Guidance Counselor: Resources for Families

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This is a work in progress: stop back soon.

by Cindy Weaver

November 21, 2005

RESOURCES FOR YOU

PARENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center is announcing a series of workshops for parent, grandparents, educators, and other interested parties. Topics and dates are as follows:

• October 11: positive Outcomes through Partnerships, Collaboration, and Effective Communication

• November 1: Supports and Services for Students Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504

• February 7: Effective Participation in the Development of Individualized Education Programs

• March 7: Supporting Students During Transition From School to Adult Life

• April 4: Interventions and Environments that Leave No Child Behind

All sessions are 9 – noon. For more details, go to www.fmptic.org; email info@fmptic.org; or call one of these numbers: 217-347-0449, 217-347-5428, or 1-866-436-7842.

ABOUT OUR DEVELOPMENTAL GUIDANCE PROGRAM

Here are the goals of our Developmental Guidance Program:

Career Goal Development for Middle School:

CAREER GOALS	GRADE 5, EMS	GRADE 6, EMS	GRADE 7, EMS	GRADE 8, EMS
PLANNING A CAREER IDENTITY	Define lifestyle and discuss what influences it	Predict how stereotypes might affect their career identities	Explain how needs can be met in work and in leisure	Analyze how stereotypes are affecting their career identities
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE	Imagine what they might be doing in 15 years	Predict what jobs will be available in twenty years	Predict the ways in which some present careers may be different in the future	Predict what they need to know to find a satisfying career in the future
COMBATTING CAREER STEREOTYPES	Describe stereotypes associated with certain jobs	Discuss how parents� work influences them and their lives at home	Describe occupations that are stereotypes and analyze how these stereotypes are reinforced	Evaluate the ways in which certain groups are stereotyped in the workplace
ANALYZING SKILLS AND INTERESTS	Describe the meaning of values and how values influence goals	Analyze the relationship between interests and abilities	Analyze various methods of monitoring their progress toward a goal	Describe their present skills and predict their future skills

Personal-Social Development:

PERSONAL/ SOCIAL GOALS	GRADE 5, EMS	GRADE 6, EMS	GRADE 7, EMS	GRADE 8, EMS
GAINING SELF-AWARENESS	Specify personal characteristics they value	Analyze how abilities change and how they can be expanded	Compare their characteristics and abilities with those of others, and identify their strengths	Discuss what self-concept is
DEVELOPING POSITIVE ATTITUDES	Describe their own values	Analyze how their attitudes influence what they do	Discuss ways to organize their time and personal resources	Predict their feelings in a variety of settings
MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES	Determine situations that produce unhappy, angry, or anxious feelings and describe how they deal with these feelings	Understand what stress means and describe methods for handling stress	Distinguish between substances helpful and harmful to physical health	Practice dealing with pressure to use drugs or alcohol
RESPECTING OTHERS	Specify characteristics they value in others	Recognize differences in others and evaluate their effect on others	Compare their personalities with others and identify their unique traits	Describe positive qualities of people that are culturally different from themselves
GAINING RESPONSIBILITY	Describe ways to express feelings in a socially acceptable manner	Describe how their responsibilities have changed since childhood	Discuss the responsibilities of students in the school environment	Evaluate how responsibility helps them manage their lives
DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP SKILLS	Recognizes differences in people and describe ways to accept these differences	Apply problem-solving skills to conflict situations	Analyze the pressure they feel from peers	Analyze how conflict resolution skills improve relationships with others
RESOLVING CONFLICTS	Describe one conflict resolution skill	Use appropriate nonverbal communication	Evaluate how listening and talking accurately helps to solve problems	Describe conflict resolution skills
MAKING EFFECTIVE DECISIONS	Apply a decision-making process	Recognize how school decisions influence them	Provide examples of how past decisions have affected present actions	Demonstrate how gaining more information increases their alternatives

Academic Development:

ACADEMIC GOALS	GRADE 5, EMS	GRADE 6, EMS	GRADE 7, EMS	GRADE 8, EMS
APPLYING EFFECTIVE STUDY SKILLS	Recognizing the importance of completing assignments	Learn how to assert themselves by asking questions	Develop a plan for monitoring study time	Evaluate the importance of maintaining a balance between study time and extra-curricular activities
SETTING GOALS	Valuing learning both in and out of the classroom	Evaluate how parents� goals influence them	Describe what motivates them to perform well	Develop a tentative four-year educational plan for high school (to be reviewed each year)
LEARNING EFFECTIVELY	Recognizing differences in the way they learn for different subjects, settings, objectives	Describe how to design study areas at home	Describe ways in which they and others learn	Identify learning styles used both in and out of the school environment
GAINING TEST TAKING SKILLS	Describe how they prepare for tests	Review memory skills to improve their recall of information	Describe ways to study for different types of tests	Develop skills needed to predict test questions

Goals of EHS Career Orientation Class PLUS Extended Activities

Research potential career choices, including job shadowing
Match interests, aptitudes, and skills to employment areas
Identify short term goals and show planning of goals
Identify requirements of selected jobs
Prepare a resume
Prepare for a job interview
Identify conditions for employment & local job opportunities
Write letter of application
Complete job application form effectively
Complete application to college/trade school
Communicate orally and in writing effectively
Follow written and verbal directions
Describe responsibilities of employee, employer
Identify positive behaviors/treating others with respect
Participate in meetings/group activities appropriately
Exhibit ability to handle stress
Employ reasoning skills to solve problems, evaluate ethics
Set priorities and meet deadlines
Assume responsibility for personal decisions and actions
Demonstrate technological literacy
Provide and respond appropriately to constructive criticism
Resolve conflict without aggression
Display positive attitude, especially toward unpleasant tasks
Identify sexual harassment on the job
Work with team members to complete tasks
Identify qualities of leadership

Here are some resources -- community, Internet, and otherwise, that can be of help to families.

Whiteside County Emergency and Agency Numbers

DIVORCE: A Kid's Guide to Divorce tells what divorce is and what kids can do to help themselves, their families, or their friends when divorce happens. Kids in the Middletells what bugs kids about divorce and includes letters submitted by kids.

DO IT YOURSELF by learning how at the website by that very name.

DRUG PREVENTION sources include the following:
      The National Institute on Drug Abuse has resources and fact sheets for parents, youth, and staff
       Environmental Resource Council offers parents tips on keeping kids away from marijuana
       Teen Challenge is a Christian-based source of tips for parents to help their kids
      Tips for saying "no" to tobacco are found at Tips 4 Youth

FUN is the purpose at Press Any Key, especially if you like word games and the like.

HEALTH topics, including prevention and profiles on specific diseases -- physical and mental, can be found on the site for the Center for Disease Control, CDC.

HOME AND FAMILY/PARENTING tips and news can be found at Parent Stages
or Family Education.

RESEARCH and just plain reading sources are available at Find Articles.

STOP SEXUAL ABUSE with strategies learned at the site by that name.

TOY SAFETY is addressed by the Public Interest Research Group.

VIOLENCE PREVENTION tips for parents, schools, and communities are listed at Safe USA; talking to your kids about violent events will be easier with help from About Our Kids.