High School Guidance Counselors
Educational counselors supply groups and individuals with educational
and career counseling. They work with students who have special needs
and other students who just need assistance. They try to promote social
and personal development, along with academic and career choices.
School counselors also have students set goals, by having them evaluate
their talents, interests, abilities and personalities. High school
counselors help students either individually or in groups, with
questions about financial aid, admissions, college majors, entrance
exams and more.
There are many reasons why students would want to go to a counselor for
assistance. Some of these would be to develop a positive attitude in
life and help them realize the change for good they can have on
themselves and others. Also they may go to a counselor to help them
solve problems and make all kinds of decision, big or small. Or to just
set some personal goals.
The counselors also have goals. The most emphasized goal for the public
high school guidance counselors was helping the high school students
with their academic achievements. The second most emphasized goal was
helping students prepare for post-schooling. Then came helping the
students with their growth and development. The goal that was the least
likely to be reported as the most emphasized was helping students
prepare for their roles in work after high school. Although these are
all important goals to the counselors. This is the findings of what
goals were the most important to the guidance staff.
High School Counselor qualifications
* State school counseling certification
* earned a master*s degree
* passage of a State exam
* have specific training in counseling techniques
* some states require counseling as well as teaching experience
* a couple years of supervised clinical experience after the master*s degree
A person who wants to be a counselor should be respectful, trustworthy
and confident. They should have a desire to help others. They should be
capable of working with a team as well as on their own. Following the
ethics on their certificate is very important.
Employment
Employment for school counselors in the future is looking pretty good.
It is supposed to grow faster and job opportunities should be good.
There are usually not as many graduating from the counseling program as
there are job offerings. Plus there will be more opportunities as other
counselors retire.
The increasing enrollments makes it so more counselors are needed. Also
counselors are now responsible for more than just academic achievement.
They are there to help with preventive and crisis counseling. They now
are supposed to help students with drugs and suicide problems. Even
though schools realize the importance of counselors helping there
students academically and emotionally, if funding is tight, it may make
the job growth dampen.
Salary
Depending on the counselors level of education and the experience that
they have had they usually earn anywhere from 25,000 to 80,000 a year.
Earnings increase with each year of experience. There is a maximum year
of increase that differs from district to district.
Conclusion
Being a counselors takes lots of work and responsibilities. They have
to be very caring and understanding. They must be willing and desire to
help teens with their academic and even some personal problems. They
are needed and very important to schools and their students.
Work Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational
Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Counselors.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm
"Guidance Counselor" http:www.netreach.net/~bhohlfeld/career_project/shal/9s_guidance_counselor.htm
"High School Guidance Counseling" Education Statistics Quarterly. 2003. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/quarterly/vol_5/5_3/3_4.asp
"High School Guidance Program" 2004. http://www.nisd.net/guidww/Comprehensive/high_school_guidance_program.htm
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