Respond to all 6 students discussion 100 word minimum

Due Sunday May 28, 2023

Must Read: 

**Please write response as a direct response to the classmate. Please don’t write the response addressing the student as a third person. Correct way to response…… 

***Example: Hi James I agree with you and so on….. 

****Example: Please DO NOT say According to Ashley. Because we’re supposed to respond directly to the student.

*****PLEASE RESPOND IN DEPTH

***********Social Emotional***********

Response 1 

Anabel :

Positive reinforcement is when you give something to a person in response to a certain behavior. It can include anything from allowances to special activities to verbal praise. The idea is that giving that thing will increase the likelihood that the behavior will continue (Marcin, 2017). I have had plenty of experience working with students in helping them to modify their behaviors by using positive reinforcement.  In working with students in a socialization program, we used a token reward system to encourage the student to increase positive behaviors.  Whenever they walked to sit quietly at their desk, I would give the student a token that had value.  We would add the tokens at the end of the day and keep a record of their daily accumulation of tokens.  When it was the end of the week, they could redeem their amount by being able to buy what they could afford or save the tokens until they reached the amount, they needed to buy what they really wanted.  It helped them to use math skills but more importantly, they increased delayed gratification.   I increased using verbal praise and reduced giving the token as the student was making significant progress.  Behavioral goals were in place and modified as the goals were met, and new ones were developed and put in place.

For some positive reinforcement might seem like bribery but to me, it is not.  There are more benefits to using positive reinforcement that outweigh the negative ones.  I find that students are often told what they are doing wrong than right.  It is my experience that students respond more effectively when they are being encouraged to do good when you highlight their progress with verbal praise.   According to Marcin (2017), research and studies have shown that when teachers spend more time promoting responsible behaviors the students will reduce irresponsible behaviors.  The implementation of positive reinforcement in the classroom would be for the teacher to give the students stickers for doing an excellent job in completing and turning in the work.  An example of negative reinforcement at school could be when the student has broken a school rule and has recess taken away.   

According to Gresham (2017), a child with a history of social anxiety, social withdrawal, and shyness may never learn appropriate social behaviors because of avoidance of the peer group, thereby creating an absence of opportunities to learn peer-related social skills.  Therefore, understanding internalizing behaviors of students with disorders such as depression, anxiety, and self-injurious behaviors helps to recognize the signs and identify the student that needs support.  Knowing what the symptoms are I can assist the student to receive the necessary support in school or by referring out to a community resource.  The quieter students who do not what to be noticed and are constantly avoiding attention are the ones to look out for. 

Response 2

Ashley:

The intention behind both positive and negative reinforcement is to incentivize a desired behavior from a student. Positive reinforcement is when the behavior is followed by something the student wants as a reward, whereas negative reinforcement involves removing something that is undesired (Larriba-Quest, 2017). One example of positive reinforcement that I see every day at my school is Check-In Check-Out. Students create goals with their teacher and I about what behaviors they would like to improve, and then work to earn points throughout the day in order to achieve their goals. When a goal is met, the student receives a prize of their choice at the end of the day to reward their efforts and hopefully reinforce good behavior over time. An example of negative reinforcement that I also utilize is allowing students who are feeling overwhelmed to take short, structured breaks in my office. By removing them from an overstimulating environment, the student is generally able to reset after engaging with one of the break activities that I offer (usually students choose between making art, journaling, or doing a mindfulness exercise). I have seen incredible improvement from students who have participated in both Check-In Check-Out and from those who regularly take short breaks throughout the day. While some teachers have shared that this system appears to “bribing” students into engaging in better behavior, I think that both positive and negative reinforcers allow us to harness the brain’s natural tendency to form associations between two events that occur together often enough until it becomes second nature. One belief I strongly hold to is that every behavior manifests in order to meet some need that the individual is having. I saw this countless times while working in a mental health facility and believe this applies to students as well. When a student is feeling so anxious and overwhelmed that they begin to lash out at their classmates, the best solution is to remove them from the stress and see how their demeanor changes. Usually they are able to regulate their emotions much more easily when moved to a quiet and less stimulating space for even a few minutes. In the case of Check-In Check-Out, I always make sure that I am complimenting and praising the student for their good behavior while rewarding them with a prize. I’ve noticed that many of the students seem to appreciate the recognition for their effort and hard work more than the toy they get at the end of the day. By channeling lots of positive energy and praise their way, they are more inclined to repeat the behaviors that led them to meeting their goal and therefore getting heaps of positive attention.

*******Practicum II**********************************************

Response 3-

Amelia:

• When considering school counseling ethical standards and school policies, how would you handle a conflict
  between the two?

The battle between doing what is ethical and following policies can be a blurred line. Being ethical is doing what is best for the student and family, while policies are put in place as guidelines for employees to follow and have something to fall back on when parents and students question outcome. In my internship we were working on 8th grade promotion.  There are policies in place for students to be able to participate in the promotion and activities. They must have a 90% attendance rate, no suspensions and 2.00. The policy states that they must meet all 3. Parents are able to appeal the decisions and admins will make the decision if they will be able to participate. The accommodation can only be made for GPA or attendance not suspensions. The policy states that they can’t participate but ethically if a student has 87% and above a 2.00, they will be able to participate. 

Response 4

Marlene:

What do you think is the most important characteristic of a school counselor? 

Now that I have some hours in and be able to see students come in the counselors office, some regulars, I have noticed they all want someone to listen. Weather is the bully getting to them, a friend who splashed their pants, feeling down, unheard, or just stopping into the say hi, they all want be seen and heard. I feel as a counselor empathy, and active listening go a long way. Some of these student may be missing that at home, class, or socially. This is where the counselor can come in to teach as a tier one issue down to tier 3.

With having a open ear to listen comes the safe space and approachable. Having your office that shows who you are. Having a space that allows them to be comfortable. Building that space meshed with the environment where you are present can be the recipes to the characteristics that make a counselor great. Attention and concern go a long way to help foster student to meet their goals and strive in school. It allows for reflection in conversation and attention to verbal cues in conversations. These are important as it also helps build relationship and the safe space. 

*****Professionalism and Ethics************************************************

Response 5-

Christine:

Congress passed FERPA to protect the privacy of students and their parents (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). FERPA was established to ensure that students and their parents have access to their children’s educational records and can challenge the content or dissemination of such data to other parties (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). Implementing FERPA requires that federally funded institutions adhere to specific processes for releasing and storing educational records to protect a student’s status and educational information (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). As a school counselor, I would ensure schools adhere to FERPA by implementing actions for students, staff, and schoolwide. I would ensure students are advised of their rights under FERPA annually (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). Directory information refers to information in a student’s education record that is unlikely to be considered harmful or a violation of privacy if disclosed (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). Therefore, I would determine, define, and share with students what data will be considered directory information before disclosure and give students sufficient time to tell the educational institution if they want to limit access (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). In addition, I would inform students about the consequences of renouncing their right to see their files or letters of recommendation (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015).  

Faculty staff, including school counselors, must know how to ensure compliance with FERPA. Training or retraining faculty staff will teach us the requirements and prohibitions of FERPA (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). With proper training, we can notify employers, employment agencies, contract recruiters, resume databases, and other businesses that FERPA protects student records and can only be disclosed with student authorization. Most importantly, we can notify third parties that inappropriate disclosure will result in denying future access to such records (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). School counselors can also help by obtaining a new consent form if any student information is changed (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015).  

Lastly, school counselors can ensure that specific policies are implemented schoolwide. For example, we can establish a policy to place amended letters of recommendation into students’ files (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). In addition, with the proper training, the school can review and revise all 3rd-party agreements to ensure they follow FERPA requirements (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). Consequently, to inappropriate disclosures, school counselors can support the development of rules that outline how an organization will respond to data breaches or unauthorized disclosures and how the breach arose (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015).   

Response 6

Courtney:

School counselors are not typically in charge of education records, but as advocates, it’s essential for counselors to ensure their schools are in compliance with FERPA’s requirements to protect student privacy (Stone, 2013). First and foremost, school counselors must have a solid understanding of FERPA and the information that can/cannot be disclosed to a third party without consent. Revisions to FERPA in 2008 and 2011 demonstrate that FERPA is not stagnant and can be subject to changes and updates, requiring educators to stay current with current FERPA regulations (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015). This can be done by attending trainings (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015) and consulting with other professionals, such as administrators and legal experts, on FERPA requirements. Other ways school counselors can ensure their schools are in compliance with FERPA are as follows: 

• Educate students and parents on FERPA regulations and ensure they know their rights 
• Get written consent from parents or eligible students before disclosing information, and include the reason for the disclosure, the information to be shared, and the third party that will receive the information. If information is changed, a new consent form should be obtained,
• Ensure all parties understand FERPA regulations and the consequences of violation 
• Review and update school policies and procedures to ensure FERPA compliance 
• Ensure the school has a policy that outlines how they will respond to improper disclosures and violations (Hlavac & Easterly, 2015) 

As school counselors, it is our duty to protect the privacy and confidentiality of our students. By following these practices, we can ensure our schools comply with FERPA regulations and uphold the rights of students and families.