Join Leah & Jeff as we chat with MCHS Counselor, LINK Advisor, Comics Fan & Staff Infection Band Member, Curtis Menke!
Listen in as we chat about School “Guidance” vs. School “Counseling” - what’s the difference? and MUCH more:
GUIDANCE: It’s about the role and what that person does
Guidance is antithetical to the word counseling
51% Social-Emotional / 49% Educator
Guiding is reactive (guidance is telling someone what to do, “better than”)
Curtis’s Philosophy - “If I’m guiding them, I know where the end is”
Partnering with teachers and other professionals - what a good counselor should be doing
Manager vs. Leader
Middle-Manager
Curtis’s Education Story -
Settled on school counseling because his counselor was “less than,” and was also his Driver’s Ed teacher
From Grant Park, IL - one of those little “Blink and you miss it” towns
Graduated from a 31 student class in high school
WIU - College
Transferred to Olivet (Psychology)
Just clicked when he was there
Grad School - Northern IL U
Entire career here
Has worked at both MCHS campuses
Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches:
COVID - trying to develop rapport and connection in the age of Zoom
Advice for New Teachers/Counselors
Embrace silliness
Permission to put their guard down, and mistakes more
Social barriers to protect themselves
HOPEFUL:
Short term - return safely
Long term - Overall roles of MCHS employees focusing on developmental needs of kids as we merge campuses; content is enhanced when students have post-secondary goals
GUEST CONTACT INFO:
Twitter: Curtis Menke
HOST CONTACT INFO:
