Assignment task: How will you support Tina in her academic and social challenges? What cultural considerations must be made? Describe the steps you would take in working with the family and ELA teacher to develop strategies and interventions. Provide specific recommendations that would be consistent in your role as a school counselor.
Tina is a 12-year-old sixth grader. Tina lives at home with her mother and grandmother, who both speak several languages in the home. However, Tina is the only child in the home and the only one who speaks English, but she is having some difficulty communicating in her reading and English language arts (ELA) courses in school. The ELA teacher, Ms. Watson, attempted to reach out to Tina's mom but had difficulty understanding her in a recent phone conversation. At present, Tina is failing both courses and seems to be growing more distant as the teacher attempts to reach out to her to find out what is wrong. Additionally, no one else on the sixthgrade team has expressed any concerns about Tina's academic or social progress, or has failed her for the first two marking periods of the school year. It is now April, and the team is planning on recommending non-special education students for summer school. However, there has still been limited communication with Tina's mom or any other guardian.
- What might be the role of the culturally competent guidance counselor?
- Should the grade-level teachers meet to discuss interventions with the guidance counselor?
- What unique next steps can you envision that the school counselor should take now that the grade-level teachers may not have expertise?
- What next steps do you recommend for the school counselor, the family, Tina, and the grade-level team?
Case Summary: Tina As for Tina, the school counselor must be aware of her needs, strengths, and the needs of the home. The two together can help build the school counselor's culturally responsive lens in order to construct a framework of support around Tina. This framework will outline an attempt to • • understand issues with teaching and learning within the school setting; • • build a competent and respectful dialogue between the home family members and school teachers; • • recommend Tina to the child study team (CST) in order for her to undergo a pre-referral, which is a crucial first step in the evaluation process; and • • possibly help identify Tina's learning styles and needs, and recommend a response to instruction and intervention (RtII) and/or counseling to address her motivation, self-awareness, and any other needs that may result from the referral and dialogue with her family.
Working with Students with Disabilities : Preparing School Counselors, edited by Vicki A. McGinley, and Barbara C. Trolley, SAGE Publications, Incorporated, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central