Running Head: PERSONAL VIEW OF PROFESSIONAL EFFECTIVENESS 1

Personal View of Professional Effectiveness

By:

Patricia Acosta

Spring 2017 // Brandman University

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To be successful and efficient in my chosen profession of a School Counselor/School

Psychologist, I have to be a good listener. Students will may not always feel comfortable enough

to talk about their feelings so school counselor/school psychologists need to listen to their

words, body language, attitudes and unspoken words. There is meaning behind these all and it is

our job to listen and help them through the challenges they are going through. My personal

mission statement that I believe explains who I am and what my passion is, is to help todays

youth through the struggles of lifes challenges. To be the support they need at school and to, not

only help them, but to also help them believe they can succeed in life. Provide compassion, be

empathetic and most importantly to be a good listener.

What people have had an influence on my interest in this profession?

The children I have worked with throughout the years, have had a huge impact on my interest in

becoming a School Counselor/School Psychologist. My first job out of high school was working

at a Montessori School and being the afterschool preschool teacher. I realized then, that children

spend most of their days at schools with teachers and the staff than their own parents. This has

made me want to be part of their support system, be there for them when their parents arent. As

a mother now of a teenager and a pre-teen and seeing how todays society is with some many

youth struggling, these have all made me want to be in a career where I can help students

succeed in school and in life.

What does becoming a school counselor/school psychologist mean to me?

Becoming a school counselor/school psychologists means that I will finally be fulfilling my

passion of working with children and families in one of the most important capacities a school

staff member can. As a school counselor/school psychologist, we are the first line of defense at
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the school, which again, is where the students spend most of their days. We can have the most

impact on students lives through being their support system, addressing issues they are

struggling with and helping them learn how to solve problems (coping skills) to help them get

through lifes challenges. Being able to do all these things and seeing the growth, the results

from my work as a school counselor/school psychologists will be fulfilling.

What do you believe are the most important personal characteristics of a school

counselor/school psychologists?

I believe there are a few most important characteristics a school counselor/school psychologist

should have: to be a good listener, have empathy, build rapport quickly, help students find the

positives in life and helping them with coping skills and setting goals. Being a good listener is

number one, we have to be able to hear what he student is in need of by what they are saying and

not saying. We need to be attentive to their needs and be their advocates. Empathy is something

we also have to have, we need to be able to almost put ourselves in the students shoes and

understand how they are feeling then provide the support they need to resolve whatever struggle

they are in. We do this, by being informed of all resources within the school and definitely

within the community to help provide a solutions and goals to succeed. Building rapport with

the student quickly is important because without building a trusting relationship, there is no way

we will be able to begin to help the student with their struggles. Some students need help right

away, may have unbearable pain they are dealing with, so having the ability of making them feel

welcomed, calm and that they can talk to me about anything is a high priority. Helping students

find the positives in life, can help the students through the struggles they are having. I know in

my own life, I do this and it has helped me so much in feeling positive and dealing with any

personal challenges I have had. I think humor falls into this as well. With all the things students
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are struggling with, it is a school counselor/school psychologists job to be there as support but

also help them find ways to laugh. Helping students with their coping skills and setting goals is

where solution focused brief counseling comes in. I think this is a great way to help students

through their struggles and most importantly to learn to set goals since this is a skill youth today

need to learn as it will help them succeed.

What are the significant competencies you must possess to be not only an effective

school counselor/school psychologists but also an excellent one?

A school counselor/school psychologists must be able to assess their own competencies and

formulate an appropriate professional developmental plan in order to be excellent at this

profession. The American Association of School Counselors has outlined the competencies that

include the knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes that ensure school counselors are equipped

to meet the rigorous demands of the profession and the needs of pre-K12 students. These

competencies help ensure new and experienced school counselors are equipped to establish,

maintain and enhance a comprehensive school counseling program addressing academic

achievement, career planning and personal/social development. (ASCA) They can be viewed

here: ASCA - School Counselor Competencies. School psychologists provide effective services

to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.

(NASP) The standards of school psychologists can be viewed here: NASP - Standards of School

Psychologists.

How does your worldview affect your performance as a school counselor/school

psychologists?
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I dont think, at this time, that my worldview will affect my performance as a school

counselor/school psychologists. I want to be able to help struggling youth succeed in life, I

wont let anything come in between that. I know there are legal standards that I have to abide by

as well as what the district policies are for the district I will be working for. There are also

ethical standards, but I will rely on my professional colleagues to guide me in the right direction

with these.

What strengths do I bring to the profession, and how can I maximize my ability to

utilize my strengths?

I believe I bring compassion, empathy, patience and a good listening ear as strengths to this

profession. These are characteristics that I have always had for my own children, the students I

have worked with in the past, my family and friends. Ill be able to maximize my ability to

utilize my strengths by continued self-care. I need to be able to recharge myself due to the issues

I will be dealing with so I can be always alert to not miss anything and to provide the best service

to the students I am working with. I also believe continued education will help me to continue to

maximize my strengths. Continuing to build my knowledge in this profession is going to be key

in order to stay up to date with all the new laws and available resources that change and come up.

What limitations do I have that may interfere in my ability to be the best school

counselor/school psychologists I can be, and what are some ways I can mitigate for these

limitations?

The limitations I believe that may interfere with me being the best school counselor/school

psychologist is my big heart. I really have a lot of empathy for youth that are struggling or that

have no support at home, so it will be difficult for me not to take it home and try to help after
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hours. I know this is something that is important to establish as a boundary for me and my

family, and I will do. The best way for me to mitigate this is by completing any work I am doing

at school, provide all the resources I need to while at work and also to be organized. I feel that

with being organized, I will be able to prepare ahead of time for the next day which will help me

not bring work home.

With which populations will I have a home court advantage and how can I ensure

my delivery of a fair and equitable service to all students?

I believe working with the elementary students will be a home court advantage for me. At the

beginning of this program, I was leaning more towards middle or high school but now after

doing my practicum shadowing a school psychologist who works at a continuation high school, I

feel that it is too intense for me. Knowing myself, its too much for me to handle the intense

situations I have already experienced and have heard of. Being aware of this, puts me in the

situation of being fair and equitable to all students.

Describe the kind of image I want to project as a school counselor/school

psychologist and the kind of image I want my school counseling/school psychology program

to have.

I would like to strive to be perceived as someone who is open, approachable, well informed and

hopefully has a good sense of humor. I think these are characteristics of someone that students

would feel comfortable speaking to and thankfully reflects my own values. I want them to know

that I am authentic, this will be important in working with students. These same characteristics

are in line with the image I want my school counseling/school psychology program to have.

Without these, it will be difficult to help the students I am working with.

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Describe how I personally plan to stay committed to professional excellence.

I will stay committed to professional excellence by always being a good listener, this is key. In

order for me to do this, I will need to be able to separate my personal life with work in order to

stay on point every day when working with students so I do not miss anything. Staying up to

date with continued education along with the laws and policies the districts have, will also be

important to stay professional. Also, knowing my community resources will be important so I

can refer any student that needs additional help too. And most importantly, I will always make

self-care a priority in order to stay committed to professional excellence.

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References

National Association of School Counseling: ASCA School Counselor Competencies

www.schoolcounselor.org

National Association of School Psychology: Standards for the Credentialing of School

Psychologists file:///C:/Users/pacosta/Downloads/2_Credentialing_Standards.pdf. 2010