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The Developmental Needs of Middle School Students
Middle School is an exciting but frustrating time for students in addition to their parents and teachers. Transition is the key word. Through middle school years, physical and psychological changes abound. During their journey from childhood to adolescence, students are characterized by:
- Being very active, yet easily fatigued due to rapid physical growth.
Searching for their own unique identity.
Turning more toward their peers rather than to their parents for ideas and affirmation.
Extremely sensitive to comments from others.
Relying heavily on friends to provide comfort, understanding and approval.
School Counselors Have Changed
For many people, the term "counselor" takes them back to the image of someone they visited with 20-plus years ago regarding a schedule change, test results or scholarship information. With social, economic and technological changes occurring, professional school counselors are responding to the needs of today's youth through comprehensive school counseling programs.
A Certified and/or Licensed Professional
All professional school counselors must have a master's degree and meet other certification requirements as defined by each state. Most have previous teaching experience. Professional middle school counselors have training and experience in understanding the developmental tasks of 11 to 15 year olds and are competent in counseling, consulting and coordinating.
A Comprehensive and Developmental Program
Internal changes, coupled with the challenges of the outside world, reinforce the goal of middle school counselors: to teach students skills to help them through this difficult stage of life and to use these skills on a daily basis. To accomplish this, middle school counselors provide and carry out a comprehensive counseling program focusing on the uniqueness of students in three areas of development: academic, career and personal/social. Designed for all students, student competencies provide goals that are integrated throughout the entire school curriculum and environment. These goals are the engine that drives the program components including the guidance curriculum, individual planning, counseling and program management. |
