Em had to pick her classes for her Senior year this week, so there we sat at the kitchen table for an evening, discussing the merits of this class or that--and the downfalls of some of the teachers that teach those classes. Is it honors this or AP that? Do we take this class with this teacher or go down a level and get that one? It's all very complicated. Finding the right mix of a challenging class with a good teacher was escaping us on a couple of levels.
Exasperated, Em finally asked if I could go in and talk to her counselor with her--we just needed to know our options and figure out a plan. Sure.
But it wasn't so easy.
I email her counselor and immediately get the reply "I'm sorry, I am out of the office until the following week". That's it. No "If you need to get a hold of someone in counseling call such and such" or automatic email forwarding to another counselor. It was just "Yeah, sorry. I'm out on vacation even though I just had two weeks off for the holidays AND it is class scheduling time.Too bad for you." Sigh.
After a couple of emails to the school, I get a call yesterday morning from a very annoyed counselor who wanted to convince me that I really don't need to come in. Which really didn't work for me and I think I kinda gave him that message. It was a mess. I mean, what does it take for counselors to counsel these days? Or employees to show up for work and actually DO their work? It seems to be a theme for those around me lately.
I made an appointment with this guy (much to his chagrin) for later in the day. I swear I heard a deep sigh as we were setting the time--so that sorta miffed me even more. So, I asked his name again and he replied "Shama. Mr. Shama."
And the first thing that came to my mind? Shama-lama-ding-dong.
Seriously. And how utterly appropriate for this knucklehead.
I called back and canceled that appointment. And when I met with another counselor instead, I didn't once refer to the first knucklehead as Shama-lama-ding-dong. Not once. You'd be proud of me.
But I thought about it.
22 comments:
You did better than me,I would have found someone to complain about Mr.Ding Dong,but my mouth often gets me in trouble ;p ! I am glad you had the option of another counselor.
2 years ago they got rid of all the counselors at our HS. They didn't fire them, but stuck them into some strange teaching positions at different schools. Sounds like they may need to do the same with yours.
Our MS counselors have been the same for YEARS! Park has the same one that Jake did (they follow the kids through each year). My boys are 6 year apart school wise. My daughter is 7 years behind Park, so she won't get that same great counselor.
Reading this I'm just SO relieved I'm not a student anymore ;-)
Good Luck to Em!
You've struck a pet peeve of mine. A junior in HS should be very comfortable knowing their position and goals. But then, colleges would suffer $ losses because kids would not be dropping out, or switching majors as often as they do now. No doubt the counselor situation is similar to the economy. It seems it's all by design. Don't get me started....Fran's Dad
Grace looks as though she is ready to interview me for a job, and has already decided NO. Or perhaps she is a counselor TELLING me, not suggesting, what to take. (I had that happen to me as I was registering for my senior year in HS.)
We didn't have counselors at my high school. No honors or AP classes either. I can't even imagine what you are going through with likes of Mr Ding Dong. Fortunately you didn't end up with Ms Ho-Ho. Sounds like there might be a few Twinkies in there.
OK, it's 7 AM and guess what I'll be humming all day? I remember HS counselors being unhelpful WAY back in the, um, 70's!
To play devil's advocate - how many students, how many counselors, how many parents? What's the rest of the counselor's responsibilities? On vacation? How do you know? Maybe that vacation is being taken at a hospital or at home recovering from something - the major work being scheduled over the holiday period so they wouldn't lose too much time from work...
Maybe? Who knows? No one asked.
If I had to do it all over again, I'd go to BOCES. Seriously. Don't laugh! I was a Regents student (a NYS high school certification that we sweated bullets for only to find that it means nothing out of state) and majored in such high brow majors as English lit, fine art and languages. But all that has done very little. I wish I'd learned a profession, like electrical or plumbing, so I could get a real job and earn tons of bucks. Why go through all of that "liberal arts" schooling only to pound the pavements with all the other million high school grads looking for an office job? Meh. Counselors and their fancy-schmancy classes-- BAH HUMBUG. lol.
Have a nice day! :D
I couldn't wait until my kids were done with school so that I didn't have to deal with that stuff anymore. I would say you handled yourself very well Lin. I'm quite proud of you :)
Shama-lama-ding-dong. OMG. You slay me.
Wow, that's annoying. I never once visited my counselor in h.s. outside of "required" visits. I really don't know why, it does fit the stereotype, but they are all useless. I wonder...was the other appointment helpful at all, or did you feel like she knew as much as you did?
It is so frustrating trying to work with people who don't seem to enjoy doing their job. I love Grace's look on her face. You can just hear the sarcasm going on in her brain ~ hahaha ~ I love it!!
xo Catherine
In my four years of high school, I think I had no less than 6 guidance counselors. I should have had two (one for 9-10 grade, one for 11-12), but every year something happened and I got bumped to someone new. Only one was remotely helpful. I'm surprised I actually got through high school and got into college.
I hate school counselors. When I was in high school they cancelled my history class right out from under me. I showed up to class only to find a note on the door saying to report to our counselors. I sat in my counselor's outer office for almost two weeks because she'd rather joke around with the basketball team than do her job. That's when I found out our basketball team never went to any classes.
Melodie--I'm beyond complaining about the counselors--I've done enough already. I am on the education committee for the district and have been very vocal about the counselors, but teachers, principals and administrators have a very skewed view of how wonderful things truly are and don't listen to us parents much. Sigh. What to do? I look out for my own and try to do the best for my kid that I can.
Diana--Why DO we have counselors anyway? They are always so BAD! Ugh.
Duni--I've got one more year, Duni. One. More. Stinking. Year. of this.
Fran's Dad--Mike, you know first hand what I am talking about. The counselors at our school are less than stellar.
Vanilla--Did you counselor look like Grace? :P I wonder what happens to the kids who parents are unwilling or unable to help them?
Chuck--Did you hear that Hostess is filing bankruptcy? What will happen to the Ding Dongs and Twinkies??? No more Twinkie Casserole???? OMG! I say we should save the sweets and ditch the counselors--apparently they aren't doing their jobs. I am still wondering what they really do at the school.
Katnip Lounge--Mine too!! Why do we have that job?? A move up for Teachers????
Grace--I asked. And you know I did. I asked very sweetly "Oh, Did Ms. Quinn have a death in her family???" And the answer? "Oh no! She had a trip planned for this week a long time ago!!" Really???? And my next question "So, she was allowed vacation one week after 2 weeks off AND the week of class scheduling??!" (Quiet on the end of the phone) And the answer to your other question--after 7 years at that school and this is the FIRST time I asked to meet with our counselor about class scheduling, I was told that parents just don't come in for this--so the number of students, parents, and counselors really doesn't get in the mix--they just don't expect us to come in. Plain and simple. And after seeing first-hand the "trouble" this caused--I can tell you this in NOT encouraged. And they can't figure out why there isn't more parent involvement. Hmmmmmmm. (Um, BTW, I am a pretty involved parent) I'm kinda the Devil's Advocate at a lot of the meetings I'm a part of at the district and school level.
Rebecca--But in this economy, those electricians and plumbers are not working either--the housing market is in the crapper. I'm not sure what is the answer, but I look out for my own and encourage college degrees from a good school for both of my children. In working in the HR dept at work, I can see where ANY job requires a college degree. And as my momma says "They can't take it away from you". It's always a bonus on any resume. Seriously. Even for menial positions.
Ann--One. More. Year. That's all I have to deal with at the high school. Can't wait.
Kathy--I'm still cracking myself up on that one. :P
Nancy--Nope. She wasn't much more helpful, but I unloaded a LOT. She had the nerve to suggest that Em ditch the math class altogether! In her Senior year!! arrrrggghhh!
Catherine--It's not even a matter of enjoying the job! Hell, they should enjoy it--they are pretty much doing nothing for a lot of money!!! I think I had Grace's look on my face the entire time.
Silverthoughts--Until last year, the kids got a new counselor EVERY year! How the heck would the counselor even KNOW my kid, more or less help them stay on track???! It's crazy! I would like to take part credit for making the suggestion that the kids have the same counselor all 4 years for tracking and personal reasons--I'm on an education committee at the district to bring that sort of stuff up. Ugh!! It's so darn frustrating that they are sooooo bad!
Ratty--I'm beginning to think that a counseling position has everything to do with padding some teacher's pension than actually helping kids. It appears to be a "created" position to move up to for teachers to create yet another level of salary to pad their pensions. I'm very, very tired of teacher's unions and pensions.
Lin-want to come get your taxes done at my place? 2 weeks left for W-2s and 1099s and they haven't even been looked at. Payroll returns due the 31st. Then just as people will be bringing in their tax stuff she is going with Rotary to India for 2 weeks til end of Feb. With any luck I will have a new job and be out of there before she gets back.
Probably good that you canceled the appointment with Ding Dong. He sure didn't wouldn't have been any help and you would have laughed out loud. Sounds like Em is the only one that cares to get her schedule right. Anyway, hope it all works out for Em. Take care.
Helene--May 2012 be the year, Helene. I'm praying for it.
Marg--You are right on, Marg. I knew that our meeting was not going to be productive. As you can see from the comments, I think counseling has always been a week spot at the high school level. I'm wondering if counselor is just another step on the pension ladder for teachers?? I'm beginning to think so.
oooooooh. the you are only the parent, you know nothing and we don't need you tactic. My favorite. The one that made me want to keep kids in school. yeah.
It's the old stand-by for people who don't want to do their jobs, Sharkey. I like to hold them accountable and actually make them work. :)
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