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I took the Exercise IAT, developed by researchers at Harvard University. This IAT measures an individual's automatic association between exercise and positive or negative words or concepts. The test measures the speed of response to categorizing pairs of stimuli, such as "exercise" or "lazy" with "good" or "bad" words, to determine whether the participant associates exercise more vigorously with positive or negative comments.

The Exercise IAT can be a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth. It can help individuals identify their underlying attitudes and beliefs towards exercise and physical activity and identify any barriers preventing them from exercising regularly.
Upon taking the test, I discovered I have positive associations with exercise or physical activity. Exercising can be enjoyable, beneficial, and a regular part of my life.

Overall, the Exercise IAT can be useful for individuals looking to build a more positive relationship with exercise and physical activity. Individuals can take meaningful steps toward improving their overall health and well-being by identifying and addressing negative attitudes and beliefs towards training.

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Upon taking the competencies assessment, I learned that I have weaknesses and strengths in all areas of the assessment. While having experience in each area, there is still so much that I must learn and understand. The area I am well versed in is the school counselor mindsets and beliefs. The area that I am weakest in is Planning and assessment. This is an area that I haven’t had much hands on experience with. As I move through the school counselors' program and continue to work with the school counselors where I currently teach, I am sure that I will be able to strengthen my skills as a school counselor.

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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Vision Statement for my Future School Counseling Program:

Our school's future counseling program will be a comprehensive, accessible, and collaborative program that helps students achieve their academic, emotional, and social goals. We will promote the development of positive relationships and a safe, supportive learning environment for all students. We will provide students individualized counseling, guidance, and resources to help them reach their fullest potential. Our program will work to foster a positive school climate, develop meaningful partnerships with families, and collaborate with other educators and community stakeholders to support student success.

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Personal Philosophy of School Counseling:

I believe in a student-centered approach to school counseling that emphasizes academic, career, and social/emotional development. My work as a school counselor is to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment and provide students with the tools to reach their fullest potential. I strive to build trusting relationships with students, staff, and families by providing caring, empathetic, and empowering support. I am an advocate for educational and social justice and work to ensure that all students have access to the necessary resources and support to be successful.

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Core Beliefs:
1. All individuals have the ability to grow, develop, and reach their fullest potential.
2. School counselors play a vital role in supporting students’ academic, career, and social/emotional development.
3. School counselors must create equitable and inclusive learning environments that ensure all students are safe, respected, and valued.
4. School counselors must strive to build trusting relationships with students, staff, and families by providing caring, empathetic, and empowering support.
5. School counselors must be advocates for social and educational justice.

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Peer Reviewed Article Reflection

I selected the article titled " Better School Counselors, Better Outcomes: QUALITY VARIES, AND CAN MATTER AS MUCH AS WITH TEACHERS " by Christine Mulhern, published in 2020.

My reaction to the article is one of great appreciation for the research conducted. Understanding the positive effects of school counseling programs on student achievement and engagement is imperative. The report provides compelling evidence that comprehensive school counseling programs effectively increase student achievement and engagement. The study found that schools with comprehensive school counseling programs had higher student achievement and engagement rates than schools without such programs. The researchers also state a strong correlation between the availability of comprehensive school counseling programs and the overall academic success of students in high school. I am also impressed that the researchers looked at multiple variables to determine the effectiveness of comprehensive school counseling programs. These variables included student achievement, engagement, school belonging, and parent involvement.

All of these are essential components to consider when analyzing the success of a school counseling program. Overall, the findings of this article demonstrate how an effective school counseling program can positively affect students and their academic success.

References

Mulhern, C. (2020). Better School Counselors, Better Outcomes: QUALITY VARIES, AND CAN MATTER AS MUCH AS WITH TEACHERS. Education Next, 20(3), 52+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A628405050/AONE?u=anon~8ce0f729&sid=googleScholar&xid=4f7db375

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TEENAGERS ARE NOT KNOWN for their cool-headed decision-making, yet they face hundreds of choices with significant long-term consequences. In school, they must decide which courses to take, how much effort to invest, and whether and where to enroll in college. Many understandably lack the information and capacity needed to navigate such complex options.

Enter the school counselor. High-school counselors can communicate the benefits of doing well in school, help with college applications, and recommend courses of study to prepare students for the careers of their choice. Belief in a counselor's potential to boost college success has drawn national attention and inspired policy changes, such as former First Lady Michelle Obama's "Reach Higher" initiative and the expansion of counselor hiring in Colorado and New York City.

Yet there has been no quantitative evidence to date showing how high-school counselors affect student outcomes--or even confirming that they matter at all. In this study, I aim to close that research gap. I focus on Massachusetts, where a quasi-random assignment process is used to assign many high-school students to counselors based on the student's last name. I look at the outcomes of each counselor's students to determine individual effectiveness, as well as at counselors' experience, educational background, and other characteristics to identify the attributes of those who are most effective.

As with teachers, counselors vary significantly in their effects on student outcomes. For example, improving counselor effectiveness by one standard deviation, which is equivalent to having a counselor at the 84th percentile of effectiveness rather than at the 50th percentile, makes students 2.0 percentage points more likely to graduate high school and 1.7 percentage points more likely to enroll in a four-year college. Unlike teachers, however, counselors' impacts are most strongly connected to their providing information and assistance to students, rather than building students' cognitive skills. Their effects are most pronounced among low-achieving and low-income students; low achievers, for example, are 3.4 percentage points more likely to graduate if assigned to an effective counselor. I also find that students benefit from being matched to a counselor of the same race and having a counselor who attended a local college.

High-school counselors' large caseloads of nearly 250 students, on average, are often a cause for concern. However, my analysis indicates that students would gain more from being assigned to a more effective counselor than to a counselor with a moderately smaller caseload. I estimate that hiring a new counselor in every Massachusetts high school would lead to smaller gains in educational attainment than increasing the average counselor's effectiveness by one standard deviation.

In short, boosting counselor effectiveness can be an important school-improvement strategy. It may also be a more cost-effective means of improvement than boosting teacher effectiveness, because counselors serve more students, there are far fewer counselors than teachers, and many high-school counselors receive little, or no, training on college advising. Counselors are an often-overlooked engine of educational improvement, and policymakers would do well to devote more time and attention to improving access to effective...

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Better School Counselors, Better Outcomes: QUALITY VARIES, AND CAN MATTER AS MUCH AS WITH TEACHERS.

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TEENAGERS ARE NOT KNOWN for their cool-headed decision-making, yet they face hundreds of choices with significant long-term consequences. In school, they must decide which courses to take, how much effort to invest, and whether and where to enroll in college. Many understandably lack the information and capacity needed to navigate such complex options.

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I recently completed the Harvard Mental Illness IAT. It was an exciting experience. The IAT measures implicit biases related to mental illness. Seeing how my views on mental illness compared to the general population was interesting. The results of the IAT showed that I had a slight preference for people with mental illness over people without mental illness. This was surprising to me, as I have been taught to view mental illness in a negative light. However, after reflecting on my results, I realized this was likely due to my personal experiences. I have had friends and family members who have struggled with mental illness, and I have seen how difficult it can be for them to cope with their condition. This has likely shaped my views on mental illness and led me to a more positive view of it. Overall, the Harvard Mental Illness IAT was an eye-opening experience. It allowed me to gain insight into my implicit biases and understand why I may view mental illness differently than the general population. I believe this is an essential tool for helping us understand our biases and work towards becoming more open-minded and understanding of those struggling with mental illness.