Guidance Counsellor Credentials
Guidance Counsellor Credentials
Looking through schools and seeing quite a few positions this year for elementary school counsellors. Anybody know what type of credentials schools would be looking for in a candidate? I am a Canadian so could start taking additional basic qualification courses (guidance 1, 2 and specialist) but would that actually have a chance to lead to a job. Thinking of trying to take a break from being a homeroom teacher but PE and EAL seem hard to crack, at least in decent schools. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Response
A lot of those primary counselor positions will be a cushy job, they are little more than ego boosting "your child is so special and gifted (just in a way not recognized)", a little SPED/LD/SEN and a touch of MH (mental health).
You would need a masters in guidance and/or counseling, maybe another MH masters degree, but what ISs will really want is a credential (and youd need the Masters to qualify for the credential), in addition most counselor credentialing programs require several hundred hours of practicum, and even a number of ears of prior teaching experience.
You wouldnt be very competitive, but it would depend on the IS, what they wanted you to do, and how much primary teaching experience you had. It would be a significant gamble.
PSPE is very difficult to get into in primary without any prior experience, and many ISs will hire anybody with credentials or not. In some ways its a partial load for an admin, or a spouse. ESOL isnt much different, many primary ISs will just hire a contract ET or use a trailing spouse, or even combine PSPE and ESOL.
You would need a masters in guidance and/or counseling, maybe another MH masters degree, but what ISs will really want is a credential (and youd need the Masters to qualify for the credential), in addition most counselor credentialing programs require several hundred hours of practicum, and even a number of ears of prior teaching experience.
You wouldnt be very competitive, but it would depend on the IS, what they wanted you to do, and how much primary teaching experience you had. It would be a significant gamble.
PSPE is very difficult to get into in primary without any prior experience, and many ISs will hire anybody with credentials or not. In some ways its a partial load for an admin, or a spouse. ESOL isnt much different, many primary ISs will just hire a contract ET or use a trailing spouse, or even combine PSPE and ESOL.