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Reflection:
This article was about the connection between school counseling and the development of high school students in China. According to the article, there is a clear link between the implementation of counseling services and the positive development of high school students. Also it discussed the importance of choosing the right type of counseling to use for specific issues students may face. The different types of counseling can include: group or individual counseling (Xiong, et.al, 2023). I think this article relates to my experience with school counselors because I have witnessed how effective a good school counselor can be. A good school counselor can have a positive impact on your life and change negative thoughts/feelings about school, about being social and give you a clear understanding of what career you choose after high school.

References
Xiong, Q., Fang, X., Wu, Y., Chen, H., Hu, W., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Guidance and counseling relations to high school students’ positive development and psychopathology: A non-recursive modeling study. Current Psychology, 42(6), 4609. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01722-7

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My core beliefs are that with the proper guidance and individual differentiation, all students are capable of learning and achieving academic success.

Vision Statement: I will collaborate with others like parents, teachers and administration to ensure the academic, social/emotional and college/career success of all students. I will advocate for students by being informed of what their needs and goals are and being their voice when necessary.

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I was definitely a little overwhelmed looking at the big list of competencies. It definitely reminded me of the fact that this job is important and you have to be dedicated to ensuring the success of your students, dedicated to understanding standards, collaboration, policies, research and be able to use data/research to help your students succeed. There were a lot of areas that I needed to improve on and areas that I did well in.

A specific area I need to improve on is B-PF-9. Create systemic change through the implementation of a school counseling program. More specifically Standard a. which discusses the school counselor being an agent of systematic change in order to provide the best environment for students and their success and Standard d. that discusses coming up with a plan to support the success of students by addressing personal and institutional resistance to change (ASCA, 2019). I just need to be more knowledgeable about what systematic change is and how to use it to ensure the success of my students.

Standard B-PF 6. a discusses the importance of making sure to stay knowledgeable about different cultural backgrounds and respecting differences and Standard B-PF 6 c. discusses how school counselors should have high expectations for all students regardless of their cultural backgrounds. Also, B-SS 6. discusses the importance of collaboration with school administration, teachers, families and other stakeholders in order to assist with students' academic success (ASCA, 2019). These are areas I did well on because these are things that I was already aware of. Having my Bachelors in Early Childhood Education, teachers also have expectations to uphold in order to make sure all of their students are successful.  I can make sure to read these standards and competencies in order to stay knowledgeable about each area and to make sure I am being a competent school counselor.

References

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

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Reflection:
I did not agree with this test. I feel that I don't have bias when it comes to skin tone. I did not like that in the beginning of the test, it asked questions about which skin tone I prefer and which skin tone I am. I feel that based on the test, unless I would have gotten over 5 wrong answers, which I didn't, then a bias/preference could not necessarily be determined. To me, the test was more about how well you can follow directions and how fast you can press the two keys: 'E' and 'I' (Project Implicit, n.d.). Another reason I do not agree with this test is because being a dark-skinned woman, I love my skin and I wouldn't prefer a skin tone that is not mine; I would just have no preference.

References
Project Implicit. (n.d.). Take a test.
Links to an external site. Retrieved from https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

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Reflection:
I also do not agree with this test either because it is indicating something that is simply not true. I feel that there are other ways to find out if people have a bias and this is not an effective way. Once again, I feel that the test was more about the speed of your fingers on the keyboard. Also, the questions about being 'warm' or 'cold' toward either young people or old people shouldn't affect your results either because some people, like me, just don't have a preference over the other (Project Implicit, n.d.).

References
Project Implicit. (n.d.). Take a test.
Links to an external site. Retrieved from https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

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Introduction to School Counseling Classroom Guidance Lesson Plan Template

Title: Unit Title- How Do I Fit In?; Lesson Title- Think Positive!

ASCA Domain Addressed: Personal/Social Emotional Development

Grade Level:  4th grade

Goals/Objectives:

Students will work in a group to perform a skit to turn a negative situation with negative thoughts into a positive situation with positive thoughts.

Estimated Time:  30 minutes

Materials:

Skit Tickets worksheet

Suggestion: Books, such as Fortunately by: Remy Charlie or Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day! by: Judith Viors

Procedures:

Pose Essential Question: How do our thoughts and feelings affect how we handle various situations?Engagement (Hook): Read a story that deals with positive and/or negative thinking. Suggestion: Books, such as Fortunately by: Remy Charlie or Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day! by: Judith Viorst. Read story and field questions about how negative thoughts and feelings were changed to positive ones. Divide class into small groups and explain they will be asked to change something negative into something positive. Hand each small group a skit ticket and have them create a short skit to perform in front of the class. After each skit, discuss the ideas they used to change the situation from negative to positive.

Closure: In closing, students will answer questions the class/instructor has about their skit.

Evaluation: After hearing the story, students will review how the characters changed negative views into positive views and brainstorm ideas to change negative thoughts and feelings to positive ones. Students divide into small groups. Students will create a short skit using the ideas from their skit tickets. Students will perform their short skits.

Source: https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/se-4th-grade-all-units. This lesson was not modified.

Reflection:

The goal of this lesson is to change students' negative thoughts into positive ones. Something that may be challenging while trying to implement this lesson is getting students to be creative with the skits and getting them to do the skits in front of their peers. This can be especially tough for the students who may be shy.

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The mental health of our children is just as important as our mental health. It is the parents' job to set an example by being mentally healthy and/or aware of what services they need to become mentally healthy. For more information, please visit the references listed below.

References

Banwell, E., Humphrey, N., & Qualter, P. (2023). Child and adolescent mental health services in a devolved healthcare system: a qualitative exploration of sustainable practices. Health Research Policy & Systems, 21(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-023-00970-2

Woodgate, R. L., Gonzalez, M., & Tennent, P. (2023). Accessing mental health services for a child living with anxiety: Parents’ lived experience and recommendations. PLoS ONE, 18(4), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283518

This relates to the goal of my lesson plan because it is connected to children's social/emotional development and how important it is for this development to be supported. Anxiety in children can cause a lot of negative thoughts/feelings and in my lesson plan, the skits are used to change those negative thoughts into positive ones. It is important to advocate for children's social/emotional development and mental health so that when they are going through something, they don't feel alone. Also, so that they have a safe space to express themselves and can in turn have a more positive outlook on life.