UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI College of Arts Sciences and Education West Rembo, Makati City

REFLECTION

ESSAY

IN

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

Submitted by Mr. Elfred G. Sy

Submitted to Mr. Cipriano Guarin Professor

MARCH, 2014

Reflection Paper

Before I registered for Certificate in Teaching Program, I had a misconception of teaching. I thought of teaching as an easy and fun occupation, but at the same time very rewarding. As I obtained professional education units, this preconceived notion was proven to be inaccurate and that teaching is not just an occupation nor an easy job but a vocation and a lifetime profession. Teaching according to educators is very rewarding, but it can be hard at sometimes to get through to all the students in order for them to learn. Through this experience I have learned that there were still a few facets of teaching that I need to learn about. One of these unexplored facets is the aptitude to be an effective, compassionate and sympathetic educator which was introduced to me through the course on Guidance and Counseling. A very helpful thing I internalized before starting this course was this can help a person lead a good life or it is the way so that others will have a good future in life. Guidance and counseling holds a strong foothold in our day to day life. It provides assistance to an individual in developing an insight, recognizing his/her strengths and weaknesses and finding out his interests and levels of aptitude. It makes individuals better at making his//her own decisions and in keeping in mind his morals to family and society. The first day that I was in class I did a lot of observations on how we and the professor interact, and the classroom environment as well. I was surprised that my presence retained in Prof. Guarins mind calling me by my surname despite of being the first time that he handles me in his class, so it is very notable to a teacher having an excellent memory. Good thing that Prof. Guarin at first established his own method and way of teaching which I consider one of the unique skills of an educator rather than usually does by other. This method was imbedded to us every time we are presenting topics and issues. In his class, he promotes nurse client therapeutic interaction which I believe the model of Guidance and Counseling and the foremost reason why Prof. Guarin deserved to be our professor aside from being educated and accomplished well in this field of discipline. Interactions have never been eliminated in every report because this is vital in the learning process. He told us it is important to have us read or

study again the material that he just taught the day before so that we will be able to retain them better. I have learned quite a lot starting from the history and roots, prominent luminaries in this field, countless definitions, concepts and theories, importance, goals and objectives, applications and implementation, etc. but one realization that I came upon my mind and in my heart first as a person and student is that Guidance and Counseling is a core component in learning and in becoming successful. Without these essential factors you can't become successful. There are people who get motivation from others but still they need some sort of guidance to initiate the work. Being a Guidance Counselor is not about talking, listening and interjecting every now and then to sort guide someone to the right decision or answer or even giving magic cure to their problems, life events, and disorders but it is all about being able to influence them in a good way and help them gain a better understanding on their issues and looking at them from a different point of view. As a future teacher, this class established in my mind that guidance is a continuous process of guiding a person along a particular path, of showing them what they should do, how to do it and explaining why it should be done, and in this way in order to lead an individual into a pre-determined direction, to get the individual to follow the path selected for them, or behave in a particular way and counseling is important because we need to take care of ourselves mentally and physically. This whole experience has been a great eye-opener for me. It has opened my eyes on how I am now as a student and what I want to be as a teacher, and also what I need to improve. I am very sad that this experience had had to come to an end, but also excited. I have become more confident and goal-oriented and cannot wait to have my own classroom. This class hasnt changed my view on other people, nor has it changed my view on the world. It has, however, changed how I view myself. I am looking forward to the rest of my class experience, and to being a member of academe and maybe beyond.