Keeping Up with the Changing Times

Over the past couple of years, Nipmuc Regional High School has seen many changes.  We have a new 7-block schedule, a new 1:1 iPad program, and new courses to prepare students for their futures.  All of these changes took effect in order to meet the dynamic demands of a 21st century world.  

Well, the Nipmuc counselors also want to keep up with the changing times!  In the field of school counseling, one big step is changing our name from the Guidance Office to the School Counseling Center. This name change is also more reflective of the work of our school adjustment counselor, who focuses primarily on the social-emotional needs of students.  Although the School Adjustment Counselor will keep that job title, the Guidance Counselors will now be School Counselors.  We know it’s going to take some time for everyone (us included!) to get used to the change, but it’s an important change to make.

  

Here’s a little history to help you understand…

Counselors started appearing in school settings in the early 1900s and when they did, their main role was to assist students with occupational/vocational decisions and applying to college.  Very often counselors were teachers who had taken a couple of extra courses to earn the title “Guidance Counselor.”  In the 1920s and 1930s, school counseling and guidance saw a decline due to the Great Depression and concerns that only the fundamentals of education should be taught in schools.  In the 1940s, counselors in schools were mostly focused on testing to select, recruit, and train students for the military.  It wasn’t until the 1950s and 1960s, in the face of social justice and civil rights movements in the U.S., that counselors in schools focused on more than vocational guidance, but the name really stuck.  Counselor education programs began to grow and in 1990s, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) published its National Standards for Students and School Counselor Competencies.

Today, school counselors have local and national organizations that provide professional and legislative support.  School counselors are required to have master’s degrees in counseling and must be licensed in their states.  At Nipmuc, we use the ASCA model in our practice as we focus on academic, social/emotional, and college/career development.  Yes, career guidance is part of what school counselors do, but it’s not all we do.  We work individually with students to help them navigate through their four years of high school, which encompasses development in every area of their lives.  By promoting collaborative relationships between students, staff, families, and the community, we work to empower students and foster their emotional health and well-being.  School counseling, as opposed to guidance counseling, gives a much better description of this role and incorporates all that goes on in our office.

Please help us to spread the word about our new name and visit our School Counseling Blog!