Running Head: MY PHILOSOPHY

My Philosophy

Implications for Me as a Professional Counselor

Sullivan, Mary
Fall, 2017
MY PHIOSOPHY 1

My Philosophy: Implications for Me as a Professional Counselor

Education is a calling. When the call first came to me, it was simply the knowledge that I

needed to help people. My life felt incomplete, as though there was a missing piece. When I

discovered education, it was a lifeline, a saving grace to an otherwise wasted life. No matter

which area of education one chooses to embark, they are choosing to make a difference in the

lives of children.

When I started this journey, it was as a special education teacher. In the beginning, I

believed my job was simple; go into the general education classroom and make sure the special

education students are learning. But it soon became apparent that there was so much more

needed from me. Providing in class support for teachers in general education allowed me the

opportunity to work with kids on an individual level. Rather than standing at the front of the

class trying to get through to thirty students, I am able to get down on the students level and

work directly with them.

My first eye-opening experience in my first year of teaching was with an African

American middle school girl. Her clothes were a size too small, and her hair was haphazardly

pulled back from her face. She had the brightest smile, even when she was telling her teachers

she hates them. Her spew of hatred was daily. In the class I was supporting, rather than helping

my special education students, I was asked to escort this student to the office. The teacher was

fed up with her behavior. Every single day. During our walks to the office, I took the time to get

to know this young lady. She soaked up my attention. I learned that she hated school, but didnt

understand why she was always in trouble. I learned that she lived with her grandma. I learned

that grandma was working two jobs, but still made it to every conference meeting. I learned that
MY PHIOSOPHY 2

when she was just a baby, her mom was raped and murdered in a very public case. I learned she

had recently looked the story up on the internet and read all about her moms death. I learned

that her teachers had no clue the burden this child was carrying.

While this student and I built a relationship that year, she ended up moving on to high

school, where her struggle continued. Shes caught up in a system where nobody knows what to

do for her, so she is punished instead. But even without such extreme examples, this is also when

I started noticing all of the other things the teachers were too busy to pick up on. Both special

and general education students were struggling to keep up. The reasons were varied. Some kids

were constantly distracted, while others lacked organizational skills. Then there were the

students with vacant or angry eyes-the ones who were thinking about life problems that had little

to do with the Pythagorean Theorem. Often, the teachers resorted to the anger. Entire class

periods were spent lecturing on how to behave, or disruptive students were being sent out to the

hallway for the remainder of class. Their approach to discipline was compounding the problem.

The students were missing instruction, and the behaviors were increasing.

According to Maslow, we exist within a hierarchy. We need our physiological needs met,

we need to feel safe, we need healthy relationships, and we need to feel accomplished. If all of

our needs are satisfied, only then are we open to discovering self-actualization. For students,

having these needs met can be the difference between learning and failing. As teachers, we are

limited by the expectations of our field. We have TEKS to cover and administrators demanding

proof of mastery. The basic needs of the students get lost in the data.

Becoming a school counselor opens up the doors to helping students overcome the

challenges that are keeping them from self-actualization. I will use this opportunity to work with
MY PHIOSOPHY 3

teachers, parents, students, and the community in order to provide the best learning experience.

Rather than focus on working with each individual student, my vision is to facilitate

communication between all of these stakeholders in a childs life so that we can ensure the

students are receiving all of the support they need to access instruction.

As I step into the role of school counselor, I am aware that the duties assigned to me by

the principal could easily overshadow the daily needs of the students. To overcome this, it will

be up to me to create a school environment where everybody becomes stakeholders in the

students success. This will start by organizing a school wide PBIS program, creating a

committee of both staff and students to develop it. In this way, teachers will feel more

empowered to address behaviors in a more positive way, rather than removing students from

their learning environment. Involving students in the committee will help keep the program

relevant to the wants and needs of the students. For teachers who continue to have students who

are not responding to PBIS, I can take the opportunity to meet with the student, teacher, and

parents to facilitate conversations about what the root cause of the behavior could be.

Another program that will be implemented is a mentor program. Students will be

identified as being at-risk and matched up with a mentor who will develop a relationship with the

student; they will complete such activities as relationship building sessions, checking grades, and

helping the student communicate with their other teachers. While the project seems time-

consuming, having the teachers meet with their mentees just a few times within a grading period

can have a positive effect on the student.

MY PHIOSOPHY 4

Another initiative that can be highly effective is gathering donated food to send home

with select students every Friday. Food items such as cereals and granola bars, and canned pasta

can go a long way in making sure our students have a meal when they are not with us.

As students begin to feel more trusting of the school and their teachers, their feelings of

self-worth should increase. Teachers and staff will be encouraged to consistently identify and

point out student successes. Even small progress should be celebrated in big ways. Positive calls

home, being called to the principal to be recognized, and shout out bulletin boards where

students and teachers can brag about classroom successes can all create an environment where

students feel ownership over their achievements.

Unfortunately, even when we try to plan for every student, some students will need more.

The goal is to reach as many students as possible through school-wide initiatives, so that only the

most emotionally needy students will require one to one sessions with the school counselor.

When I meet with students, I will have the opportunity to allow them to talk freely in a safe

place. They will know from the moment they walk in that everything they say is between us,

unless I am concerned for the safety of themselves or others. While I will have a tool bag of

strategies to help students with any needs they bring to me, my goal is to focus on simply

allowing them to talk, and to be heard. In my experience already, students can become

overwhelmed by seemingly small problems, but my place is not to judge their needs. In their

world, if they are seeking me out, then the problem seems insurmountable. I will not judge or

demean their issues.

In the end, even the best laid plans can fail. By approaching my job with calm, patience,

and consistency, I will be able to create an environment where everyone feels heard. Teachers,
MY PHIOSOPHY 5

staff, parents, and students will work together to create a positive learning environment. If we all

work together to help the basic needs of the students be met, they will be open to reaching their

full potential.