Counseling has become an important aspect of the day to day operations of schools ranging from the kindergarten to high institutes of learning. Counseling in schools enables the students to come to term with their environment as well as reduce the barriers that might adversely affect the student's performance in numerous of life such as educational, social, and in their careers ( Greenberg, 2003) . It is also important to indicate that counseling in learning institutions allows students to effectively cope with the learning environment which aims at facilitating effective learning, hence, enabling the students to benefit maximally from the teaching-learning sessions. Or the counseling, sessions, the school counselor is subjected to a well-organized planning session, whereby, the counselor identifies the group that is needed, the topic to be addressed as well as ensuring that the counseling sessions do not interfere with a daily schedule of the students. Numerous factors should be considered while developing a school counseling session. Below is a discussion which involves developing a school counseling session.
Group Topic
The school counseling procedure will take place in Maryhill secondary school which is a public high. The school is located in a suburban area in Texas. Whereby there is a high population of white that the blacks and Hispanics. The school involves learners in grade nine to twelve who are mostly students in their adolescent age. The school holds a capacity of approximately three hundred students among whom two hundred and fifty are whites, and forty are blacks and ten Hispanics. The surrounding community is dominated by the whites while there are few families from other races, which in turn makes the suburban a white dominated society. The counseling session will primarily focus on the counseling session will be the blacks and the Hispanics as they are the minority groups in the school, which might adversely affect their coping strategy in a school and society that are dominated by the whites.
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The counseling sessions will mainly focus on personal/ social development among high school students. The topic is important for some reasons. Firstly, learners at the high school level are in their most sensitive age of development as they are entering the adolescent stage. At this stage, learners need to be guided on their abilities as well as how to cope socially with other individuals ( Allyn & Bacon, 2010 ) . It is important to indicate that the adolescent age is characterized by amended body changes involving physical and social changes which if the adolescents are not well guided the changes might adversely affect their social as well as academic well-being. For most of the minority groups, the need to belong to a group during this stage is quite demanding, and since they might face discrimination arising from their colors the students might have challenges overcoming the challenges of an adolescent. At adolescent, the young boys and girls want to belong to a group of peers, and they must conform to the peers so as to belong to a specific group ( Blum & Davis, 2013) . It is also important to indicate that the changes that the individuals face might affect their self-concepts and self –confidence which will adversely affect their personal life as well as their academic performances. Statistics also indicate that most adolescents are likely to perform poorly in their academics due to their inability to effectively manage their behavior during adolescent stage ( Brigman & Goodman, 2001) . For example, it is during this stage that most students drop out of school due to poor peering, unwanted pregnancies as well as due to engagement in drugs and substance abuse. It is therefore important to consider providing adequate guidance to the adolescent and those in particular from the minority groups to enable them to make right decisions as well as to effectively cope with the adolescent age, which in turn aids in reducing the academic and social challenges that adolescents face. The topic is among the three topics handled in the school counseling scope, which involves, personal/social, academic and career development.
Counseling Plan
The group to attend the counseling will be identified based on their racial background. Further division of the group will occur in the groups where the group will be divided among members of the same gender. While dealing with an adolescent, it is difficult to effectively handle both genders when they are placed in one group, as both boys and girls experience different physical as well as emotional differences ( Brigman & Goodman, 2001) . Therefore, despite the fact that the groups will be made of the minority groups which in this case are the blacks and Hispanics, the groups will be further be divided into two to include one for boys and the other for girls. After identifying the participant, as a counselor, it is important to carry out screening procedures on the students as a group or individuals in an attempt to determine the need for carrying out the counseling sessions. In this case, through observations and discussions with the participants, the counselor will be in a position to inform the students on the importance of the counseling sessions ( Brigman & Goodman, 2001) . Additionally, it is through the screening procedures that the counselor determines the degree of know-how of the topic to be discussed among the participants as well as to establish the student's readiness to take part in the counseling procedures. The two groups (boys and girls) will be further be divided into groups of five students who will be meeting after the lessons in one of the classes. It is also important to indicate that the groups will be closed and the topics will be predetermined before starting the sessions. The participant's parents will be consulted and informed through an official letter before engaging the students for the counseling sessions.
Sessions
The first sessions is the most important session in a counseling session as it determines the participant’s involvement throughout the program. Firstly, it is at the stage that some members make a decision to either remain in the group or quite the group ( Greenberg, 2003) . Ideally, the first session will involve providing detailed information on what the sessions will entail as well as to what it is expected of the participants, from this point the participants can individually opt to remain or leave the session. Additionally, the groups will be introduced to the rules and regulations that will govern the groups’ day to day activities throughout the session ( Blum, 2001) . Importantly, it is during this session that student's confidentiality is assured. Despite the urgent need for high need for confidentiality among the participants it is import to make it clear to them that one cannot be guaranteed of confidentiality 100% ( Schmidt, 2003) . In this case, the students will be briefed on what will remain as confidence and what will not, for example, group discussions cannot achieve 100% confidentiality.
The first session will start with an introduction whereby the counselor will introduce herself as well as provided detailed information on what the counseling sessions entail. Secondly, the students will also have the opportunity to introduce themselves by name and their grade level. Additionally, the counselor will also enable the students the reason as to why they are attending the counseling session as well as briefing them on the importance of the sessions in their social and academic lives.
Some of the activities that will be carried out in the first session include briefing the students on the program’s goals as well as setting their goals ( Blum& Davis, 2013) . Secondly, the participants will identify some of the changes that they want to occur during and after the sessions. Placing the participants into groups and encouraging dialogue among the participants. An example of questions that will be asked to the students to enable them to build trust include: what changes would one like to occur, do they think that other people experience challenges also. Additional questions also include, how they think that the counseling will change them, and finally had they had any challenge in their social life due to racial differences with other students ( Blum & Davis, 2013) . The first session will end with a reminder of what the counseling will entail and why it is important for the group of students.
| Sessions | Topic | Opening the Sessions | Activities | Questions | Session Closing |
| Session Two | Personal and social development (Self-concept) |
Reminding the groups the main objectives of the canceling as well as their objectives. Marking the register. |
Discussing the meaning of self- concept Guiding learners on how to improve their self -concept The learners should engage in activities that they like which will in turn help in shaping their concepts |
What am I able to do? Where would I place myself in the group(what position)? If presented with a problem that you are not sure, would you leave it or you would try to your best capacity? What do I like about myself? |
Students are engaging in activities that will improve their self-concepts as the counselor evaluate the processes involved ( Schmidt, 2003) . |
| Session Three | Personal and social development (Self-esteem) |
Evaluating the group’s members’ self-esteem by engaging them in a two minutes discussions where each says anything about herself or himself. Marking the register. |
Each learner to tell the group about oneself. The counselor evaluates the degree of each group member. The counselor also provides a guideline on how the students can build up on their self-esteem. |
What am I doing to improve my self-esteem? What do I need to stop doing in order to improve my self –esteem? What will happen in a month if I choose to engage in self-esteem developing activities? |
Allowing the participants to practice the learned approaches to improving self-esteem As well as choosing activities that will aid them in developing the skill. |
| Session Four | Personal and social development (Dealing with anger) |
Building on previous topics and introducing the topic. Marking the register. |
Evaluating the learner's problem-solving techniques ( Schmidt, 2003) . Group discussion on anger management |
What happens when someone wrongs me? How many times have I resulted to a fight due to anger? Can anger solve any problem? Are there better ways to solve a problem? |
Allowing the students to develop additional anger management and problem-solving techniques. Marking the register. |
| Session Five | Personal and social development (Interpersonal skills) | Introducing the topic, and its importance as well as relating how the previous topics relate to the current topic. |
Evaluating how the participants interact with each other. Regrouping the individuals into smaller groups for effective observation of the application of interpersonal skills. |
Have you suffered bullying before? How do you view and relate to people from different backgrounds? How do you relate with your classmates? |
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| Session Six | Personal and social development | Concluding the session with reconfirmation of the role of the topic in shaping the students’ academic and social well-being ( Brigman & Goodman, 2001) . | Providing the individuals with the opportunity to present what they have learned in the program. Establishing whether the individuals met their group and personal goals |
Are you feeling any different? What do you think you have gained? Are you willing to practice what you have learned? Have you achieved your set goals? |
Allowing the group members to interact freely and learn more from each other as they make new friends. |
Group Evaluation
Evaluations enable the school, the participants, and the counselor to determine whether or not the counseling goals were meet. In this case, the counselor will be in a position to determine whether the program was effective on not ( Blum, 2001) . It is also through the evaluation process that the counselor and the concern bodies identify possible challenged that might affect similar programs in future, and hence, enables the team to develop appropriate techniques to mitigate the problem.
The evaluation will be carried out through observation as well as through the questioners. The observations will be carried by the counselor in a natural setting in social interaction aspects to determine whether or not the students have improved ( Bacon, 2010) . The questions will enable the counselor to determine the effectiveness of the program from the data obtained from the answers presented by the participants.
Questions
Were you happy with the session or do you think they were a waste of time?
Do you think that the techniques taught were applicable? Support your answer?
Given a chance, what would you change about the topic and the program?
How effective were the sessions? ( excellent, moderate, low)
Are you in a position to interact better with individuals from other backgrounds?
Do you believe that the program enabled you to improve your social and interpersonal skills? If yes how
Do you feel like the program would have been introduced earlier or later in your life? Support your answer
After attending the program do you believe there is needed to change your current status and also do you believe that you have the capacity to change your current status? Support your answer
How often should be the program offed to students in need?
Was the program able to aid your problems, and was it specific or general?
Appendix
To the parent
The school counseling team is about to start a counseling session for the blacks and Hispanics which will aid them in effectively managing their adolescent age, and we would like your child to take part in it. Kindly, sign the letter below to allow your child to be part of the team receiving counseling on the same topic.
Yours Faithful
… ..
School counselor.
References
Blum, D. (2001). Group counseling for secondary schools . Springfield, Ill., U.S.A: C. Thomas.
Blum, D. J., & Davis, T. E. (2013). The school counselor's book of lists . San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.
Brigman, G., & Goodman, B. E. (2001). Group counseling for school counselors: A practical guide . Portland, Me: J. Weston Walch.
Greenberg, K. R. (2003). Group counseling in K-12 schools: A handbook for school counselors . Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Schmidt, J. J. (2003). Counseling in schools: Essential services and comprehensive programs .
Allyn & Bacon. Glass, S. D. (2010). The practical handbook of group counseling . Bloomington, Ind.: Trafford Publishing.
