NAME: CELNE ROSE QUIJARDO GR.

& SECTION: 12 – SOCRATES

DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES

ASSIGNMENT: LEARNING ADD-ONS

“School counselor” is a deceptively simple title. In reality, school counselors play many
roles, including social and emotional educator, academic adviser, conflict mediator,
wellness coach, mental health therapist, student champion, educational collaborator
and family liaison. Now, with the advent of the pandemic caused by the novel
coronavirus, many school counselors have become connectors and comforters-in-chief
— not just to students but to parents and school staff. Thus, individual counseling,
group counseling and guidance, and prevention are the needed roles and functions for
this matter.

So, it’s not surprising that parents, students and school personnel are all feeling
stressed and overwhelmed. Continuing to hold classes online while simultaneously
ensuring that students and families have the needed technological resources — or, in
some cases, the absolute basics, such as enough food to eat — continues to be a team
effort.

Because safeguarding the mental, emotional and physical welfare of students is the
essence of what school counselors do, these professionals have typically been at the
center of the problem-solving process since the arrival of the coronavirus. They have
conducted check-in phone calls to make sure students had the necessary equipment
and internet access; helped parents (or grandparents) with technological
troubleshooting; arranged for families in need to receive gift cards and community
resources; responded to requests from teachers to find out why students weren’t
showing up for online class (and then worked to resolve whatever the barrier was);
reassured stressed-out parents; coached families on how to set up a structured school
day; made mental health referrals for students in crisis; and provided moral support to
teachers, administrators and each other. All while finding ways to continue offering
academic guidance, focusing on students’ emotional and social learning, and giving
specific support to children who were struggling with various personal and school-
related issues.