Critical Incidents in School Counseling

Tarrell Awe Agahe Portman, Chris Wood, Heather J. Fye, Tarrell Awe Agahe Portman, Chris Wood, Heather J. Fye

• Publisher: American Counseling Association
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781119098317
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Éducation
• Subtopic: Vie étudiante

This practical text explores contemporary case scenarios that arise in school counseling with children and adolescents. Throughout 30 chapters on a diverse range of topics, several school counseling experts analyze and discuss each incident from a best practices perspective. Topics are organized around the CACREP Standards and incidents include a list of related supplemental readings, online resources, and suggested learning activities. Issues explored include trauma, drug use, pregnancy, cyberbullying, suicide, gangs, parental conflicts, sexual orientation, third-culture students, student career development, and ethical and professional dilemmas.

*Requests for digital versions from ACA can be found on www.wiley.com. * Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to [email protected] *To purchase print copies, please visit the ACA website

Chapter 1
Introduction

Chris Wood, Heather J. Fye, and Tarrell Awe Agahe Portman

New to This Edition

There are several things that distinguish this third edition from previous versions of this text. One is the overall structure and organization. Whereas in previous editions the structure was based upon the incident topics, we started with topics as a structure to organize the incidents. Specifically, guided by professional accreditation/training standards, we asked authors to create incidents and respond to them within the topical framework of the 2016 Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards (CACREP, 2015). This structure resulted in 30 incidents for this edition.

Previous editions of the text had authors of the incidents posing several questions for the response authors to address. We kept this format but added a few enhancements for the reader. We asked the authors of responses to include a list of resources that would be helpful for professional school counselors. The inclusion of resources such as textbooks, websites, and other tools for school counselors increases the utility of this text for both the school counselor in training and the practicing professional school counselor.

The addition of supplemental learning activities is also an enhancement to the new edition of the text. We asked the authors of responses to incidents to include individual/class assignments, discussion topics, and/or small-group exercises that could be used in courses for school counselors in training or as professional development for practicing professional school counselors. The intent of adding learning activities was to provide applied, practical learning opportunities for the reader(s) for self-directed professional development.

Also, to enhance practical learning and ensure meaningful examples, we used different criteria for soliciting the authors of both (a) the critical incidents and (b) the responses to critical incidents. With a focus on relevance to practice, we set the practicing professional school counselor as the ideal individual to author a critical incident. Moreover, we set the standard for respondents as counselor educators with school counselor experience and a primary professional identity focused on training school counselors. With this inclusion criteria, we generated a list of “school counseling experts” and matched the training standard to the expertise of specific individuals. To generate the critical incidents, we contacted former students and sent out a call on school counselor electronic mailing lists. Using this selection criteria resulted in a collection of authors committed to quality practice in professional school counseling.

It is possible that many of the authors in this text were the students in the educational contexts described in the first edition of this text and/or received their graduate training during the timeline of the second edition. As noted earlier, some of the same conundrums face school counselors today. The first edition of Critical Incidents in School Counseling was published at a time that would soon see the first U.S. president to resign from office. This third edition of the text is published at a time following signs of progress, including the first African American U.S. president and the first woman running for president as the nominee of a major party (as well as Michelle Obama, the only first lady to speak at a national school counseling conference and to honor the school counselor of the year in a ceremony at the White House). However, it is still a world in which students are exposed to violence and bullying in greater capacity than in previous generations and in which school counselors continue to battle educational and socioeconomic inequities and injustices, as have the generations of school counselors before them.

By noting some comparisons between current and previous editions of the text, we do not mean to suggest that the profession of school counseling has not grown. Since 2000, multiple editions of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and the expansion of respective professional associations have resulted in an unprecedented level of resources and support for the school counseling profession. Although some of the themes continue from previous editions of this text, the critical incidents reflect contemporary concerns of today’s professional school counselors and the sociopolitical world of their students. We hope the present edition honors this unique group of deeply committed individuals who strive to make the world a better place by helping a diverse range of students and their families—often one critical incident at a time.

—Chris Wood

Teachable Moments

The classroom is a place where the expected and unexpected moments in learning occur. I may plan a lecture based on the chapter readings/topic and objectives, include corresponding discussion and/or experiential activities, and expect a particular learning outcome. However, from my experiences with students, learning often occurs in unexpected ways, in those moments of spontaneous inspiration and interaction. In other words, those moments when I step away from the teaching plans and really observe and listen to what students are saying is when the learning happens. The moments are teachable. They may occur in or out of the classroom. They cannot always be pre-planned: Sometimes, they just happen.

The term teachable moments is often used in health care settings to refer to patients’ health behavior change. Teachable moments are defined as those naturally occurring events that leads to individuals making a change (Cohen, Clark, Lawson, Casucci, & Flocke, 2011). McBride et al. (2008) added to this definition by noting that teachable moments occur within social and interactional dimensions; in this case, within the classroom setting. Teachable moments are not created in isolation; they emerge through a collective experience. It is important to incorporate teachable moments and consider the context in which they occur when approaching teaching and learning endeavors. Using this textbook in the classroom, especially during a practicum or internship course, provides a medium for those teachable moments to occur both intentionally and spontaneously.

A strong instructor is able to identify teachable moments, even those occurring spontaneously, and apply context for the learning. In these moments, I (as the instructor) learn too. I learn what my students really need from me in their preparation as a school counselor. Critical Incidents in School Counseling (3rd ed.) is meant to provide information and pointed examples to help facilitate teachable moments in the classroom. Students can passively review a textbook and listen to lectures. However, how does an instructor promote active learning? The second edition of Critical Incidents in School Counseling discussed five critical components of school counselors (Tyson & Pedersen, 2000). The fifth component described the importance of school counselors-in-training to move from theoretical- to practical-based experiences. The third edition continues to provide a manner in which to apply theoretical knowledge to practical knowledge. Students actively apply what they are learning into the context of a practicing school counselor. As an instructor, I do not strive for students to remember everything in our 3-hour, once-per-week meetings. I want them to have the “a-ha” moment when they take away key concepts to remember several weeks, months, or years later.

One may ask: What is the relationship between critical incidents and teachable moments? My response: there is no amount of preparation that fully prepares you for what happens in the classroom or on the job. Educational policies and practices have evolved, along with school counselor roles, over the past 100 years (Gysbers, 2012). Graduate programs often focus on fostering the counseling skills of school counselors-in-training. However, school counselors may engage in various roles. These roles may shift because of the type of school district, grade level, or significant needs of the school. As a helpful tool to explain school counseling program activities, the ASCA (2012a) National Model details appropriate and inappropriate duties of school counselors (see p. 45).

This textbook provides realistic examples of what school counselors may face on the job. Instructors may use the materials contained in the text to prompt teachable moments to inspire school counselors in the classroom. An additional goal of Critical Incidents in School Counseling (3rd ed.) is to help instructors take teachable moments and apply them to their students’ needs. I hope you find many teachable moments with your students and are able to reflect, process, and turn those moments into lasting learning experiences that continue to shape the students, school counselors, stakeholders, and the profession.

—Heather J. Fye

Reflective Discussion

My goal for this text was to provide an instructional tool for the professional preparation and development of school counselors. The incidents in the Critical Incidents in School Counseling (3rd ed.) are worthwhile in applying the multitude of expectations for case conceptualization, examination of biases, and demonstration of skill acquisition or deficit. The flexibility of the incidents in all of the Critical Incidents in School Counseling books allows counselor educators and students the ability to engage in dialogue surrounding many topics.

Reflection is a difficult skill to learn and practice. The content in this book may be used as focused reflection by school counselors for professional development. Each incident can be used to examine the CACREP Standards in practice today. The topics included do not cover every area of concern a school counselor will face; however, we hope that the topics will encourage discussion and reflection that is transferable to the many critical situations a school counselor may encounter.

I love teaching and utilizing reflective teams in my classes. A reflective team allows the counselor to be the focus of attention. The attention is on counselor awareness, knowledge, and skill demonstration. Reflective teams usually follow procedural steps that provide the structure for the learning activity. There are many different models for review in the counseling literature. My preference is for an extended time of approximately 90 minutes, but I have observed this happening in shorter and longer time frames. One example format to consider may include the following steps for reflective work. First, organize a group of three to four peers to serve as your reflective team. Second, identify a clear time frame for the team to meet. This should be in a area where team members can focus and not be interrupted. Third, the counselor of focus is given 15–20 minutes to articulate their incident/case, how they conceptualize the case, and how they would proceed with providing service or determining action. During this focused presentation, the reflective team takes notes but doesn’t interrupt the speaker. The key is ...