School Counselor Interview Essay

Professional School Counselor Interview

Middle school marks a very exciting, yet challenging time for many students, parents, and teachers. During this time period students are exploring their interests, moving deeply into their studies, taking on more responsibilities, and trying to find their personal identities. Most importantly, this is a time where students turn from their parents and seek advice and approval from their peers. Because many adolescents are emotionally sensitive and vulnerable during this stage of development, their heavy reliance on peers for acceptance and approval makes them more susceptible to emotional damage. For that reason, school counselors plays an essential role in the lives of their students. Gonkawon Strother and Sheree Leonard, middle school counselors at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Temple Hills, Maryland understands the importance of their role. Gonkawon Strother, the primary counselor for sixth and seventh grade students, has been a counselor for five years. His colleague, Sheree Leonard, has been a professional school counselor for three years. Leonard primarily

work with the eighth grade students. Both Strother’s and Leonard’s love of helping students overcome challenging obstacles (i.e. academically and emotionally) are displayed in the interview.
School Counselor’s Role
Within the School
As a practicing school counselor, Mr. Strother believes that his role within Thurgood Marshall Middle School is to “enhance the social and cultural environment of the school”, as well as assist students with meeting academic goals so they can become prepared for college and/or the workforce. He also placed great emphasis on meeting the social and emotional needs of his students (personal communication, June 10, 2015). In agreement with Mr. Strother, Ms. Leonard also believed that their role within the school was to provide teachers recommendations in areas they displayed need or improvement in, like classroom management. Although the administrators are the first line of communication at Thurgood Marshall, she feels as though counselors “can offer a different perspective” when it comes to providing recommendations because they work closely with students (personal communication, June 10, 2015). For example, the administrators may observe one thing and feel that the class is “perfect”, while the student may feel differently and report it to the counselor. Both Strother and Leonard believe that it is their main responsibility is to advocate for the student.
Relationship with Administration
On paper, school counselors and administrators at Thurgood Marshall are suppose to have a relationship where they collaborate, however, Ms. Leonard expressed otherwise. Due to administrators assuming the role of the “disciplinarian” at Thurgood Marshall, this has caused a major difference in perspectives. As counselors they often try to provide mediation to most situations. Ms. Leonard stated “ ...administrators want to close an issue and move along, whereas I want to explore the issue and get to the bottom of it. I want the issue to be fully resolved” (personal communication, June 10, 2015). Mr. Strother expressed that it is a constant struggle between the “nurtures”(counselors) and the “disciplinarians” (administrators). “We try to enhance their [students] emotional needs. Therefore we try to intervene before administrators because they prefer to take corrective action” (personal conversation, June 10, 2015). Once they have provided students with interventions, they often collaborate with administrators to see what works best for the student(s).
Consulting Services and Resources
Both Strother and Leonard have outside relationships with other counselors and community agencies. If they are unable to provide a specific service, they provide referrals for their students and their families. Furthermore, they work closely with the Child Protective Services; and the Psychiatric Institute of Washington (PWI), which provides “comprehensive behavioral healthcare for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors who have mental health illness” (Psychiatric Institute of Washington, n.d, para 1). They also refer to a social worker whenever a student is in need of food, clothing, and shelter. Having outside resources and connections to different community agencies and counselors are especially important for the counselors at Thurgood Marshall because the majority of their students are either homeless or from low-income backgrounds.
Special Education and General Education Process
All students receive general education classes at Thurgood Marshall. However, if a teacher sees that a student is displaying deficiencies pertaining to academic performance (i.e low grades, and ability to do the work), sporadic and ongoing behaviors, the teacher would refer them to a special education screening. Ms. Leonard furthered explained, “We would set up a conference with the parent and teachers. Then we would have a team meeting with the school instructional team (teachers, social worker, counselor, school psychologist, and other outside resources) and develop a plan. Based on the plan and needs of the student we would then refer to have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed for the student” (personal conversation, June 10, 2015). If there are concerns about a student’s behavior, they would carry out a behavioral assessment and develop a behavior intervention plan. If a student is not eligible to receive special education services, they would receive a 504 plan. Mr. Strother stated the purpose of the 504 plan was to provide medical accommodations for students so that they can participate in a general education classroom (personal communication, June 10, 2015).
Confidentiality
When is comes to confidentiality, Mr. Strother and Ms. Leonard follows the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and Confidentiality policies. They explain their confidentiality policies to the students they counsel. As counselors, their main goal is to protect the student and they make sure the student understands that. With this in mind, they make it a point to explain to students that they only disclose information if the student has been abused by others, or will cause harm to others or themselves. In addition, they disclose information to teachers on an “as-need-to-know basis” if the issue is affecting the student’s performance in class.
Professional Identity
Mr.

Strother expressed that as a counselor, he is “constantly advocating” for his job. This is most likely due to the difference of perspectives when it comes to defining the role of the school counselor. Mr. Strother makes this clear when he states “our role within the school is usually determined by how the administrator view our position. This is the most challenging part.” At times, Mr. Strother feels as though he is assigned roles and duties that are not in his best interest or the student(s). On the other hand, Ms. Leonard believes that it is important for a counselor to establish a “delicate balance”, specifically when it comes to counseling students and meeting the expectations of administrators. As practicing school counselors, both Strother and Leonard believe they have various roles, but their main role is to be a support system to their

students.
Overall Counseling Program
Providing a breakdown of their day proved to be a difficult task because their job as school counselors are so complexed. Most of their day is spent on providing direct services to students who are experiencing conflicts and crises. Not mention, they provide mediation between teachers and students; teachers and parents; and administrators and students. “We provide individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom guidance lessons” (personal communication, June 10, 2015). Also, Ms. Leonard and Mr. Strother spend a great deal of their day working on students’ data, which includes monitoring students’ performance (i.e. personal goals, behavior, and academic progress). The breakdown of their time spent on specific counseling areas are as follows: 50% Responsive Services; 20% Individual & Group Counseling; 20% Information Sessions; and 10% Writing Reports & Parent Programs.
Personal Reflection
Overall, Mr. Strother and Ms.Leonard offered great insight into their career as professional school counselors. Throughout the interview, their compassion and genuine concern for their students well-being and health shined through. When I first arrived to the interview, Mr. Strother was conducting choir practice and Ms. Leonard was meeting with a student. As I sat in on rehearsal, I had the opportunity to observe Mr. Strother’s interaction with the students. It was very clear that he had a firm connection with them. Both counselors exhibited creativity, flexibility, and belief when it came to dealing with the various needs of their students. Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) revealed that school counselors must be creative, flexible with their time, and display courage during situations that may be challenging (p.5). Furthermore, their commitment to their students’ development, specifically, academically; emotionally; and mentally are aligned with Dollarhide & Saginak philosophies of counseling. According to Dollarhide & Saginak (2012), counseling is a helping relationship that primarily focuses on the psychological healing, growth, change, and development of the client (p.7). Despite the challenges they face with administration when it comes to defining their roles within the school, Mr. Strother and Ms. Leonard continue to maintain prominent positions within the school. As an aspiring school counselor,
I am thankful for their realistic and honest overview of what means to be a professional school counselor in an urban area.