Review your fieldwork experience thus far. What have been the challenges? What have been the rewards? What has surprised you about fieldwork?
Currently, I do practicum training on Christopher Columbus at an elementary school in Elizabeth, NJ. It is possible to say that, thus far, my experience is positive as I have an excellent relationship with my site supervisor, who is an experienced teacher and counselor. She has been working in the field for the past ten years and always finds time to share her knowledge about counseling with me. My practicum site allowed me to attend parent-teacher conferences and professional development meetings, as well as gain skills in conflict resolution and classroom guidance. Moreover, I work with a diverse population, which is important to me because I am bilingual too.
One of the challenges I have encountered is assisting children abused by their family members. With one such student, I had to organize a meeting between the representative of the Department of Child Protection & Permanency (DCP&P) and the boy’s father. Although it helped to solve the issue, it was hard for me to realize that the child’s mother was not present in his life and he lacked her support. The rewards of my experience have been acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for my professional development, meeting other professionals, and attending meetings and workshops.
Besides, I have been happy to work with diverse students and feel appreciated as their school counselor. The primary issue that has surprised me about fieldwork is the high number of tasks related to students’ behavior, attendance rates, and performance. I had not realized that counseling would be a highly emotionally demanding job, implementing rating scale (IRS), individualized education programs (IEPs), and response to intervention (RTI).
As you enter the final stage of your program, you will be balancing more with the internship, family, and academic assignments. Discuss your strategy to accomplish this and how you are practicing self-care
Balancing between internships, family, and academic assignments may be challenging but I have developed a strategy to manage these parts of my life. First, I use time management techniques, such as writing down the things I am planning to do and assigning due dates for each of them. Second, I have a calendar in which all of my activities are listed, including meetings with family and friends. Also, while working on my assignments, I avoid procrastination because working under pressure is difficult for me. Postponing academic tasks can lead to poor performance and low grades; thus, I try to complete all papers in time (Kim, Fernandez, & Terrier, 2017).
Self-care is a significant issue for me because it allows me to manage stress better and eliminate physical and emotional exhaustion. A school counselor is a highly demanding profession that requires dedication and discipline; counselors may experience burnout if self-care is neglected (Mullen & Gutierrez, 2016). Moreover, this occupation often involves resolving difficult situations and conflicts, which means that it is necessary to avoid distress. To maintain my physical and mental health, I exercise regularly and engage in social activities. I always ensure that I include leisure time in my schedule. Besides, I try to sleep at least eight hours per night and adhere to a healthy diet.
Set three goals for finishing the program and transitioning to a licensed professional school counselor
My personal and professional progress is evident as I have become more certain about my future career path and acquired capacities necessary for becoming a school counselor. My three goals for finishing the program and transitioning to a licensed professional school counselor include practicing at a high school setting, continuing to build connections with other professionals in the field, and participating in professional development training sessions. The accomplishment of these aims can enhance my capacities, skills, and knowledge requires for becoming a school counselor. Also, I am hoping that by working on these objectives, I can prepare for my future job interviews.
References
Kim, S., Fernandez, S., & Terrier, L. (2017). Procrastination, personality traits, and academic performance: When active and passive procrastination tell a different story. Personality and Individual Differences, 108, 154-157.
Mullen, P. R., & Gutierrez, D. (2016). Burnout, stress and direct student services among school counselors. Professional Counselor, 6(4), 344-359.