Blog 7

For this week's blog I would like to discus an article that I researched in preparation for our Class Presentation Mock career Workshop. The title of the article is called, "Poised to Lead: How School Counselors Can Drive College and Career Readiness," by Peggy Laturno and Richard Lemons (2011). One of the main topics of the article was how school counselors can prepare students for life after high school. I really connected with this article because I thought about the climate, culture, and environment in the school I am a counselor at, and how it really does relate to what Laturno and Lemons (2011) are explaining in their writing.

First of all, course selection is extremely important. This is where a counselor can help students pick and choose classes that will best prepare them for success in the future. Whether this be for the college-bound or career-bound student, the school counselor has a unique vantage point that will help students (Laturno and Lemons, pg. 2, 2011). This article also had college students surveyed. 40 percent of the students that were surveyed in college said if they were given a chance, they would have taken different classes while in high school (Laturno and Lemons, pg. 3, 2011). Not only do counselors have the ability to prepare students for success after high school, they also know the courses, teachers, and policies that will enable students to be successful throughout their years in high school.

The article also points out how counselors are prevented from being the best asset that they can be in the building in which they work. First of all, some of the pre-service programs do not prepare students fully for what awaits them in the field. Luckily for me, I get the unique combination of my work experience paired with my academic classes at Millersville to get me ready for my future. Another obstacle is that principals and administration do not know how to properly hire the most qualified counselor for the job nor know exactly what the role of the school counselor is, thus placing duties on the counselor that they really shouldn't be doing (Laturno and Lemons, pg. 4, 2011). I see this a lot in my work experience, especially when it comes to substituting classes for absent teachers. This takes a whole period; which is a period where you could meet with one or two students to discuss future plans. Most of the time the class is just spent is a study hall which is very disheartening because the strengths of the counselor completely go to waste.

In conclusion, Laturno and Lemons (2011) provide steps that can be taken in order to maximize the effectiveness of the school counselor. First of all, there should be a description of the job of the school counselor and how they can prepare students for college or career readiness. Secondly, university training programs should center on the school counselor's role in educational equity and be prepared to engage in college and career counseling (Laturno and Lemons, pg. 7, 2011). Also, after the training counselors receive in college, they should also have chances for professional development to fine tune and better craft their skills in career counseling.

                                                             References:

Laturno, P., & Lemons, R. (2011). Preparing Students for Higher Education: How School Counselors Can Foster College Readiness and Access. Higher Education and Society. doi:10.3726/978-1-4539-1640-7/21