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Collaboration as a School Counselor

As a School counselor/collaborator I will play an essential role in insuring the success of students academic and behavior performance. Many counselors and collaborators focus on the problem as they come to surface but through real data (test scores, assessments, and in class performance) counselors and collaborators can plan accordantly. Time management is the key to organizing and implementing a strategic plan that will benefit the students, school, and parents. As a counselor/collaborator I will manage my daily school schedule productively (priotizing) which allots time to implement other resource and collective ideas.

Improving school climate is indispensable to student academic performance. As a counselor/ collaborator I will assist by changing the conduct of staff, administrators, and teachers. Through in-service training counselors can educate staff on the importance of utilizing positive communication. During this time staff will also become skilled on the importance of providing encouragement to students; it is imperative that school staff develop a positive climate to ensure students success. Training can be held after school hours, by webcast, and weekends. Training will not be limited to school staff; as a counselor it will be my responsibility to offer training to parents. Training/services will include parental education classes-to teach parents how to support their struggling student.

Real academic data from previous years allow counselors to design a retention plan that addresses poor academic areas that need improvements. As a counselor I will use a retention plan that involves developing partnerships with community groups, parents, neighboring

university/colleges, and churches. These partnerships will open doors for technological support, upward bound program, tutoring services, SAT preparation courses, afterschool homework programs, parental workshops, and monetary donations.

Finally I will introduce AmeriCorps Program to the school. AmeriCorps is sponsored by the government and is housed in community that is in need of improvements in many areas. This will be a great tool to improve test scores and other issues that may affect student opportunity to for academic growth. AmeriCorps offer:

Tutor and mentor disadvantaged youth Fight illiteracy Improve health services Build affordable housing Teach computer skills Clean parks and streams Manage or operate after-school programs Help communities respond to disasters Build organizational capacity

B. Consultation as a School Counselor

Reading "The Scenario" on page 146 in our textbook addresses how you as the school counselor and consultant within your school would address the challenges these 22 students have with being underachievers. Review and answer the request mentioned under "Thinking about

Solutions" on page 146. Would you consider seeing them students individually or in a group? Or are you considering seeing these students both individually and in a group? Explain how you plan to consult with your colleagues in this situation and how you plan to implement your counseling strategies with these 22 students.

In identify signs of underachievement , McGuire and Lyon (1985) advise that underachievement is frequently associated with some amount of behavioral disruptiveness as the underachiever is often frustrated or bored and thus more easily distracted than his or her achieving peers (Bleuer ,1987 p. 3). Addressing underachievers is extremely complex therefore it is not a concrete solution to achievement motivations for counselors. I will deal with this group by creating realistic treatment plans that uses approaches that aim towards improving students self-esteem in addition to providing students with effective learning strategies.

As a school counselor it will be my responsibly to consult students individual and in group sessions. School administrators and staff rely on counselors to assist students that are struggle academically. As a counselor I will approach these 22 underachieving students by learning and identifying data of each individual student. Through data I can determine how to implement group sessions that will benefit students need. Data will include students age, grade, gender, test sores, report cards, and other essential data that will assist with forming productive group sessions. Meeting with students individually will help develop rapport, trust, and respect. As a counselor with a busy schedule, multiple students, concurring issues, it will be impossible to focus on these 22 individual students daily; meeting individually will not be an alternative that will benefit students. Through rapport I will put into practice weekly group sessions that will focus on creative and therapeutic topics. Topic will include; identifying positive happenings and

negative aspects, success in school, self identification, listening skill, study skills, recognizing problems academic subjects, asking for help, personal strength, role-play using therapeutic techniques, and peer support.

Underachievers are very complex when dealing with behavior situations. The problem can be internal and external to students. Problem can stem from dysfunctional home environment, unresolved psychological problems, negative peer pressure, school environment, and others. As a counselor it is imperative to use strategies that will benefit each individual students situation. Strategies will be formulated by the school guidance plan that I will coordinate.

Strategies (focus on the 22 underachievers but open to other upon teachers request):

Quiet Station- student who are subjected to a home environment with limited space may not have a quiet place to complete homework or study time. As a counselor I will designate a quiet area within the school building that can be used for studying, completing homework, reading, projects, solitary moments, and others.

Celebration Hour- students need to be recognized for their accomplishments; sometimes their parents or legal guardians are reluctant or unable to acknowledge their child success. Celebration hour will allow students to recognize accomplishment through peer-to-peer support luncheon once a month.

GOLD for Goal - student earn gold coins for positive behavior, grades, and attendance. Students can use the gold coins to purchase book of their choice (books are usually geared towards the students interest which is a good tool to promote reading)

Big brother or Big Sister program- As a counselor I will refer each underachiever to participate in these empowering programs. Mentor makes great role-models.

Introduction of a college bound program for high school students can be victorious.

As a counselor I will measure students progress by assuring that underachievers learn how to learn.

Reference

AmeriCorps. (2011). Retrieved form http://www.americorps.gov/about/overview/index.asp

Bleuer, J. (1987). Counseling Underachievers: A Counsels Guide to Helping Students Improve

their Academic Performance. ERIC/CABS

Duane Brown. (1999). Improving Academic Achievement: What School Counselors Can Do. Retrieve from http://counselingoutfitters.com/outfitters/99-05.pdf

Stone, C. B., & Dahir, C. A. (2006). The Transformed School Counselor. New York: Lahaska Press.