TEACHER AS COUNSELOR

I. SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE:
Taking the responsibility for relationship role in teaching, gives teacher as counselor new importance. From the time of Socrates the historic nature o such role is very evident. In his book “the Dialogues” Plato a student of Socrates mentioned the Philosopher as someone involve in assisting his student and followers in a counseling posture.
The role of a teacher as a counselor is a powerful one but some teachers find it difficult to assume for the following reasons:
a.) There is a little training given in the subject.
b.) Many teachers feel academic excellence is the sole focus of education.
c.) Some teachers feel the mystification about counseling or better still an over acting.
d.) The role suggests a deeper commitment.
e.) Receiving counseling has a negative history in our society and many community members devalue t as a role.
f.) Some teachers resent additional responsibility.
g.) The role is considered as the last to be done if there is time.
h.) Education has developed focus on subject and limited any infringement on that sole pursuit.
i.) Time for meaningful interaction is limited
j.) Privacy is frequently desirable and not available in most school settings.

SITUATION:
Juanita comes in her English class and sits down. Mrs. Brown greeted her at the door but she doesn’t smile. She get to work area, she slumps over her folder but did not begin her work. Mrs. Brown goes around the room to check the work of each student. She gets to Juanita’s desk. Juanita asks her if she can talk to her. Juanita told her that she wasn’t able to sleep much last night because her parents fought.
Mrs. Brown feels uncomfortable and doesn’t know what to do. But felt glad that Juanita confided to her, her problem. Juanita is hurt and needed help and it bothers her a lot. Mrs. Brown told her if they can have lunch together in the classroom so they can talk about Juanita’s problem.
Juanita seems hesitant to accept the invitation since she hasn’t pack a lunch for herself. Mrs. Brown assure Juanita that there is plenty for both of them to share and told Juanita to have her heart a rest and try to work on something so as to distract her mind for awhile.
Mrs. Brown thoughts keep on returning to Juanita and the pain she might experience now. Mrs. Brown seems uncertain of what to do. Would she say the right word for Juanita? Would she refer Juanita to the district counselor? Despite of this Mrs. Brown is determined to maintain an open communication with Juanita and together find solution to her problem.

There are a lot of guidelines to follow when addressing a certain problem or in dealing with this situation. The article offers the following guidelines:
1. Effective helpers hold positive beliefs and establish a philosophy of human nature and the purpose of helping.
2. Have a healthy self concept and possess traits such as empathy, congruence, warmth etc.
3. Clarifies who is responsible to change and how to facilitate change.
4. Find out the way people behave.
5. Change the self or environment to meet individual need rather than changing the child.
6. Recognize human nature and the right to positive and negative emotions.
7. Recognize your limitations provide help for immediate crisis or problem but get assistance for deep and chronic one.
8. Share information about good referrals.
9. Attend workshops and training in order to develop your ability to help.

Such are the guidelines for those who would be counselor. As guide for helping students here are the general guidelines.
1. Recognized students needs and build rapport.
2. Listen truly to the child.
3. Identify and clarify the problem.
4. Illuminate options and alternatives for problem solving.
5. Help create goals to facilitate improvement or change.
6. Encourage the student to succeed.
7. Enhance child perspectives and well being.
8. Make referrals in deep cases.
9. Keep the student confidence sacrosanct unless abuse is involved or the student has the tendency to hurt self.
10. Listen to the inner message.

To counsel a disruptive student the following method by Glasser’s is recommended. It is advisable to conduct also a “Life Space Concepts for troubled youth by Morseas.
The teachers’ power for counseling is based primarily from Personal Power and involves two types of empowerment, referent power and information power. Referent power is attractiveness which the teacher possesses in the eyes of the students and others. The relationship between the teacher and the student has a major influence on the students’ behaviors. Information power assists the teacher in influencing behavior. It is the confidence which the students and parents gain as they perceive the teacher’s ability to act as center of information. We build these powers by:

A. Referent power
1. Build rapport with students.
2. Increase sense of charisma
3. Show students you are consistent.
4. Establish and maintain sense of trust.
5. Share sense of security by showing care for them and their problems.
6. Maintain maturity rather than peership.

B. Information power
1. Draw parents into school involvement.
2. Send positive messages about students to parents.
3. Be an active, responsive listener.
4. Show respect for self and students.
5. Cultivate “second person” perspectives.
6. Familiarize self with community referrals and resources and help parents with access.

II. ANALYSIS:
The idea of being a teacher as counselor goes back as far as the time of Homer who described a teacher as "wise and trusted counselor" “whom Odysseus left in charge of his household during his travels. Athena, in the guise of Mentor, became the guardian and teacher of Odysseus' son Telemachus. “
The idea of teacher as a counselor can be best describe if we first try to see what is a teacher or a mentor. “In modern times, the concept of mentoring has found application in virtually every forum of learning. In academics, mentor teachers often used synonymously with faculty adviser.”
“A fundamental difference between mentoring and advising is more than advising; mentoring is a personal, as well as, professional relationship. An adviser might or might not be a mentor, depending on the quality of the relationship. A mentoring relationship develops over an extended period, during which a student's needs and the nature of the relationship tend to change.
“A mentor will try to be aware of these changes and vary the degree and type of attention, help, advice, information, and encouragement that he or she provides.” In this sense teaching and counseling is implied in the process of teaching or mentoring the idea of counseling creeps in. In fact, its hard for a teacher to just limit himself or herself into the pursuit of academic excellence.”
“In the broad sense intended here, a teacher is someone who takes a special interest in helping another person developed into a successful professional. Some students, particularly those working in large laboratories and institutions, find it difficult to develop a close relationship with their faculty adviser or laboratory director. They might have to find their mentor elsewhere—perhaps a fellow student, another faculty member, a wise friend, or another person with experience who offers continuing guidance and support.”
“In the realm of science and engineering, we might say that a good mentor seeks to help a student optimize an educational experience, to assist the student's socialization into a disciplinary culture, and to help the student find suitable employment. These obligations can extend well beyond formal schooling and continue into or through the student's career.”
“The Council of Graduate Schools (1995) cites Morris Zelditch's useful summary of a mentor's multiple roles: "Mentors are advisors, people with career experience willing to share their knowledge; supporters, people who give emotional and moral encouragement; tutors, people who give specific feedback on one's performance; masters, in the sense of employers to whom one is apprenticed; sponsors, sources of information about and aid in obtaining opportunities; models, of identity, of the kind of person one should be to be an academic." In this regard we can see that the role of a teacher is not only academics. This is rooted in the role of education as both educative and formative. Formation involves the whole of life of the person both emotional, psychological and even spiritual.
In general, an effective mentoring relationship is characterized by mutual respect, trust, understanding, and empathy. Good mentors are able to share life experiences and wisdom, as well as technical expertise. They are good listeners, good observers, and good problem-solvers. They make an effort to know, accept, and respect the goals and interests of a student. In the end, they establish an environment in which the student's accomplishment is limited only by the extent of his or her talent. A Latin adage, that says “We study not for school but for life” manifest greatly the role of a teacher as counselor or better still formator of the youth.
III EVALUATION:
In my evaluation the article was quiet hard to understand in its presentation. Although I was able to get the gist of it but at the first glance its hard to decipher. I chose the article because I believe that teaching/mentoring and counseling are two inseparable. I believe that teaching or academic pursuit is the sole objective of education. If this is so we will create intellectual giants but emotionally, morally dwarfs. Worse if these people will later on become leaders of our society. Intelligence and emotions must develop in every individual.
Trough the article I realized that my role as a teacher or even as counselor is very important. I realized that my self needs to be guided before I came to guide other people. “WE cannot give what we do not have.”


Sources:

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor/1.html

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_1_8/ai_n6335439

“Perceptions in Role Change from Teacher to Counselor: Intra Role Conflict and Motivation for Change” http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.