Guidance Counseling

Guidance Counseling

3/01/2018

Since the first that I received the public school placement interest survey, I checked Guidance Counseling because I am interested in observing this specific class, so today I have this great opportunity.

Ms. Hess is a retired teacher and a counselor as well. She works at Monitor Elementary School (part time job). She comes to Mrs. Hampton's Class to present a mini lesson because of her students’ confidentiality. She explains me about how she support students with academic, social, knowledge or emotional problems, school adaptation (nonnative English speakers) among others. Her classes are developed in small groups or individual consultation.

Here is my observation about Ms. Hess' class. She read aloud the story's title: "My Mouth is a Volcano" and makes a personalized question "Are there volcanoes in Panamá" followed my answer, some other students tell us about volcanoes in their own countries. Students pay close attention to Ms. Hess reading aloud. She shows students the story book’s illustrations. She makes emphasis using a great intonation and lot of gestures. Students are able to interact through their personal opinions. As soon as she finished reading, she checks story comprehension through a set of guided questions. The moral lesson of this story is that you have to wait your turn and do not interrupt people when they are talking because it is not polite. She also explains that you have to raise your hand if you want to talk and wait until the teacher call on you.

In the next activity, students get in group of three people and they have different rolls: one of them talks and the other interrupt his or her conversation. After this activity, Ms. Hess asks students “What do you feel when someone interrupt you?” Some of the students’ answers are: frustrate, angry, sad, mad. She also asks about “What is the lesson about? And what is the lesson learned?” What a great lesson, we have to realize that people need time to talk. Of course your words count and they are important but more important is respect others’ opinion and talking time. We have to treat others in the same way we like people treat us.