What I Need to Know
Essential Question:
How can students like me and school counselors positively influence the lives of students who are struggling emotionally both inside and outside of school?
I decided to do my project on school counseling because of how much my mentorship at the counselor’s office has impacted me. As I’ve worked there throughout the year, I’ve watched kids grow stronger as students and emotionally in their mental health. The impact school counselors make on students is not recognized nearly enough as it should be. It is amazing to me to see what they can do for kids to help them.
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Through my research, I hope to learn exactly how these counselors help students in such a huge way. Most kids, especially in middle school, do not open up to adults very easily about touchy subjects, such as their home lives or their mental health. I would like to know what techniques are used to help students feel at ease while dealing with these issues. I also hope to discover how counselors can get involved in students’ lives without interfering with or damaging their relationships with their parents.
What I Assumed
In the beginning of my research, I assumed that there was a simple explanation for how a counselor can help a student.I assumed that the best way for counselors to help students was by talking to them. I thought that conversation was sufficient enough. Even when I was at my mentorship, helping the counselors, I never understood what needed to be done to reach out to students, because it is hard for students to ask for help on their own. I thought I knew a hefty amount of information, when in reality I knew virtually nothing. I assumed it was easy for students to talk with their counselors. My assumptions were based off things I saw around me, such as television, where outreach to students is posed as easy. I assumed that school counselors counseled only school aspect.
