Being A Guidance Counselor

July 2 -3, 2014 at the RELC, Lapasan CDOC "Preparing a Guidance Program"

This is something that I have not done in years that is to talk about my Guidance and Counseling Profession.    I was employed in the university - high school department doing this job for 10 years.  I got my license to legally practice as Registered Guidance Counselor in 2008.  I felt that I have thrived in the job doing the following major responsibilities:

1.  Counseling 

This is the heart of the services.  I did counseling on the daily basis.  I announce a week  before each class schedule the names of students that will be called for counseling the following week. I post 5 to 7 students on the class bulletin board.  List of names shall be inserted in the class beadle board to inform each subject teacher and to excuse them in the class for that particular period.

2. Facilitate Personality Development Workshop

I prepared training/ workshop modules for the students such as Etiquette and Social Graces, Fine Dining, Orientations, Year level bonding activities ( in partnership with the class moderators in the year level).

3.  Consultations with Parents

Parents are free to come and visit us at the Guidance office.  They can consult about their sons and daughters' status in school and on how they could follow up and support them

4.  Prepare Homeroom Guidance Modules

We prepared Homeroom activities on self- awareness, motivations, relating with others, family relations and many others.  Each year level has its own theme to take care of. Class moderators implemented the activities in all the Mondays of the month immediately after the morning's General assembly.

5.  Others

This included joining meetings, trainings and  seminars, engaging in Graduate school studies, part time teaching when some departments needed teachers, accompanied students in retreats and recollections, outings, sat in school committees, conducting psychological testings with the testing office of both high school and college department and many others as needed by the school.

Again, I stayed for 10 years in the job.  After such length of time, I resigned.  I was supposed to lead the Guidance Department as Coordinator yet i found myself inadequate.  A year after that, I resigned and thought that I will never go back to the practice. Yet, five years after, God brought me to the same practice of the profession this time doing it in one of the public schools in the city.  And a year after,  I was designated as Guidance Coordinator (this current year). 

So I thought the position that I avoided was still the same position that God wanted me to face.  This time in a much bigger school with a huge responsibilities given the heavy cases in the public school school where I am currently assigned.  

Ouch? Yes really an ouch. But I feel this time, I am more prepared and ready for the job. I thank God for the 5 - year break and formation of my person.  I am no longer afraid by God's provisions and grace to face the job.  I feel more skilled this to lead and to create and implement program. I feel more drawn towards teamwork than focusing in self achievement and glory. I feel more humble in accepting comments so that programs can be better improved. I feel that God's grace abound from where I am.  I thank the Lord God for this blessing and strength to continue in the mission of my profession - Guidance and Counseling