@sid

I agree with this:

Perhaps it would be useful to talk in minutes and hours per week rather than periods per day.

and have presented different schedule proposals in this way, and also in percentages to show similarities and differences in models.

Some people really disliked this being presented as a % - I think they felt that it reduced the act of teaching to something cold and dry. It was interesting to see how changing the presentation of a message can have such an emotional reception.

The percentage of homeroom teacher contact time over the week in our Primary is 62.5% for G2 to G5 and 66.7% for KG/G1.

@psyguy

How would I be inflating my ego by advocating for a model of counseling that is based around supporting students, and their families, in times of emotional need.

I have been fortunate to work with counselors whose focus is on supporting students, of all ages, in being successful at school. This involves working with them on self esteem, relationships, transitions, stress and countless other ways. Sometimes this is individual, sometimes in groups.

It's essential work. It's important and I only wish you'd seen this is action as you would then appreciate this.

You clearly haven't.

And I'm sorry for the students in your previous, and presumably current, schools that this hasn't been the case. They're missing out.

And you're missing the point.

xx

@psyguy

I see what you've done:

@fine dude

Which was every single one of us who started their career in edu with their first contract, which likely was a year and every IT I know with a career in IE started out with a 1 year contract.

This is like saying that all international teachers started out with a paperround or a job as a waiter...

...clearly the conversation was about people's first international contracts, but you've chosen to spin it another way way because....well, who knows? Belligerence, attention seeking, insomnia? Again, who knows.

It's tiresome.

@psyguy

Perhaps. Or perhaps not.

Either way you're so far wide of the mark of what effective international school counseling is I find it hard to believe.

Again, I'm sorry that either:

a) you're experiences have been so poor, but I'm more sorry for the students in your schools

or

b) we simply have incompatible views on what effective counseling is, and its importance

If (b), then that's fine, we can have different views. But, I find your views lacking in understanding, empathy and compassion and I will continue to advocate for mine.

Peace and love.

xx

@psyguy

What does this mean?

'The vast number of ITs came from DE originally and started their careers in a DS, which in the vast, vast majority of the time offer a one year contract.'

As in DE and DS?

Again, my first international contract was a two year contract, as were the initial contracts at two subsequent schools.

xx

Also, @psyguy seems to the be wilfully confusing, and using interchangeably, Counseling and College Counseling.

@psyguy

- I'm not claiming to be special. I am however stating that my first international contract was for two years. As were the initial contracts at two subsequent schools.

You can choose to believe what you want, it doesn't make my situation and experience less true.

xx

Nor me.

I look forward to @psyguy changing his extensively researched figures from 'every' to 99% or whatever...

@psyguy

Being a good IT has nothing to do with being responsible or feeling responsible to your students. You can despise and hate your students and still be an excellent edu.

- this really isn't true. Yes, teaching is a job, but it's a job that involves nurturing and caring for young people. So, no, you can't hate and despise them and still be an excellent educator.

xx

@psyguy

Which was every single one of us who started their career in edu with their first contract, which likely was a year and every IT I know with a career in IE started out with a 1 year contract.

- most initial contracts are for 2 years.

@psyguy

We have very different ideas of what effective counseling is. This may be based on experience or what we believe it should be.

Either way, there's little common ground to be found between our views.

I'll continue to advocate for the type of excellent counseling I have seen be so effective and the type of counseling I believe is so important for our students.

xx

So, let's unpick this....


Counseling in IE is not a vital service. - It is. When you see the transitions and change that students and families can go through you realise how vital effective and supportive counseling is.

It's a student management and liaison position. - No, it's not. It's not about student management, whatever that might mean, and it is about providing important support for students, and often their families.

So often counselors in IE trump themselves as the first line of deference in mental health (MH). They are not, for a variety of reasons from cultural and language barriers to economic affluence, to the nature of IE.

Counselors in IE work with the SEN team - this is correct.

they liaise with parents - also correct, and as appropriate.

they manage the master schedule - what? Clearly we have very different experiences of effective counseling. There's no scheduling input.

they do some acute MH and to a lessor extent critical MH - if this Mental Health, then yes, this is a key part of their role.

they may be part of the student discipline plan - they really shouldn't be.

but what they are absolutely not doing is filling some gap in societies social welfare and care system - in some cases they are filling the gap, as best they can, due to families lack of access to local services. Often they are the bridge between school, students and their families and the local services.

They manage students - nope. No they don't.

they run interference with parents for leadership - nope. No they don't.

they schmooze - I'm sorry you've clearly had such a poor experience of really effective counseling. Or that your views are so skewed, and basically wrong.

Counselling, when done well, is not a student management role. It's a vital service in supporting students, and often their families, in transition and change and also in more 'typical' areas of counselling such as relationships, self image, anxiety etc.

Periodic, and pedantic, reminder that there is no UK National Curriculum....there is an English NC and a lot of British schools run with that...

So long as you have actual, recognised teaching credentials - which it looks like you do - then the QTS etc. would only really be of benefit if you want to work in the UK (England).

Once you've worked in a couple of international schools, and assuming your qualifications get you work permits, then you'll be good to go.