The Role of Counseling :: essays papers

The Role of Counseling A study performed in 1992, reported approximately 3,400,000 youth had failed to complete high school and were not enrolled in high school (Starr 1998). This statistic is based on the United States where job competition has greatly increased due to technology. Many of these student lacked the support and training necessary to succeed in today’s society. Currently in every high school across the nation, there is a person responsible for offering support and training to the youth of America. Available for all students is a guidance counselor. Counselors within the high school setting play an influential role in the forming of post high school goals through the planning of numerous activities. Education Week reported in the â€Å"Metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher 2000† that seventy-one percent of students state their post-high school plans as a four-year college (Eduacation Week, 2000). The fact is seventy-five percent of Americans youth do not graduate from college (Starr, 1998). Due to the inconsistency of the reported statistics a counselor needs to advise each student in the direction that best suits them. This task is difficult considering the large number of students per counselor. Counselors are able to advise more students through planned activities (Ordsmyth, 2002). There is also the need to support students through the transitional stage between significant events. Preparing a student to enter a four-year college, two-year college, military or job force is crucial to their future success. Ways to Prepare the Student A guidance counselor is an important element in the formation of post high school plans. Counselors offer an outlet of information that should be used by all students. There are numerous ways for the counselor to approach post high school planning. One technique is the writing of an essay about their ideal school (Marthers, 1997). This idea was developed by, Paul Marthers, in hopes that conversation would be stimulated. A student involved in the college search should focus on their desires pertaining to college. A study by Nafziger, Holland and Gotffredon, in 1975, indicated the improbability of a student leaving a school that matches their personality type; therefore the importance of the college search is highlighted (Marthers, 1997). Starting the college search with a positive outlook will affect the entire process (Marthers, 1997). Goodnough and Ripley are also accredited with a technique beneficial to post- high school planning (1997).