Counselling and education

Counselling and EducationRichard Nelson-Jones describes the core conditions of relationship counselling to be:???.. empathic understanding, respect for clients??™ potentials to lead their own lives and congruence or genuineness. Terms like ??? active listening??™ and ??? rewarding listening??™ are other ways of expressing the central skills of basic helping relationships.??™(Nelson-Jones, 1997, p5)The Person-Centred approach is particularly relevant in the way, in which I try to create a safe growth environment. I teach PSHE/Citizenship and Music throughout the school and always begin the year by establishing; even with the youngest children in the school, a form of ??? contract??™ in a similar way an initial counselling session may be started.

This is a common approach in most primary schools when establishing general class rules and gives pupils a sense of ownership, sets boundaries and the ethos of the classroom. I then use a variety of ??? Circle Time??™ activities on a regular basis to encourage and build trust between myself and my pupils as well as between pupils themselves. Participation in the Counselling module, has made me reflect on the unique position I have in my current role, and the possible impact I could have on my pupil??™s personal growth and learning.

As the teacher who covers the class teachers PPA time (non contact time), I teach all pupils every week from their entry into reception until they leave in Year6. This means my pupils are in my care once a week for 7yrs. It is only now that I have really begun to consider this as quite a privileged position in terms of relationship building.

Central to my own beliefs in my role as a teacher is in the development of ??? lifelong??™ learners. Having the freedom to ??? make mistakes??™ is critical to the learning process and only when a climate of ??? trust??™ has been created, will children feel confident to ??? have a go??™ without fear of retribution In doing so pupils will become more able to understand their own capabilities and take control of their learning . Having taught children from Reception to year 8, both as a general subjects teacher, Sats teacher and Music/drama specialist, I can say categorically that the most productive lessons, those where the energy in the classroom , I can only describe as being ??? electric??™ have been when pupils have worked in a less directive, prescriptive way. When they experience the ??? light bulb??™ moment, when the ??? penny drops??™ and discover learning for themselves. This, of course, is an ideal most teachers and schools would claim to hold as important to their core beliefs and indeed is referred to in my current schools policy. However, in reality, this is not always upheld.

In my previous role, as Head of Department in a Middle school, I regularly attended Pyramid meetings with colleagues from neighbouring middle schools and the feeder high school. During meetings a common problem stated by my high school colleagues was the inability of pupils on transferring to high school to think for themselves and work autonomously. This begs the question, if educationalists on the whole agree on the ideology of the Rogerian model, why is it in practice we are failing to approach our teaching with this in mind Talking to many teachers across the Primary and Secondary sector the answer is not hard to find. Since the introduction of the National Curriculum, Sats testing and League tables, schools and teachers have been under an increasing amount of pressure to be academic ??? result??™ led. It is no wonder that when talking to children about their views on school, including my own children who are 8yrs and 11yrs old, it saddens me that even at a very young age the attitude to much of their school experience and ultimately view of education and learning is that it is ??? boring??™ and a process that is ??? done to them.

??™ My current place of employment is a high achieving school as indicated by its Year2 and Year6 Sats results. Parents queue to send their children to this school because of its academic reputation. It is in a good catchment area with regards to parental support, behaviour issues are not of major concern and the staffs are very dedicated. However, as a parent myself I wouldn??™t want my own children to attend this school.

Pupils are placed in Literacy and Numeracy sets across each year group ( until very recently, this was also the teaching approach in Reception). Working in silence is viewed as the ideal. However, the teachers will admit when children are given a more open ended task, children constantly look for permission to try something out and seek reassurance that they are ??? doing it right.

??™ Following a recent performance by a visiting Pantomime Group, a teacher commented in the staffroom that our pupils ??? can not let themselves go.??™ There is very little opportunity to act autonomously and take responsibility for their own learning. Teachers fear loss of ??? control??™ and feel pressured to get through the curriculum. Allowing children to ??? find their own way??™ places demands on time. Time which teachers feel they simply do not have if they are to meet the criteria by which they will be judged.

This is a real sad state of events and is one that requires a change in political attitude. Recent changes in education policy such as abolishment of Sats testing in KS1 and KS3, and changes to the EYFS (EXCELLENCE AND ENJOYMENT)are encouraging shifts in ways of thinking. Following recent staff discussions, ??? independent learning??™ has been added to the whole schools development plan and will be a major focus in Performance Management Lesson observations this academic year. However, I feel we are still a long way from capturing the essence of the Rogerian model. After 20yrs of a results driven academic system, it will take time for schools themselves to build a culture of ??? trust??™ enabling teachers to feel they are ??? safe??™ to take risks in their teaching and learning approaches. By giving the ??? child,??™ in a similar way to the ??? client,??™more voice and choice about what goes on within their education, they will ??? wish to learn, want to grow, seek to find out, hope to master and desire to create.

??™(Rogers Carl Freedom to learn for the 80??™s??¦??¦..)Part of my PSHE programme in KS2 involves regular ??? class council??™ sessions which provide opportunities for pupils to express views, concerns, worries or any issue which they feel needs to be addressed to make their experience in school a more positive one. This is run by a democratically elected pupil ??? chair person??™ and ??? vice chairperson??™ with support when necessary from me (although as the children become more confident and move through the year groups, this support is reduced enabling the sessions to run by the children themselves with as little intervention from myself as possible).

Each class make their own ??? suggestion box??™ which children can add their ideas for discussion anonymously. Children look forward to sessions ??“ I know this from the excited request each week when I arrive in the class for a class council session and the disappointment if we are not! I hope that it some small way I am providing a counter balance to the more directive approach they predominantly encounter. ConclusionIn gaining a basic knowledge and understanding of the counselling models I feel I am better placed as a teacher to interact more effectively with my pupils, trainees and with other members of staff.