The Figure Of The Counselor At Your Child’s School
Making the right decisions is not always easy. And much more when you are at an age in which you have not fully matured. For children and adolescents it can become a crisis if they do not have the proper support. That is why the figure of the counselor in the school of our children is so important. Do you know who we are talking about? Today we show you what counseling consists of and what is the role of the counselor in education.
The goal of orientation
The school counselor is a key piece that seeks to harmonize the large number of factors that come together in any educational center. Their actions are basically aimed at the proper functioning of three elements: young people, teachers and families. These are the three basic pillars of any school structure. In Spain, each center has the presence of a counselor.
The orientation aims to help children and young people to get to know and feel good about themselves. This will result in a better adaptation to their school environment, their home and the community in which they operate.
The way in which the counselor figure is presented varies according to the school. In some, the professional of this branch is permanently present. In others, he goes one or more times a week. Be that as it may, your presence is essential for the proper functioning of the educational center.
In times as complex as today, the figure of the counselor in the school is key. It can help the family and teachers cope with problems such as bullying, stress or eating disorders, among others. The counselor plays the role of facilitator, connection, communication and support.
The counselor can be a professional from teaching, pedagogy or psychology, who has carried out specialized studies in counseling.
What does the counselor do in the school?
- He is trained to detect any problem in the student’s learning process through a psychopedagogical evaluation. In this way, it will try to coordinate the appropriate actions to solve it.
- It helps the student to know their potentialities and limitations, their passions, their tastes, etc. Everything that allows you to decide the path you will take in the future. It presents the faculty with the resources that are best suited to the needs of each student. This enhances the abilities of the students.
- Advises the family when there are learning or behavior problems that may be affecting the student’s academic performance.
- He is in contact with professionals from the different areas of his community that may be required by a student.
- It works with the student to discover their vocation and guide them towards the studies and jobs that best suit their needs.
Reasons for going to the counselor at the school
- When parents or teachers observe any change in the child or adolescent that may affect their academic performance.
- When the student presents any condition that hinders his learning activities.
- In cases of students with high intellectual abilities. The counselor in these cases will propose the adaptation of the program according to the student’s needs.
- When the young person presents behavioral problems that affect their relationship with their colleagues and friends, teachers or parents.
- When there are serious behavior problems, such as bullying, drugs or repeated absenteeism.
- In cases where there are problems within the family that may have as a consequence a decrease in school performance.
Characteristics of a school counselor
A professional who wants to be a school counselor must above all have skills to relate and communicate with others. Also be able to feel empathy and gain the trust of children and young people. You must also understand the complexity of their thinking.
To be a counselor, you must be able to establish a collaboration network with professionals from different specialties. Above all, those that could be required by some type of need of the students, for example, specialists in Hearing and Language or in Therapeutic Pedagogy. For this reason, they must be a person with the ability to work in a team.
Discretion, understanding, empathy, tolerance, good temperament, honesty, and emotional balance are some of the expected characteristics of a good school counselor.
