The spring practicum is now upon us, albeit I must admit it really doesn’t feel like spring outside! In just one week, we will have three new cohorts beginning practicum, one at Urban Science Academy (USA), another at Tech Boston Academy (TBA), and some students at various distant locations. This is always an exciting time of year and an opportunity to finally get your feet wet and apply some of those counseling theories you have been tirelessly studying in the program. For students at USA and TBA, an additional layer of knowledge is awaiting you! You will have the opportunity to gain counseling exposure in an urban school and hone multicultural and social justice competencies.

Because I am about to bring a cohort of students to USA, let me begin by conveying to you the unique, rich, and wonderful opportunity to complete your practicum at USA. The additional benefit of this experience is that you will also have your university supervisor/instructor working side by side with you throughout the day. And best of all, you will be in a position to contribute to USA students’ success this spring semester, to help guide them in academic pursuits, to be a support for their concerns, and to assist them as they make important decisions about their education.

To highlight your work at USA, here are some of the activities you will have during practicum:

You will have high school students to work with, an opportunity to shadow school personnel and learn their role/function at the school, learn about the organization of the school, and team to work on projects during the day that will introduce you to a variety of school counselor functions. You will also have the opportunity to observe in classrooms to learn more about academic curricula and classroom management, engage in classroom guidance delivery, and carry a small caseload.

In closing, I will share with you that last year’s practicum students found the experience invaluable. I hope you will have the same reaction to your experiences this semester. What you get out of this experience is predominantly dependent on what you are willing to put into it, and your level of investment.

Have a good ending to your semester break and can’t wait to see you soon!

By Amy Cook