High School and Guidance

CHAPTER I
GUIDANCE: NATURE, MEANING, AND SCOPE

Aim:

This chapter consisting of four (4) lessons will familiarize you with the nature and definition of guidance and other related terms, trace the evolution of guidance, situate the place of guidance in the total educational set-up, and identify the need for guidance as bases for guidance work.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of chapter I and its corresponding four (4) lessons, you are expected to be able to:

1. Define guidance and other related terms; 2. Dispel common misconceptions about guidance; 3. Share and analyze personal experiences and perceptions about guidance; 4. Trace the development of guidance and explain the factors that contributed to its growth; 5. Situate the place and role of guidance in the total educational set-up; 6. Discuss the issues and problems relevant to guidance and counseling; 7. Expound on the bases or need for guidance work; 8. Demonstrate awareness of Republic Act No. 9258 “ Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004”; and 9. Verbalize a new insight in the light of new learning’s.

Lecturette

Introduction

Today, students are challenged daily to make decisions in an environment fraught with tension and uncertainty. They are faced with social, economic and cultural issues to a degree not experienced by previous generations, and as such they must have proactive choices to nurture their potentials so that they will become successful learners. It is in this regard that guidance counselors or the students who finish this subject be actively involved in instruction, assessment, and also in school improvement to assist the learners. Aware of the components of guidance and counseling, you as students in this course will be able to know your responsibilities in student growth. You will know how to impart special and learning opportunities in a proactive and preventive manner which insures that all students will achieve school success through academic, career, personal, and social development. As the learners achieve developmental competencies with your assistance, perceptions of students will be positive and their opportunities become better defined. Given the aforecited scenario and concerns, the challenge is yours! Remember, all the more that the students need you with the increasing complexities of life and society. Your services nowadays are more pronounced!

Lesson 1. Definition of Student Personnel Services, Guidance, and Counseling

A. Student Personnel Work/ Services
Student personnel work/services constitute one of the three major educational functions, along with the administrative services and instructional services. Although it is sometimes difficult to make a clear distinction among these three functions, it is convenient in considering the educational program to make the separation. It may sometimes be almost impossible to decide when instruction stops and personnel services start, but it does not follow from this difficulty that the two functions are synonymous. Rather, this difficulty is but recognition of the fact that all three services are closely related.
Student personnel services are the major responsibility of specialists and are important secondary responsibilities of teachers and administrators. This point of view emphasizes that the teacher has an important role to play in the personnel services.
Student personnel services are intended for all students. They are primarily developmental in nature and are not reserved for the problem child who may call himself to the special attention of the school. Since personnel services are developmental in nature, they will be concerned particularly with providing the kind of atmosphere in which the child can grow in self-understanding, self-acceptance, and in the quality of his decisions.
Student personnel services involve specialized techniques for learning about children, for helping them to understand themselves, for providing them with information, for placing them in situations where they can learn best and finally for following them up, in order to evaluate the quality of the program they experienced. The student personnel services should not consist of occasional events, but rather be a gradual and long-range process by which the child is helped to make the best use of his capabilities. All school workers are involved in and have responsibility for this continuing process.
Student personnel services not only are concerned with techniques and with processes, but also involve the pupil personnel attitude. The pupil personnel attitude results in special attention to the individuals’ importance and the necessity of the school’s being sufficiently flexible to adapt its program to meet his needs. This attitude has long been associated with Philippine schools.
There is much need for parent involvement, since the home and the school are partners in the education of the child. Finally, there is need for both a general mental hygiene approach to children as well as the provision of some specialized clinical services. In one sense, pupil personnel services may be thought of as preventive, but the meaning of this should include the maximizing of the total growth of the child. These services are not so much activities which are done to children, but opportunities for the child to do things for himself.
It is important that early and continuing diagnosis take place, that the results and implications are made known to the teacher and family, that educational experiences be provided which make for limited self-help and vocational goals of the students.

B. Guidance Guidance and counseling are two sides of the same coin. The goal in both cases is to give an opportunity for an individual to see a variety of available options and thereafter, assist the person in making a wise choice. Guidance is the process that is put in place at a time a choice is to be made. Guidance is defined as the help all students receive from parents, teachers, counselors, and others to assist them in making appropriate educational and career choices. Counseling is defined as the help some students received from credentialized professionals to help them overcome personal and social problems which may interfere with learning. Guidance and counseling is the process of helping students by assisting them in making decisions and changing behavior. The purpose of guidance and counseling is to impart specific skills and learning opportunities in a productive and preventive manner which ensures that all students can achieve school success through academic, career and personal/ social development. Guidance is a broad term that is applied to a school’s program of activities and services that are aimed at assisting students to make and carry out adequate plans and to achieve satisfactory adjustment in life. Guidance can be defined as a process, developmental in nature, by which an individual is assisted to understand, accept and utilize his/her abilities, aptitudes and interests and attitudinal patterns in relation to his/her aspirations. Guidance as an educational construct involves those experiences, which assist each learner to understand himself/herself, accept him/herself and live effectively in his/her society. Guidance can also be looked at as a program of services to people based upon the need of each individual, an understanding of his/her immediate environment, the influence of environmental factors on the individual and the unique features of each school. Guidance is designed to help each person adjust to his/ her environment, develop the ability to set realistic goals for him/herself, and improve his/her total educational program. As a process, guidance is not a simple event but it involves a series of actions or steps progressively moving towards a goal. As a service, we can isolate three major services, that of educational, vocational, and personal and social guidance. 1. Educational Guidance- Educational guidance is so far as it can be distinguished from any other form of guidance, is concerned with the provision of assistance to pupils in their choices in and adjustment to the schools’ curriculum and school life in general. Educational guidance is therefore essential in counseling service. Guiding young people to pursue the right type of education in which, for example the right balance is met for accommodating the human resource needs of a nation. 2. Vocational Guidance- Vocational guidance is a process of helping individuals to choose an occupation, prepare for, enter into and progress in it. Vocational happiness requires that a person’s interests, aptitudes and personality be suitable for his/her work. It plays its part by providing individuals with a comprehension of the world of work and essential human needs, thus familiarizing individuals with such terms as ‘dignity of labor’ and ‘work value’. 3. Personal and Social Guidance- Personal and social guidance is the process of helping an individual on how to behave with consideration to other people. Primarily, personal and social guidance helps the individual to understand oneself, how to get along with others, improve his manners and etiquette, provide leisure time activities, social skills, family and family relationships and understanding masculine and feminine roles.

C. Counseling By counseling, we mean the process that professionally trained counselors engage in. It is about helping another person in a convention in which the other person is the focus and where our aim is to help as much as possible by problem solving and enabling the other person to draw on their own and other resources in order to plan a course of action. The professionally qualified counselor is likely, first to talk to the person to be counseled to establish if he or she, as a counselor can help this person. Second, he or she is likely to explain the way in which he or she “works”. Counseling is usually viewed as one part of guidance services; it is subsumed by the general term, guidance, in that it is one service within guidance rather than a synonym. It is difficult to think of one definition of counseling. This is because definitions of counseling depend on the theoretical orientation of the person defining it. Let us examine some of these definitions. Counseling is a process in which the helper expresses care and concern towards the person with a problem to facilitate that person’s personal growth and positive change through self-understanding. Counseling denotes a relationship between a concerned person and a person with a need. This relationship usually person-to-person, although sometimes it may involve more than two people. It is designed to help people understand and clarify their views of their life-space, and to learn to reach their self-determined goals through meaningful, well-informed, choices and through resolution of problems of an emotional or interpersonal nature. It can be seen from these definitions that counseling may have different meanings. According to Shertzer and Stone, counseling is an interactive process which facilitates meaningful understanding of self and environment and results in the establishment and/or clarification of goals and values for future behavior. On the other hand, Arbuckle defined counseling as it’s not helping the client either to adjust to society or to fight it. Instead helping him to come to see who he really is, and what he has, and what he doesn’t have, what he can do easily, what he can do with difficulty, and what he probably can’t do at all. Tyler also stated that the purpose of counseling is to facilitate wise choices of the sort on which the persons’ later development depends. An encounter in which the counselor helps the counselee begin to work out the problems or concerns what he brings with him to the encounter. Goal – help the counselee arrive at solutions, answers, plans, decisions, or understanding which are satisfactory to him and which can help him “become” or grow toward the person that he can be – an individual self-directing person able to function optimally in our society. Guidance programs and the counseling service within them, usually deal with situational and environmental conditions. Counseling is often seen as assistance given individuals to attain a clear sense of identity. Counseling, as well as the total guidance programme, stressed rational planning, problem-solving, and support in the face of situational pressures. The counseling relationship is usually characterized by much less intensity of emotional expression than that found in the therapeutic relationship. Counseling services are usually located in schools, universities, community service agencies, and pastoral organizations, while psychotherapeutic services are usually found in clinics, hospitals and private practice. The recipients of counseling are ‘normal’ individuals rather than those who exhibit abnormal or extreme modes of adjustment. Psychotherapy exists for individuals with psychological disorders. Counseling helps the essentially normal individual remove frustrations and obstacles that interfere with development, while psychotherapy attempts to deal with disabling or disintegrating conflicts. Counseling focuses upon helping the individual to cope with development tasks such as self-definition, independence, and the like. Attention is given to clarifying the individual’s assets, skills, strengths, and personal resources in terms of role development. Counseling approaches, are based more upon emphasizing present conscious material (material available within the individual’s awareness) while psychotherapeutic approaches tend to emphasize historic and symbolic materials, relying heavily upon reactivation and consideration of unconscious processes.
The aims of counseling are broad. They may, in certain cases, depend on the situation and environment, and also on the training. The basic aims of counseling include the following: 1. To help students understand the self in terms of their personal ability, interest, motivation and potentials. 2. To help students gain insight into the origins and development of emotional difficulties, leading to an increased capacity to take rational control over their feelings and actions. 3. To alter maladaptive behaviors. 4. To assist students in moving towards the direction of fulfilling their potentials or in achieving an integration of previously conflicting parts of themselves. 5. To provide students with skills, awareness and knowledge which will enable them to confront social inadequacies. 6. To help students gain some insight into the world of work, the realities therein and the relationships to their education and specialization. 7. To help students develop decision making skills.

Counseling Services 1. Counseling is an art and a science. While counseling is measurable and scientific, there is also much that is immeasurable and non scientific. It is a relationship between a professionally trained, competent counselor and a person seeking help. Problem-solving and decision-making skills are used to help the client grow in self-understanding and to behave in a more effective manner. 2. Differences between counseling and psychotherapy do exist, but they are quantitative and superficial, rather than evaluative. 3. Who the counselor really is- “deep down inside”- is a crucial factor in helping. Superficial counseling skills cannot hide a non-caring personality. 4. The three goals of counseling are: 1) self-exploration, 2) self-understanding, and 3) behavioral implementation toward change. Goals for counseling generally are defined as specifically as possible. Client expectations should be considered in the formulation of such goals. 5. The counselee and counselor mutually accept responsibility for the progress of counseling. Goals are defined jointly. Both client and counselor feel that each is equal, responsible and mutually involved. 6. As might be expected, counselees differ from non-counselees particularly if the former state personal-social concerns. The basic goal in working involuntary clients is to make them voluntary participants. Several specific steps may be followed to accomplish this end. 7. The counselor helps the client deal with values and, while the counselor holds certain values, it is inappropriate for the counselor to impose value judgments during the counseling process. Manipulation has no place in the counseling relationship that is characterized by respect, positive regard, and authenticity. 8. Counselor’s intellectual ability affects counselee performance, and just as important, cognitive congruence should exist between counselor and client.

You need a break! The next lesson will bring you to the historical backdrop of guidance here and abroad.

Lesson 2. History of Guidance in Schools

Evolution of Guidance and Counseling As the 21st Century unfolds, the United States continues to undergo substantial changes in its occupational, social, and economic structures. Occupational and industrial specialization continues to increase dramatically. Increasing company size and complexity is the rule rather than the exception. This often creates job invisibility and makes the transition from school to work, and from work to further education and back to work again, more complex and difficult. Social structures and social and personal values also continue to change and become more diverse. Emerging social groups are challenging established groups, asking for equality. People are on the move too, from rural to urban areas and vice versa, and from one region of the country to another in search of economic, social, and psychological security. The United States is becoming increasingly diverse and the same holds true in the Philippines. All of these changes are creating complex challenges for students as they anticipate the future. A rapidly changing work world and labor force; violence in homes, schools, and communities; divorce; teenage suicide; substance abuse; and sexual experimentation are just a few examples of the complex challenges students face today. They are not abstract aberrations. They are real and will continue to have substantial impact on the personal/social, career, and academic development of students (Gysbers & Henderson, 2000). As these and other changes are taking place in society, many organizations and groups of interested and involved individuals are providing programs and services at national, state, and local levels to help students deal effectively with these complex challenges. Within the education community, school counselors have been and continue to be in the forefront of efforts to assist students to respond to these complex challenges through their work within the structure of comprehensive guidance and counseling programs in school districts across the country (Gysbers & Henderson, 2000). To understand how school counselors are working with students within comprehensive guidance and counseling programs, it is important to first understand how guidance and counseling evolved in schools. The thesis of this article is that much can be learned from the past that will help professional school counselors’ structure and implement guidance and counseling programs to assist students to deal with the complex challenges they face today and tomorrow. Remember the past into the future.

The Evolution of Guidance and Counseling in the Schools The purposes of Guidance and Counseling “Guidance is a coat of many colors” (Miller, 1961, p.3). In the beginning, the early 1900’s, the term for school guidance and counseling was vocational guidance. It had a singular purpose. It was seen as a response to the economic, educational, and social problems of those times and concerned the entrance of young people into the world of work and the conditions they might find there. Economic concerns focused on the need to better prepare workers for the workplace while educational concerns arose from a need to increase efforts in schools to help students find purpose for their education as well as their employment. Social concerns emphasized the need for changing school methods and organization as well as exerting more control over conditions of labor in child-employing industries (United States Bureau of Education, 1914). Two distinctively different perspectives concerning the initial purpose of vocational guidance were present from the very beginning. Wirth (1983) described one perspective, espoused by David Snedden and Charles Prosser that followed the social efficiency philosophy. According to this perspective, “the task of education was to aid the economy to function as efficiently as possible” (Wirth, 1983, pp. 73-74). Schools were to be designed to prepare individuals for work with vocational guidance being a way to sort individuals according to their various capacities preparing them to obtain a job. The other perspective of vocational guidance was based on principles of democratic philosophy that emphasized the need to change the conditions of industry as well as assist students to make educational and occupational choices. According to Wirth (1980), “The Chicago School --Mead [George Hubert], Dewey [John], and Leavitt [Frank] brought the perspective of democratic philosophy to the discussion of vocational guidance “(p. 114). Leavitt (1914), in a speech at the founding meeting of the National Vocational Guidance Association (NVGA) in 1913, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, stressed the need to modify the conditions and methods in industry. He stated, “It is well within the range of possibility that vocational guidance, when carried out in a comprehensive, purposeful, and scientific way, may force upon industry many modifications which will be good not only for children but equally for the industry” (p. 80). Interestingly, both of these perspectives grew out of what was then called the progressive movement, a movement that sought to change negative social conditions associated with the industrial revolution. According to Stephens (1970), These conditions were the unanticipated effects of industrial growth. They included the emergence of cities with slums and immigrant-filled ghettos, the decline of puritan morality, the eclipse of the individual by organizations, corrupt political bossism and the demise of the apprenticeship method of learning a vocation. (pp. 148-149)
It is also important to understand the close relationship between vocational guidance and vocational education during these early years. Vocational education and its companion vocational guidance were seen as ways to change education and industry. According to Bloomfield (1916), vocational education and vocational guidance were directly concerned with conserving natural and human resources. He stated, “Vocational guidance aims to lay down the specifications for a life career, vocational education, to supply the best methods for working them out” (p.118).
Because of this close relationship the two distinctly different perspectives concerning the purpose of vocational guidance also applied to vocational education. According to Wirth (1980), Snedden and Prosser also applied their philosophy of social efficiency to vocational education. To them the purpose of vocational education was to prepare workers for specific occupations. Dewey’s (1915) conception of the purpose of vocational education differed sharply from that of Snedden and Prosser. He stated that:
The kind of vocational education in which I am interested in is not one which will “adapt” workers to the existing industrial regime; I am not sufficiently in love with the regime for that. It seems to me that the business of all who would not be educational time servers is to resist every move in this direction, and to strive for a kind of vocational education which will first alter the existing industrial system and ultimately transform it. (p. 41) From the late teens and early 1920’s on, however, there was less emphasis on guidance for vocation (vocational guidance) and more on education as guidance (educational guidance). This shift in emphasis in the purpose of guidance occurred partly because of newer leadership, particularly on the part of people such as John Brewer, who were more educationally oriented. In the late teens, Brewer (1918) defined educational guidance “as a conscious effort to assist in the intellectual growth of an individual… Anything that has to do with instruction or with learning may come under the term educational guidance” (p.14). According to Myers (1935b), this view of educational guidance “practically identifies educational guidance with organized education” (p.7). During the same time period the National Education Association’s Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education (CRSE) “had so broadened the definition of vocation as to soften it, if not to virtually eliminate it as a cardinal principle of secondary education “(Stephens, 1970, p. 113). This move by the CRSE, together with the more educational-oriented leadership of guidance served to separate the companion reform movements of education-- vocational education and vocational guidance-- leaving vocational guidance to struggle with its own identity. Johnson (1972) underscored this point by stating that “ the once- correlated responsibility of vocational guidance lost its historical anchorage to vocational education and was set adrift in the public school system to be redefined by the logic of the education subculture” (p. 204). By the early 1920’s, then, the focus and hence the purpose of guidance had begun to shift. There was less attention to social and industrial issues, whereas considerably more attention was being given to the personal and educational aspects of individuals. More specifically, at least within the school setting, there was a “displacement of the traditional, socioeconomic, and political concerns from the culture at large to the student of the educational subculture whose vocational socialization problems were reinterpreted as educational and psychological problems of personal adjustment” (Johnson, 1972, p. 221). The change in the purpose of guidance in the 1920’s can be attributed in part to a number of movements that were influencing education at that time. These included the mental hygiene and measurement movements, developmental studies of children, the introduction of the cumulative records, and progressive education. Vocational guidance was continuing to take on a new vocabulary present in education--the language of mental health, progressive education, child development, and measurement (Johnson, 1972). As a result, a more clinical model of guidance began to emerge. In the 1930’s, as a result of the mental health movement and the beginning of the clinical model of guidance, personal counseling began to dominate professional theory and practice. Rudy (1965) stressed this point when he stated”:
Up to 1930… not much progress had been made in differentiating this function [personal counseling] from the pre-existing programs of vocational and educational guidance. After that date, more and more of a separation appeared as Guidance workers in the high schools became aware of increasingly large number of students who were troubled by personal problems involving hostility to authority, sex relationships, unfortunate home situations, and financial stringencies (p. 25). Increasingly too, the term guidance was seen as an all- inclusive term focusing on “problems of adjustment to health, religion, recreation, to family and friends, to school, and to work” (Campbell, 1932, p.4). Vocational guidance remained, but it continued to be defined more narrowly as occupational choice, preparing for it, entering into it, and progressing in it. The 1930’s also showed an emphasis on education as guidance. Efforts were made by some to interpret much, if not all of education as guidance. Miller (1961), somewhat sarcastically noted that “through the 1930’s guidance was in danger of being so absorbed into curriculum revision in particular and into the educational effort in general, that even a congressional investigating committee would not be able to recognize it as a function existing in its own right” (p.6). Jones and Hand (1938), for example, felt that guidance was an inseparable part of education. At the same time personal counseling with its emphasis on personal adjustment continued to be emphasized as well. While the clinical model for guidance continued in the 1930s into the 1940s, the vocational emphasis also showed strength. This was evident in provisions of an Act to Provide for the Further Development of Vocational Education passed in 1936 and the Vocational Education Act of 1946. These two acts but particularly the act of 1946 provided funds for a federal office and for state supervision of guidance as well as support for vocational counselors in the schools. In the 1940s, Carl Rogers published his book Counseling and Psychotherapy (Rogers, 1942). According to Super (1955), “The years following its publication in 1942 saw a growth of interest in psychotherapeutic procedures which soon became even greater than interest in psychometrics. This movement, and the numerous research and theoretical contributions which have accompanied it, has had its impact on vocational guidance” (p. 5). A major piece of federal legislation in the 1950s that was to have substantial on how the purpose of guidance in the schools was framed was the National Defense Education Act of 1958. The purpose of guidance according to this act was the “identification and counseling of scientifically talented students” (Herr, 2001, p. 238). The college-bound student became a priority. As the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s unfolded, guidance in the schools continued to respond to national needs and concerns. Social problems including substance abuse, violence in the schools, mental health issues, and changing family patterns all pulled and tugged at defining the purpose of guidance in the schools and role of school counselors. At the same time, economic issues dealing with changing labor force needs and globalization of industry were also present. The changing labor force and globalization of industry renewed interest in vocational guidance as expressed in federal vocational education legislation, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education and Applied Technology Education Act Amendments of 1990, and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical education Act Amendments of 1998. The 1990 and 1998 Acts are interesting because of the change in definition from the 1990 Act to the 1998 Act for career guidance. In the 1990 Act, the following definition was provided:
The term “career guidance and counseling” means programs (A) which pertain to the body of subject matter and related techniques and methods organized for the development in individuals of career awareness, career planning, career decision making, placement skills, and knowledge and understanding of local, state, and national occupational, educational and labor market needs, trends, and opportunities; and (B) which assist such individuals in making and implementing informed educational and occupational choices. (104, Part 2, Stat 753) In the 1998 amendments the direction for career guidance had changed substantially. The new definition was as follows:
Career guidance and academic counseling means providing individual with information access on career awareness and planning for their occupational and academic future which shall involve career options, financial aid, and postsecondary options. (112, Part 1, Stat. 3076)
Gone from the 1990 Act is the notion of an organized program based on a body of subject matter. In the 1998 Act career guidance and “academic” counseling focused only on providing individuals with information. This was a dramatic change in purpose for guidance and counseling conceptually and operationally. It narrowed the purpose of guidance and counseling considerably.

The Development of Guidance Movement (United States of America, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia)

1. United States- The movement towards organized guidance services is a relatively recent development in the U.S. During the first quarter of the 20th century very few schools had organized or planned programs of guidance services. In fact, it is only since the end of the World War II that such programs have attained widespread acceptance at the secondary school level. Very recently, there has become evident of a slowly developing trend toward the recognition of the value of guidance services at the elementary school level. The trend was extended also to the colleges and universities, many of which now provide guidance and counseling as a function of student personnel services (Kelly, 1965). According to Kelly, organized guidance movement is considered to be the outgrowth of the theories and work of frank Parsons (1854-1908) of Boston. He is generally regarded as the “Father of the Vocational Guidance Movement”. As a volunteer worker in the civic service house in Boston, Parson came in contact with many people who were out of school. He became increasingly concerned by the fact that a large proportion of the youth were poorly adjusted to their work and lacked the proper foundation for it. To help these young men and women, Parson organized the B read Winners Institute in 1905. Through this organization, he began to develop vocational guidance on the basis of a planned and increasingly systematic program. In 1908, in close association with Meyes Bloomfield, Director of the Civil Service House, he organized the Vocational Guidance Bureau of Boston. Although Parsons was not connected with the schools, he saw that guidance was a long-term educational undertaking. Consequently, he urged the provision of vocational guidance in the schools. This led to the appointment of the Committee on Vocational Advice by the Boston School Committee in 1909. In the following year, a vocational counselor was appointed in elementary and high school in Boston, which resulted in the founding of the Boston Placement Bureau in 1913. During the same period, other cities were active in the organization of vocational work. It is well to note that the American people are recognizing the need for the contribution of guidance and counseling in the various phases of their home and community life. 2. Europe- Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia are notable European countries that have developed guidance movements similar in many respects to those developed in the United States of America. This is so, due to the fact that economic and social conditions in Europe were quite similar to those which led the development of organized guidance program in the United States. (a). Guidance in Great Britain- According to Arellano (1975), Britain began to feel the need for a systematic guidance for her young people at about the same time as the United States. This development of guidance in Great Britain was left largely to the local institution and responsibility of the educators. The best example of guidance work conducted in Great Britain is that which involves placement of fourteen-to-eighteen-year-old boys and girls who leave the elementary schools either because they have reached the age of 14 or 15, the end of compulsory education depending on the locality, or have reached sixteen, the secondary school terminating age; or because somewhere in between the time they have completed the course. A number of services were provided by various social, government and/or private institutions. For example, the placement work was carried out by either, ministry of Labor through the Juvenile Employment Exchanges, the Local Bureaus or the Educational Authorities. Another good example was the job advisement and placement of youth which was carried on mainly under the Britain Ministry of Labor. World War II disrupted vocational guidance in Britain. War time jobs were many and people were able to obtain positions without vocational assistance. Consequently, the demand for guidance services declined. After the War, some reconstruction and expansion took place. (b). Guidance in France- National recognition of vocational guidance was first given by the French government decree in 1922; the decree that caused the establishment of vocational guidance offices. It is worthy to note that the elementary school set-up makes no provision for vocational for vocational guidance, but the more progressive ones cooperate with other organizations for this purpose. There is no guidance in the secondary schools. The aforementioned established vocational offices cooperated with the national public placement offices, under the Board of Trade, in a program to take place adolescents, particularly in appropriate occupations. The Institute National d’ Orientation Professionals (National Institute for Vocational Guidance) is regarded as the driving force in vocational guidance in France. This was founded in Paris in 1928 and was recognized by the decree in 1930. It functions under the Division of Vocational Education and the Ministry of Education. Like in the United States, private philanthropy has influenced the development of vocational guidance in France. The Chamber of Commerce in Paris, for example, has created a central office of vocational guidance for the benefit of all children leaving school. (c). Guidance in Germany- The development (a scientific one) of vocational guidance (borufsburatung) was out of polytechnics and its application was done practically in employment offices. It developed longer than vocational guidance in other European countries. Germany has never had a systematic training program for guidance counselors. Parsons were said to be appointed as counselors on the basis of their satisfactory experience in an occupation. Vocational guidance broke down before the end of World War II. After the War, the rebuilding and extension of guidance services for youth, according to democratic principles, was one of the cardinal objectives of the educational program in the American zone of occupied Germany. It is worth noting that the largest number of pupils benefiting from vocational guidance comes from the elementary schools (Volkseclulon). (d). Guidance in Russia- The counseling program in Russia is handled by the vocational guidance bureaus, each of the latter being manned by a staff of physicians, psycho-technicians specializing in vocational testing, pedologists (educational specialists), statisticians, and clerks. Each services a scheduled number of schools under arrangements between the guidance bureaus, the local commissariat of Education, and the industrial or agricultural enterprises sponsoring the schools involved (Arellano, 1975). It is important to note that the entire educational system in Russia is based on a philosophy of work (The individual must be educated and trained for the good of the state). During the early years of school, indoctrination is in the interest of the individual, his rights, privileges, and duties. All instructions are given in order to develop efficient and loyal workers. Therefore, work activities are a very important part of the school programs.

Philippine History of Guidance in Schools In the Philippines, as in the United States of America and possibly in other countries, guidance started as vocational guidance movement; meaning to say, that this profession began with the efforts to assist young people choose vocation and prepare for it (Munarriz, 1980; Arellano, 1975). Although the guidance movement was unknown in the Philippines before 1925, there was, however, definite mention of vocational guidance in 1913 from the report of the then Director of Education. Although the concept of guidance then was a narrow one, it was a beginning, nonetheless (Ordoñez, 1960; Arellano, 1975). The developing awareness of the need for guidance services which was interrupted by World War II eventually became lively again upon the restoration of peace. According to Arellano (1975), formal vocational guidance in the public school began after 1925; and Ordoñez (1960) reported that the first Guidance Institute was held at the National Teachers College, Manila in 1945, with U.S. Army Psychologists as resource persons, an off-shoot of this being the founding of the Guidance Association of the Philippines, the forerunner of similar organizations of guidance personnel. It is important to note that even during the 1930’s especially in the later half (1934-1940), a handful of some Filipino personalities and individuals (counselors, deans of men, of boys, and of girls, etc.) and some social/ government institutions (Ex. Prisons, public and private schools/ universities) had already developed interests in guidance and started playing the role of guidance counselors consciously. For example, student cases of discipline, emotional, academic, and vocational problems were handled. Cases referred to them by classroom teachers and principals were likewise attended to. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, teachers and officials of the Bureau of Public Schools were sent abroad to study and observe guidance and counseling practices in the United States, England and other European countries. At the same time, foreign guidance experts like Dr. Rey G. Bose, a full bright exchange professor, and George H. Bonnette, UNESCO specialist in guidance, were invited to help in making leading Filipino School Administrators “guidance conscious”. While in the country, Bonnette visited secondary schools, handled seminars all over the country, served as consultant to the Bureau of Public Schools, while Dr. Bose offered courses in some colleges. In 1952, the school superintendents, in a convention, approved ten recommendations pertaining to the early development of guidance services in the public schools. The city of Manila then was regarded as having the most up-to-date organization and maintenance of functional guidance program in general secondary school. A few general high schools in the provinces have followed the example of Manila schools (Arellano, 1975). Munarriz (1980) observed that as interest in guidance as a significant component of education grew, more Filipinos either as government grantees, on private scholarships, or on their own went abroad, mostly to the United States to specialize in this fields. Upon their return they invariably formed the core of faculty in local colleges and universities. By the mid 1950’s, an encouraging number of higher institutions of learning especially universities had started offering counselor education programs to meet the demand of trained personnel, (counselors). From 1963 to the present, so much has been done to improve, update, and develop guidance service in many Philippine Schools-government-supported, as well as non-government-supported schools, and universities. Yearly conferences, seminars and workshops have been held on the local and national level in order to discuss, learn and disseminate trends, status, practices as well as problems in guidance and personnel programs not only in other agencies and organizations (Arellano, 1975). The postwar period emphasized counselor training and ushered in the birth of organized professional associations. Seminars were conducted for teachers who had been assigned, without the requisite preparation, guidance tasks. Resource persons for these seminars included visiting UN and Fullbright professors (Ros, 1965). At approximately the same time, teachers and school officials were being sent to the United States to take courses in guidance and observe school guidance programs (SalazarClemena, 1993). Formal degree programs in counselor education began at the graduate level in the mid-1950s. Later, guidance was introduced as a field of specialization at the undergraduate level as well. Ross (1965), analyzing the program descriptions of 31 graduate schools offering a master’s degree in education (with a major in guidance), found that 68% of these programs included a course in Vocational Guidance. The guidance movement in the schools gained further impetus when a Joint Congressional Committee on Education mandated in 1951 that guidance and counseling programs should assist students with career choices, personal difficulties, school and home tasks, job placement, and initial work adjustment (Salazar-Clemena, 1993). Although the Guidance Association of the Philippines, the first formal organization of Filipino counselors, had been established in 1945 as an offshoot of the first Guidance Institute, and another organization, the Philippine Association of Guidance Counselors, had been formed in 1953, it was the founding of the Philippine Guidance and Personnel Association (PGPA; now known as the Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA)) in 1965 the spurred the improvement of standards of guidance and personnel work (Salazar-Clemena, 1993). The PGPA was born at a time when experts were observing an “imbalance of man-power training and man-power need” (Bernardino, 1965, pp. 3-4) and “a great number of unemployed with college degrees” (Limcaco, 1965, p. 8). Counselors were, therefore, challenged “to prepare students in careers that will give them satisfaction, financial security, and employment after completing their studies” (Bernardino, 1965, p. 4).

Lesson 3. Guidance and Education

The Need to Understand that Guidance and Counseling is an Integral Part of Education What should be the place of guidance and counseling within education in the 21st Century? The position/services model of the past century often placed guidance and counseling in an ancillary position; not as an integral part of education. Concern about this was expressed as early as the 1920s by Myers (1923) when he stated:
The first development to which I wish to call attention is a growing recognition of vocational guidance as integral part of organized education, not as something different and apart from education that is being wished upon the schools by a group of enthusiasts because there is no other agency to handle it. (p. 139) During the same year, Payne (1923) asked, “Is guidance an integral part of our educational system or is it something just tacked on? (p. 62). Yet, over the next decades, guidance and counseling continued to be organized and practiced as a position within a set of services, placing school counselors in an ancillary position to the rest of education. If guidance and counseling is going to make the contributions it can and should make to assist all students to achieve success in school academically and reach their goals personally and occupationally, the program of guidance and counseling and the work of school counselors within it must be seen and practiced as an integral part of education. That was the point that Myers (1923) and Payne (1923) made many years ago. It is time to put into practice their words of wisdom. Even though the words organized and centralized program were used many years ago, the organizational pattern of a position within a set of services prevailed. While good work was done by the practitioners involved, the organizational structure provided by the position/ services oriented led them in a direction that caused many of them to be more management/ administratively focused than student focused. The work done in the 1970s and the 1980s toward the development and implementation of comprehensive guidance and counseling programs that tied directly to the mission of education makes it imperative that school counselors spend full time working with all students in close collaboration with parents, teachers, and administrators, and other stakeholders in the community. I believe that this is the direction that the professional needs to follow, and, while full program implementation in all schools across the country has not yet been reached, substantial progress is being made. This work must continue as the century unfolds. Guidance and counseling in the schools at the turn of the past century was seen as one way to respond to conditions in society, work, and education. According to Stephens (1970), “guidance purposes were formulated initially as correctives to social ills, correctives that people were willing to pay for” (p.160). But then for a number of reasons, as Stephens pointed out, that the zeal for reform diminished as the decades of the 1900s unfolded. He wondered if guidance had “become so concerned about becoming professionally acceptable and so involved in maintaining its own organization that the reform of industrial occupations and the support of human values have been lost as goals” (p. 161) Stephens’ (1970) statement about the profession turning inward was made in the 1970s. Today some may disagree and say that the school counseling profession has spoken out directly and strongly on societal work, and educational issues. While that may be the case, I believed it is good to be reminded about the need for advocacy, about the need to be actively involved in social, work, and education reform, particularly because such reform efforts can benefit directly from the expertise of school counselors. And, after all it is the heritage of the profession. If the profession chooses an inactive stance, it could lead to what Haley (1969) many years ago called “the five Be’s that will guarantee dynamic failure-- be passive, be inactive, be reflective, be silent, beware” (p695).

Lesson 4. Need for Guidance

Guidance is an indispensable part of the educational program, not just added to the program. School guidance services are essential for children, beginning in the kindergarten and continuing throughout their school experiences. A number of grounds have been given for the necessity of guidance in schools; some of these are as follows:

(1) Guidance in a Changing World – Our world grows increasingly complex to young people. Beginning about the turn of the century the age old process of firsthand learning and guidance become impossible. The modern boy has little or no chance to learn about an occupation.

(2) Modern Complexity – The world of young people is complex and growing increasingly so. This growing confusion in every phase of modern living requires that children and youth have more and more need of guidance at all levels of their schools experience. According to Arellano (1975), the individual today is living in a very complex society. The conditions of living have changed very much and many of these conditions are still changing very rapidly. All these changes and development in industrial, economic, social, educational, and other aspects of life have increased the dependence of the individual upon outside help which is the guidance worker.

(3) Need for Personal and Social Guidance – The necessity for vocational and educational, personal, and social guidance are very tangible and important. They are also real. There is the urgent need to help in directing valuable human potentials in many ways in pupils/students. This help is urgently needed because many social forces are impinging upon the life of each pupil. It is therefore necessary to help boys and girls attain good social and personal adjustments. Personal guidance is particularly needed because modern pupils are overwhelmed by the battling complexities which lead to feelings of insecurity, inferiority, lack of confidence, and frustration. Many children are literally starved for personal and social guidance.

(4) Guidance Helps National Security – Boys and girls should be placed in the social, educational, and occupational position where they can make the greatest contribution in line with his interests, aptitudes, and trainings to national security and development. If we train and place our young people well; our country will be strong and will survive. According to Lupdag (1984), guidance is important in that it is crucial for individual and national development; human resources being the most important resource any nation can have. He further mentioned that guidance facilitates learning among the learners and also increases the holding power of schools and minimize dropouts. Kelly (1965) stated that fundamentally the boys and girls in school, particularly the secondary level need guidance and counseling because of the following reasons/grounds: (1) They are immature. (2) They are faced with the task of making decisions concerning the future, some of which may well be irreversible. (3) They are passing through the process of growth and development which involves the unfolding and expansion of powers and capacities, changes, both structural and functional, and adjustments of a mental, moral, social and emotional nature. (4) Throughout the process of growth and development, the child needs guidance and direction in order that he may better understand himself and his problems, may learn problem-solving methods, and thus make progress toward the attainment of effective self-direction. (5) Basically, children and youth need guidance and counsel in order that they may know the meaning and purpose of life, and the goals which must be sought to attain that purpose. (6) Guidance is essential in order that the individual may profit from his educational experiences and may develop fully all his powers, capacities and capabilities. (7) Guidance is necessary in aiding the individual to choose and prepare intelligently, either wholly or in part, for a work life in which he will find satisfaction the means of self support, a place in which to render service, and to achieve a reasonable recognition of his worth by his fellowmen. (8) Guidance is necessary because the individual needs and wants help in choosing the right objectives to fulfill the purpose of life and to aid him in everyway as he strives to attain these objectives.

Are you now convinced on the need of guidance? OK, move on!

Need and Focus of Guidance and Counseling in Higher Education
1. To improve the internal efficiency of the school system
Focus: Academic guidance for; * less able students thus reducing repetition, dropout and wastage * average students to sustain stability, and improve; * able students to enhance progress from one level (class) to the other.
2. To reduce/ eliminate anti-social activities on campus
Focus: - Advice on social and academic clubs to join * counseling and dialogue on matters that can generate friction and students’ unrest * Counseling on emotional problems
3. To enhance career and job prospects of learners
Focus: - job and career advising * Relationship between course of study and world of work. It is clear form a review of the guidance and counseling literature of the past three decades of the past century that guidance and counseling programs were being designed to serve all students. An often stated goal was that “although immediate and crisis needs of students are to be met, a major focus of a developmental program is to provide all students with experiences to help them grow and develop” (Gysbers & Henderson, 2000, p.26) This goal was based on the assumption that all students can and should profit from the activities and services of comprehensive guidance and counseling programs to facilitate their academic, personal/social, and career development. What does serving all students mean today? It means that comprehensive guidance programs serve equally all students, parents, teachers, and other recipients regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, disability, family structure and functionality, socio-economic status, learning-ability level, language, level of school involvement, or other special characteristics. It means understanding students’ cultural, sociological, psychological economic and family backgrounds. This is critical because as Martin and House (2001) stated: School counselors are ideally positioned in schools to serve as conductors and transmitters of information to promote school-wide success for all students. When school counselors aggressively perform actions that support entitlement to quality education for all students, they create a school climate where access and support for rigorous preparation is expected (p.4).

Bases of Guidance Work (Psychological, Sociological, Moral and Spiritual Needs of College Students)

Humpreys et al. (1967) gave the following as psychological bases for the need of guidance work: (1) Many of the principles and methods of guidance are rooted in psychology. (2) Individuals differ widely in aptitudes, achievements, interests, personality characteristics, rates and patterns of growth. The latter being true in most areas of development, including physical, mental, emotional and social. (3) Learning involves the active participation of the individual. The learning process depends upon a person’s developed abilities, his physical and mental state, opportunities and stimulation provided, and motivational and incentive conditions. (4) Psychology has contributed theories and experimental evidences that are helpful to guidance workers in understanding personality; psychological aspects of personality include the self-concept, unconscious motivation and defense mechanisms.

The subsequent pages will introduce you to RA 9258. Read and understand every article and section. Being a guidance counselor you will come to appreciate it.

Republic Act 9258
An Act Professionalizing the Practice of Guidance and Counseling and Creating for this Purpose a Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling, Appropriating Funds Therefore and For Other Purposes.

Article 1
Title, Declaration of Policy, Definition of Terms
Section I. Title. – This act shall be known as the “Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004”

Sec, 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared a policy of the Senate to promote the improvement, advancement and protection of the guidance and counseling service profession by undertaking and instituting measures that will result in professional, ethical, relevant, efficient, and effective guidance and counseling services for the development and enrichment of individuals and group lives.

The State recognizes the important role of guidance and counselors in nation-building and promotes the sustained development of reservoir of guidance and counselors whose competence have been determined by honest and credible licensure examinations whose standards of professional practice and service are world-class and Internationally recognized, globally competitive through preventive regulatory measures, programs and activities that poster their continuing professional development.

Sec, 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean: (a) Guidance and Counseling is a profession that involves the use of an integrated approach to the development of a well-functioning individual primarily by helping him/her potentials to the fullest and plan him/her to utilize his/her potentials to the fullest and plan his/her future in accordance with his/her abilities, interests and needs. It includes functions such as counseling subjects, particularly subjects given in the licensure examinations, and other human development services. (b) A guidance counselor is a natural person who has been registered and issued a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card by the Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling and the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) in accordance with this Act and by virtue of specialized training performs for a fee, salary or other forms of compensation, the functions of guidance and counseling under section 3 (a) of this Act.

Article II
The Professional Regulatory Board of Counseling

Sec, 4. Creation of Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling. –There shall be created a Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling, hereinafter referred to as the Board, under the administrative control and supervision of the Professional Regulatory Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, to be composed of a Chairman and two (2) members who shall be appointed by the Philippines from a list of three (3) recommendees for each position submitted by the Commission from a list of five (5) nominees for each position submitted by the accredited and integrated organization of guidance counselors.

Sec, 5. Powers, Functions, Duties and Responsibilities of the Board. – The professional Regulatory Board shall have the following specific powers, duties and responsibilities. (a) Supervise and regulate the practice of Guidance and Counseling; (b) Determine and evaluate the qualifications of the applicants for registration with or without licensure examinations and for issuance of special permits; (c) Prepare the examination questions in accordance with section 15 hereof or the modification thereof, and correct and rate the examination papers through a process of computerization; (d) Prepare, adopt issue or amend the syllabi for the subjects in the licensure examination, in consultation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the academe and the accredited professional organizations; (e) Register successful examinees in the licensure examination and issue the corresponding certificates of registration. (f) Issue special/ temporary permits to foreign guidance counselors to practice Guidance and Counseling for specific duration of time for a fee or on medical mission without a fee; (g) Monitor the conditions affecting the practice of Guidance Counseling, conduct ocular inspection of places where guidance counselors practice their profession and adopt measures for the enhancement of the profession and the maintenance of high professional, technical and ethical standards.
(h) Ensure, in coordination with the CHED, that all education institutions offering the course / program of Guidance and Counseling comply with the policies, standards and requirements of the said course prescribed by the CHED in the areas of curriculum, faculty, library and facilities; (i) Promulgate rules and regulations including a Code of Ethics, a Code of Technical Standards for guidance counselors and administrative policies, orders and issuances, to carry out the provisions of this Act. (j) Investigates violations of this Act and the Rules and Regulations, Code of Ethics Code of Technical Standards, administrative policies, orders and issuances, promulgated by the professional Regulatory Board. The Rule on administrative investigation promulgated by the Commission shall govern in such investigation; (k) Issue subpoena or subpoena duces tecum to secure the attendance of respondents or witnesses or the production of documents relative to the investigation conducted by the Board; (l) Render decision, order or resolution on preliminary investigation or inquiry against violators of this Act, Rules and Regulations, Code of Ethics, Code of Technical Standards or any policy on undocketed cases and the docketed administrative cases against examinees and registrants, which shall become final and executory unless appealed with the Commission within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the copy thereof; (m) Issue, suspend, revoke or re-issue any license for the practice of Guidance and Counseling as defined in this Act.
(n) Administer oaths necessary for the effective Implementation of this Act; (o) Initiate criminal action against any violator of this Act and/ or the rules and regulation of the Board;
(p) Adopt the official seal of the Board; (q) Prescribed guidelines and criteria on the continuing professional education (CPE). (r) Adopt such measures necessary and proper for the maintenance of high ethical and professional standards in the practice of the profession; and (s) Perform such other functions and duties as may be necessary to effectively implement this Act.
The policies resolutions and rules and regulations issued or promulgated by the Professional Regulatory Board shall be subject to review and approval by the Commission; however, the Boards decisions, resolutions orders which are not interlocutory, rendered in an administrative case, shall be subject to review only if on appeal with the Commission. The decision of the Board and/ or the Commission may be appealed to the Court of Appeals in accordance with the Rules of Court.

Sec, 6. Qualification of Professional Regulatory Board Members. – The Chairman and members of the Professional Regulatory Board, at the time of their appointment shall;
(a) Be a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines; (b) Be a resident of the country for at least five (5) years immediately prior to his/her appointment; (c) Be of good moral character and must have nor been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; (d) Be a qualified guidance counselor holding a valid Certificate of registration; provided, that in the case of the first members of the Board of Guidance and Counseling, they shall be issued Certificates of Registration as guidance counselors without prior examination; (e) Be a holder of doctoral degree in Guidance and Counseling from a reputable college or university duly recognized by the CHED and/or by a duly accredited college or university abroad; (f) Have at least ten (10) years of continuous professional practice as guidance counselor or counselor educator under this Act. (g) Not be a member of the faculty of any school, college, or university where regular and/ or review courses in guidance and counseling education is taught nor have any pecuniary interest in such institution; and (h) Not be an official of the integrated and accredited national professional organization.

Sec, 7. Term of Office. – The members of the Board shall hold office for a term of three (3) years or until their successors shall have been appointed and qualified. They may, however, be reappointed for a second term. Of the members to be appointed for the first Board, one (1) member shall hold office as chairman for three (3) years; one (1) as member for two (2) years; and one (1) member for a term of one (1) year. Any vacancy in the Board shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term only. Each member shall take the proper oath prior to assumption duty.

Sec, 8. Administrative Supervision of the Board, Custodian of its Records, Secretariat and Support Services. – All records of the Board, including application for examination and administrative and other investigative cases shall be under the custody of the Commission. The commission shall designate the Secretary of the Board and shall provide the secretariat and support services to implement the provision of this Act.

Sec, 9. Compensation and Allowances of the Board. – The Chairman and members of the board shall received the compensation and allowances comparable to the compensation and allowances received by the chairman and members of existing regulatory board under the Commission as provided for in the General Appropriations Act.

Sec, 10. Grounds for Suspension and Removal of Board Members. – The president of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of the Commission, after giving the concerned member an opportunity to defend himself/herself a proper administrative investigation conducted by the Commission, may remove and suspend any member on the following grounds:
(a) neglect of duty or incompetence; (b) violating or tolerance of violating this Act or the Code of Ethics and Code of Professional and Technical Standards for guidance counselors; (c) conviction by final judgment of crimes involving moral turpitude; (d) manipulation of rigging of the licensure examination results, disclosure of secret information or the examination, or tampering of the grades therein; or (e) conviction by the final judgment of any criminal offense by the courts.

Sec, 11. Annual Report. – The Chairman of the Board, shall after the close of the fiscal year, submit an annual report to the commission giving a detailed accounting of the proceedings of the Board during the year and embodying such recommendation as the Board to make.
Article III
Examination, Registration and Licensure

Sec, 12. Examination Required. – All applicants for registration for the practice of Guidance and Counseling shall be required to licensure examination to be given by the Board and the Commission in such places and dates as the Commission may designate accordance with Republic Act No. 8981, subject to compliance with the requirements prescribed by the Commission.

Sec, 13. Qualifications for Examination. – In order to qualify for the examination, an applicant must, at the time of filing the application: (a) a citizen of the republic of the Philippines or a foreigner whose country has reciprocity with the Philippines in the program of Guidance and Counseling; (b) has not been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude by a competent court; and (c) holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling or in other Allied Disciplines and a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from an institution in the Philippines or abroad recognized or accredited by the CHED.

Sec, 14. Registration without Taking Licensure Examination. – A person who possesses the pertinent qualifications required for in the examination for registration as guidance counselor pursuant to the provisions of this Act maybe registered without examination: Provided, That the applicant files with the Board within two (2) years after its creation, an application for registration and issuance of a Certificate of Registration and professional Identification Card by submitting credentials showing that the applicant before the effectivity of this Act; (a) Had been doctoral and masters degree holders in Guidance and Counseling with at least three (3) years of teaching Guidance and Counseling courses and / or full- time counseling practice for the same period; (b) Had passed at least eighteen (18) units of master’s level courses in Guidance and counseling such as Counseling Techniques/ Theories, Organization or Administration of Guidance Services, Test and measurements, Group Process/ Counseling and Career Guidance/ Counseling; and have at least (7) years of experience in counseling work; and (c) Has completed academic requirements for a master’s degree in guidance and counseling and have five (5) years experience as full-time guidance counselors.

Sec, 15. Scope of Examination. – The examination shall cover the following subject areas: (a) Philosophical, Psychological and Sociological Foundations of Guidance;
(b) Counseling Theories, Tools and Techniques;
(c) Psychological Testing
(d) Organization and Administration of Guidance Services; and
(e) Group Process and Program Development. The Board, subject to approval by the Commission, may revise or exclude any of the subjects and their syllabi, and add new ones as the need arises.

Sec, 16. Report of Rating. – The Board shall, within ten (10) days after the examination, report the ratings obtained by each candidate to the Commission.

Sec, 17. Ratings in the Examination and Re-Examination. – To be qualified as having passed the licensure examination for guidance and counselors, a candidate must have obtained a weighted general average of seventy-five (75 %) , with no grade lower than sixty (60%) in any given subject. However, an examinee who obtains a weighted average of seventy-five percent (75%) or higher but obtains a rating below sixty percent (60%) within two (2) years from the date of the last examination. The subjects or subjects retaken must have each a rating of no less than seventy-five (75%) in order to qualify as having passed the examination.

Sec, 18. Oath-Taking. – All successful examinees shall be required to take a professional oath before any member of the Board or any officer of the Commission authorized by the PRC, or any officer authorized by law.

Sec, 19. Issuance of Certificates of Registration and Professional Identification Card. – A Certificate of Registration as a guidance counselor shall be issued to any applicant who passes the examination or who is registered without examination, bearing the signature of the Commission Chairperson and Chairman and members of the Board, and official seal of the Board. A Professional Identification Card bearing the registration number, date of issuance, expiry date, duly signed by the Commission Chairperson shall likewise be issued to every registrant who has paid the prescribed fee.

Sec, 20. Roster of Guidance Counselors. – The Board, In coordination with the accredited professional organization, shall kept a roster of the names, residence and office addresses of all registered and licensed guidance counselors and the said roster shall be made available to the public upon request.

Sec, 21. Integration of Guidance Counselors. – All registered/licensed Guidance Counselors whose names appear in the roster of guidance counselors shall be united and integrated to their automatic membership in a one (1) and only registered and accredited national organization of registered/ licensed Guidance Counselors which the Board, subject to approval by the Commission, shall recognized and accredited after consultation with all existing organizations of registered and licensed Guidance Counselors and, if possible with all those who are not members of any of the said organizations. The members in the said integrated and accredited national organizations shall received benefits and privileges appurtenant thereto upon payment of required fees and dues. Membership integrated organization shall not be a bar to membership in any association of Guidance Counselors.

Sec, 22. Indication of Certificate of Registration Number and Professional Tax Receipts (PTR). – The Guidance Counselors shall be required to indicate his/her Certificate of Registration number, the date of issuance, the period of validity of the license, including the professional tax receipt number on the documents he/she signs, uses or issues in connection with the practice of his/her profession.

Sec, 23. Practice Through Special/ Temporary Permit. – Special/ Temporary Permit may be issued by the Board, subject to the approval of the Commission and payment of the fees the latter has prescribed and charged thereof, to the following persons: (1) Licensed Guidance Counselors from foreign countries/states whose services are either for a fee or free; (a) If they are internationally well-known counselors or outstanding experts in any branch or specialty of Guidance and Counseling; and (b) If their services are urgently and importantly necessary for lack of, or inadequacy of available local specialists/ experts for the promotion or advancement of the practice of guidance and counseling through transfer of technology. (2) Licensed Guidance Counselors from foreign countries/ states whose services shall be free and limited to indigent patients in a particular hospital, center or clinic; (3) Licensed Guidance Counselors from foreign countries / states employed as exchange professors in branch or specialty of Guidance and counseling in schools, colleges, universities offering the course of guidance and counseling. The permit shall, among other things, include these limitations and conditions for a period of not more than one (1) year subject to renewal, the branch or specialty of guidance and counseling, and the specific place of practice such as clinic, hospital, center, school/college/ university offering the course of guidance and counseling. The Board, subject to approval by the Commission, shall prescribe rules and regulations on the implementation of this particular section.

Sec, 24. Denial, Suspension, Revocation of a Certification of Registration, Cancellation of Special Permit. – The application for registration and the issuance of Certificate of Registration may be denied for any of these causes:
(a) Conviction of an Offense involving moral turpitude by a competent court;
(b) Finding of guilt by the Professional Regulatory Board for immoral and/or dishonorable conduct; and
(c) Declaration by the court of the applicant as being insane. The Certificate of Registration may be revoked or suspended, or the special permit may be cancelled for any of the above –enumerated causes including the following: fraudulent acquisition of Certificate of Registration and/or special permit; abetment or tolerance of illegal practice by unqualified person through the use by the latter of Guidance Counselor’s Certificate, or special permit; abetment or tolerance of illegal practice by unqualified person through the use by the latter of Guidance Counselor’s Certificate, or special permit; violation of any provision of this Act, Rules and Regulations of the Board and Commission and other policies thereof, including the Code of Ethics, and Code of Technical Standards or Guidance Counselors; unethical, immoral, dishonorable or unprofessional conduct; malpractice; guilty of drug or alcohol abuse impairing his/ her ability to practice his/ her profession; and practice of the profession during period of suspension by one whose Certificate of Registration had been suspended by the Board. No certificate shall be denied, revoked or suspended or any of the reason herein provided, until after sworn complaint in writing against the applicant or holder thereof shall have been filed and heard in a public hearing or upon request, behind close doors.

Sec, 25. Reinstatement. – A person may apply to the Board for reinstatement of a certificate the issuance of which has been duly revoked at any time after the expiration of one (1) year from the date of revocation of the said certificate. The application shall be in writing and shall conform to requirement provided by the Board. No certificate shall be reinstated unless the Board is satisfied that a good cause exists to warrant such reinstatement.

Sec, 26. Appeal. – The decision on the denial or refusal to issue Certificate of Registration, the revocation or suspension of the Certificate of Registration, or cancellation of special permit by the Board shall be final unless appealed to the Commission within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the decision. The decision of the Board and/or Commission may be appealed to the Court of Appeals.

Article IV
Practice of Guidance and Counseling

Sec, 27. Prohibition Against the Practice of Guidance and Counseling. – No person shall (a) engage in the practice of guidance and counseling without a valid Certificate of Registration and the valid Professional Identification Card or a special permit; (b) make representations to the public or to third person as a licensed Guidance Counselor during the time that the licensed has been revoked or suspended, and, (c) allow anybody to use his/her license as guidance counselor to enable such unqualified individual to engage in the practice of guidance and counseling. No corporation, partnership, association or entity shall operate a guidance and counseling office or center, or otherwise engage in the practice of guidance and counseling without securing a permit from the Board, which shall be issued only after it has satisfied itself that such establishment is properly staffed by duly licensed Guidance Counselors. Any unethical practice of guidance and counseling as may be defined in a Code of ethics and Code of Technical Standards to be prepared by the Board in consultation with Guidance Counselors is prohibited.

Sec, 28. Right to Privilege Communication for Guidance Counselor. – A certified guidance counselor who is allowed to practice guidance and counseling in accordance with this Act, without the consent of the client, be examined as to any communication or information which has been acquired while attending to such client. The protection accorded herein shall also extend to the records and secretary or clerk of a license guidance counselor, who may not be examined concerning any fact, the knowledge of which has been acquired in such capacity. Any evidence obtained in violation of this provision shall be inadmissible for any purpose and any proceeding.

Sec, 29. Foreign Reciprocity. – No foreign Guidance Counselor shall be admitted to the examinations, or be given a certificate of Registration, or be entitled to any of the rights and privileges under this Act unless the country or state of which he/she is a subject or citizen permits Filipino Guidance Counselors to Practice within its territorial limits on the same basis as the subjects or citizen of said country or state: Provided, that the requirement for certification of Guidance Counselors in said foreign state or country are substantially the same as those required and contemplated under this Act: Provide, further, That the laws such states or country grant the same privilege to Filipino Guidance Counselors on the same basis as the subjects or citizens of such foreign state or country.

Article V
General Provisions
Sec, 30. Funding Provisions. – The Chairperson of the Commission shall include in the Commission’s Programs the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

Sec, 31. Assistance of Law Enforcement Agency. – Any law enforcement agency shall, upon call or request of the Commission or the Boar, render assistance in enforcing this Act, including all the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by prosecuting the violators thereof in accordance with law and the Rules of Court.

Sec, 32. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act, subject to the approval of the Commission, the Board shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations, in coordination with the integrated and accredited professional organization, to implement the provisions of this Act, which shall be effective after fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official gazette or newspaper of general circulation.

Sec, 33. Penalty Clause. – Any person who violates any provision of this Act and the rules and regulations issued by the Board and the Commission or commits fraud in the acquisition of Certificate of Registration or Special Permit, shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than eight (8) years, or a fine of not less than fifty thousand pesos (P50, 000.00) but not more than One hundred thousand pesos (P 100,000.00) or both in the discretion of the court. Sec,34. Separability Clause. – If any part of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the remaining parts not affected thereby shall continue to be valid and operational.

Sec, 35. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, circulars, rules and regulations and other issuances, which are inconsistent with this Act, are herby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Sec, 36. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect one (1) month after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

Now that you have done with the lecturette, brace yourself with mental activities! Just relax and have some stretching excercises!

Learning Activities:

A. Definition of terms

1. Based on your readings and previous experiences, give the similarities and differences of the terms guidance, counseling, and student personnel work. State the commonalities and striking differences. Also cite concrete or situational examples to prove your point. 2. Share your personal experiences by trying to recall your freshman college days. Did you receive any form of assistance from your guidance counselor? If yes, list them down. If none, list down the kind of assistance that you want to get from your counselor. List as many as you can. 3. Conduct an interview with persons occupying varied occupations or ask them what is their perception and understanding of guidance and guidance counselor. Write their answers and make a comparison of their perceptions along the different occupations such as teacher, businessman, priest, accountant, engineer, health worker and others. 4. Critique the perceptions given by the persons of different professions in no. 3 activity. Use the theoretical definition of guidance and guidance counselor obtained from your readings. Which of the persons gave the correct perceptions and why? Which of the persons gave the incorrect perceptions of the terms and why?

B. History of Guidance in the Philippines and Abroad

1. Write in outline form how the guidance movement started in the Philippines. State only the number of concerns and challenge. Also, cite the persons and organizations who contributed in the progress and development of guidance as it is today. 2. It would be helpful if you could trace the origin of guidance abroad.
2.1. What was the focus of guidance in five (5) countries such as: US, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia.
2.2. Why did the five (5) countries focus on such service?
3. Knowing the history of guidance both in the Philippines and abroad, do you think there is still a need to support the guidance movement today? If given the chance to submit a proposal to intensify the guidance subject to be taught in college, how will you do it such that your paper will be considered by educational policy makers?

Go easy with the learning exercises. Always refer to the lecturette, if in doubt.

C. Guidance and Education
1. Situate yourself as a guidance counselor. If given the chance to explain to your students the place of guidance in education, how would you explain it such that they will understand it. Write it down to be submitted to your facilitator.
2. What do you understand about ancillary position of guidance in education? Is it the same as integral part? Why? 3. Get out of your area, and talk with experienced teachers (at least 10 years or more in service), find out their views and ideas about the place of guidance in education. Compare their ideas with young teachers (at least 5 years or below in service).Write down the result of your interview.

D. Need for Guidance
1. Guided by your readings, do you think there are differences in the need of guidance among elementary, high school, and college students? If there are, point out the differences. Also, state their commonalities. Provide situational examples to prove your point.
2. Interview an elementary pupil and list down his need for guidance, either personal, academic, social or emotional. Also, interview a high school student and college student. List down their needs for guidance.
E. Post test
Direction: Read and understand each statement given below. State whether the item is correct or incorrect. If the item is incorrect, re-structure the sentence to make it a correct one. Write your answers in your notebooks. 1. Career counseling in the Philippines can best be understood from an economic-political perspective in the light of Filipino culture. 2. Academic guidance and counseling is mainly on the curriculum-related needs of the learner. 3. Guidance and counseling programs assist students with career choices, personal difficulties, school and home tasks, and initial work adjustment. 4. A comprehensive guidance career education will provide students with the concepts of student development, interpersonal development and career development. 5. In interpersonal development, students will learn to set and achieve learning goals, and manage their own learning’s. 6. Counseling has been seen as stressing rational problem solving, decision making, life planning, and stress management. 7. With the coming out of the mental health approach, many counselors today practice in community service agencies. 8. Professional counseling has historically been closely linked to education. 9. The cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes which are needed to continue for further growth are called developmental tasks. 10. Students maybe identified as needing individual assistance by counselors.
F. Post test: R.A. 9258
Direction: There are statements below. Read and understand each, then write the correct answer on the blank space before the number.
___________1. R.A. 9258 is entitled “_________________________”.
___________2. A __________ is a natural person who has been registered with the PRC who can perform the functions of guidance and counseling.
___________3. There are ___________ articles in RA 9258.
___________4. All in all, there are ______ sections in the aforecited RA.
___________5. RA 9258 was approved _______________.
___________6. Section 16 states about the report of ____________ obtained by each candidate.
___________7. A candidate must have obtained a weighted general average of _________ percent , with no grade lower
___________8. than _______ percent in any given subject.
___________9. The five (5) subject areas covered in the examination are _____________,
___________10. _____________,
___________11. _____________,
___________12. _____________, and
___________13. _____________.
___________14. No person shall engage the practice of guidance and counseling with out valid ______________.
___________15. _____________ is a profession that involves the use of an integrated approach to the development of a well
If you have done with the learning activities, congratulate yourself! Get out and serve yourself a hot and delicious meal! functioning individual.

Assessment: The paper or your answers will be evaluated based on: Learning Activity | Percentage Allotment | A. Definition of Terms(Clear and easy to understand with relevant situational examples given) | 20 | B. History of Guidance(Sequential presentation of events, easy and clear to understand) | 30 | C. Guidance and education(Differentiation is clear with corresponding examples) | 20 | D. Need for Guidance(Comprehensive explanation of the need of guidance among elementary, high school and college students) | 20 | E. Post Test | 10__________ | Total | 100 |

You need not worry. Your facilitator will assess your activities objectively based on the foregoing criteria!

CHAPTER II
ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF GUIDANCE

Aim

This chapter consisting of five (5) lessons will help you prepare and design appropriate organizational structure of guidance in a given school situation. Learning Objectives Upon completion of the chapter, you are expected to: 1. Discuss and explain in detail the basic principles in guidance and in organizing an appropriate and functional guidance program. 2. Compare and contrast the roles and functions of guidance personnel, and be familiar with the qualifications and responsibilities of school administrator. 3. Conduct interviews with classroom teachers relative to their guidance work. 4. Illustrate an organization and structure of a school guidance program together with the roles and functions of guidance personnel. 5. Design appropriate and functional school guidance program. 6. Keep track of prevailing problems met by school guidance personnel.

Lecturette

Introduction You are now aware of the evolution of guidance and were familiarized with pertinent terms used in guidance, and come to know the importance of guidance in education and the need for guidance work. This time, I’m sure you are now ready to start with an appropriate organizational structure of school guidance. Before you embark on that task, you should arm yourself with the following ideas and concepts: basic principles of organizing a guidance program, personnel or staffing and their roles, alternative models, and problems you encounter in the process of preparing and implementing the guidance program.

LESSON 5. Principles of Guidance and Basic Principles of Organizing a Guidance Program One should understand the basic concept of guidance before knowing its importance in education. The concept of guidance includes the need to exercise foresight in order to prevent, as far as possible, the occurrence of situations which make it necessary for an individual to seek help in order to adjust to the circumstances. When disturbing or unhealthful conditions interfere with satisfactory patterns of behavior, it becomes the responsibility of teachers and members of the guidance personnel to supply whatever service is needed. Whatever the function of the guidance supplied- prevention, preservation, or attempted cure achievements. This is to say that guidance services, in order to be effective and play its importance in education, one should know certain basic, significant and sound principles, as follows:
(1) Guidance is holistic, meaning to say guidance is focused on the total person and is not compartmentalized. Although a particular guidance technique is focused on a specific area like choosing a career, or in the health of the pupil, this is seen in terms of the total person (Lupdag, 1984). The chief concern of guidance is the development of the whole individual (Arellano, 1975). According to Crow and Crow (1960), every aspects of a person’s complex personality pattern constitutes a significant factor of his total displayed attitudes and forms of behavior. Guidance services which are aimed at bringing about desirable adjustment in any particular area of experience must take into account the all-round development of the individual.
(2) All individuals are unique. Understanding of the uniqueness of individuals is fundamental. Any guidance work that does not recognize this is futile. Even in group guidance, individual differences are respected (Lupdag, 1984). Although all human beings are similar in many respects, individual differences must be recognized and considered in any efforts aimed at providing help or guidance to a particular child, adolescent, or adult (Crow and Crow, 1960) (3) Guidance is for all students, not merely for the problem or “special” or maladjusted student. Guidance is for every one- the superior, the dull, the rich, the poor, the physically sick or handicapped, or the healthy (Arellano, 1975). According to Crow and Crow (1960), guidance services should not be limited to the few who give observable evidence of its need, but should be extended to all persons of all ages who can benefit there from, either directly or indirectly.
(4) Guidance should be regarded as a continuing process of service to an individual from young childhood through adulthood. Guidance is necessarily a continuous process extending throughout the school life of the student. Effective school guidance begins at the time the child enters his first school and continuous until the time he stops schooling and starts his occupational life. In the very broad sense, guidance starts from in family till the last stage in man’s life (Crow and crow, 1960; Arellano, 1975). According to Lupdag (1984), human development is a continuous process. It follows then that guidance also is continuous to assist the individual in coping with developmental demands. Across time, the individual changes due to factors internal and external to him. Hence, the need for continuous guidance. (5) The function guidance is to help a person- (a) formulate and accept stimulating, worthwhile, and attainable goals of behavior, and (b) apply these objectives in the conduct of his affairs.
(6) Existing social, economic, and political unrest is giving rise to many maladjustive factors that requires the cooperation of experienced and thoroughly trained guidance counselors and the individual with a problem.
(7) Guidance seeks to help the student attain a clearer understanding and be used upon recognition of his dignity, worth, and individuality.
(8) Guidance is concerned with choices, decisions, and adjustment to be made by the student.
(9) Guidance is counsel, not compulsion. It is not prescriptive, but it is designed to make the individual increasingly self-directive.
(10) Guidance takes into account both the immediate and remote objectives of the student.
(11) Guidance is concerned with the student’s efforts, attitudes, and will to succeed as well as the data derived from measurements.
(12) Guidance seeks to develop initiative, responsibility, self-understanding, and self-direction, for its purpose is to make individual develop his own insight. The counselor should serve as a guide, a stimulating force and an interpreter of facts, ideas, and attitudes.
(13) Guidance is essentially an educational process and is inherent in all education.
(14) Guidance consists of a series of supplementary services based upon mutual confidence and understanding in order to meet the real needs of students. Guidance should be organized according to integrated efforts. Although each staff member should contribute according to his abilities, all staff members should concentrate their efforts. There must be whole-hearted cooperation. According to Lupdag (1984), guidance is integrative. All aspects of life emotional, mental, social, economic, physical and religious are looked into for the development of an integrated personality. One cannot be divorce from the other.
(15) Curriculum materials and teaching procedures should be evidence a guidance point of view.
(16) An effective guidance program needs to have personnel who have had special preparation and adequate training for the work. Guidance workers need to develop certain competencies if they are to perform their guidance activities successfully and effectively.
(17) Consider most individuals as average and normal persons; the counselor is concerned mainly with the development of persons who are so-called “normal”, that is, they are relatively normal in intelligence, normal in emotional ability, and normal in physical constitution and ability. As far as possible, the wise counselor refers definitely abnormal persons to appropriate specialists. Before the counselor designates a counselee as abnormal, he should have definite evidence bearing on the latter’s deviation from normality.
(18) Parents and teachers have guidance-pointed responsibilities.
(19) An organized guidance program should be flexible according to individual and community needs.
(20) To administer guidance intelligently and with as thorough knowledge of the individual as is possible, programs of individual evaluation and research should be conducted, and accurate cumulative records of progress and achievement should be made accessible to guidance workers. Through the administration of well-selected standardized tests and other instruments of evaluation, specific data concerning degree of mental capacity, success of achievement, demonstrated interests, and other personality characteristics should be accumulated, recorded, and utilized for guidance purposes.
(21) Periodic appraisals should be made of the existing school guidance program. The success of its functioning should rest on outcomes that are reflected in the attitudes towards the program of all who are associated with it - guiders and guides - and in the displayed behavior of these who have been served through its functioning.
(22) Although guidance touches every phase of an individual’s life pattern, the generally accepted areas of guidance include concern with the extent to which an individual’s physical and mental health interfere with his adjustments to home, school, and vocational and social demands and relationships, or to the extent to which his physical and mental health are affected by the conditions to which he is subjected in these areas of experience.

Principles of Organizing a Guidance Program
In the organization and administration of a functional guidance program, a number of basic principles should be kept in mind. Among such principles are the following, as stated by Arellano (1975): (1) The guidance service should arise out of the interests, needs, and purposes of the students in the school which it serves. (2) The guidance service should be continuous and serve all youth, not merely the maladjusted ones. (3) Guidance service should be concerned with the whole individual in his total environment and with specific needs and problems. (4) Guidance service should be organized to deal not only with serious problems after they arise, but also with causes of such problems, in order to prevent them from arising or to prepare better for their solution. (5) It should provide for all phases of student problems and student study. (6) It should provide for specialists; and the service of these specialists should be so organized and administered that they not only contribute in these special fields directly to the guidance program but also constantly strengthen all other members of the school personnel and help them in their problems. (7) It should provide for securing and recording through tests and other device, adequate information regarding occupational and educational requirements and opportunities. (8) All guidance activities should be directed toward improved individual self-knowledge and self-direction. (9) A functional guidance program should be an integral part of the total school program and be vitally related to home, community, and other out-of-school experiences of students. It should permeate the entire school. (10) It should be a cooperative undertaking of the entire school and should enlist the interest and effort of every member of the school staff. (11) It should be as simple as possible and should be easy to organize and administer. (12) It should provide for leadership and for coordination of all the agencies of school and community for long term guidance of youth.

The foregoing lists are only enumeration of principles. Substantiate it by getting more ideas from the internet. Happy surfing!

Lesson 6. Guidance Personnel / Staffing : Roles and Functions

Qualifications of Guidance Personnel/ School Administrator: (a) The administrator must have a clear concept of the meaning, philosophy and significance of guidance. (b) He must have knowledge of the goals and characteristics of a good guidance program. (c) He must know the basic assumptions of guidance and the methods of rendering and conducting guidance service. (d) He must be guided by a definite, sound, workable educational philosophy. (e) He must remember that guidance program cannot be built up, put on paper, and then forgotten. (f) He must be a good leader and understands as well as knows how to bring together the school and the community. (g) The school administrator should be well trained in the field and with a minimum educational attainment of masteral degree in Guidance/ Counseling. It is preferable that he is a holder of doctoral degree and with some years of experience.

Other qualifications that he should possess are: 1. He should be cheerful, accommodating, enduring, and patient. 2. He should be friendly and sympathetic. 7. He should have a good foresight and also with good sense of judgment and prediction. 8. He should possess technical preparation. 9. He should have some knowledge of Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, and other subjects that are related to the guidance program. 10. He should possess competencies in the analysis of the individual. 11. He should be competent in the guiding procedure. 12. He should be competent in maintaining administrative relationship; especially as this will be indispensable in his coordinating with inside and outside agencies.

Roles of Guidance Personnel’s (a) They assist teacher – counselors in meeting serious pupil problems. (b) They conduct meetings of teacher and parent groups to improve their understanding of young people’s adjustment problems and to encourage their practice of guidance principles. (c) They serve in a general liaison capacity between a school’s guidance staff and other groups, such as administrators, teachers, specialists, and community leaders. (d) They help graduating pupils/ students make a choice of the right job by helping them secure authentic information about such jobs. (e) They help their clientele students/ pupils prepare for interviews by giving them (clientele) the necessary guidance. (f) They play a key role in the activities which are involved in preparing students for transfer from elementary to junior high school and from senior high school to college or other post-high school experience. This involves visiting the sending schools and developing orientation programs for new students and their parents to make the transition as smooth as possible. (g) They play an important role in curriculum planning since they are in position to know individual needs and special learning and instructional problems of students.

Functions of Guidance Personnel (a) He serves as a consultant to principal, teachers, parents, and other members of the school staff; (b) Acts a liaison person between the school and the resources of social and other community agencies; (c) Provides effective counseling services to pupils, individually or in small group; (d) Contributes to the development of an effective pupil study service through observing case studies and class studies and through a well-developed standardized testing program; (e) Contributes to the school’s program of research; (f) Assists the school to understand and make best use of the school; (g) Assists the child to understand and assume responsibilities for himself; (h) Assists the parents to understand the child and facilitate his development; (i) Assists the school to understand its total student body; (j) Assists the school in making provisions for the needs of children; (k) Develops a cumulative record for each pupil, containing basic information regarding home background, aptitudes, abilities, previous achievements, and other pertinent data for counselor and staff use; (l) Undertakes periodic follow-up studies of both drop-outs and graduates and assists other designated staff members in doing so. He also maintains some contact with graduates and assists drop-outs in making as satisfactory an out-of-school adjustment as possible; (m) Undertakes many research and evaluation projects both formal and informal, to provide useful information to administration, teaching staff, students, parents, and the community.

The Role of the Guidance Counselor The school counselor is a support person whose role is to provide services for the school. The program design focus is on problem-solving, decision making and promoting a positive personal self-concept for the school environment. The school counselor provides a comprehensive developmental counseling program. These services are based upon the following interventions:
Individual Counseling: Individual counseling is a personal and private interaction between a counselor and a student in which they work together on a problem. A one-to-one meeting with a counselor provides a student an opportunity to explore ideas, feelings, and behaviors. However, counselors are obligated under law and ethical standards to report and refer a case when a person’s welfare is in jeopardy.
Small Group Counseling: Small group counseling involves a counselor working with two or more students together. Group size generally ranges from five to eight members. Group discussions may be relatively unstructured or may be based on structured learning activities. All members have an opportunity to learn from each other in this encounter.
Classroom Guidance: Large group meetings offer the best opportunity to provide guidance to the largest number of students at Allatoona. Large group work involves cooperative learning, in which the large group is divided into smaller working groups under the supervision of a counselor and teacher. Teacher and counselors in classroom advisory groups deliver the guidance and counseling curriculum.
Consultations: The counselor as a consultant helps people to be more effective in working with others. Consultation helps individuals think through problems and concerns. This process can take place during individual or group conferences.
Coordination: Coordination as a counselor intervention is the process of managing various indirect services, which may include community agencies. There are many planned special events, which involve parents, community resources, and community guidance projects. Some of these include the Mentor Program, Red Ribbon Week Activities, and Career Day.

Functions of Guidance and Counseling
Guidance and counseling programs consist of four primary functions:
A. Program Design and Planning/ Leadership I. Establishes and promotes a school guidance and counseling program.
1.1. Develops a written school-based guidance plan based on learners needs. 1.2. Implements an individual plan of action.

B.Counseling I. Facilitates and implements delivery of counseling services in areas of self-known educational and occupational exploration, and career planning to facilitate academic achievement. 1.1. Adheres to established system policies and procedures in scheduling appointments and obtaining parental permission. 1.2. Schedules time to provide opportunities for counseling. 1.3. Counsels learners individually by actively listening, identifying and defining issues, discussing alternative solutions, and formulating a plan of action. 1.4. Leads counseling or support groups for learners experiencing similar issues. 1.5. Evaluates effectiveness of group counseling and makes revisions as necessary.

C. Guidance/ Collaboration 1. Coordinates with school staff to provide supportive instructional guidance activities to students: self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration, and care to facilitate academic achievement.
1.1. Collaborates with school staff in planning and scheduling guidance activities.
1.2. Conducts classroom guidance activities related to identified goals and objectives.
1.3. Gathers and evaluates data to determine effectiveness of classroom guidance and student comprehension, making revisions where necessary. 1.4. Provides direct/indirect assistance to learners preparing for test taking.
1.5. Provides information to students, parents, and teachers on student test scores. 1.6. Provides information to students and parents on career planning. 1.7. Assists students in their transitions to the next educational/career level. 1.8. Leads skill-building groups in student self-knowledge.

D. Consultation/ Coordination
I. Consults, as needed or requested, with system/staff, parents, and community about and concerns. 1.1. Exchanges relevant information about situations with school/system staff and parents.
1.2. Collaborates with school staff in developing a strategy or plan for improving school climate. 1.3. Follows up on counseling and consultative referrals. 1.4. Consults with school system in making referral to community agencies.

Lesson 7. The Classroom Teacher as a Guidance Worker

(a) He is the key person in the actual guidance activities in the classroom. (b) He occupies the position of giving definite and appropriate guidance to the individual pupil or student.
He helps his pupils to: (c) Develop a realistic self-concept. (d) Recognize and deal with their strengths and weaknesses effectively and intelligently. (e) Begin to recognize and understand emotional responses and to learn how to deal with them. (f) Face some of the problems and processes of social development and learn how to get along better with peers, adults, and younger people. (g) Learn good study habits and skills. (h) Discover and gain some perspective of the educational opportunities open to them and some notion of various fields of knowledge. (i) Discover and gain some perspective of occupational possibilities.

Lesson 8. Organizational Structure of School Guidance

Basic Concepts: There are certain fundamental concepts concerning the organization of the program that need to be considered carefully before the actual task begins. These have to do with: (1) The purposes to be achieved; (2) The functions to be served; (3) The allocation of responsibilities and the delegation of authority; and (4) The techniques to be utilized in evaluating the ultimate success of the program.
It is important to note that there are also some factors that are basic to the ways in which the guidance services in any institution or school community are organized and implemented. These factors which are considered general considerations are as follows: school level, individual needs and community interests, size of school, faculty attitudes, and budgetary provisions.
The guidance needs of elementary-school children differ in extent from those of the secondary-school or college students. Hence, the programs aimed at meeting pupil needs at different school levels will be organized differently and will include services of fewer or more guidance personnel, as the case may require. A rural school, a district school, a small city school, and a large city school differ in the extent to which facilities and money are available for providing personnel and equipment. One important point is the fact that the organization of guidance services should always be flexible and adapted to existing school and community needs, interest and financial status.

Lesson 9. Problems : The Organization of School Guidance

Guidance in schools is beset with many problems as shown in numerous researches. Some problems encountered in school which necessitated the importance of guidance are the following: 1. Misunderstanding of the guidance concept. 2. Lack if not absence of administrative support. 3. Lack if not absence of qualified guidance personnel. 4. Inadequacy, if not absence of guidance facilities. 5. Non-cooperation or lack of cooperation of school staff. 6. Community apathy to guidance. 7. Teacher’s philosophy of education and life. 8. Non-cooperation or the lack of it from parents. 9. Teacher’s lack of time for guidance work. 10. Lack if not absence of funds for guidance activities. 11. Inadequacy of guidance personnel’s training. 12. Absence of organized guidance programs. 13. Negative attitudes of teachers towards guidance. 14. Negative attitudes of learners towards guidance. 15. Negative or distorted attitudes of parents towards guidance.

Have an outdoor exercise before you start doing the learning activities. Happy working!

Learning Activities

A. Principles in Guidance and in Organizing a Guidance Program
1. Assume that you are a new guidance counselor assigned in a school. What guidance principles would you have in your mind such that you will effectively exercise your function? Come up with ten principles and explain in your own words the meaning of each principle and how you will implement each. Write your answers in your notebook to be submitted to your facilitator.
2. Equipped with the principles of guidance, I think you are now ready to discuss the basic principles of organizing a guidance program. Get out of your way and interview a guidance counselor assigned in any level of education (elementary, high school, or college). Ask his/her opinion or views relative to the principles of organizing a guidance program according to Arellano. Write down their opinions. Present at least five (5) principles for their comment or reactions. It would be better if you can get reactions from 3 counselors: one (1) assigned in the elementary, one (1) assigned in high school, and one (1) assigned in the collegiate. Compare their opinions and note down the commonalities and differences of opinions.
3. Aside from knowing the principles of organizing a guidance program, you should also be familiar with certain fundamental concepts before we start the task of organizing appropriate guidance program. Write down the four (4) basic concepts and state the reasons why each concept is needed in organizing a guidance program.

B. Guidance Personnel/ Staffing: Roles and Functions
1. The school principal or administrator of a guidance program should be well- qualified. Find out from your interview with the head of a guidance program what his/ her qualifications are that made his/her the head of the guidance program. Interview at least 3 school administrators heading the guidance program (elementary, high school, and college) and ask them their personal and professional qualifications. Write them down in your notebook. Note down the differences.
2. Aside from the school administrators as head of the guidance program, there are guidance personnel who assist him. Do you think they also play important roles in the guidance program? Justify or defend your stand. Cite at least five (5) roles they play in the guidance program and give the reasons for each role they play.
3. Based on our lecturette, the role of the guidance counselor is very important. Interview a first time guidance counselor and ask about her roles or attitudes. How does he/she perform each?

C. Classroom Teacher as a Guidance Worker
1. Interview an elementary school teacher and a secondary school teacher and ask them what activities they do in school as a guidance worker. Compare the activities of the two (2) teachers. Be sure that the teachers have more than 10 years in the teaching service. Are there commonalities and differences in their work? Why do you think so. Write your interview report in your notebook.

D. Alternative Models / Organizational Structure of School Guidance
1. Illustrate an organizational structure of guidance in any level of education you wish (elementary, secondary, or tertiary). Complete it with the roles and functions each of the personnel performs.
2. Now that you are familiar with the principles and concepts of organizing a guidance program, I think you are more ready to make a guidance program for any specific level (grade or year level) of your choice. Be sure that the guidance program that you develop will be good for one (1) school year that is from June to March. Come up with your own creativity. Don’t forget to come up with activities, specific objective, manpower, time table and expected output.
E. Problems in the Organization of School Guidance Program
1. Consider yourself as a new guidance counselor in a school (any level). Have a foresight. What possible problems will you encounter. With such problems, how will you face or solve each?
2. Talk informally with a part-time guidance counselor assigned in any school. Ask about her problems and how does he/she solve each.

Assessment:

Items/ Indicators | Percentage Allotment | A. Principles in Guidance and in Organizing Guidance Program. | 15 | 1. Well explained principles of guidance and how each will be implemented.2. Organized interview report reflecting the reactions from school counselors.3. Clear and simple presentation of the reasons for organizing a guidance program. | | B. Guidance Personnel/ Staffing: Roles and Functions | 30 | 1. Clearly written interview report from three (3) school administrators.2. Clear justification made relative to the roles of personnel. 3. Clear interview report pertinent to the roles performed by full time guidance counselor. | | C. Classroom Teacher as a Guidance Worker1. Clear comparisons made between two (2). | 5 |

D. Alternative Models/ Organizational Structure of School Guidance | 40 | 1. Well illustrated organizational structure of school guidance (any level) with clear roles/ functions of each personnel. | | E. Problems in the Organization of School Guidance Program | 10 | 1. Clear scenario of problems complete with ways to solve each.2. Clear presentation of problems that beset part time counselors with corresponding solutions. | _________ | Total | 100 |

CHAPTER III
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF GUIDANCE SERVICES

Aim: This chapter consisting of six (6) lessons will give you a glimpse of the organizational patterns utilized in school guidance, its services, counselors at the helm of the organization, and concomitant problems encountered in the administration of guidance services such that you can finally develop an organizational structure in guidance complete with its services.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of chapter III, you are expected to:
1. Differentiate the two (2) types of organizational patterns that can be used appropriately in schools.
2. Implement the four (4) concepts in administering the guidance program.
3. Conduct a self-assessment pertinent to one’s qualifications: personal, experience, and training.
4. Illustrate an organizational structure in guidance that is functional, relevant, and appropriate for a certain school.
5. Interview and share ideas with experienced guidance counselors assigned in schools.
6. Formulate a one school year plan of guidance services appropriate for a year level in a certain school. 7. Identify specific guidance service and activities to be undertaken or applied in a given situation. 8. Recommend solutions to existing problems relative to administrative relationship in the school guidance program.

Lecturette

Introduction

Before organizing guidance services for a particular school, it is necessary to understand exactly what is to be organized. This statement may sound trite, but many guidance programs stumble aimlessly from year to year without any clear cut objectives. The purpose of this lecturrete has been to outline appropriate organizational patterns in guidance and a point of view regarding five basic guidance services: 1) the counseling service; 2) the individual inventory service; 3) the information service; 4) the placement service; and the follow-up service.

Lesson 10. Types of Guidance Organizational Patterns

Some type of definite organizational pattern is the first step in planning for adequate guidance services. Two types of such patterns are readily perceived by an examination of current guidance practices: 1) the counselor assumes a quasi-administrative staff position, initiating policies through the principal or through his own powers of persuasion; and 2) the counselor is a staff member who serves as consultant to and executor for a guidance committee. Whatever the administrative pattern followed by a particular school, the following concepts are worthy of consideration:
1. School administrators provide leadership both through direct support, such as personnel, budget, and facilities, and also in terms of their attitudes toward guidance services as an indispensable part of the total educational program.
2. If a Guidance Committee or Guidance Council is used, its major function is policy making. This can be defended on the basis that guidance services involve all staff members. The development of guidance services, as well as other services in the school program, is of much concern to staff members as to administrative officers.
3. The counselor plays a dual role. First, he serves as consultant in the formulation of guidance policies and then he aids in carrying out these policies. Second, the counselor provides professional counseling services to all pupils who may benefit from them. This counseling function must be protected from dilution resulting from use of incompetent counselors, or the assignment of an untenable position to the counselor through improper organization of the guidance program.
4. Teacher develops the psychological climate which nourishes the optimum development of each pupil. Such a planned environment guarantees that attitudes, understandings, and skills learned as a result of counseling can be practiced and applied by pupils. Teachers also contribute much to the study and understanding of pupils referring some pupils to the counselor whenever symptomatic behavior indicates need for pupil planning and adjustment.

Lesson 11. Counselor’s Qualification

Because of the fact that the choice of a counselor is so important to the guidance program’s ultimate success, the major portion of this lecturette emphasizes the counselor’s qualifications as: 1) personal, 2) experience, and 3) training. During the past ten years, general agreement as to these qualifications has been reached by most authorities and by national organizations. Counselor certification plans have become increasingly popular not only in the Philippines but in other countries. Other members of the guidance team, administrators and teachers, also need some type of preparation for carrying out their guidance functions. Their readiness for in-service preparation is an important consideration. Teacher attitudes may be changed provided teachers are recognized as individuals with differences as great as those of pupils. A program of in-service preparation may be organized around group activities for the teachers, but some teachers require individual assistance, both of the incidental and the planned varieties. The key concept to their in-service preparation is “learning through participation.” Individuals who are chosen to teach classes is personal adjustment, whether the class is an occupations course or psychology course, need qualifications beyond the ordinary teaching certificate. Until certification of such individuals becomes sufficiently crystallized, the teacher’s preparation might well parallel that of the counselor.

Lesson 12. Three Types of Plans in Planning the Guidance Services

There are many procedures suitable to planning for guidance service. An examination of these methods indicates three plans which have been used frequently and with some success. First, all members of the staff may participate in committees which study various aspects of guidance services. After deciding upon desirable changes in existing conditions, the study committees make recommendations to their administrative officers through a coordinating Guidance Committee. Second, a single, small committee of staff members under the leadership of the school principal studies existing conditions and needed changes. On the basis of its study, the committee makes recommendations to their administrative officers through a coordinating team for future organizational steps to the staff as a whole. This group in turn, relays its recommendations to the administrative officers. Third, in situations in which the counselor has already been employed without any previous planning activities, a committee or the school principal decides upon the process whereby plans can be made for the guidance services, utilizing eventually one or the other, or both, of the plans above. Whatever plan is followed, lines of communication are necessary between any committee(s) and other staff members. It is crucial that differences of opinion be discussed and brought into the open. Staff members should not be allowed to develop attitude of suspicion because of ignorance of decisions, plans, or functions.

Lesson 13. Basic Guidance Services

1. Counseling service is considered the core of the guidance program. Through this service the student is assisted in understanding himself, gaining deeper awareness of one’s problems, making intelligent decisions, and helping one grow to become a self-sufficient and mature person.
Counseling is a unique school and guidance service which depends upon several important factors. Its potential usefulness is a function of counselor’s competency, the likelihood or privacy for interviewing pupils, the attitude of pupils toward the counselor and his methods, the interpretation given the counseling service by pupils, provisions for sufficient counseling time during school hours, and the observance of ethical practices. In addition, the growth of the counseling service depends upon the teachers’ and the principal’s attitudes toward the service. All members of the school guidance can contribute to the evolution of policies and practices which enhance the utilization of the counseling service by pupils. 2. Individual inventory service encompasses the collection, recording, and use of pupil data for the pupil’s own planning and adjustment, as well as for the teacher who wants to provide the best possible classroom climate for pupils. Student Inventory is a continuous and cooperative process of accumulating and recording of information on each student. It provides data on the following: home and family background, personal and social development, scholastic progress, mental ability, vocational interests, aptitude, and personality profile for guidance and counseling purposes. The collection and recording of pupil data are most economical when the two processes dovetail, i.e., the collection of data provides information which does not have to be transposed but becomes a part of the record once it is filed in the pupil’s individual inventory folder. All procedures in organizing the individual inventory service must also consider provisions for: 1) facilities, equipment, and materials; 2) clerical personnel for handling data; and 3) a budget in line with goals for the service. Pupil data which are not used weaken the individual inventory service. The counselor uses such data in his counseling functions, but this alone is not sufficient. Ways should be devised whereby teachers come in contact with pupil and learn to use it for the best interests of pupils.
3. Information service utilizes all types of data needed by pupils in their planning or quest for optimum adjustment. Systematic provision for all types of information involves budget, personnel, and facilities. The uses of information materials are many, varying from those with individual pupils in counseling situations to a wide variety of group procedures. The one caution in a series of individual and group procedures is lack of coordination. Pupils must perceive all such activities in their perspective as only means to an end. Counseling can enhance benefits from group procedures; while the latter can provide information and encourage pupils to seek counseling for individual planning activities, as well as increase the values derived from the counseling experiences.
4. Placement and follow-up services provide the follow-through and evaluation to all planning activities undertaken as the result of the other guidance services. They are also closely interwoven at time that it is difficult to classify some activities as belonging exclusively to the placement or to the follow-up service. 5. Research. The Guidance and Counseling Program conducts studies along some areas such as student needs, student problems, academic delinquency, academic achievement, and student-teacher relations. Results of these studies serve as guideposts for educational planning and improvement of services. 6. Testing. It covers administering, scoring, interpreting, and evaluating results of mental ability, aptitude, interest, and personality tests.
The placement service encompasses every type or follow-through to pupils in school or after they leave school. The follow-up service includes not only an evaluation of all placements but also many other attributes of the total educational program. In organizing and planning the coverage of either service, the Guidance Committee is limited only in its ability to see placement and follow-up needs, and the personnel necessary to carry out any plans.

Lesson 14. Other School Guidance Services

1. Career and Life Planning. It is a package of activities designed to develop skills in self exploration, values clarification, career planning and decision making, and life goal setting.

2. Phone Counseling. It is offered even on the phone through “Tawag Na!” This is especially convenient for those who feel uneasy to meet their counselors face to face.

3. Freshmen Enhancement Program. It is package of activities for freshmen designed to facilitate adjustment into college life, enhance self-awareness and understanding, and develop the basic skills in coping effectively with rigors of academic life. The components of this program include psychological testing and evaluation; study skills development; time management; stress management; and group growth sessions.

4. Orientation and Information. It consists of accumulation and dissemination of information about the different guidance activities, vocational opportunities, and educational information for better adjustment and personal growth.

5. Referral. Special cases, which require service beyond the scope of guidance and counseling program, are referred to other agencies.

6. Linkages. The Guidance and Counseling program also carry out collaborative activities with school and community-based organizations.

7. Training/ Workshops. Various groups of students (i.e. blocks, student organization, etc.) are brought together by counselors to teach them skills in dealing with development and life issues. These include but are not limited to: stress management, study skills, training, leadership, training, self search, peer counseling, career and life planning, interpersonal relationships, self-confidence-building; team building; dealing with homesickness; and conflict management.

8. Extension Services. The guidance staff functions and responsibilities go beyond the students. They extend themselves by helping others trough training, seminar/workshops, or conduct research as they are often invited in occasions needing their skills and knowledge. In most instances, they render the services for free.

Lesson 15. Problems in the Administration of Guidance Services

The administration of guidance services involves a number of problems which are directly related to organizational problem. For example, administrative relationships are important considerations in the organization and administration of guidance services regardless of the level of development. In addition to administrative relationships, the counselor must be concerned with plans for the year’s activities, for reporting these activities to administrators and staff members; for continuing public-relations activities; for service-research activities which can aid in improving all educational services and the psychological climate for each pupil; for the maintenance and improvement of facilities and equipment; and for establishing normal budgetary and guidance personnel procedures. Unfortunately, counselors have not always collected the kinds of data necessary for a business-like approach to the administration of guidance institutions, such record and data become more and more essential to the study of adequate guidance programs –and also their evaluation. They also may aid in any justification of this pupil personnel service to administrators, school boards, teachers, and parents. An examination of research studies shows a trend toward the use of multiple criteria as well as several sources of and techniques for gathering data. Evaluative procedures are extremely important to any guidance worker. Any new educational service is expected to produce desirable effects upon pupil adjustments – and guidance services are no exception. Unless guidance workers can demonstrate their worth they may find themselves caught in a backwash of public opinion; and guidance workers cannot expect to find painless procedures for evaluation. They can choose from a wide range of criteria, methods, sources of data, and data-gathering techniques. The precise ingredients for any given evaluation should be determined on the basis of local needs by the Guidance Committee, school administrators, counselor, and other staff members. The size of the project is of less importance than the quality of the research and the constant accumulation of pertinent evaluative studies, for evaluation are a process and not a terminal point in the development of guidance services.

Let’s have a break. Perform the Learning Activities given on the next page.

Learning Activities:

A. Types of Organizational Patterns in Guidance
1. As stated in the lecturette, 2 types of patterns can be utilized in school guidance organization and these are: a counselor assuming a quasi-administrative staff position or a counselor serving as consultant or executor of a guidance committee. Get out of your way and visit the nearest elementary, high school or college in your place. Interview the guidance counselor and find out the pattern that they are currently using in their guidance organization. Illustrate and describe the existing organization in detail. What pattern did they use? In your own analysis, is the pattern appropriate for the school? Defend your answer?
2. Consider the 4 concepts in administering the guidance program. Continue interviewing the guidance counselor in the school. Inquire from him or her if each of the concepts is followed or implemented strictly. If not, which of the concepts are not followed and find out the reasons why. If you are to give suggestions to the guidance counselor, what are your recommendations for such concepts that were not implemented? Write the concepts that were not implemented and the corresponding suggestions.
B. Counselor’s Qualification
1. The choice of the counselor is very important to the guidance program’s success. There are 3 types of counselor’s of qualifications and these are: personal, experience, and training. Assess your own self. Do you honestly possess the qualifications if you are to be accepted as a guidance counselor in a school? List down your personal, experience, and trainings. If found inadequate what else should you acquire and how will you obtain it?
2. Do you think counselor’s certification is important as enunciated in RA 9258? Justify your answer.
C. Three (3) Types of Plans in Planning the Guidance Services
1. Assume that you are the newly recruited guidance counselor in a certain school. You are asked to submit a plan to organize a guidance program with the identified services that are appropriate for the school. Recall the factors mentioned in Chapter 2 relative to the points to consider before you come up with a guidance program. What organizational structure and plan would you establish and recommend to school? Could you illustrate it? Specify the roles or responsibilities of each person. Justify the organizational structure that you used. You may want to interview experienced guidance counselors such that you can come up with a plan that is really functional, relevant, and appropriate for the school setting.

D. Basic Guidance Services
1. There are six (6) basic guidance services. In the guidance plan/ program that you prepared in letter C, try your best to prepare a one-school year guidance service appropriate for a year level in any elementary, high school or college. It might be a Guidance Program for Freshmen College in a certain school. Specify the guidance services and activities that will be undertaken. Try your best to make use of the 6 guidance services. In the preparation of such guidance program, you may need to interview an experienced guidance counselor for their support or assistance.

E. Other School Guidance Services Aside from the six (6) basic guidance services, there are other services that we as counselors can make use of. Out of the eight (8) listed, select at least five (5) services which you can avail of as a counselor in a school of your choice. For each service, define it and give specific activities or tasks that will make your counselee or student to facilitate his or her adjustment or to assist him in his personal growth.
1. Assume that you are confronted with the following situations in your school. Identify the service and specific activities that you will undertake. Explain in detail how you will assist your counselee or student. a. Bogoy, a freshman college student was accepted as a transferee from a private school in June of the school year. It’s almost the end of December, but he’s still a loner and prefers to stay away from his classmates. How could you assist him? b. A drop-out for two (2) school years, Marina wants to go back to school. She’ll be entering as a college freshie. She went to the school where you are a college guidance counselor. She wants to enroll for college but doesn’t know what course to enroll, what requirements to prepare, and opportunities that lies ahead of her as soon as she graduates from college. How will you assist her?
2. Go out to a nearby school (elementary, high school, or college) and talk with a newly enrolled student who transferred from another school. Ask him/her what he/she expects from a guidance counselor or such that his/ her adjustment will be facilitated.

F. Problems in the Administration of Guidance Services
1. In terms of administrative relationship in the school of your choice, find out from two (2) counselors in two (2) schools the existing problems that they encounter. List them down. Ask them what they do about each problem. After each problem, give your own recommendation.

Hope you enjoyed working with the situational exercises.

Assessment: Item/ Indicators | Percentage Allocation | A. Types of Organizational Patterns in Guidance | | 1. Clear illustration of the existing guidance organization in a given school complete with the description. There should be a thorough analysis of the organization in terms of its appropriateness and relevance. | 10 | 2. Clarity of the suggestions given coupled with the objective assessment on the utilization of concepts. | 10 | B. Counselors Qualification: Self-assessment | | 1. Honest and authentic description of one self pertinent to the personal, experience, and training. 2. Clear and fair assessment of the R.A. 9258. | 10 | C. Plans in Making the Guidance Services | | 1. Simple and clear diagram of guidance organizational structure in a school of your choice. Should be appropriate, relevant and should meet the needs of students or pupils. | 10 | 2. Roles and responsibilities of each person in the structure are well defined and should be functional. | 10 | D. Basic Guidance Services | | 1. A well prepared guidance program of service that is worth implementing for one-school year in a given school. | 30 |

E. Other School Guidance Services | | 1. Detailed and clear explanation of the service or activities to be undertaken relative to the given hypothetical situations. | 10 | F. Problems in the Administration of Guidance Services | | 1. Implementable and doable suggestions or recommendations.2. Clear listing of the problems with its corresponding solutions given by the school counselor. | 10___________ | Total | 100 |

CHAPTER IV

TECHNIQUES USED IN THE GUIDANCE PROCESS

Aim:

This chapter comprising of seven (7) lessons will give you ideas and insights on the varied non-test techniques, its purposes and uses including its advantages and limitations, and how each technique is utilized in better understanding and appraising an individual behavior such that he/she will be given appropriate and relevant assistance.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of all the seven (7) lessons in this chapter, you are expected to: 1. Prepare and undertake an effective observation with a counselee. 2. Critique and observe behavior and suggest ways of improving it. 3. Define and differentiate anecdotal records and rating scales and provide situational examples. 4. Present an organized cumulative record and questionnaire pertinent to the observed behavior of a counselee. 5. Observe and conduct an interview with a counselee complete with interview reports and records. 6. Explain the similarities, contrast, uses and limitations of autobiographies and sociometric techniques. 7. Submit a written autobiography and sociometric data of a counselee. 8. Conduct and submit comprehensive case study of a counselee complete with attached pertinent records. 9. Identify and resolve issues related to the use of non-test techniques in appraising an individual behavior.

Enjoy reading this lecturette as you immerse yourself into the different techniques used in the guidance process.

Lecturette

Introduction Systematic and careful analysis of the individual has always been of paramount importance in the guidance programs for 2 fundamental reasons: it helps students to better understand themselves, a basic objective of guidance; and it is the systematic analysis of student characteristics which permits teachers, counselors, and parents to help them. These two goals can only be realized through sound techniques of collecting, organizing, interpreting, and using relevant individual information. A variety of testing instruments have made significant contributions by emphasizing the quantitative dimensions of studying individual behavior. However, there are limitations and imperfections of tests that make it desirable to use non-test techniques to appraise the behavior. These are: observations; anecdotal records; rating scales; cumulative records; data questionnaires; interview; autobiographies; sociometric techniques; and case study.

Lesson 16. Observation: Purposes, Difficulties, and Ways of Improving it.

Observation – It is the base for most non-testing appraisal techniques, and it is intimately connected with the objective testing techniques.
Purposes of Observations: a. It may yield data that can challenge tentative hypotheses about the individual and confirm others. b. It provides a practical way of testing the worth of ideas that have been formulated about the individual. c. It can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of steps being taken to facilitate the individual’s learning development, and adjustment. Effective observations involve grasping clearly, concisely and as completely as possible the essential behavior of the individual within given situations. Careful, trained observation can supply meaning to a particular sample of behavior which can then be put into words for further clarification and study. What is important in observation is the ability to determine the factors that initiate behavior and to describe accurately the way the person observes and reacts to a given situation.
Difficulties in observing a. Unconscious biases in observation sometimes occur because observers fail to admit their own feelings and limitations or because they are unaware of them. Accurate observations require an ability to evaluate objectively what is being perceived as well as an awareness of one’s own feelings and beliefs. b. Adequate sampling. To insure that the behavior observed is representative of the individual, a number of observations should be made in a variety of situations and at different times.
Ways of improving observations a. Before observation takes place, determine what is to be observed. What dimensions of behavior are being watched for? What traits are being investigated? b. Observe only one person at a time. If group behavior is being studied, film and recording equipment should be used to obtain a record of the multitude of happenings taking place simultaneously. c. Watch for significant behavior. d. Spread observations across a period of time. e. Learn to observe without resorting to written notes during the observation period. f. If possible, record and summarize the observations immediately after it is completed.

Lesson 17. Anecdotal Records and Rating Scales: Uses, Values and Limitations

Anecdotal Records – It is a brief informal report by the teacher of an observation of a critical incident. It describes a sample behavior in a given situational context. The behavior maybe positive or negative but it must be the learner’s behavior that is described and not the teacher’s interpretation of the behavior. The characteristics of this record are: objective, factual, recorded accounts of observed behavior, concise, and describe only one incident at a time, and are continuous and cumulative, and are descriptive. A good anecdote that has been recorded possesses the following features: a. it records the date and the situation in which the behavior occurred; b. it describes the actions or behavior of the subject, the reactions of others involved, and the subject’s responses to these reactions; c. it quotes what is said by and to the subject in the situation; d. it notes body postures, gestures, qualities of voice, and facial expressions that gives cues to the motions of the subject; and e. it describes the situation sufficiently to present a behavioral moment in the life of the subject.
Values of Anecdotal Records a. They describe the behavior of an individual, usually in diverse situations, and thus contribute to a fuller understanding of the individual’s personality. b. Accurately recorded descriptions of behavior contribute more to understanding of an individual than vague, unsupported, or broad generalizations. c. They encourage and stimulate teachers to become interested and informed about individuals. d. They supplement quantitative data and enrich interpretations of behavior.
Limitations of Anecdotal Records a. It can be valuable only to the extent that the observational description is accurate and comprehensive. b. Such records may create serious problems for school personnel in the light of recent legislation. The access to records granted to parents and students over 18 years old may make recording of anecdotes hazardous. c. A typical incidents in the life of the subject are too likely to be observed and recorded. These incidents create impressions about the person out of proportion to their importance. d. Recording and then preserving behavioral descriptions no longer representative may adversely influence others toward the individual. e. It takes time to write and process. They inevitably add to counselor, teacher, and clerical loads.

What incidents should be recorded? Any incident that seems important to the observer should be recorded. It should cover a wide sampling of pupil behavior in different areas: class, playground, cafeteria, gym, free time, bus, picnic, field trip, or auditorium.

Rating Scales – It is used by personnel to implement observations. This was devised by the British navy to describe weather conditions. The rating scale form presents a list of descriptive words or phrases to be checked by the rater.

Use of rating scale a. To obtain personality ratings on students. b. To secure annual ratings of specific classes such as all students in grades nine to twelve.

Guiding principles in the construction of rating scales a. Is each factor or characteristic clearly defined? Example: One rater may think of “cooperativeness” as the ability to get along with others, whereas another rater might consider it faithful adherence to classroom or school regulations. b. Is each factor or characteristic observable? Traits are not readily apparent to all observers should be avoided. c. Are the degrees of the characteristic defined? The degrees or different levels for each factor to be rated should be established.

Types of rating scales a. Numerical scales – It could be set as follows: 1– apathetic, 2 – rarely enthusiastic, 3–sometimes enthusiastic, 4– usually enthusiastic, and 5 – intensely enthusiastic. b. Descriptive Scales – It is constructed to employ a series of phrases describing various degrees of the characteristic rated. Example: How would you rate industriousness? _________ indolent expends little effort. _________ frequently does not complete work. _________ gets required work done, but no more _________ eager, usually does more than required c. Paired comparisons. The rater compares each person rated with respect to the trait to every other individual rated in general terms of “equal”, “better” or “worse”. d. Graphic rating scales. The units or degrees are indicated in a continuum. Example: Leadership / / / / Actively Prefers not accepts Occasionally Actively avoids to lead prefers seeks

Advantages of rating scale a. They are a means of quantifying observations.
b. They are a means by which several observers rate the same individual thus increasing the reliability of the ratings.

Limitations of Rating Scale
a. It is subject to error. Flaws have been described as errors of personal bias, halo effect, central tendency and logical error. Personal bias – it is introduced when observers make sweeping generalizations about certain groups. Errors of Central Tendency – is committed when raters avoid the extremes of any rating scale. Halo Effect – occurs when the rater permits the influence of one or two outstanding characteristics, whether good or bad, to color all judgments about an individual. Logical Error – occurs when the rater does not understand the trait to be rated.

Lesson 18. Cumulative Records and Pupil-Data Questionnaires: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations

Cumulative Records – It presents an organized, continuous record of information about individual students that distinguishes them from all other students. Usually, the cumulative folder includes the following:

a. identifying data and family background information b. medical and health information c. date of school entry d. school grades e. transcripts from previous schools attended f. schoolwide test results g. personality and behavior traits h. school activities i. anecdotal records j. autobiographies written in class settings

Use of cumulative records a. The use of the records depends on the relevance of the data contained within them. b. If properly constructed, the record will become the basis for most guidance services.

Data Questionnaires – Usually, this questionnaire consist of items regarding the student’s home, family, health, educational and vocational plans, out-of-school and in-school activities, study habits and the like. This questionnaire represents a cross-sectional approach while the cumulative record is basically a longitudinal record. This form gives the school personnel information that enables them to see students as they are now and they provide extensive data dealing with the student’s present life situation. Examples are: My school work __________ My hobbies are __________________ A real friend ____________ I enjoy reading about ______________ I am considered _________ The people I like best ______________

Advantages: It is a means of obtaining: a. information dealing with students as they are now, b. comprehensive information, c. idiographic and normative data, d. missing or incomplete information about students, e. collection of data in an efficient manner.

Limitations: a. Issues such as to whether the school has a right to obtain information (personal) about students or members of their families. b. Data collected may also be difficult to organize and interpret since conflicting information is sometimes obtained.

Lesson 19. The Interview: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations

The interview – It is a method of securing information about an individual. It is sometimes labeled as “fact-finding” which differs from counseling interview in the greater amount of control exercised by the interviewer.

Uses of Interview The information-gathering interview often is used a. to collect information not easily or economically secured by other means, b. used to supplement information gathered in other ways, c. to verify information collected through other means, d. to observe mannerisms, physical appearance, and other non-verbal cues not obtained through other appraisal techniques.

Limitations: a. It is time consuming b. It may distort information about themselves, their reactions, and their experiences. c. The interviewers may be the source of errors. They may record information because of “selective listening.”

Advantages: a. Useful in obtaining information not only about factual items such as those normally covered by pupil-data questionnaires, but also about attitudes, ambitions, and other affective matters that constitute the case study. b. It can be employed to gather information needed because previous data are not clear cut or because underlying feelings need to be uncovered and understood. Lesson 20. Autobiographies and Sociometric Techniques: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations

Autobiographies – It is a tool for understanding individuals which reveals not only behavior but perhaps even more important personal attitudes and emotions behind the behavior. It is person’s own written report of his/her life that may provide insight into the inner person –individual’s experiences and knowledge about themselves.

Two types of autobiographies a. structured b. unstructured Structured Autobiography is written according to an outline or in response to specific questions or topics, while the unstructured one is basically an account of the individual’s life without regard to specific questions. Interpreting autobiographies The following questions may help guide the interpretation. a. What general impression does the paper convey? b. From your knowledge of the individual’s history, have significant experiences or persons been omitted? c. What is the length of autobiography? d. How is the paper organized? e. What is the level of expression? f. Are there inaccuracies in the paper?

Use of autobiographies a. It is useful in gaining an understanding of pupils/ students since most of the autobiographies appear to be honest and accurate. b. It is ranked number 9 among all the techniques used in understanding a person.

Sociometric Techniques – It is concerned with the measurement of interpersonal preferences among members of a group in reference to a stated criterion.

Purposes of sociometric techniques a. To assess interpersonal relationships which are believed to be a function of personality. b. It is a method of discovering and analyzing patterns of friendship within a group setting. c. It is a way of measuring the overt group adjustment or acceptability.

Kinds of sociometric measurements There are two major categories: a. the use of choices or specific criteria to serve a particular purpose at a particular time; b. questionnaires or rating instruments that measure interpersonal attitudes and feelings, but not in respect to a specific, functional type of criterion.

Advantages and limitations: a. It does not give a final or exact answer. It merely gives indications or direction in their study of the individual. b. It gives an indication of the social structure at one point in time. c. A great deal of research is needed in order to fulfill its potential, since there is no standardized method of administration or of formulation of the criteria of choice have yet been developed. d. There are limitations in interpreting and applying the results of the tests. e. The greatest advantage is that they provide objective information about the functioning of individuals within their groups that is available from no other source.

Lesson 21. Case Study: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations

Case study – It is a comprehensive method of collecting and summarizing data about an individual. It seeks to present a cumulative picture of both development and the interrelations of the factors governing current status. In broader terms, it is the collection and report of all available evidence- social, psychological, environmental; vocational that explains the individual including the analysis of the interrelationships among the various data.

Advantages: a. Isolates key factors in situations wherein conflicting accounts become confusing. b. Identifies multiple causation and a constellation of contributing factors. c. Yields systematic diagnosis and treatment plans. d. Results in predictive outcomes. Disadvantages: a. Requires extensive time and effort. b. May contain inadequate or questionable past data. c. May delay treatment d. May focus undue attention upon a single troubled individual to the detriment of others. Lesson 22. Issues Related to Appraisal (Non-test techniques)

Issues related to appraisal (non-test techniques) a. Non-test data (autobiographies, pupil data questionnaires, and so on) are less valuable than standardized test data. Information derived from both standardized and non-standardized sources is subject to measurement error and interpretation error. Both types of data provide only estimates, however, and demand careful and systematic interpretation. b. Parents should have access to all data about their children collected by school counselors. Forcing disclosure of some kinds of information revealed by the child to a professional in confidence may be damaging to the child when the recipient is the parent.

I guess you are now ready to apply the ideas and insights gained in reading this guide.
Do the learning activities!

Learning Activities:

A. Observation: Purposes, Difficulties, and Ways of Improving it.
1. Get out of your way and select a counselee (elementary, high school, or college). Prepare yourself such that you will have an effective observation. Go over your lecturette and be guided with letters a to f under “ways of improving observations”. Submit a written record or summary of your observations as soon as you have completed it.
2. Contact a friend or classmate and borrow the written observation made. Try to critique it using letters a to f as your criteria.

B. Anecdotal Records and Rating Scale: Uses, Values, and Limitations
1. Get a counselee of your choice and come up with brief informal reports of observed critical incidents. The records that you will write will comprise anecdotes about your counselee. Please be guided by letters a to e in your lecturette under “A good anecdote….”, when you prepare your written anecdotes.
2. Go to an internet shop and surf for sample questionnaires using rating scales as a form of describing an individual. Also, find out different types of rating scales used and explain the use of such scale. Submit at least three (3) sample questionnaires with the use of rating scales.

C. Cumulative Records and Pupil-Data Questionnaires: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations
1. With a counselee that you have, start gathering information about him or her and then come up with a cumulative folder consisting of information as indicated in your lecturrete a to f under “cumulative records”. Submit the folder to your facilitator for evaluation.
2. Come up with a sample questionnaire pertinent to the out-of-school and in-school activities of your counselee. It should be simple, clear and complete, together with the directions on how to accomplish it.

D. Interview: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations
1. Get out of your way and interview any person (sports winner, academic honor, noted singer, actress, etc.) of interest to you. Be sure to prepare guide questions such that you could obtain substantial and authentic information about the individual. Submit a detailed interview report with supporting documents attached. Be guided by your lecturette on “interview”.

E. Autobiographies and Sociometric Techniques: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations
1. Submit your own autobiography such that I’ll have an insight about you as a person.
2. In your own words and based on your understanding, compare and contrast autobiographies and sociometric techniques particularly on its uses and limitations.
3. With permission, go and visit a class (any level) and conduct a sociometric test. Write in detail the manner or process on how you had performed it. Attach the results.

F. Case Study: Uses, Advantages, and Limitations
1. Select an individual of your choice and come up with a comprehensive and cumulative picture of the person. Be guided by your lecturette on case study. Submit the report in folder/ notebook form complete with attachments (records, test results, pictures, and other documents).

G. Issues related to Non-test techniques
1. Visit the nearest guidance counselors in two (2) schools (any level) and interview at least two (2) counselors. Find out what non-test techniques they are using in appraising the individual behavior of their counselees. Also, Ask them what problems have they encountered and how they were able to resolve such. Write them down and submit to your facilitator.
2. In your own opinion, do you think parents should have access to all the data about their children especially the data collected by the counselors in school? Defend or justify your answer.
3. Surf your internet and submit updated article (at least three (3)) or issues relative to the use of non-test technique in appraising individual behavior.

If you have done with the learning activities, congratulate yourself! Get out and serve yourself a hot and delicious meal!

Assessment:

Items/Indicators | Percentage Allocation | A. Observation | 10 | 1. Recorded summary of observation complete with all the details as indicated in “effective observation”. | | 2. Objective critique of a written observation. | | B. Anecdotal Records and Rating Scales | 10 | 1. Well written anecdotal records of a counselee. It’s clear and easily understaood. | | 2. Three (3) sample questionnaires obtained from an internet using varied types of rating scales. | | C. Cumulative Records and Questionnaires | 20 | 1. A cumulative folder of a counselee complete with relevant information about the person. | | 2. Structured questionnaire of out-of-school and in-school activities of a counselee. Directions should be clear, simple, and could be easily accomplished by the respondent. | | D. Interview | 10 | 1. Detailed interview report with supporting documents. Data gathered should be authentic and substantial. | | E. Autobiographies and Sociometric Techniques | | 1. Your own autobiography complete with authentic information about yourself. | 5 | 2. Your own way of comparing and contrasting auto- biographies and sociometric techniques (written report to be submitted). | 5 | 3. Result of a sociometric test and detailed manner of conducting it. | 10 | F. Case Study | 20 | 1. A comprehensive case study report with all necessary documents attached. | | G. Issues related to non-test techniques | 10 | 1. Interview reports obtained from two guidance counselors | | 2. Self-opinion pertinent to the issue. | | 3. Three (3) given updated articles on non-test techniques. | ___________ | TOTAL | 100 |

CHAPTER V

IDENTIFYING AND GUIDING THE EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS

Aim:

This chapter consisting of five (5) lessons will give you insights on how exceptional learners are identified, their learning characteristics, and how they differ from one another. Having knowledge of their characteristics, we, as guidance counselors will be able to assist each one of them in their needs and problems.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of chapter V and its corresponding five (5) lessons, you are expected to be able to:

1. Identify a slow learner in terms of his/her mental capabilities and how they differ with mentally retarded students. 2. Differentiate student with disability and with handicap and determine their mental activities. 3. Compare and contrast students with hearing loss, language and speech disorders, and visual impairments in terms of their learning abilities. 4. Be familiar with the physical and learning conditions of students with physical impairments. 5. Define giftedness and know how to work with them. 6. Mainstream exceptional children in the regular classroom. 7. Evolve measures to assist each special learner in the classroom, at home, and in society.

Lecturette

Introduction As guidance counselors we will be faced with learners who are exceptional. As such, we should be able to identify and guide each one of them. The lecturette in Chapter V will give you an idea on how the exceptional learners are identified. Exceptional are commonly referred to as special children since they deviate from the norm. It’s either they are above or below the norm. Having knowledge of their learning activities, skills, attitudes, and capabilities, we, as guidance counselors can assist them such that they will be able to maximize their learning potentials.

Lesson 23. Slow Learners

Slow learners have below average ability but do not have mental retardation. In general, IQ’s for slow learners range between 71 and 85. They make up approximately 14 percent of the school population. Because they have IQ scores between 71 and 85, they function on too high a level to be classified as retarded but are frequently excluded from learning-disabled and remedial reading programs because their scores are too low. Slow learners manifest some of the same characteristics that mentally retarded students display, but to a lesser degree. They tend to be concrete in their thinking, need help with strategies and organization, and are eager for success. Their executive functioning is on a higher level than that of children with mental retardation. They are better able to decide when and where to use strategies and are better able to classify and group information. They also are more aware of their mental processes and can take more responsibility for their learning. In terms of instruction, these are “more so” students; they need the same instruction that regular students need, but more so. They must be given more guidance, more practice, and more time to complete learning tasks.

Lesson 24. Students with Physical Disabilities

The term disability refers to an objective, measurable organic dysfunction or impairment, such as the loss of a hand or paralysis of speech muscles or legs. The term handicap refers to a limitation arising from environmental or functional demands placed upon a person with a disability in a given situation (Cartwright, Cartwright, and Ward, 1989, p.67). A disability is always present, whereas handicap need not be. A child who is unable to walk because of a spinal injury is not handicapped when it comes to learning to read because the disability does not interfere with reading, but she or he would be handicapped in tasks that involve mobility. Insofar as possible, teachers must make adjustments so that disabilities do not become handicaps. Reading and writing are essentially mental activities. Children who have impaired sight, profound hearing loss, or other physical disability can and do learn to read and write. Because of advances in technology and techniques for teaching the physically disabled, most of these children can be taught in regular classrooms.

B.1 Students with Hearing Loss

Hearing loss ranges from mild to profound. Children with a mild loss may be unable to hear distant sounds; those with moderate to severe losses need hearing aids and training; those with a severe or profound loss have virtually no hearing and may only feel vibrations. As inclusion becomes more widespread, greater numbers of students with mild or moderate hearing loss will be taught in the regular classroom. Hearing-impaired students need help in all language areas, but especially in vocabulary, figurative language, and syntax; they may also need additional help with conceptual development. Because their ability to learn through language is restricted, hearing-impaired children may lag behind in conceptual development (Hardman, Drew,Egan, & Wolf, 1993). Hearing-impaired children must be given directions very clear and explicitly. The teacher should use gestures, pantomime, pictures, and real objects to illustrate directions and explanations. She or he should also make generous use of the chalkboard. Hearing-impaired children should be seated in the front of the class with an unimpeded view of the board. The teacher must speak distinctly and face the students directly, especially if they can read lips. The teacher might use some sign language if students understand it.

B.2 Students with Language and Speech Disorders

A language disorder is “the impairment or deviant development of comprehension and/or use of a spoken, written, and/or other symbol system” (Rice, 1988, p. 238). Language disorders that involve deficiencies in comprehension of speech also have a direct impact on reading, since reading involves understanding language. The most prevalent speech disorder is difficulty articulating particular sounds. Other disorders involve fluency, or flow of speech and include stuttering and cluttering, which is disorganized speech or slurring. Speech impairments do not directly affect reading or writing. The teacher’s role is primarily one of being sensitive to the difficulty and helping the child apply skills in the classroom that she or he learned while working with a speech therapist. The teacher should also be supportive and help the child build confidence, providing opportunities for the child to take part in discussions and purposeful oral reading. Consultation with the speech therapist and “promotion of a classroom atmosphere conducive to unpressured verbal interaction” (Cartwright, Cartwright, & Ward, 1989, p. 174) are also recommended.

B.3 Students with Visual Impairments

Visually impaired students include children who are blind and those who have low vision. Children with low vision can see print but, even when their vision is corrected with glasses, their ability to see is less than that of average children. For the benefit of all children, but especially for the visually impaired, the teacher should ensure that the room has adequate lighting with no glare. Students who need to sit up close should do so. The teacher should also check to see that students who have glasses are wearing them and those who need magnifying glasses or other special equipment are using it. Avoid using materials that have small print or fuzzy dittos that are hard too see. Supplement visual presentations with oral explanations. When explaining a diagram on the board, for instance, describe it. If possible, make the diagram extra large. Also obtain objects that depend on the sense of touch.

Lesson 25. Students with other Physical Impairments

A wide variety of physical and health conditions, such as spinal injuries and cystic fibrosis, place limits on children’s ability to participate fully or without assistance in school activities. The teacher’s role is to become familiar with the physically impaired child’s condition and make necessary adjustments in the classroom. Field trips, visits to the library, and even the physical setup of the classroom will have to be planned so as to accommodate the child’s needs. Promote understanding of disabilities. Be considerate but not overprotective. Because of their condition, some physically disabled students may miss school for extended periods of time. Encourage their classmates to send get-well cards or perhaps a newsletter informing them of classroom activities. When a child returns, plan a welcoming activity. Keep the child “involved in as many activities as her condition allows” (Kirk & Gallagher, 1986).

Lesson 26. Working with Gifted Pupils

Giftedness is a term for persons who have mental or other talents that are well above the ordinary. Approximately the top two (2) percent of the population is classified as being gifted or talented. Renzulli (1978) defined giftedness as the interaction of above-average ability, a high level task commitment, and a high level of creativity brought to bear on a particular problem area. The gifted are defined as follows: Children who give evidence of higher performance capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields; and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities (Title V, Part 13, 1988). Gifted children may also have problems. Their interests may be narrow, and they may be bored by having to work on skills that they have already mastered. They may also have problems accepting their ability because it sets them off from their peers. Not wishing to be perceived as different, many hide their talents, often quite successfully. They may also have learning disabilities and may experience serious difficulties reading and writing, despite their intellectual ability. They often fail to get help with their learning problems because their ability enables them to compensate for deficits (Wallace & McLoughlin, 1988). Gifted children display many of the same developmental qualities as most children. The gifted child is much more likely to: 1. Tolerate ambiguity and complexity. 2. Have a longer attention span. 3. Be a highly curious and sharp-eyed observer. 4. Be a top-notch reader who retains what is read. 5. Have a well-developed speaking and listening vocabulary. 6. Have learned well the basic skills. 7. Understand complex directions the first time around. 8. Be imaginative and receptive to new ideas. 9. Be interested in broad concepts and issues. 10. Have one or more hobbies that require thinking. A common problem with having gifted children in regular classrooms is that the curriculum is restrictive and unchallenging for them. One way to “take the lid off,” and yet have the gifted manageably working with other children, use many open-ended investigations and activities. Help the mainstreamed gifted is to encourage them to build a large knowledge base.
Help the gifted is to let them manage their own learning through individual and small group projects, including those done for school science fairs. Help gifted pupils is by exposing them to persons in science and other professions who can serve as information sources and future role models. Help the gifted by attending to their social skills as they interact with other children.

Lesson 27. Inclusion or Mainstreaming

Inclusion is the practice of educating within the regular classroom all students, including those with special needs. In full inclusion, all support services are provided within the classroom setting. In partial inclusion, the student may be pulled out of the classroom for special instruction.
Inclusion is more than just an organizational pattern. It is a philosophy that values diversity and the worth and potential of each individual (Hardman, 1994). Inclusion is also a collaborative, cooperative venture, with professionals working together and students helping each other. For inclusion to work, the competitive atmosphere of the traditional classroom must give way to the caring, collaborative spirit of the inclusive classroom where students and teachers learn from one another.

Learning Activities:

A. Identifying and Guiding Exceptional Learners/ Persons 1. Based on your readings and experiences, what do you know about slow learner? Describe his mental capability and behavior in the classroom and at home. You can do your write-up if you get out and observe a person who is a slow learner. Submit your written report to your facilitator. 2. As a guidance counselor, how could you assist a slow learner (elementary, high school or out-of-school) assuming that you are faced with the following hypothetical situations:
2.1. Carlo, 6th grade elementary level, can’t submit his assignments especially in English and Mathematics. He wants to get a passing grade so he can graduate.
2.2. An out-of-school girl, Marina, is desirous to finish his school. She’s 17 years old and stays in her parents’ house. She graduated from the elementary 4 years ago, however, her parents say that she could read but unable to understand what she read. 3. Read more about disability and handicap persons particularly on their physical, social, mental and emotional development. Surf your internet and print at least 3 articles relative to the similarities and differences between disability and handicap. Be sure to give your comments or reactions to each article and submit same to your facilitator. 4. As a guidance counselor, how would you assist the following persons with mental and physical impairments? 4.1. Celso, a hearing impaired boy, is very good in playing chess, however, he gets low grades in all his subjects as a first year high school student.
4.2. Proficient in playing piano, Rose, has a speech disorder, she has difficulty in articulating particular sounds. She’s ashamed to continue studying as a grade 6 pupil.
4.3. Since birth, Luzet, is visually impaired but still desirous to go to school. She’s about to graduate in high school, now 4th year.
4.4. Angelo has been suffering from spinal injuries and goes to school with a cane. He can’t join school activities due to his physical impairment but his grades are very good in all subjects. 5. Try your best to observe and interview a person who display or possess qualities of giftedness (refer to lesson 26, nos. 1 to 10). Get his or her autobiography. Based on your assessment, do you consider him or her gifted? Why? 6. Mainstreaming or inclusion is the educational practice nowadays of educating the special learners. Do you agree on the aforecited practice? Why?
6.1. If you are a parent who has a child considered as exceptional, do you want her/him to be educated in the regular classroom? Why?
6.2. Surf your internet and locate for articles that reflect the issue on mainstreaming, and how it is done. Print at least 3 updated articles and gives your comment on each article.

Assessment:

Items / Indicators | Percentage Allocation | Identifying and Guiding Exceptional Learners/ Persons | | 1. Thorough, clear, and systematic description of slow learner both in his mental capabilities and behavior in school and at home. | 10 | 2. Well written, simple, and systematic assistance offered by the guidance counselor to Carlo and Marina, such that each of them will be able to finish schooling. | 20 | 3. Updated 3 articles pertinent to the issue on the similarities and differences of persons possessing disability and handicap. Each article should carry comments or reactions from you as a prospective guidance counselor. | 10 | 4. Doable, clear, and step-by-step procedure in assisting Celso, Rose, Luzet, and Angelo. The written report should be reflective of the counselor’s understanding, and appropriate guidance services given to each such that the aforecited counselee’s be assisted to function normally and independently. | 40 | 5. Clear presentation of the autobiography. The assessment made should be complete with justifications unbiased and authentic. | 10 | 6. Updated 3 articles with unbiased comments relative to mainstreaming. Objective justification on the issue relative to no. 6 and 6.1. | 10___________ | Total | 100 | | |