Hensler,+Suzanne;+School+Counseling

For my Wiki, I chose the topic of School Counseling. For awhile now I have been told by multiple people including family members, teachers, as well as my high school counselor that I would make a great school counselor. I have been interested in going into education, however I'm still unsure as to whether or not teaching is for me. This is why I decided to look into school counseling. School counseling is a crucial part of education. I know that I wouldn't have made it to college without my high school counselor, and I also witnessed many situations non-academic related through high school that presented the need for counseling in the school systems. In my research for this wiki, I found some great videos and websites that may help anyone interested in learning more about school counseling, as well as anyone interested in school counseling as a career. Welcome to my Wiki!

**Top Five Things I've Learned:**

1) School counselors help students with school guidance curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services, and system support.

2) To be a school counselor in Oregon, you need a master’s or higher degree in counseling, education, or related behavior sciences and a Bachelor’s Degree and completion of a graduate program in school counseling. Other states have different education requirements.

3) Each state has state comprehensive school counseling programs designed to guide schools in an approach to school guidance and counseling programs.

4) The American School Counselor Association recommends a 250-to-1 ratio of students to school counselors, but the national average is actually 457-to-1. (As of the 2008-2009 school year.)

5) Each state also has Counselor Association programs. The Mission Statement for the Oregon School Counselor Association, Inc is: “to represent professional school counselors and to promote professionalism and ethical practices.”

1) **If you were to only look at one thing on this Wiki... ** This website has everything! It is a link to the American School Counselor Association, which has all kinds of information regarding school counseling around the country. If you are interested in learning everything about school counseling, including how to get involved, this is the site for you. I give it a 5/5 for Information and a 5/5 for Clarity. http://www.schoolcounselor.org/

2) This video recognizes exceptional school counselors. It also explains the roles of counselors, an excellent video for a quick overview of some of the things that counselors do. I give this video a 5/5 for Inspiration and a 3/5 for Entertainment. media type="youtube" key="itPHqdeUp_c?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

3) This video is a reflection on the 2009 School Counselor of the Year, and it has a great deal of good information about school counseling, from school counselors themselves. Very inspirational (5/5) and uplifting (also 5/5)! media type="youtube" key="-dw7Fto9Jj0?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

4) This website is a fun site full of resources for school counselors. It has videos, links to books, and more. 5/5 for Resources and 3/5 for organization. http://www.schoolcounselor.com/

5) This video was unable to embed, but I thought it was a great resource. It is more aimed towards students that are going to talk to their counselors, regarding what they should ask their school counselors. However this is also a good insight into what kinds of things school counselors deal with on a day to day basis, and situations they encounter. 5/5 all around. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zT-Y8QHfXU&NR=1&feature=fvwp

6) This video is a good example of what a school counselor should NOT be. It is meant to be humorous, however it touches on issues that students truly have and should discuss with their guidance counselors 3/5 for humor and 4/5 for insight. media type="youtube" key="bJln1Xixx50?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

7) This video interviews school counselors and gives insight into what makes their jobs enjoyable. A great resource for learning more about what goes on in the life of a school counselor. 5/5 for inspiration and 4/5 for information. media type="custom" key="7628759"

8)This video/powerpoint is very interesting for those interested in going into counseling. It contains information for the San Diego State U School Counseling Graduate program. Though this is not the only program out there, it gives insight into what a graduate program is like. I give it a 5/5 all around. media type="youtube" key="uFyZhoEcI4g?fs=1" height="385" width="640"