Reflection on HIGH EXPECTATIONS
The mindset of high expectations can be a double-edged knife. While it is positive to believe and support students in their learning by believing they can meet high expectations, when students repeatedly fail to meet those expectations, this can be harmful to their sense of self. I employ realistic expectations for students. I believe that all students are capable of earning Cs or better in their classes f given the proper support and guidance. Some students exceed these expectations, which is amazing. But these high-achieving students may then be crushed if they receive anything lower than an A on their report card. With these students, I help them adjust their expectations and explain the reality of grades - how they are no longer relevant after certain checkpoints in life, such as being admitted to college. For lower achieving students, I set goals for them based on their academic history and work ethic. If a student is consistently failing all of their classes, I start with smaller goals to gradually build up their work ethic, such as turning in currently assigned assignments for the week. I provide students with freely available resources at school, after school, and online so they have a variety of ways to address their low grades. But ultimately, I cannot force them to complete their work or attend tutoring or use online resources. So, especially with low-achieving students, I focus on internal motivation. I help students find their "why." Why should they care about their grades? Why should they graduate from high school? Why should they complete their assignments? Stressing internal motivation will help these students in the long run because they will have a greater sense of purpose.
When students respond with excuses that they "can't do" this or they "don't understand" that, I gently correct their mindset by reminding them that they can't do this YET or they don't understand this YET. While some class subjects may not be relevant to their postsecondary goals, which lessens their motivation to complete assignments or study for tests, I remind students that at school, they are also learning how to learn. When they are in the workforce, they will need to learn new things to complete their job or adapt to changes in technology. So they must understand how they learn best and what techniques help them grow and evolve. I use myself as an example often. I am currently learning Spanish, and it is very difficult for me because I'm learning later in life. There are times I want to give up, up I remember that knowing Spanish will not only help me in my job, but will help those students and families who are not fluent in Spanish. I find different tools and techniques to help me learn. I ask for help from those who are fluent. And I find ways to build my confidence when it comes to speaking Spanish, as that is my biggest weakness right now. I help students understand that learning is a part of life and reassure them that once they graduate from high school, their learning will shift more to subjects that are useful for their jobs or that they find interesting. In the meantime, high school is designed to provide them with the learning skills, critical thinking skills, and growth mindsets necessary for a successful adult life.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to HONESTY
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ASCA Standard:
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B.3.g. Monitor personal behaviors and recognize the high standard of care a professional in this critical position of trust must maintain on and off the job. School counselors are cognizant of and refrain from activities that may diminish their effectiveness within the school community.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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B. Responsibilities to parents/guardians, school, and staff.
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CACREP Standard:
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G. 2. 6. Competencies to advocate for school counseling roles
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Reflection on HONESTY
As a school counselor in training, there are questions I don't know the answer to, and it doesn't help anyone if I pretend otherwise. When I speak with students, sometimes they ask me questions about specific career pathways or classes being offered at the high school, and I don't know the answer. In these instances, I'm honest with them. I don't know the answer, but I will look into it and let them know what I find out. I do my best to seek out answers the day they ask and then message them on Schoology with what I learned. When discussing grades with students, I explain how grades are important to get into colleges, but I also explain that once they get into college, their high school grades are no longer important. Once they get their college degrees, their college grades are no longer important. I explain this to students who are stressed about their grades not meeting their standards or their parents' standards. I remind them that receiving a grade of "C" or higher is right where they should be. If they don't receive straight A grades, that is okay. They will still be able to get a college degree or attend trade school or reach whatever postsecondary goal they set for themselves. Even when students wish to drop classes or switch to another teacher due to not liking the teacher, I'm honest with them and explain why that change is not possible, instead of just telling them no. I connect these situations and others to real-life situations they will face as adults. I provide strategies to help them through these difficult scenarios and encouragement to see them through.
One particular student repeatedly came to me asking to drop a dual enrollment class because they missed two weeks of school due to a medical situation and fell behind in their classes. At that first meeting, I reviewed the student's grades with them and noted that their grades were at C's or better. I knew that if this student dropped out of the dual enrollment class, they would receive a W for withdrawal. I explained to the student that the W would look horrible on their transcript and be a sign of giving up in the face of hardship. I told the student to speak with their teachers about the missing assignments and work on catching up for the next two weeks, then we'd check in before PSring Break. We did meet again, and the student was doing well, making up work, but was still behind in two AP classes and the dual enrollment class. This was due to the student finding these classes more difficult than the others. So I discussed a plan for them to prioritize certain assignments in these three classes over Spring Break that should help raise these lower grades. During this meeting, I sought to instill confidence in the student in their ability to complete the missing assignments and also reassure them that if they don't complete every missing assignment, they will be okay.
During counseling team meetings, I don't hesitate to ask questions when I'm not sure what something means or a procedure that's in place. If the time doesn't feel right to ask my question, such as when we don't have much time to discuss the topic, I make a note of my question and ask my site supervisor or another counseling team member after the meeting. The principal spoke to me after a particularly difficult meeting due to a counselor not being prepared for details about the SAT testing. He told me that he expects meeting members arrive prepared with data, details, and questions. He appreciated that I was able to provide details about the SAT testing because I had watched one of the training webinars for the counselor in charge of SAT testing, who couldn't attend the webinar live. The principal also discussed how, if any staff member has questions or needs support, they should ask. I wholeheartedly agree. This is a sentiment I seek to follow and instill in students. If you don't know how to do something, ask for help.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
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ASCA Standard:
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B-PF 6. Demonstrate understanding of the impact of cultural, social, and environmental influences on student success and opportunities.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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A.10. Marginalized Populations
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CACREP Standard:
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G. 3. 3. Core curriculum design, lesson plan development, classroom
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Reflection on RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
When working with students and their parents, every individual deserves respect. I grew up in a very sheltered community where the majority of people were white and everyone was solidly upper-middle class economically. When I moved out to Los Angeles for my bachelor's degree, I was exposed to a variety of cultures and backgrounds. This was incredibly eye-opening. I always knew about the basics of different cultures and the impact various backgrounds can have on an individual. Throughout my master's program, classes on culturally responsive counseling theories have centered on respect, active listening, and curiosity. When working with those from different backgrounds than myself means I must be aware and responsive to their cultures and backgrounds. Each culture has its viewpoints on typical hot-topic items that may be decisive among other cultures or generations. For example, at my school site, there is a majority Hispanic background. Family is a major pillar in Hispanic culture, and for older generations, there is a strong sense of gender roles among parents. This can sometimes lead to different strategies when discussing behavioral or academic issues a student faces when speaking to the mother, father, or both parents. This is not true for all families, but it is important to keep in mind family dynamics due to cultural influences. The core of any interaction with students, families, staff, anyone really, is maintaining respect.
Maintaining respect can become difficult when working with particularly difficult students or parents. In these scenarios, the school counselor must remain calm. Depending on the situation, calmly explaining or repeating the facts of the situation is the typical course of action. For example, a small number of students have had difficulties following the school district's new "no phone during the school day" policy. The policy requires students to place their phones in a classroom lockbox or pouch hanger during class and prohibits phone use throughout the entire school day (unless a staff member allows use for specific tasks). Some students refused to turn in their phones or would use their phones during class. I've had conversations with these students, who often feel that they need to have their phones with them. This is understandably a generational struggle, which is a major reason for the new phone policy. Students have access to technology from such a young age that phone use can easily become addictive. When speaking to these students, I remind them that the policy is from the district, so being hostile to teachers or other school staff is not going to change the policy. Staff members must enforce the policy because that is part of their job. I also explain to them that the nature of the policy means that those who refuse to turn in their phone or use their phone will face consequences for the student. The student's phone will be confiscated for the remainder of the day, and repeated offenses result in daily confiscations. Finally, I remind these students that, while not having immediate access to their phone is understandably frustrating, the phone policy has the best interests of students in mind. The school environment is meant for learning, and recent years have revealed that phones are a distraction. More recently, the phone policy has been more consistently followed, with fewer reports being made and more students following the policy. When working with individuals with different beliefs and backgrounds, treating everyone with respect is key to productive conversations. This means actively listening to others, showing empathy, and being honest.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to COMPASSION
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ASCA Standard:
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M7. Comprehensive school counseling programs promote and enhance student academic, career, and social/emotional outcomes.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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A.4. Academic, Career and Social/Emotional Planning.
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B. Responsibilities to parents/guardians, school, and staff.
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CACREP Standard:
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G.2.7. Characteristics, risk factors, and warning signs of students at risk for mental health and behavioral disorders.
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Reflection on COMPASSION
Throughout my time as a school counselor in training, I have always strived to build genuine relationships with both staff and students. As I go throughout the school campus, I always greet staff and students with a smile and a hello, greeting them by name whenever possible. While I don't always remember everyone's name, I do try to remember student names. When meeting with students, I know I don't always know their full situations, so I strive not to make assumptions and treat everyone with kindness. Even those students who are sent to the counseling office due to behavioral disruptions or failing grades, I work with students to determine why they behave in these ways, or fail to complete their assignments, or fail their exams. By allowing students to have a voice and give their side of the situation, this allows them to be heard. While consequences may still need to be given, I always communicate that the goal is not to have this situation repeated. Sometimes this means I communicate with my site supervisor and the respective teacher to ensure clarity, sometimes it just involves helping the student redirect their behavior, establish healthier habits, or improve academic strategies. With students who are "troublesome," I strive to start each day on a positive note by not rehashing previous grievances. With repeated negative behaviors, however, the conversations and interventions grow more serious, especially if these behaviors negatively affect a student's education.
In a small group I ran at the beginning of the Spring semester, I met with a group of low-academic-achieving students. These students were typically identified as low-motivated students, so the focus of the small group was to help them identify healthy habits to improve their academic achievements. Since it was a small group, we were able to discuss each student's learning styles and the strategies they can use. Several of the group members are improving compared to the fall semester. When I check in with these students, I give them unconditional positive regard and encouragement when they show signs of improvement. For those members who are still struggling with failing grades, I reiterate the skills and resources we covered in the group and form specific plans with them to improve their grades.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to FAIRNESS
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ASCA Standards:
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M2. Every student should have access to and an opportunity for a high-quality education.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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A.10. Marginalized populations, A.2. Confidentiality, E. Maintenance of standards
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CACREP Standard:
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G.3.14. Use of accountability data to inform decision making
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Reflection on FAIRNESS
As a school counselor in training, I strive to ensure each student has the tools necessary to succeed. A major tool I seek to give each student is a school staff member who is on their side. As counselors, we should communicate regularly with students that we are here to support them. After meeting with students to go over their graduation progress, I always remind students that if they need support with anything, I am available to them (and I let them know how to get in touch with me). For students struggling with meeting "C" or better expectations, I also discuss free online resources and on-campus resources to help them with difficult subjects. I never shame students for lower grades. I always validate their struggles in different subjects and help them identify strategies for improvement, whether that is taking time outside of school hours to study, managing their time to stay on top of assignments, or addressing a lack of motivation. One student I've spoken with is diagnosed with autism and ADHD. They mentioned how they feel ashamed of their accommodations, and I immediately addressed that thought by explaining that accommodations are not a source of shame but a tool to even the playing field. This particular student is highly motivated and intelligent; they struggle with English and Math, but this is something they know and understand how to address. The student simply needs to remember that they can remind teachers of the accommodations that they need and are legally required to receive. After our discussion, the student said that they appreciated our conversation and the confidence boost I was able to give them.
Maintaining confidentiality is an aspect of counseling that not all students know. When discussions with students become sensitive or have the potential to grow sensitive, I remind them that what they tell me will not leave this room without their permission unless what they say threatens themselves or others. There has been an instance that required contacting DCFS (child protective services). In this case, I let the student know that I would need to consult with my site supervisor and likely need to contact child protective services. At my particular school site, there is no dean, so oftentimes minor disciplinary actions fall to the school counselors. With the recent "no-phone" policy, discipline comes into play a lot. Phones end up being confiscated, and parents/guardians are contacted. When I have confiscated phones, I always allow the student to explain their side of the situation. Early on, I noticed some teachers have been over-reporting or misunderstanding the no-phone policy. I consulted with my site supervisor regarding this observation, and we were able to coordinate reminders sent to teachers regarding when a report is warranted and contemplate ways to improve the reporting process. Students also appreciate when I am honest with them regarding the phone policy. Some students - specifically those who are not repeat offenders - appreciate it when I explain to them that the school is still working out the kinks in the no-phone policy and that, while I still need to confiscate their phone for the day, I am exploring the situation further.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to ADVOCACY
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ASCA Standard:
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B-PF 8. Demonstrate advocacy in a comprehensive school counseling program.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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A.6. Appropriate Collaboration, Advocacy, and Referrals for Counseling
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A.10. Marginalized Populations
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A.11. Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination, Bias, and Hate Incidents
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CACREP Standards:
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G. 2. 1. School counselor roles as leaders, advocates, and systems change agents in P-12 schools.
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Reflection on ADVOCACY
A major reason why I pursue a school counseling degree is to improve the future for young students. I want students to graduate from grade school feeling confident in themselves, prepared for the realities of adulthood, and armed with healthy coping skills and habits. At my school site, there are weaknesses that I notice, and I immediately seek to address and improve these weaknesses. I ask other counselors, students, and staff members about the weakness I notice and gather any additional information I may need to help address the issue, then I work on developing potential solutions that I bring to my site supervisor or those in charge of the aspect of education. For example, I noticed that there are times counselors are scrambling to have advisory lesson plans ready for future months. So, in my downtime at and outside of the school campus, I've been developing a four-year plan of advisory lessons that can continually be used and focus on preparing students for college and career. The ultimate goal is to build these presentations and record counselors presenting the lessons to minimize the work for teachers, who are already overworked and deserve a break during advisory classes. This plan also allows school counselors time during the school year to work with their students instead of having to take time to develop and create advisory lessons. I also plan to pitch the idea of once a week, having no lessons planned, but rather allow students time to work on other class assignments, leave time for creative activities (such as door decorating), and create time for students to participate in small group counseling activities without needing to missing important class time. Additionally, I am actively seeking ways to streamline the school counseling process and other recurring tasks faced by staff members. For example, I have developed a system of surveys and communication tracking to ease management of the "No Phone Use at School" district policy. When first launched in February, this created a massive workload for school counselors that negatively impacted their time to work with and for students. For office staff, I created templates of various forms they often require (summons slips, tardy slips, field trip attendance lists, sport participants, and a program booklet for the annual sports banquet). In my future career as a school counselor, I plan to do all I can to improve the school counselor program at schools and the profession as a whole.. I want to be part of the team that advocates for better use of school counselors' time and a standardized counseling program for the district. Students deserve a focused and effective school counseling program because life beyond grade school is not just about getting good grades in classes. Students should feel prepared and confident in their abilities to tackle the realities of adult life. A lot of this preparation can be achieved through a well-thought-out school counseling program.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
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ASCA Standard:
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B-PF 3. Apply legal and ethical principles of the school counseling profession.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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A.5. Sustaining Healthy Relationships and Managing Boundaries
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B.3. Responsibilities to Self
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F. Ethical Decision-Making
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CACREP Standard:
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G. 2. 14. Legal and ethical considerations specific to school counseling
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Reflection on PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
As a school counselor in training, I've sought to behave professionally and ethically. I show up at my internship site on time or slightly early, so I may be ready to work by the start of my shift. I greet others with a smile and "good morning," greeting staff and students by name when I can. Since I am an intern, I check in with my site supervisor and other academic counselors to see if there are any tasks I can assist with or meetings I should join that day. After checking in, I settle in at whichever desk is available and start on those tasks. Even on days with a lighter workload, I am still actively meeting with students or preparing materials to improve the school counseling program. If I am unsure how to handle a situation or answer a question, I use my best judgment to address the situation until I can consult with another school counselor. This situation usually involves a student asking a question that I don't know the answer to. I always let the student know that I am not sure of the answer, but I will find out and let them know as soon as possible. If it's an urgent matter, then usually the student comes with me to consult another counselor or staff member more knowledgeable about the situation. When I am asked for advice or guidance on certain topics, such as college applications, financial aid, scholarships, or specific career pathways, and I do not know the answer, I typically walk through the process of researching the question to help the student answer their question and potential future questions.
I seek to be a positive role model for students by modeling the lessons and values I teach. When I don't know the answer to a question, I seek it out through research or consulting others. If I need help with a task, I respectfully ask others, and am grateful to those who help. I connect skills learned in school with skills needed for career success. I treat everyone with unconditional positive regard, regardless of their background or history of behavioral reports. Each student deserves the chance for a fresh start each day. If others treat you as a troublemaker, you'll be more likely to live up to those expectations.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to DEDICATION
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ASCA Standards:
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B-SS5. Consult to support student achievement and success.
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ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors:
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B.3. Responsibilities to self.
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CACREP Standard:
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G.2.4. School counselor roles in school leadership and multidisciplinary teams
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Reflection on DEDICATION
As a school counselor, the job is never complete. There are always areas to improve and grow. Some may find this aspect daunting, but I relish the opportunity to make improvements. Throughout my internship, I have noticed tasks or systems in place that are not effective. This causes the counselors stress or adds additional, time-consuming work to an already full workload. For nearly every scenario, I have been able to address the inefficiencies and offer new systems that will improve the efficiency of the counseling team.
I have also been able to help members of the counseling team effectively use the capabilities of technology to improve their use of time, especially when it comes to using Google Sheets. I don't seek to have a monopoly on this knowledge, where staff come to me to help them achieve the same outcome, so I also create "Cheat Sheets" for each staff member I help that guides them through the steps I showed them (with photos when possible) so that they may refer to this in the future until they can achieve the results themselves. I am working on compiling these sheets so any staff member may refer to them.
My ambitions are to create an ever-improving efficiency among the school counseling department by implementing the capabilities of technology. I want to improve parent engagement and understanding by creating a counseling page on the school website, sending out counseling newsletters, and perhaps creating school counseling social media accounts. I also hope to acclimate parents to using REMIND as a way to communicate with the counseling team and even teachers. While some of this may take time to implement, I am already preparing by creating templates and gathering helpful resources. I believe these are important additions and improvements to better engage students, families, and the community in the all impactful area of student education.
I also seek to continuously improve my understanding and knowledge regarding school counseling by attending professional development opportunities beyond those provided by the school district. I turn to ASCA's virtual conferences, webinars, and trainings to continue to hone my abilities.
I have worked on ways to improve...
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How school counselors keep track and maintain their Golden Rosters of their students' grades and post-secondary plans
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Automatically highlighting and counting D and F grades
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Automatically highlighting low GPAs
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The phone report system used to identify students reporting they do not have a phone or students caught using phones in class
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Automatically verifying parent confirmation of no phone based on contacts
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Automatically counting how many times a student has been reporting for using their phone in class
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Delivery of senior students' final defense project
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Creating an organized template, students can simply fill in
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Providing resources for navigating Google Sites on the template
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I have prepared...
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Consise lists of resources for students regarding:
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Free online academic support
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Local organizations to volunteer with
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Skills to use on resumes
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Financial aid acceptance
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Templates for:
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Student senior defense projects
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A more efficient phone reporting system
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More effective and automated Golden Rosters
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End of Year Counseling Department Report
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Staff "Cheat Sheets: for:
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Mail Merge on Canva for award creations
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Mail Merge with Excel and Word
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Google Sheet formulas often used in the counseling department
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Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to REFLECTION
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ASCA Standard:
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B-SS 6. Collaborate with families, teachers, administrators, other school staff, and education stakeholders for student achievement and success.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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B.3. Responsibilities to Self
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CACREP Standard:
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G. 3. 8. Skills to critically examine the connections between social, familial, emotional, and behavioral problems and academic achievement
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Reflection on REFLECTION
As a school counselor in training, I have been making note of various online trainings available through colleges and ASCA University that would be beneficial as I continue working as a fully-credentialed school counselor. I want to provide the best services I can to students and support them with the latest school counseling techniques and methods. To do so, I must continue to learn and train, keeping my mind sharp and open to new ways of thinking. Each semester, I plan to review how I've spent my time as a school counselor and the effectiveness of interventions I've enacted. This way, I can make adjustments, consult with others, and continue to improve the counseling program as it adapts to different generations of students. This is an aspect of school counseling that I love. There is a general method and format that works well in terms of organizing a school counseling program, but the materials and ways of engaging students shift with each generation as new strengths and weaknesses emerge based on their unique life experiences.
At my current school site, I have laid a foundation for a more effective and organized school counseling program consisting of weekly college and career advisory lessons. My plan is not perfect, and there is room for improvement, but by laying a foundation, the department heads can start a conversation on how to improve the lessons and expand the lesson plans to include weekly academic lessons and social-emotional learning lessons. The goal of this counseling program is to make lesson presentations easier for teachers to give and provide a more thorough and thoughtful use of advisory class time to students that better prepare them for college and career decisions.
With each year I am a school counselor, I plan to collaborate with my peers and ask for feedback on my presentations, intervention plans, small group lessons, and handling of situations. I know I will grow and improve with time, but I can grow more efficiently and effectively with support from my peers. School counseling is a group effort involving school counselors, support staff, teachers, administration, students, and their families. I seek to build a school counseling program that connects and involves all of us in the growth of our students.
Professional & Ethical Standards
Related to CURIOSITY
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ASCA Standard:
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M5. Effective school counseling is a collaborative process involving school counselors, students, families, teachers, administrators, other school staff, and education stakeholders.
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ASCA Ethical Standards:
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B.3. Responsibilities to self
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CACREP Standard:
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G.3.6. Techniques of personal/social counseling in school settings
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Reflection on CURIOSITY
As a school counselor in training, there is always a lot to learn. School counselors should not hesitate to ask for clarification of various school policies or procedures. Checking for understanding by reiterating the policy or procedure is a great way to check for understanding. Throughout my time as an intern, I have used this technique in counseling team meetings to ensure I understand the discussion. This benefits me as well as some of the other counselors. I also keep a notes app on my phone and computer, so whenever I have a question or don't fully understand something, I can make a note for myself to ask someone or research the topic myself. Another form of curiosity is seeking improvement. This has been what I have become known for at my school site. Whenever I am involved in a process or project, I am constantly seeking ways to streamline the process and make future applications easier to complete. For example, the school has a sports banquet which requires certificates of participation and a pamphlet. I have worked on templates that can easily be filled in by any staff member with access to the Canva or Google templates and require minimal rearranging, along with a template for the athletic director and coaches to list their student players, team managers, and coaches in a way that makes transferring those names to the certificates and phamplet much easier.
Encouraging curiosity in students is another important value for school counselors to instill. When meeting with students individually, I encourage students to ask questions of me, their teachers, and themselves. If they have questions or do not understand something, they should actively seek the answer or clarification with the vast resources at their disposal. At the end of individual or small group meetings, I've made it a habit to ask students if they have any questions. Depending on the discussion, such as in small group or classroom lessons, I pause after each key section to check for understanding. For example, when helping students discover their learning style, I would ask students what technique they plan to try based on their learning style. If students can answer the question, I know they understood the lesson. If they cannot answer, I'll ask the other students if any of them can help the student. This encourages engagement within the group or classroom, continues to test student understanding, and allows students to hear explanations from their peers.