Guidance Counselors: Fundamental Professionals of Education

BY: CATHERINE V. VIOLETA

BNHS Non-Teaching Staff

Date posted: Feb. 21, 2019 | 4:47 PM

One of the most crucial part of the education system of every school today are guidance counselors. They belong to the non-teaching personnel of the school in which their responsibilities can range from assisting student sign up for their classes to helping out their parents and teachers, too.

Guidance counselors play a big role on a student’s academic, social and behavioral growth. They asses every students’ performance inside the classroom to make sure they are doing well in their classes. Moreover, if ever a student fails, they can help and motivate them to catch up with their activities. Guidance counselors also help students on their social growth may be it personal or interactive development. These include issues on their friends, their self-esteem, stress management and problem solving of critical situations on their own. Lastly and most importantly, guidance counselors assist students on their behavioral growth and issues. They are responsible to talk to students who have issues like bullying, so that the victim will feel comfortable and safe while the bully would be assessed by them to talk over their own personal problems. Aside from these three aspects, there are still a lot more a guidance counselor could offer to the students which are also crucial for them.

Aside from students, guidance counselors are also important to the students’ parents. First of all, they can help parents talk about disciplinary decisions that would be effective and constructive in the part of the students without damaging their emotions and building walls between their parents. In connection with these, guidance counselors are also plays also a big role on parents in terms of their children’s social provocations. They could also discuss about their behaviors inside the school community and at their homes and compromise for the actions they could change and imply to discipline them. Last but not the least, guidance counselors may also help parents in having their specific educational material. Since there are different ways for a student to learn, these professionals may help the parents in having their own routine or cycle when it comes to assisting their children on their academics. To sum it up, guidance counselors are also vital on parents, specifically on helping their child to develop.

Guidance counselors’ responsibilities may range up to even educators or teachers. Student to teacher relationship can be stressful at times specially when there is not enough respect between both parties and that is when guidance counselors are needed. They can reduce the stress the student and teachers are facing when it comes to their relationship inside and even outside the classroom. Guidance counselors and teachers may also integrate counseling and class-lessons to have an efficient way of teaching and learning. They can work together to teach lessons in class about academics, careers, and personal/social issues. These lessons are preventive by design and developmental in nature to help students with their decision-making in school. Finally, when teachers are having a hard time dealing with their stressful jobs, they may consult guidance counselors to seek for professional advice. When teachers find themselves stuck with strategies that aren’t working with a particular student, a counselor who is trained to problem-solve can help them gain fresh ideas to age old problems.

To sum everything up, guidance counselors play a huge role when it comes to the education system of every school. It does not only focus on their responsibilities to the students, but also to their parents and teachers. They may seem like they are not doing anything on their at times and talking awkward situations to a person, but their profession is a huge aspect when it comes to the development of the students, parents and teachers.