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Week Nine Counseling Theory Assignment Educational Leadership in School CounselingElizabeth A. Duncan Salem CollegeEducational Leadership in School Counseling A true educational leader is one who can inspire through leadership. School counselors have to be true leaders in order to facilitate a successful school counseling program. School counselors must be confident in their own abilities and philosophies on education and educational leadership. Change theory and transformational leadership are two important aspects of educational leadership. In addition the those aspects, the American School Counseling Association competencies layout a much needed foundation for the success of the school counselor’s career, counseling program, student success, and school environment. Philosophy of Education and Educational leadership Christopher Robin once said to Winnie-The-Pooh, “Promise me you will always remember… you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think” (Geurs & Milne, 1997). This quote can sum up my philosophy of education and educational leadership. It is imperative that we inspire, empower, and lead our students to find bravery, strength, and smarts inside of them. It is crucial for school counselors to understand, embrace, and embody the many different levels and styles of leadership in combination of their own style. School counselors have to fill many positions under one title, in order to be effective they must have confidence and flexibility in their leadership. As choice theory explains “an essential point to remember is to provide information students can understand, use and deem valuable, not just information the school counselor thinks the student should know” (Banks, 2009, p. 4). Counselors can also learn from choice theory that we can never make others do or think what we want them to. Leaders must know when they can control a situation and when they cannot, but most importantly counselors must remember that they cannot control people. An educational leader must be selfless and have the greater good of the students and school at heart. American School Counselors Association Perspective on LeadershipThe American School Counselor Association (ASCA) defines leadership as “capacity or ability to guide others; school counselors use leadership skills in their department and in their advocacy role” (2012, p. 142). The ASCA’s perspective of the school counselor as an educational leader encompasses several different aspects of both leadership and school counseling. The ASCA National Model explains that leadership needs to be seen “for the development of a comprehensive school counseling program to solving problems with school and community groups that promote student achievement” (2012, p. 1). One of the most impactful perspectives that the ASCA suggests is empowerment as part of “Human resource leadership” and describes empowerment components as providing “instruction to students to ensure development of competencies promoting the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for student achievement, success and development” (2012, p. 3). Without empowering our students it will be impossible for them to feel capable of reaching their goals. American School Counselor Association Competencies and LeadershipAll of the competencies that have been developed by the ASCA directly correlate to educational leadership and school counseling. In this section I will highlight a few of those competencies. First, under Foundations, II-B-1c “Conceptualizes and writes a personal philosophy about students, families, teachers, school counseling programs and the educational process consistent with the school’s educational philosophy and mission” (2012, p. 151) This competency charges school counselors with the leadership task of using personal beliefs to lead the program in a way that is appropriate to the goals of the school. A personal philosophy is a way for a leader to have a platform that followers can see in writing. An educational leader must be able to stand by a personal philosophy and stay on track with the schools philosophy. Next, under attitudes, II-C 1 “has an impact on every student rather than a series of services provided only to students in need” (ASCA, 2012, p. 152). An educational leader must be able to reach out to every student, parent, faculty and staff member. An effective leader can be successful by reaching out to all of those they are leading. Another competency to highlight is under management, III-C-1 “a school counseling program/department must be managed like other programs and departments in a school” (ASCA, 2012, p. 155). An educational leader knows the importance of continuity in school environments. There must be structure for students to thrive and creating a positive school counseling program that aligns with the school philosophy. It would be counter productive for the counseling program to compete with the school program. Under delivery, IV-B-2c “help students establish goals and develops and uses planning skills in collaboration with parents or guardians and school personnel” (ASCA, 2012, p. 157). That particular competency is reminiscent of participative leadership. It is important for school counselors to help lead students as they develop and plan, however students must be able to take the reins as school counselors gently lead. Lastly, under knowledge, I-B-2b “identifies and demonstrates professional and personal qualities and skills of effective leaders” (ASCA, 2012, p. 149). This competency is more literally in relation to leadership. The most important word in this particular competency is “demonstrates”. Leaders, especially educational leaders must be able to model when leading in order to set the best example possible for students. Again, all the competencies easily correlate with the importance of leadership, it is very important that school counselors are familiar with the competencies and how to incorporate them in the position of educational leader. Change Theory Change theory is a phenomenon that is important for educational leaders to embrace and implement. Change is inevitable therefore an effective school counselor must always have a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the school environment and what changes may come. Furthermore, school counselors must be at the head of the curve when it comes to curriculum and structural changes in schools. It is crucial that school counselors are in the know ahead of time so there is time to prepare others for the changes on the horizon. It is important for schools to change with the times and equally as important for the school counselor to be apprised of such changes. Thompson reports, “when the rate of change outside an organization is greater than the rate of change inside, the continuing existence of that organization is threatened” (2006, p.271). This is an example of why schools and counselors must be able to change with the times. Preparing students for the future means having the most up to date equipment and the most up to date curriculums/school programs. Moreover, change must be done with the best intentions and never just for the sake of change. (Thompson, 2006) Transformational LeadershipTransformational leadership was first introduced in the educational environment in 1987 by B.M. Bass, he “considered transactional practices to be central in maintain the organization-getting the day-to-day routines carried out” (Leithwood, 1992, p. 9). A great point is that “one of the tenets of transformational leadership is the development of followers into leaders” (Nash, 2012, p. 24) that it inspires. Educational leaders must understand the importance of creating the leaders of the future. School counselors are a main bridge between students and their potential. Nash goes on to say one of the most important points about transformational leadership and the school counselor position. He says, “transformational leadership is a selfless inspirational process in which both the leader and follower learn from each other as they progress in their moral development” (2012, p. 25). ConclusionIt is so important for school counselors to understand and embrace the position of educational leader. Being an educational leader is a position of honor and should be treated as such. It is also important for school counselors to have a personal philosophy of education and to stand behind that philosophy as platform for others to trust. It is also imperative that school counselors use the guidance of the ASCA competencies and the close relationship with leadership. The competencies allow counselors to have a constant frame of reference to ensure the creation and operation of successful school counseling programs. It is always important for school counselors to be apprised of changes and the best ways to approach changes in the school environment. The importance of change combined with the importance of theory makes change theory a major aspect of a successful program. Lastly, transformational leadership is a way for school counselors to help shape the future. For many years, Salem College had the motto “Reach within, shape the future”. I have often thought about that motto and its relevance to school counseling. It is with transformational leadership, the ASCA competencies, personal philosophies, and much more that school counselors can exemplify “reach within, shape the future”. ReferencesAmerican School Counselor Association (2012). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs, 3rd ed. Alexandria, VA: Author.Balyer, A. (2012). Transformational leadership behaviors of school principals: A qualitative research based on teachers’ perceptions. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(3), 581-591. Retrieved from Banks, S. G. (2009). Choice theory: Using choice theory and reality therapy to enhance student achievement and responsibility. n.a. : American School Counselor Association.Geurs, K. (Director), & Milne, A. A. (Writer) (1997). Pooh's grand adventure: The search for Christopher Robin [DVD]. Leithwood, K. A. (1992). The move toward transformational leadership. Educational Leadership , n.a.(n.a. ), 8-12. Retrieved from , S. D. (2012). What makes a transformational education leader?: An investigation into the antecedent experiences of k-12 transformational leadership. (Doctoral dissertation)Retrieved from Thompson , D. R. (2006). Foundations of change for the scholar-practicionar leader. Scholar-Practioner Quarterly , 4(3), 270-286. Retrieved from ................
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