counselors have a unique role within their schools. They are advocates for student, parents, colleagues, and communities. Professional school counselors are also seen as leaders, collaborators, and consultants within their school and their community. It is the school counselor’s ethical responsibility to know, understand, and implement the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) ethical standards no matter what capacity they are active in.
Janson, Militelo & Kosine (2008) examined “how school counselors and principals their relationship” (p. 353). They gathered data through Q method. The Q method allowed them to involve qualitative and quantitative approaches subjectively of individual viewpoints while providing (Janson et al., 2008) with quantitative statistical technique to analyze data” (p. 354). Their analysis formed “four opinion groupings working alliance, impediments to alliance, shared leadership and purposeful collaboration” (p.354-356). (Janson et al., 2008) (pin pointed the following barriers of school counselors and principals relationship: “principals do not feel school counselors should focus on whole school issues, principals and school counselors do not agree on duties and principals perceptions of roles and responsibilities are incongruent with standards and benchmarks that emerged from school counselors professional organization”(p.354-356). (Janson et al., 2008) found that “if the relationship between principals and school counselors were clearer than their relationship would not be difficult” (p.356-359).
The reason this topic is being researched is because questions have come up asking whether or not school counseling programs are helping the students and what is the role of the school counselor. According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA)?A comprehensive school counseling program, driven by student data and based on standards in academic, career and personal/social development, promotes and enhances the learning process for all students?. School counselors are placed in the school to implement the comprehensive school counseling program. One of the problems school counselors have is proving how helpful their program is to the students. In my research and findings, it will show how school counselors can use data to show how well their school counseling program is doing and how the program affects the students who are receiving the program.
I cannot recall a more rewarding experience than helping facilitate a child’s education while enabling parent participation alike. These experiences have drawn me to my current position as an Educational Assistant where I am constantly interacting and establishing relationships with students, learning about their goals and aspirations. It is that same desire to empower our future students that has steered me towards a career as a school counselor. By enrolling in the Masters in counseling program, I aspire to develop methods and experience to become an effective, experienced, and adaptable school counselor that promotes self-awareness, allowing students to realize their full potential and impetus them towards a promising future. I want to learn skills that facilitate personal and career development, ensuring that our students grow accomplishing their goals and ambitions.
During the past three years of college, my interest in counseling has been affirmed through a variety of experiences. One important experience that influenced my decision to pursue a career as a school counselor was my involvement in my community service sorority, Chi Delta Alpha. Through Chi Delta Alpha, I volunteered on several occasions, among them I babysat children to provide parents with a night off; I was responsible for a group of elementary students as they experienced college classes and I painted a caboose for a local playground. A theme that has remained constant throughout all my different experiences is that making a difference in a person’s life is a rewarding experience, and I know that I desire a career that enables me to support high school students as they face difficult situations.
While interviewing the high school counselor of my choice Mr. Lee Ryland, this learner has learned that Mr. Ryland’s responsibilities as head school counselor i...
Erford, B. T. (2011). Transforming the School Counseling Profession, 3d Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
In Act 1, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello," the character of Iago emerges as a master manipulator, employing a sophisticated blend of language and rhetoric to advance his nefarious agenda. Through an analysis of Iago's language in this pivotal scene, it becomes evident that his use of persuasive techniques, deception, and manipulation not only reveals his Machiavellian nature but also contributes significantly to his character development as the quintessential villain of the play. At the outset of the scene, Iago engages in a conversation with Roderigo, whom he has successfully ensnared in his plot against Othello. Through his persuasive language, Iago demonstrates his ability to exploit Roderigo's vulnerabilities and manipulate him into furthering his schemes. For instance, he employs flattery when addressing Roderigo, referring to him as "good Michael Cassio," thereby appealing to Roderigo's vanity and desire for recognition.
The purpose of guidance counseling is to help students achieve happiness and success within their social and educational context. For young children this involves adaptation to the educational environment, and addressing any social or family problems that may interfere with the child's psychological health. For older children choice of career based on interest and ability takes precedence, although serious problems such as alcohol or drug abuse, sexual abuse or domestic violence situations, bullying and other situations that lead to severe stress are also addressed. The successful school counselor is one who takes the role of a loving parent, concerned and empathetic, able to listen and win the trust of students and with the time and self-confidence to make a difference in their lives.
Guidance counseling, also called school counseling, has evolved over the years into an important part of the education system. Counselors are now taking on new roles in schools as leaders so much so that the ways in which counseling is being implemented has become a much talked about topic in schools. The effectiveness of counseling in schools is looked at by the education system more frequently than it was in the past. Though all school counselors must follow a national model for counseling, the roles and functions of counselors at various levels in the school system are different, however, school counselors at all levels of education before college are generally effective despite implications.