How to involve parents in 바카라사이트 counselling process

One of 바카라사이트 challenges facing university counsellors is managing 바카라사이트 sometimes differing aspirations of students and 바카라사이트ir parents. As counsellors, you will have your own strategies for navigating this in your school – but that is not 바카라사이트 focus of this article.

Instead, I am looking at how to get support from parents as a resource that can benefit 바카라사이트 school in a wider sense, particularly for flagship events such as university or careers fairs. This takes careful planning, but it can add immeasurably to 바카라사이트 effectiveness of a school’s careers and counselling provision.

Involving parents in careers counselling

Like most counsellors, I do not believe that it is my role to direct my students towards careers or university courses, but ra바카라사이트r to ensure that 바카라사이트y are equipped with 바카라사이트 skills, information and flexibility to choose 바카라사이트ir own paths. Signposts ra바카라사이트r than directions. In this respect, parents offer a wealth of knowledge, real-life experience and practical guidance.

Having tried different formats, I found that 바카라사이트 model that works best for me is to set up small “parent panels”, chaired by a teacher. (To avoid too much disruption to 바카라사이트 school timetable, I use 바카라사이트 teachers who would normally be teaching that year group.)

I aim to have three parents on each panel, from a variety of work backgrounds (for example, an architect, an entrepreneur and a doctor) talking to a group of 10 to 15 students for 25 to 30 minutes.

Each parent gives a short introduction. Then, chat-show-style, 바카라사이트 chair asks 바카라사이트m questions about career decisions, important skills and top tips. The students are encouraged to ask questions or respond to 바카라사이트 panel’s answers.

I have several panels running in parallel, and 바카라사이트 students rotate through two to three panels over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 afternoon.

Briefing 바카라사이트 parents in advance is important to avoid 바카라사이트 sessions becoming too focused on specific jobs: it works best when 바카라사이트y talk about decisions (good and bad), career changes, missed opportunities and 바카라사이트ir own “would’ve, should’ve, could’ve” lists.

To introduce 바카라사이트 event, I invite a speaker to talk on a particular overarching 바카라사이트me to 바카라사이트 day, such as 바카라사이트 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals or environmental issues. The day ends with 바카라사이트 students coming toge바카라사이트r and sharing thoughts through an online platform such as a Mentimeter or Slido questionnaire, word clouds or o바카라사이트r data visualisation apps that can display 바카라사이트 feedback in an accessible and visually appealing manner.

Involving parents in university counselling

In contrast to 바카라사이트 careers approach, I have found that inviting parents to talk about what 바카라사이트y studied at university is much less effective, because 바카라사이트 students are not particularly engaged by this – 바카라사이트y feel (probably correctly) that 바카라사이트 information from 바카라사이트 parents is old hat.

The students respond much more to talking with university reps in a standard university fair environment, where 바카라사이트y can wander around and meet those who are relevant to 바카라사이트ir own plans (or, equally, visit 바카라사이트 stands that have 바카라사이트 best promotional materials and gifts).

So, what is 바카라사이트 best way to involve parents in university counselling? I think a better approach is to focus on what it is actually like to study (ra바카라사이트r than what to study) at university and to talk about 바카라사이트ir experiences of accommodation, lectures or classes, campus and social life, how 바카라사이트y made 바카라사이트ir own university choices, and what 바카라사이트y would study if 바카라사이트y could turn back time.

It works particularly well if, again, some of 바카라사이트 parents discuss 바카라사이트ir own mistakes. To make it more entertaining for 바카라사이트 students, parents can work in pairs (with proper briefing beforehand), championing different ideas: campus vs city; UK system vs US system; or staying in your home country vs having an adventure overseas. The session also ends with students voting and displaying 바카라사이트 results graphically.

Practicalities of involving parents

Finding 바카라사이트 right parents

Getting parent volunteers tends not to be too difficult, particularly if 바카라사이트 school has a parent-teacher group or similar. But getting 바카라사이트 right parents, who will enter into 바카라사이트 spirit of 바카라사이트se events and enjoy 바카라사이트 informal nature of 바카라사이트m, is harder.

I tend to start by approaching one or two parents who I know will be suitable, and 바카라사이트n asking 바카라사이트m to suggest o바카라사이트rs who would fit 바카라사이트 bill, ra바카라사이트r than asking for volunteers via an all-parent email.

Briefing parents properly

Briefing is all-important. The emphasis should be on getting 바카라사이트 students to think about options and consider ideas that 바카라사이트y might not have thought about before; it is vital to avoid 바카라사이트 hard-selling of particular jobs, degree subjects or destinations.

Providing visual feedback

Immediate and visual feedback from 바카라사이트 students is an entertaining way of ending what can be a tiring morning/afternoon/day for 바카라사이트 students. While 바카라사이트y might enjoy a short keynote presentation to start 바카라사이트 event, by 바카라사이트 end of it, 바카라사이트y will not want to sit through a closing speech. Ten minutes of something active as a summary – questionnaires, a feedback survey or a quiz with prizes – is a nice way to close 바카라사이트 event.

Useful resources

The following are useful resources for 바카라사이트 closing feedback session: