One of the most important persons who holds a non-teaching job in a school is the Guidance Counselor,
Most of the time, Guidance Counselors have struggled with the idea of being associated with discipline., however, we must not forget, that once a teacher , you are also a Guidance Counselor. So the teacher-in charge serves also as the Guidance Counselor of her/his pupils. When discipline is necessary beyond the classroom, there are certainly other school staff such as the principal, department heads, teacher-advisers who are in a more position to enforce school policy and make decisions about consequences. However, effective discipline involves so much more than what happens when students behave inappropriately. Effective discipline also involves the steps that are taken to prevent discipline problems from occurring.
School Counselors should show more their expertise on behavior of students together with the relationships with them. (Myrick,2003). They must take the center stage in assisting teacher-advisers and administrators understand and manage student behavior. They are also in a position to help build a caring community of support school wide, that will result to student’s success. In this sense, school counselors play an integral role in the entire school discipline.
(Myrick,2003) also explained that there are some ways school counselors as consultants can work with administrators and teachers to affect school wide discipline.
- Advocating for student involvement when assessing school wide need: Most schools have some process in place to address school improvement including assessing school wide needs and outcomes.
- Providing workshops/in-service for teachers: as school wide needs are evaluated by administrators and staff, plans for professional development can be made.
- Providing workshops/information to parents: School Counselors can work with parents to share information and provide opportunities to learn more about effective discipline at home.
Helping administrators and staff understand the “scope’’ of the school wide discipline: When teachers are asked about the discipline plan in their school, responses often include reactions to misbehavior such as“ we have a behavior specialist, a Dean, an in-school suspension program, or Saturday school.
By: MR. CLARO TRIA DE CASTRO | Teacher III | Asuncion Consunji Elementary School, , Samal, Bataan (Former Imelda Elementary School)
