17 October 2010

COUNSELLING IN THE SCHOOL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT!

School children need to be counselled in some situations they may counter in life problems or challenges. Anyone in life can need to be counselled at one point in time.
Counselling is a help relationship which it is communication driven. It involves an interpersonal relationship between someone actively seeking help and a trained person who is willing to give that help so that the person who is seeking a counselling makes an informed decision.
Counselling affords the client an opportunity to explore ,discover and clarify ways of living in life in a manner that satisfies the person being counselled.
School children are shy , nervous and anxious people who need a teacher with qualities of a good counsellor. A counsellor who is confident ,attentive ,in other words a teacher who is an active listener ,being tactful ,observant and can reassures the child that he/she can get the much needed advice.
The counsellor shows much understanding ,when can encourages children to make their own informed decisions ,by not imposing them to take decisions as they can be imposed from the counsellor.
A counsellor maintains eye contact to draw attention of the child so that the sense of trustworth or honest is being developed. Calm keeps confidentiality if the child is counselled in a well organised situation ,through giving a chance to explain in a temperate and non judgemental communication.
A teacher who is not prejudice and also is concerned with gender sentitivity is in a position to counsel learners in an acceptable manner.
The modelled teacher as counsellor is polite ,disciplined and knowledgeable about the environment he/she operates ,for example rural or urban ,or well diverse in different economical status of community families.Thus being sensitive to cultural activities,considerate to understand the children 's culture needs.
The qualities of a good counsellor in a school environment must be presentable ,examplary ,empathetic and creative to suit in every child's needs at some various situations in his /her learning environment.
Types of counselling are determined by the number of children based on their needs,interests , developmental age or maturity in terms of infants,juniours or idolesents.
A teacher can counsell children as a group or one on one index client ,thus dealing with individual 's concerns at a time.
Some children need counselling as a family which may involves a homogeneous group of children who share same problems and might benefit from shared therapy and common solutions that come out of that counselling for example people live positively with HIV or orphans.
Developmental age group involves:
•Child counselling which involves working with children below the age of 13.
•Adolesense or teenage counselling is specifically for those at their rapid ,fast phase of development .These children need counselling to the problems they may encounter at this crisis age.
•Adult counselling is generally for people who are no longer in primary or secondary school education,possibly community members or colleagues. They may need counselling or may consult you as teacher.
•Some people may need oriented counselling so they are looking at the purpose for which they expect counselling to be done.
•The preventive counselling is done to have preventative skills as to avoid a certain outcome to occur ,it may also involve problem solving therapy.
•Bereavement counselling focuses on children's sense of loss and attendance to the grief for example loss of parents,property etc.
•Spiritual counselling involve helping children to be refers to their religious leaders.
•Supportive counselling helps those people living in desperate inevitable situation like being living with incurable diseases for example HIV&AIDS, physical challenges etc, to cope with the challenges or problems.
*There are so many forms of counselling like marriage ,guardianship etc.
Inconclusion a teacher who is looking to be a counsellor should consider the importance of being confident , calm,observant. Who maintains eye contact and keeping confidentiality. A teacher who cannot decide for the child ,a non judgemental and not prejudiced. A counsellor who knowledgeable with zeal of understanding , emphathetic and cultural sensitive.

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