Real-Life Decision Making
Counselors spend a lot of time working on career development with students.
Career planning is an area where parents can get actively involved as well.
But parents and students don't always see eye-to-eye when it comes to the
future.
As a counselor, you have a unique role to work with students and parents.
Counselors have access to a lot of resources to help students match their
aptitudes and abilities to further education and careers. Good counselors
open doors for students and help them map out a path to success.
You're meeting with Paul, a student who has struggled through high school.
You've reviewed his records and although the classes he's taken have not been
the most advanced, his grades are still below average. After talking with
his teachers you've found out he often needs extra attention to keep up with
others in class.
Although his grades are not high, he has been active in seeking out extra
help. His science teacher tells you that he often stayed after class to ask
about problems he didn't understand. His English teacher told you Paul asked
for the opportunity to re-do an essay that he got a poor mark on. You can
see by his habits that he's worked hard for his grades and is a self-motivated
learner.
Paul has made it clear that his parents want him to become a doctor. You
know how hard it is to succeed in this field. You also know it takes years
of training and very rigorous academics to make it. You're worried that with
an academic history like Paul's his parents may have unrealistic expectations
for their son.
When you talk to Paul, he's not convinced that he wants to be a doctor.
He's feeling a lot of pressure from his parents. He wants to make them happy,
but at the same time he's scared of failing. He wants your advice.
"You must combine your education, common sense and problem-solving skills
and make decisions," says June Sanderson. She is a counseling specialist.
You could tell him that medical school would not be a good
fit for a student with his academic record. You could suggest other career
options in the medical field that might suit him. You could follow his parents'
wishes and give him the information about what he'll need to get into medical
school.
What do you do?