When
we started our first day of class trying to define what school counseling and
guidance was, I found out how difficult and abstract this concept was.
At
the beginning we tried to think about it on our own, then we tried to do the
same in couples and finally in bigger groups. The evolution of the definition
was as follows:
1.
Individual approach to the definition: "Trying to put children in the
correct way, looking deep inside in case they've got any trouble in their lives
first and in their academic education later on"
2.
Pair approach to the definition: "Is about being aware of children that
maybe in trouble and try to help children to overcome them both, in their lives
and academic education. Therefore is about orientating the child in taking the
right decision."
3.
Groupal approach to the definition: "It is about school counseling which
involves recognizing academic and personal problems in order to help children
to overcome them by adopting the established instructions to each student's
context"
We
came up with some keywords worth to be mentioned: Counselling, context,
problems, identify and solve problems, tools, guidance, diversity, tutorship...
After
this very first class, I started investigating in order to get a bit deeper
into the concept. I think I am able to give a more accurate definition every
day.
My
new definition for 'School Counselling and Guidance' so far is: Service
provided to help student in anything they may need in order for them to achieve
their academic and personal aims in life. This service could be provided by
anyone from the educational community when talking about guidance and by an
expertise if it is more a counselling matter.
When applying 'my' definition of School Counselling and Guidance to Spanish system, when talking about early childhood, I have to focus more on satisfactory integration and ease of inclusion of new students. Also the 'social worker' figure appear into scene as a member of the 'body of Technical Teachers of Vocational Training specialised in Community Services', mainly identifying pupils that do not attend regularly to school, analysing the impediments and guaranteeing their return and, again, successful reintegration into schools.
I have some new knowledge to be included: my definition of Attention to Diversity. In my opinion, it involves applying all possible measures in order to help needed students to be included in the Educational System. The Law states that everyone has the right and the obligation to study, despite their race, intellectual or personal situation. Therefore someone must assure that it is in such way. So it should allow everyone to have the same opportunities (although not same necessities) in learning by making their disequillibrated situation more balanced. This is very important for us because we are going to be teachers, our classes will be formed out of diversity that should be focused from three perspectives: families, teachers and counsellors. So it is our job to learn how to deal with such diversity.
I have some new knowledge to be included: my definition of Attention to Diversity. In my opinion, it involves applying all possible measures in order to help needed students to be included in the Educational System. The Law states that everyone has the right and the obligation to study, despite their race, intellectual or personal situation. Therefore someone must assure that it is in such way. So it should allow everyone to have the same opportunities (although not same necessities) in learning by making their disequillibrated situation more balanced. This is very important for us because we are going to be teachers, our classes will be formed out of diversity that should be focused from three perspectives: families, teachers and counsellors. So it is our job to learn how to deal with such diversity.
