What I believe a school counselor’s role is as an advocate for all students is to provide wraparound support for all students towards eliminating barriers that affect student achievement. Eliminating barriers by providing support through healthy relationships, community resources, staff support, data tracking, and various counseling or academic interventions. 

When I think of core beliefs I think of ideas or expectations that I hold for myself as well as others. When I begin to map out some basic core beliefs I will have for students I think of human decency and the aim is to provide: 

These are the foundations of core beliefs that I want to not only incorporate for students but also for their families. It is important that I create healthy standards and relationships to sustain effectiveness as a school counselor. 

As I connect to ethical standards, I believe that ethical standards guide the work as school counselors by creating and structuring a starting foundation for the work we will provide to students and their families but also to the school we are serving at. The ethical standards provide guidance through the structure of “define” the role as a counselor to develop, implement and assess the school counseling program (ASCA, 2019, p. 1), to “manage” the effectiveness of the program, to “deliver” on appropriate services, and to “access” results of the program we offer. It lastly sets the tone for a school counselor to be open to long-term learning and evolving. 

The evolving role as a School Counselor has transformed for many years. The roles and responsibilities and at one point the title has all changed. The only component that has not changed is the focus on student success. As I continue my education through Walden University to earn my Masters in School Counseling I plan to continue to expand by remaining updated through the American School Counselor Association framework to continue learning more about my personal and professional philosophies to School Counseling. 

 

Based on my core beliefs, my role as an advocate, and the ethical standards as well as guidelines my vision statement is as follows. As a professional school counselor, I commit to being resourceful and compassionate to all students. I will thrive by eliminating barriers to every student's achievement for long-term success. I will respect not only students’ but their families values, beliefs, as well as their uniqueness in order for them to thrive in a safe environment. I will be their safe space and their advocate. 

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

Based on my results, I strive in areas that connect directly to student services which include: Mindsets, Behavior: Direct and Indirect Student Services, and most of Behaviors: Professional Foundation. I believe that I feel most comfortable or knowledgeable in this category due to the many years experiencing student support services in many different capacities. A lot of trial, errors, mentoring, and professional development workshops and training were utilized. 

The areas of growth were based on developmental and planning stages of the counseling process or model. The areas of growth included: most of Behaviors: Planning and Assessment, and B-PF 2 Demonstrate understanding of educational systems, legal issues, policies, research and trends in education (ASCA, 2019, p. 96). 

The highlighting areas of growth that I want to focus on are B-PF 2. Demonstrate understanding of educational systems, legal issues, policies, research and trends in education (ASCA, 2019, p. 96), B-PE 1. Create school counseling program beliefs, vision, and mission statements aligned with the school and district and B-PE 4. Develop and implement action plans aligned with annual student outcome goals and student data (ASCA, 2019, p. 101). How I plan to grow in these areas is by implementing these concepts into my current counselor model. As I begin to conclude my school year I can utilize the summer to research more about these concepts in order to implement them successfully. 

 

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

Gender - Career: This IAT often reveals a relative link between family and females and between career and males. 

Religion. This IAT requires some familiarity with religious terms from various world religions.

Based on my results, I was already aware of my biases so my results were not at all surprising. My results indicate that I had no bias as it pertains to female and male as it associates to career and family and I had slight automatic preference for Judaism over Islam. My environment has influenced heavily on my view of religion and gender roles. I grew up in a very neutral household of non-dominant parents which assisted my in alignment to being neutral to various people and backgrounds. 

Reflection
As School Counselors, the role is overburdened and frustrating due to lack of support and the many tasks given on a daily basis.  Based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Texas School Counselors, the 7 habits mentioned encouraged highly effective school counseling programs in the state of Texas. Some of the habits mentioned that are essential are establishing an ideal program, utilizing data, and sustaining boundaries with administrators, students, and values. The habits that I would like to establish for my current role as a rising School Counselor is creating an external support system through data collection, sustaining meaningful relationships with Administrators and other staff, and prioritizing personal and professional growth throughout my role. The role can be considered an on-going thankless job. I hope to use the many healthy habits listed to continue to grow in my role as a school counselor.

How I demonstrated Access was through a peer reviews article that demonstrated effectiveness in School Counseling programs and provided a reflection. 

Reference

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

How I demonstrated Define was through a personal philosophy of school counseling.

Reference

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

Examples of manage organizational tools and assessments include:

How I demonstrated Manage was through reflection of the School Counselor Competencies which allowed me to explore and identify strengths and weaknesses as it relates to my journey as an effective 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

Direct Student Services include: Instruction, Appraisal, and Counseling

Indirect Student Services include: Consultation, Collaboration, and Referrals

How I demonstrated Deliver was through a series of opportunities; Exploring components in a classroom guidance lesson plan; Exploring biases through the Harvard Implicit Bias Test; and Exploring community needs and resources.

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