Whether your child is going through a difficult situation that is affecting his or her school work, or you want to ensure your college-bound teen stays on track, a school guidance counselor is a valuable resource for both you and your child.
Perhaps your own interactions with school counselors were minimal as a student, or you are unsure what sort of guidance to expect as it relates to your child's academic experience. Today, the school guidance counselor plays an important role in students' educations, providing academic, personal and social, and post-graduate advisement services. Ultimately, your child's guidance counselor is dedicated to helping your child succeed.
Some of the services that your child's guidance counselor may offer include the following:
- Support groups to alleviate stress related to school (or for students whose parents have divorced, who have lost a loved one or suffered a similar tragedy).
- One-on-one brief counseling sessions to address personal or social concerns.
- Crisis intervention and support, possibly in collaboration with staff clinical psychologists.
- Drug and alcohol intervention.
- Orientation for new and transfer students and their parents.
- Counseling for at-risk or frequently absent students.
- Enrichment activities in the classroom (coordinating with teachers), such as problem solving, self-esteem or other workshops.
- For high school students, development of a four-year plan, including course selection and post-graduate educational and career goals.
- Referrals to special programs, therapists or psychiatrists, or other counseling services for students and their families.
- Analysis and interpretation of standardized test results, as well as ACT, SAT and other placement exam results.
- Coordination with other support staff at the school.
- Facilitation of parent discussion groups and conferences and fostering regular communications with parents through newsletters and in-person discussions.
- For high school students, advisement for post-graduate plans, including college, military service or technical school.
How can you develop a mutually beneficial relationship with your child's guidance counselor? Here are a few ways you can best utilize the counselors at your child's school:
- Discuss behavioral issues or other areas of concern and seek advice for potential action plans at home.
- Learn about school programs for parents and resources available to your child and family.
- Share knowledge about your child's social and academic development or significant events or changes in his or her life.
- Discuss your child's academic and career goals and how you can best support those goals at home.
- Be proactive about college planning by discussing resources for financial aid, your child's four-year academic plan and more.
- Seek advice on improving communications with your child.
Like all education professionals, your child's guidance counselor encourages and welcomes your involvement in your child's education. Developing a cooperative, two-way relationship between you and your child's guidance counselor can only stand to benefit your child. Not only will you be better informed of your child's academic and personal development, you will have a caring ally to turn to as challenges arise throughout your child's education.
Article provided by Huntingtong Learning Center http://huntingtonlearning.com/resources/p-homeworkdos/
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