Problem of lack of counseling teachers and deactivation of psychological counseling system
According to the Ministry of Education's analysis of The Student Emotional Behavior Characteristics Test Results and Action Status, “the number of students at danger of suicide has recently displayed a constant growth, climbing to around 270% in a single year.” This statistic is on the rise for a variety of reasons, one of which is the scarcity of counseling teachers. Despite the fact that they are in high demand and serve a crucial role, local schools are having staffing problems since there aren’t enough competent counseling teachers. While some schools fail to address this vital issue, Michuhol Foreign Language High School offers Wee-Class system in addition to an on campus expert counseling teacher. However, according to the varying perspectives of current students, many stated that they had never used a psychological counseling program unless it was in response to a significant event, such as dropping out of school or experiencing violence in the school. Furthermore, a large number of students were unaware of the purpose, capabilities, and advantages of the psychological counseling program. In order to promote more active use of the psychological counseling system by informing students about it, this column examined the impact of psychological counseling in schools and made interviews with professional counseling teachers at Incheon Michuhol Foreign Language High School in response to the emergence of these issues.
About a counseling teacher
We want to give a quick overview of the role of a professional counseling teacher before providing an interview for further insight. Professional counseling teachers are in charge of addressing psychological issues raised by students, preventing maladjustment and deviance from school, and enhancing the mental health and character education of their charges. Furthermore, they offer guidance to students on a range of topics, including career development, peer interactions, education, and preventing violence. Professional counseling teachers are therefore in charge of providing a variety of counseling services, including crisis counseling for students, academic life guidance, and growth and development facilitation. They take the shape of a consultation-based curriculum. Nonetheless, professional counseling teachers impact both the student's life within and outside of school. A professional counseling teacher, for instance, can be of great assistance in meeting with parents and students and collaborating with other school personnel to find a solution if a student is the victim of domestic abuse. Even though it isn't a very big event, counseling teacher can nevertheless make a big difference in the little things, such helping kids with time management, test anxiety, study techniques, academic stress relief, as well as motivation.
Interview with Michuhol counseling teacher
Q1. What made you decide to become a professional counseling teacher?
A1. Wee-Class system gave me comfort in middle school, and that experience inspired me to make helping people my adult mission. After that, I considered how I could help people. I decided to major in psychology and education at Teachers College after being accepted, and this helped me pursue a career as a professional counseling teacher.
Q2: In order to become a professional counseling teacher, which department must someone enroll in?
A2: The psychology department is usually my first choice for undergraduate study. You must put in a lot of study time because just 5% of students in the psychology department are qualified to hold teaching posts. There are additional instances of double majoring with another major in addition to these.
Q3: What qualifications are necessary for providing psychological treatment to adolescents as a professional counseling teacher?
A3: The most crucial factors are essentially consideration for others and compassion, or "selflessness." This kind of thinking might motivate you to keep going even in challenging counseling situations. But becoming a professional counseling teacher can be mentally challenging if you pursue it purely for money, convenience, or prestige reasons.
Q4. As a counseling teacher, what type of counseling was the most difficult and what was your experience in solving it?
A4. I can’t tell you in much detail because the contents of the counsels should be kept confidential. But to be honest, every case is troublesome for me. I face every case as a challenge because I always try to relate and sympathize with the mentally troubled students’ circumstances. Still, if I had to choose one type, it would be conflicts within the family. If the parents cooperate actively with the consulting, then it would be relatively easy to solve. However, if they don’t, it’s hard to find solutions.
Q5. What ways do you use to manage stress? Also, are there any tips to overcome mental stress and anxiety?
A5. I think I try to avoid stress as much as possible. Stress usually occurs in interpersonal relationships, and I think that looking at and understanding the event from the other person's perspective is helpful in reducing it. Also, the tip for overcoming anxiety is to just try and face the situation. Anxiety often comes from imaging and predicting things we haven’t even tried out yet. Realizing and overcoming this fact is an important practice for us.
Q6. Is there any advice you would give to the students who want to receive counseling?
A6. You don’t need to worry about the consultation contents being leaked because I try my best to maintain them as a secret. Unless there are exceptions to confidentiality, the content will never be disclosed. Even if there comes a situation where I must reveal it, I always look for agreement first. So, I would like to say that you don’t need to hesitate to come to the counseling room for this reason.
Understanding the Role and Impact of Counseling Teachers
Through the conducted interview, we looked into the process and necessary skills one should have to become a counseling teacher. Moreover, we realized the impact and necessity of counseling from all parties involved. A professional counseling teacher sympathizes with students’ mental difficulties based on an altruism toward students and plays a role in resolving the students’ concerns. In addition, by maintaining confidentiality and professionalism, a counseling teacher helps students feel comfortable talking about their true feelings.
There is a growing need to understand the role of these professional counselors and encourage more students to enjoy the benefits of psychological counseling. We would also like to thank Seok Kim, a counseling teacher at Michuhol Foreign Language High School, who agreed to this interview.
Proposal of promotional means
Even though professional counseling teachers are crucial in helping students maintain psychological stability and support, they are frequently underestimated by students in terms of their presence and importance. Strengthening various promotional efforts and counseling programs is important to address this issue. In order for the entire school to understand the value of psychological counseling, education must be improved. Additionally, fostering an open setting where students may readily access counseling needs to be supported and sustained as well. Programs for psychological counseling can be promoted through a range of tactics. For example, posting information about psychological counseling programs on the school website and social media, or distributing educational content that highlights the advantages of counseling should be considered. Also, schools should begin educating students about the value of psychological counseling programs and how to use them through school broadcasts and newsletters. Lastly, schools can present counseling programs to students and parents by publishing relevant pieces in the school newsletter.
These initiatives can help students get the critical support they need in a timely way and avoid having to handle their challenges alone.
By Staff Reporter Kim Sua (1-8)
Lee Jua (2-2)
