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