I believe all students have the ability to achieve. When I was growing up, my parents instilled in me the idea you can do anything you put your mind to. Therefore, I tell my students the same thing, because I think self-awareness is essential, and self-esteem is vital to confidence in one's abilities. I believe there is no substitute for hard work because hard work produces results. I also think we have strengths, and those strengths should be honed. We also have weaknesses, and those weaknesses must be worked on until they are no longer a weakness. In other words, areas we struggle in need more attention than those things that come naturally to us.  

Role as an Advocate 

In essence, advocate means to speak up for or support, and therefore, I believe school counselors advocate for their student's success in all areas of their lives. Every student is important and has value. Counselors are responsible for supporting students regardless of personal beliefs or feelings. Counselors should advocate for students holistically, not just from an academic perspective but also socially/emotionally and on the home front.   

Ethical Standards 

The ASCA ethical standards cover everything from responsibility to students, parents, the school, and self. It is a comprehensive tool used to guide school counselors to ensure every student is cared for and receives the guidance and support needed to be successful individuals in their personal and educational life.   

Personal Philosophy Statement 

School counseling should be the one-stop-shop for all students who need to feel safe, supported, and guided when navigating their academic and personal lives. 

After completing the School Counselor Competency Assessment (2019), the only thing I have a good grasp on is Mindsets. I grew up believing I could do anything I put my mind to achieve, and therefore, I believe the same for my students as a teacher. As a school counselor, I think students can be successful and must be given every opportunity to ensure they are able to succeed in every facet of their lives.   

Areas Needing Improvement 

It is clear I know very little about being an effective and efficient school counselor. I need to learn all the areas under Behavior. I do not know theories or techniques to apply when working with students and their families. I am unfamiliar with all the legal principles, and I do not know direct and indirect student services. Basically, I need training which is why I am gaining an education and working on this degree.   

How to Improve 

I believe improvement will come through learning and application. As it has been said, experience is the best teacher. While reading and learning principles are good, actually applying what has been learned to the real world is what makes the difference. Our experiences and the outcomes from said experiences indicate whether what we are doing is working, and if it is not working, we can make adjustments.   

Reference 

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

According to the article, a well-designed student-centered plan contains input from family, teachers, and other support systems and formal and informal services such as professional counseling or services and support systems within and outside of school (Thornton, 2018).

It is clear schools need experienced school counselors who are willing to work tirelessly to ensure the whole student is cared for and just the academic piece.  Concern for students and their well-being should be at the forefront of a school counselor's mind and be the number goal daily.  I believe it is safe to say with the advocacy of school counselors, many students would fall through the proverbial cracks and miss out on becoming productive needed members of society in the future.  After all, these students are the future business leaders, doctors, lawyers, teachers, military members, and so much more and school counselors work to help them realize their ability and worth.  

Reference:

Thornton, F. (2018). Counselors and Special Educators in Rural Schools Working Together to Create a 

Positive School Community. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 10(3). 385-

389. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2018336197

My Implicit Association Test (IAT) results stated I associate men with having a career and women with family.  I was surprised by this because both of my parents had professional careers in my own family.  I did not think I was biased in my thinking; however, I suppose I think females are more nurturing and family-oriented than males.  I do not feel this belief prevents me from encouraging both females and males to strive to be and do what they want in life. 

Skin Tone

On this test, my Implicit Association Test results stated I have a moderate automatic response to darker-skinned individuals than I do towards lighter-skinned individuals.  These results do not surprise me because I am a darker-skinned individual, and I have been taught to love the skin I am in and not hate it.  I do not believe this makes me treat others who are lighter-skinned than I am different because my family is full of different shades of people, and we love one another.  I encourage my students to embrace who they are and how they look.