Make an Update: Identify and describe an educational counseling need or practice of interest or relevance to you.

Update:

School is absolutely a place of growth as well as occasional, associated growing pains. In elementary and middle schools, students are learning the basics of interacting and cooperating, socialization, academic resolve, and much more. In high school, these benchmarks of growth evolve but often retain similar attributes. Finally, those moving on to college find a whole new set of challenges awaiting them. And this is where the professional field of counseling comes into play.

I am deeply in love with the field of primary and secondary education and an educational counseling need that is relevant to me is in the field of mental health. This varies from individual to individual and it involves what each pupil or students go through.

While working to support students in their personal growth and educational experiences along the way, educational counselors may run into any number of issues that require their interventional services. From home issues, to school and grade concerns, there are many. As a result, this professional must be open and understanding to the discussion of many sensitive topics. A short list of such common concerns encountered and addressed by these professionals could include: bullying, aggression, or fighting; puberty or personal growth concerns; home life issues, abuse, neglect; positive familial involvement; educator or school staff conflicts with students; bus and transportation issues; concerns of grades, studies, and coursework; handling typical school and classroom stressors; advisory on upcoming educational choices; and much more.

Take for example, a child that experiences gender based violence or rape in school or at home might pull back, or become increasingly withdrawn in class and other academic activities, and in such situation, the school counselor plays an important role in making the child to feel comfortable enough to open up about the abuse and making sure that the child gets the much needed help they require.

In Nigeria for example, educational counseling is referred to as guidance and counseling, and each school, both at the primary and secondary level are always lucky to have one of such personnel. Personally, I never had any guidance and counselor in primary and secondary school, and when I look back today and I can only imagine how immensely a professional education counselor would have contributed to some of the educational and academic stress we went through.

Schools in Nigeria, in reference to this course are highly in need of professional academic counselors, because of the sheer mental health related issues they go through due to stress, bullying in both primary and especially secondary schools, and even for career guidance.

finally, another practical example would be a student that is conflicted on what to study in the university, he/she would have more clarity with professional academic counseling offered by a professional academic counselor to aid him/her in choosing what they want/need the most and reduce regrets, and fatigue in their subsequent academic endeavors.

Reference:

What is Educational Counseling?

Extracted from: https://www.bestvalueschools.com/faq/what-is-educational-counseling/