Schools, Students, and Counselors
Imagine you are another depressed student in a sea of over 2,000 students. Without a friend to turn to and thinking your parents won’t understand, your last resort is your school counselor. But, here’s the catch there is only one counselor helping all the students. When will he or she ever have the time for you? Among the staff at schools that students trust are a few teachers and usually a guidance counselor. Schools counselors have been around for decades helping students deal with academic, social, or personal issues. If so, then why is it that many schools are lacking that kind of support? If you were to walk into a school at this moment you would find very little guidance staff.
In fact, according to the American School Counselor Association, the recommended amount of students per counselor is 100 students to 1 ratio when the average here in the US is 315 students to 1. It is very important to have guidance counselors in schools. Counselors provide a safe and trustworthy environment in schools. Many times, most issues kids come to guidance counselors are for things that deal with school. If a student is having a problem with a peer, they tend to talk to a counselor before it leads into something like a fight. In fact due to a guidance counselor’s interference only around 23% of students have been in a serious fight, according to www.
sadd.org If there happens to be a majorly depressed student in a school, talking to a parent may be difficult and your family may not be able to afford to pay for a personal therapists so going to a counselor is most likely essential. Especially since everything said to a counselor is confidential. In a 2005 study 3.4 million teens have had at least one major depression episode, also according to www.
sadd.org . If a guidance counselor is supposed to guide or help over 300 students a week just imagine the results of that meeting. Not only will conversations be short, but they will be half-hearted. The more students a counselor has the less time to build a relationship. Many schools will argue saying that there is just not enough money to hire another staff member and that students should be just focused on academics nothing else.
Well, that is not true. Students who attend a school lacking guidance counselors are more likely to struggle academically and focus on things other than academics. A tough time in most people’s life occurs during middle school and high school. At these times you face challenges at home, school and with your friends. These difficulties cause fewer concentrations on one’s studies. Knowing what it is like to have a problem that you will is taking control of your life you tend to keep it locked up.
Sometimes you will fear that if you tell your parents they will get mad at you or if you will to tell your friends it will scare them off or they may not understand. Going to a counselor is the best thing. Although there is supposed to be a trust in relationships between family and friends, it can be hard talking about things such as depression, academic or social failure. So it is best to get professional help first. Even is schools really can’t afford to hire another staff member it is important to at least have teachers become aware of a student’s concerns and issues. Not saying that only school counselors should help, although they are essential, but even a regular core teacher such as an ELA teacher, can help a student with things.
But, for a school that can afford to hire an extra staff member such as a guidance counselor needs to stop being selfish. In a number of states including New York it is not mandated to have guidance counseling. Many schools have to forget about the money and think of the welfare of students. Parents tend to not know much about their child and can fear the results of their child bottling things in. counselors can open that bottle up. With more counselors, students will not only be less distracted in class but become more confident knowing someone is always there for them.
