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MASCA Human Rights Award Nomination Form
2007-2008MASCA Human Rights Award
We are seeking nominations for our MASCA Human Rights Award. MASCA would like to recognize an individual who has been involved in the sponsoring or delivery of outstanding human rights projects or activities. Our preference is a school counselor, but other nominees will be considered. The candidate should be some one who not only embraces the tenets within the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights but also leads by example and ac tively engages in activities that promote human rights for all. Perhaps you know someone who has sponsored outstanding human rights projects or activities, which may include, but are not limited to, the following: • Organized a club or focus group • Led a workshop or community event • Developed lessons advocating human rights • Planned activities that encourage interaction between racial and ethnic groups • Provided tolerance education program around stereotyping or discrimination with regards to sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, economics
MASCA Human Rights Advocate oftheYear 2007-2008 Nominee Form
County______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name of Nominee___________________________________________________________________________________________
School/Agency_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please describe the extraordinary human rights contribution(s) made by the above nominee.Be specific!Provide us with names, dates, places, description of program, testimonials, etc.Describe his/her personal characteristics.Attach your essay to this form and return your nomination by June 1 to:
Kim Gangwisch-Marsh, Franklin County Technical School, 82 Industrial Blvd., Turners Falls, MA 01376 413-863-9561 x144
Or copy and paste the nominee form and attach your essay and email me at kgangwisch@eagle.fcts.org
Your name_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
School/Agency_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Signature______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone number_____________________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MA Model Implementation Institute
Offers a 45-PDPs certificate from MASCA Optional (for additional fee): 3 graduate credits from Fitchburg State College For course description, requirements, and registration, go to www.masca.org/ Trainers:Katie Gray, Jan Tkaczyk, Helen O’Donnell
Collaboration is Key to Model Implementation
Tobegin implementation ofthe MA Model in my school district, collaboration was critical.My previous article inthe Counselor’s Notebook discussed the involvement of the administration. One of our assistant principals,a former guidance counselor, heartily supported my efforts to implement the Model. The principal was open to discussions, read the Model, and discussed the initiative with the superintendent,who subsequently gave his support as well. The principal even attended the MASCA fall conference.
My next step was to find a curriculum that was appropriate for grades 6-12 and that all of the counselors were comfortable using.I presented three options to the counselors,and we agreed on the Choices program through BridgesTransitions, Inc.
The next issue was to find the funding to purchase the site license.There was no money in the budget available for such an expense, butthe Ayer Education Foundation was accepting grant proposals. The AEF is a local organization comprised of community members.Its goal is to support initiatives of teachers that will help the students ofthe Ayer Public Schools.
Since the grant needed the approval of the principal and superintendent, I attached a copy of the Model to ensure that the committee had as much information as possible about the direction school counseling is going and the rationale behind implementing the Model.My grant was approved, and I learned later that its ap proval was, in part, due to the fact that the initiative would serve all students in grades 6-12.
In mid-December we had a representative come to the school and train the counseling staff and the teacher who would be assisting in the initiative. In order to complete the training, the ad min-
istration agreed to have the counselors in training for the day,and they arranged for a substitute for the middle school tech nology teacher, Barbara Dyer, who had agreed to work with us.
Next, the counselors collaborated with Mrs. Dyer and agreed to devote the third term of her technology class to using spe cific portions ofthe Choices Explorer program for the entire middle school population.We held class meetings with the students, staff,and administration at the end of the first semester to introduce the program to everyone.We also held a meeting with the other enhancement teachers,so that the entire faculty would be aware of what we were doing. We then followed up with an e-mail to both the middle and high school faculties.
After the first rotation, we saw what incredible work the students had done. Mrs. Dyer displayed their projects on the technology bulletin board by grade level. The students were able to synthesize the in formation they found on the Choices site into clear descriptions of an occupation of the individual’s choice, which made it meaningful to each student.We made members of the AEF aware of the bulletin board,and they have responded favorably.
The task for the remainder of the year is to integrate the Choices Planner into the high school curriculum.Again, with the collaboration with teachers and the continued support of the administration, Ayer Middle High School should be able to achieve this goal. ■
Implementation workshop offered
MASCA members are welcome to at tend the workshop, “Collaborating with Community Partners to Implement the Massachusetts School Counseling Model.”Sponsored by UMass/Boston, the workshop will be held on Thursday, May 1 in the Campus Center, 3rd Floor.The presenter is MASCA Past President Katie Gray.PDP documentation will be available. ■
SAVE THE DATES! 2nd MA Model Implementation Institute 2008-2009
Wednesday, July 16 • Dean College
(Lodging arranged at Dean College) Thursday, July 17 • Dean College Thursday, October 23 • MASCA Fall Conference Wednesday, November 19 • Dean College
Implementation sharing at the MASCA Spring 2009 Conference
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This year I had the opportunity to go out and recruit students in a few of our sending schools.One of the first questions I asked the middle school counselors was “Do you teach career education?” Middle school counselors are very im por tant players in a student’s future education and career plan,regardless of whether the student chooses comprehensive or vo cational education.
When I was a middle school counselor, Iwent in a rotation with other “itinerants,” and I was lucky enough to have a principal who believed in developmental guidance and made a room available for us to teach in. “Itinerant” means “those who travel from place to place.”As a former health education teacher, I know how un comfortable it can be to move into another teacher’s room and use his or her space. Most teachers whose rooms I used were wonderful and understanding. Some were not.
What concerns me most about the guidance counselor’s teaching role is not lack of curricula, space, or time.It is the lack of required graduate coursework in teaching methods. We can’t expect school counselors to learn on the job or in their practicum. That is not realistic,considering the amount of training a regular or special education teacher has. And it is not fair to school counselors who spend the recommended 25-35% of their job teaching in middle school and 15-25% of their time teaching in high school.
We all know that teaching special classes is not easy.Students often view these classes as free time, a time to relax, and,sometimes, a time to test an unfamiliar adult.To be successful, an itinerant teacher needs strong classroom management techniques, such as being on time and looking professional, having a lesson prepared and never “winging it,”taking attendance, reviewing the last lesson, previewing the current lesson, model, using perimeter teaching and teaching geared to different learning styles, redirection. . . .
Having completed a CACREP portfolio myself, I can say that my four-inchthick portfolio has few lesson plans in it. The common core curricular experiences include:Professional Identity, Social and Cultural Diversity, Human Growth and Development, Career Development, Helping Relationships, Group Work, Assessment, and Research,and Program Evaluation. There is emphasis on career guidance and group counseling but not a lot of emphasis on teaching strategies in the classroom, lesson planning, use of computer-assisted career guidance, teaching to different learning styles, or classroom management.
There are some graduate classes that address this need.The best example that I am aware of is UMass/Amherst’s graduate-level counseling education course entitled “Curriculum—Development and Implementation.”Many colleges simply expose student to frameworks and benchmarks, but that is simply not enough. Neighboring Rhode Island requires two years of documented teaching experience atthe elementary or secondary level for li censure as a school counselor.Some graduateprograms require elective classes, and taking one in teaching methods is a great way to get young counselors ready for this large new role in school counseling.
Our friends in higher education are producing great school counselors, with strong skills and knowledge.With more and more schools implementing the MA Model, it’s important that young school counselors graduate with the skills needed to survive in the office and the classroom. ■
MATTHEW COLEMAN MASCAVPSecondary
Massachusetts School Counselors Association Order Form 2008 DIRECTORY OFMASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS
1-5 copies @ $30.00 each . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . # ______ $_________ Additional Copies 6 or more @ $25.00 each . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . # ______ $_________ Shipping and Handling @$3.50 each . . . . . . . . . . # ______ $_________ P.O. Processing Fee (per order) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . $_________ 5.00 Checks payable to:MASCA TOTALENCLOSED: . $_________
If paying by credit card, please check this box ■ and forward to Jan Tkaczyk. If mailing the form, please send to:
Janice M. Tkaczyk, P.O. Box 318, East Dennis, MA 02641
Your name and contact information:
Name: ______________________________________________________________ School District/Business: _______________________________________________ Mailing Address: _____________________________________________________
