How can High School Counselors Help your Teen
When thinking about high school, we all have special memories. High school is a time of life when students change emotionally and physically as they become young adults. Most high school students struggle with self esteem and personal ideas and look for acceptance in their social group.
Peer pressure accompanied by stress from academic studies can adversely affect a student’s life. Stress from wondering what they will do once they are out of high school can be overwhelming for some teenagers. Certain high school experiences may have a life long lesson or there may be consequences to pay for and learn from.
There are many choices made each day that will lead a teenager into adulthood. Certain situations in high school can change a person for life. Many of the choices teens make can lead them into adult habits and adult situations that are not acceptable or that the teen is not ready to handle on their own. This is why counselors can be so valuable. We all know that parents cannot be physically present every time their child needs help in making an important decision. Sometimes a teen feels more comfortable sharing their feelings with someone outside of the family unit. If a teen is struggling with an alcohol/substance abuse problem or any other hard to handle situation, a school counselor can be invaluable in helping them to work out their difficulties before the problem spirals out of control.
As parents, we need to promote the importance of a quality education for our teens. When educational achievements are promoted in the home with support from parents, the teen will remain actively motivated about their academic possibilities. Take time to help them with their homework, support their extracurricular activities, and give them space when they need it. Parents need to research high schools and colleges with their teen so that they can find one that is best suited to their child’s needs.
Some of the areas that a school counselor can help your family with when dealing with various programs and resources offered by the school are:
∑ Counselors can help students plan for challenging courses required for graduation
∑ They can help the teen schedule their classes
∑ Counselors give support in achieving goals set by the student
∑ Counselors are readily available to advise students throughout the school year
∑ Counselors can help recommend colleges that match the students academic goals
∑ Counselors give advise and information to parents to find the appropriate college
As your teen progresses through high school, counselors help by keeping a record of their grades and overall progress. They also have many resources to draw from to help students in all areas of school life. Use counselors for future opportunities and to help meet deadlines so that your teen will be guided toward a well educated future.
References:
Getting Ready for High School. American School Counselor Association.
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp
Your Child’s High School Counselor.
http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/hs-steps/21287.html
 Reader Comments
| 
By: loverboy Posted: Jun 19 2009