Placement Description
Rockingham County Elementary School placement that offers practical foundational experience working with students.
Intern or Field Placement Responsibilities/Opportunities
- One-on-one mentoring with 4-8 students (ages 5-12)
- Group counseling experiences (with counselor)
- Consultation with parents and teachers
- Classroom instruction assistance (Guidance Classes PK-5)
- Student Study, ASSIST, and other team service coordination meetings
Contact Information
- Contact Person: LeAnne Dean, M.Ed. Licensed School Counselor and L.P.C.
- Address: 302 B Street, Elkton, VA 22827
- Telephone: (540) 298-1511
- Email: ldean01@rockingham.k12.va.us
- School Website: http://ees.rockingham.k12.va.us/
Read about students’ experiences at this site below:
Spring 2024 - Maddy Corsi
My experience at Elkton Elementary was nothing short but amazing. Mrs. Dean is the guidance counselor at Elkton Elementary and she has been the best mentor I could ask for. On my first day at Elkton, I was instantly greeted with support and love from the staff aside from Mrs. Dean. You can tell that the staff truly loves and appreciates the students that go to their school. I have never seen students happier to be at an elementary school before. That's not to be mistaken with me being naïve because of course some days were harder than others, but for the most part, the students enjoy going to school and take pride in wearing the Elkton school colors. My favorite part of this experience has been the connections I have made with not only the staff but the amazing students at this school. Mrs. Dean prides herself on the relationship she forms with the students and that is something I was fortunately able to also achieve. bonding with the students has been an experience indescribable to put into words, but something I will forever cherish. The grades here range from preschool to fifth grade so there are a lot of students to make those one-on-one connections with. One of the ways Mrs. Dean forms these bonds with her students is by hosting lunch groups which are groups that occur during the students' lunch where we discuss their needs either in an individual way or in a group setting. These lunch groups can range from helping with students and their anxiety or simply having a routine individualized check-in. I was able to participate in these lunch groups and even make some of my own. One of my favorite lunch groups I was able to start was one with a group of fifth-grade boys or we discussed how they were feeling about going into middle school and their hobbies. It was amazing to see what connections can do for the student body.
Every day is a unique one at Elkton. Even though there were routines within the schedule, no day was the same and I truly loved that. It made the days go by quicker and allowed me to meet with a variety of different students and form bonds with multiple students. Being a guidance counselor takes on so many roles that I had not always anticipated. Of course, there is the general providing support when needed and being accessible to the students but Mrs. Dean does so much more. In Virginia, guidance counselors are required to have lesson plans at least once a month with each class. These lesson plans can range from a variety of different topics such as dealing with difficult emotions and coping skills for any struggle. usually, a class gets to read a book. Then we discuss the importance of the book, have a community share of how the topic relates to you, and do an arts and crafts activity referring to the book. One of my favorite lesson plans we did was on peer pressure because I thought that this was crucial for students to learn how to cope with it since it will come up in years to come. After we did a slideshow of what peer pressure is and some examples of it, the students were then required to do a community share of what they thought peer pressure looked like in their school. After each student shared we talked about ways to say no to that certain situation and how to prevent ourselves from falling victim to peer pressure. We discussed the risks of peer pressure and the importance of doing the right thing. Mrs. Dean has let me teach her lesson plans and has given me so much freedom in this role. Having the freedom that I do has allowed me to understand the role of a guidance counselor and experience everything hands-on. Mrs. Dean is constantly running around helping wherever she is needed. The staff relies heavily on her since they know how much she is loved by the students and she can handle any situation efficiently and effectively. Every Tuesday after school, she also runs a student-led club which has been so fun for me to be a part of.
My contribution project related to cyberbullying since I felt that social media has made an impact on students in a way I wasn't prepared for. I wanted to make the students aware that what they say online does affect others whether it's their peers in their class or to themselves. I had seen some kids in grades as young as kindergarten participating in social media. I wanted to make the school aware as well of the ways we can help the students who are struggling with any issues that might have stemmed because of social media. most of the arguments between students occurred online or after school, so it's hard to get the full story since there were no witnesses. That has been the biggest struggle here at Elkton since this is a new age no one has been prepared for. I found that making posters giving information about cyberbullying and selfesteem seemed to help a little bit with the issues but continuing to educate myself on how to advise on phone usage is the most helpful.
I can't imagine being at any other placement aside from this one. My one goal during this placement was to see if I wanted to be a guidance counselor and that goal has been met through this placement. I feel confident in my ability to defuse situations I never thought I would be able to prior. I know I have been talking about all the positives of this placement and believe me there have been hard moments during these last few months, but none of them come close to the positive ones I continue to have here. Since this is an elementary school of course there's going to be petty drama within the students and on the contrary circumstances you can never believe a little kids are a part of, but Elkton ensures every student gets the support they need. When I reflect on my time here it will be one that I am honored to be a part of. This will be one of my hardest goodbyes when leaving the state of Virginia to go back home and one I am dreading the most.
Fall 2023 - Hannah Goodwin
The mission at Elkton Elementary is to provide the students with basic skills, and through those skills, students will be able to pass their SOL. Elkton teaches kids so that they can be positive functioning members of society. Elkton provides the children with a safe and positive learning environment. The services that are provided by the counseling section of Elkton Elementary are individual and group counseling, counseling classes, peer conflict mediation, and lunch groups.
I gained a lot of experience through my site. I was able to assist Leanne in everything she did. I helped in individual and group counseling along with peer conflict mediation. I led my own lunch group through my contribution project and led a few classes in kindergarten and fifth grade. I also led classes for kindergarten and fifth grade; I read them books, taught them about emotions, and played games.
My impressions of the site were how much I loved it and wished I could stay longer. I had many advantages at this site. I was able to be hands-on and work directly with staff and students. This experience at Elkton gave me much information on what it is like to be a school counselor. My advisor is very kind and helpful. She encouraged me to try new things but never put me in uncomfortable situations. Leanne would allow me to assist in anything I felt comfortable in and vouch for me to be present in situations and meetings where I could gain knowledge on a subject. She was also very kind and made my time at Elkton fun. I felt that we had formed a genuine friendship. All of the staff at Elkton Elementary are so kind and welcoming, and I look forward to coming there every week.
The students at Elkton were also very welcoming; they were excited to have me in their classrooms, and I could form relationships with them where they felt comfortable sharing information with me. Before coming to the site, I was worried that there would be many limitations. However, I was wrong. I was present during almost everything. I was present during meetings with coordinators and school psychologists, where we discussed students' learning and behavior plans, aided students in internal conflicts, and occasionally led counseling classes.
Before coming to Elkton Elementary, I was not sure what I wanted to do. All I knew then was that I wanted to work with children. Through Elkton, I understood the demands of a school counselor and psychologist. My advisor had told me about her education that had led to her being a school counselor. She taught me that I could be an LPC and a school counselor simultaneously. This was something that I had not considered. She had also showed me the academic route that she followed to achieve her career path which inspired me.
I felt fulfilled at the school and wanted to go back there all the time. I had never found myself complaining about my site and always gushing about it to anybody. This made me realize that I wanted to consider becoming a school counselor. I loved the school setting more than I had anticipated I would. Leanne had informed me about play therapy; she is licensed in play therapy, and through watching me meet with the students, she suggested that I would thrive in play therapy and that I should consider getting licensed. Before this site, I was unsure if I wanted to become a school counselor and had not known play therapy existed.
Something that I found myself constantly thinking of when talking to students is body language. The rest came more naturally to me, but body language was something I constantly had to remind myself of. When students would come and speak with me, I would cross my legs or slouch back into my chair, and sometimes I would forget to keep eye contact. I constantly had to remind myself to sit straight, uncross my legs, and keep eye contact to show them I was actively listening.
I also kept in mind some of the therapies that I have learned. At Elkton, I used a more humanistic response to the students. I had some students who would do or say things that I disagreed with but would actively try to understand why they did what they did. I tried to remember that people do things for a reason and that a child does not act out because they are "a bad kid," but it is most likely a response to something else.
My contribution project was a self-efficacy lunch group for the fourth and fifth graders. The group's goal was to teach the students about self-efficacy and growth mindset and different ways to improve their self-efficacy. We would eat lunch and discuss goals we have set for ourselves and what we have accomplished for that week. We would also talk about the importance of positive self-talk. We also discussed the importance of trying again after failing and asking for help. We would use the time together to play games related to self-efficacy and have a group discussion where the students could share things they are proud of and can improve on.
The students reacted well to the group and began implementing the techniques they learned. In the beginning of the group, the students seemed more reserved and apprehensive about answering questions and sharing stories with the other members. By the end of the group, they were much more talkative and extroverted and seemed more interested in the prompts about self-efficacy. Using games to teach the students made them much more interested in the group's content; it also made them more inclined to share responses with the rest of the group.
Overall, field placement was a great experience, and I am so happy I got to take this class at Elkton Elementary. I wish I could stay longer, and I love the relationships I have formed with the students and staff. Interning at Elkton gave me a great experience and taught me so much.
Fall 2022 - Emily Bowles
At Elkton Elementary School, we believe all children can succeed. It has been an honor and privilege to intern at EES this semester. As their mission statement states, “we believe that effective education is best achieved through a safe environment and an active partnership of school, home, and community.” This is something I believe that Elkton does so well. The administration and staff here are one of the kindest and most supportive teams of people I have ever worked with, who genuinely care so much for each of their students. Located in the East end of Rockingham County, Elkton Elementary is home to 285 students, pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school counselor, LeAnne Lambert, provides a variety of services for these students to engage in. Some of the main services provided are classroom guidance lessons, small group counseling, individual check-ins, and peer mediation.
One of my responsibilities as an intern at Elkton was to assist with classroom guidance lessons. Guidance classes were scheduled monthly with a different topic each month. These topics were structured around the seven principles of Conscious Discipline: encouragement, assertiveness, composure, empathy, choices, positive intent, and consequences. Additionally, since I interned in the fall semester, several months were holiday themed. In preparation for guidance, I would assist Ms. Lambert in preparing needed materials for activities, creating fun room transformations, and brainstorming ideas while lesson planning. During guidance, I would help the class stay focused and on task and assist with the activities as needed. Occasionally I would also read a book to the class that went along with the lesson. Being able to observe and assist in guidance classes was a great way to get to see and know all the students at EES, it also greatly improved my confidence in classroom management skills that I had been hesitant about coming into this filed placement.
Another role I filled was relationship building and mentorship of students. Often if I was working on prepping guidance class materials, or updating a bulletin board, I would pull students to assist me with the task. For example, we often made homemade play-dough to use for guidance or club day activities and since it would dry out, this was something I made often. The students loved to help make play-dough and it was a great time to get to know them further and build rapport.
I had countless other opportunities at Elkton that allowed me to get to see all the students. Initially, I spent most days visiting students during their lunches and joining them at recess. Several homeroom teachers and specials teachers allowed me to sit in and participate with their classes throughout the day if I did not have much to do. My supervisor also allowed me to sit in and observe individual sessions and also attend Student Study and ASSIST meetings.
One of my favorite opportunities at EES was facilitating a 5th grade small group with a focus of developing/enhancing coping skills. For my contribution project research paper, I looked into how children developing emotion identification skills and coping techniques. This idea came to mind as it was our topic for November’s guidance lessons and I felt the desire to dive deeper. Seeing how much it benefited kids on a broader spectrum, I knew it would be helpful in a small group setting. With the support of my supervisor, we created a list of 5th grade students who we thought would benefit from a group like this. I created permission slips to be sent home and developed a plan of how we would spend our time. This small group took place during 5th grade lunch and was heavily discussion based. In group, we talked about naming emotions, how to calm down from overwhelming feelings, identifying stressors, understanding positive vs. negative coping skills, and practiced implementing selected coping skills. It was so rewarding to see these students learn how to use healthy coping skills in their day to day lives.
Overall I loved my time at Elkton and am so grateful for the positive experience. An advantage to working at EES is the impeccable faculty and staff. They are all so friendly, helpful, and supportive. From day one, both staff and students made me feel so welcomed at EES and truly a part of the school family. Not only does Elkton Elementary believe their students can succeed, but it is a community that will encourage and support each other to succeed as well. As a supervisor, Ms. Lambert is wonderful to work with and always ensured I had the opportunities to make my field placement experience exactly what I wanted. I learned so many skills this semester that I will be able to carry with me into future careers and experiences. As mentioned previously, one great area of growth was in my abilities to manage a classroom of students. Learning what did and didn’t work for each class was helpful to maintain focus and attention throughout guidance lessons. I also learned how collaboration between students, teachers, and faculty was extremely important. Very often, teachers and faculty fill us in on what student needs are and how we can be the most help to them. Communicating well and asking questions contributes greatly to creating the best environment for a student to thrive in. I plan to continue prioritizing communication and collaboration with my team members in future career. The only limitation to this internship that I could think of is the 30-minute drive to Elkton. While I actually quite enjoy this time driving to and from school and am fortunate enough to have the time and means to do so, it is something to consider for future student considering placement at this site.
While school counseling is not the field I originally intended to go into, having this internship experience has definitely opened my mind to another area of counseling I enjoy working in, and it has encouraged me to keep an open mind about coming back to it in my future. I have enjoyed getting an in-depth look at what exactly it is a school counselor does in the elementary school setting and learning how to work within a school system. I am grateful to have had an amazing experience this semester and would recommend any student to consider Elkton Elementary as a field placement site.
Spring 2021 – Megan Ludwig
This past semester at Elkton Elementary School has been the biggest point of growth in my college experience. The school counselor at Elkton, Cindy Hepner, provides a variety of different services for students and faculty to engage in. The main focus this past year has been the focus groups that my supervisor leads surrounding the topics of anxiety, stress, and worry. In addition, she does classroom lessons for all grade levels putting an emphasis on the 5 pillars of the school, responsibility, caring, trustworthiness, citizenship, and fairness. Her lessons use these concepts in order to educate the students of Elkton what should and should not be done as honorable members of society. Mrs. Hepner also met individually with students and faculty to come up with intervention and/or prevention plans to keep students safe and allow them to successfully continue their education.
Coming into this semester at Elkton, things were still slightly up in the air because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, my supervisor worked really hard and pushed for things to continue as normal as possible. So, with keeping in mind that COVID-19 was still a hinderance, I was able to complete a variety of tasks. First, I completed a lot of the normal intern errands, such as, making copies, creating books for students, and running things to or from other educators in the building. A main part of my job was to develop the character pillar board that Elkton places an emphasis on. While I was there, I was required to make a board for caring, responsibility, trustworthiness, and fairness. This is where students are selected for behaving characteristically similar to one of the pillars. Teachers would send my supervisor the list of names and I would develop the saying along with what goes on the board. For example, we did “Racing with Responsibility” and “Fishing for Fairness” for two of the four. Another aspect of my role as intern was to assist in all guidance lessons and lunch group sessions. Here, I did a lot of classroom management and working with students who were falling behind during the class period. In addition, I had the opportunity to help out a kindergarten teacher and her class. This entailed a lot of arts and crafts and working alongside the students in the class. I often helped them with assignments or class activities while the teacher was occupied with other students. The biggest aspect of my internship was the mentoring that I did. I was assigned 4 students to work closely with, whether that be playing games with them, helping them on homework, or just creating a genuine relationship with them.
My first impression of Elkton Elementary School was very welcoming. The staff and the students really love having someone there to help out in any way possible. The advantages to interning at Elkton is that you get a great understanding of how school counseling works and what happens throughout the school day. In addition, the teachers are always willing to answer any questions you may have about what they are expecting of you. The same goes for the school counselor, she is happy to help you and is open to working through your curiosity about this profession. There are not many disadvantages for this school, the only one I want to say is that COVID definitely makes working in a school more difficult, but it is heartwarming to see students returning in full capacity. My favorite thing about this placement is the opportunity to work with the students. I saw this as the best part because school counseling is mainly about the children you work with, so I wanted to get as much experience working with the students at this school.
Ever since I enrolled in my first psychology class at James Madison University, I knew I wanted to be a school counselor. My placement has done an excellent job of showing the skills necessary to be successful as a school counselor. I believe that there are still aspects that I need to improve on, but I definitely developed more skills in managing and dealing with students. Sometimes, students can be wild and misbehave and I was nervous coming in and having to be an authority to them. However, my supervisor gave me the confidence needed to believe in myself. In addition, the experience of just working with students and getting to know them on a more personal level allowed me to feel more comfortable working with all students. I think having this experience only solidified my dreams of being a school counselor even more than what they were.
My ideas for the contribution project were focused on the current state of our students. The coronavirus effected so many people, but from my point of view it affected students the most. My paper portion of this project was focused on the impacts that students experienced on their mental health, academics, and their ability to transition. I touched on the idea behind government lockdown led to isolation and loneliness for students and the rest of their family. The application portion of this project was at first difficult to develop, but when I landed on the final outcome, I was excited to begin working on it. I decided to create a hallway transition for students to return to Elkton after Spring Break and feel welcomed and at home. In Rockingham County, students returned full capacity, four days a week after being mostly virtual for about a year. I saw this as an opportunity to help students through this difficult time. I saw that students were still experiencing aftereffects of the virus, so I thought decorating the hallway to make them feel more at home would be beneficial. The kindergarten teacher I teamed up with said that she would like to see a nursery rhyme theme since she will be covering that unit shortly. Therefore, I researched popular nursery rhymes and then had a few weeks of arts and crafts. I began this project by lining the walls with blue and green construction paper to give the illusion that we were in the middle of a field with bright blue skies. Then, I created “humpty dumpty” a brick wall with flowers surrounding him. I also cut out stars to make the nursery rhyme “twinkle twinkle little star” come to life. I finished off with “itsy bitsy spider” where I had the water spout, rain with clouds in the sky, and spiders all along the wall. To add more flare to this project, I also created a spring theme with it, so I had flowers and a rainbow and butterflies all over the walls. Overall, I think this project went over really well with both students and teachers alike. If you have the opportunity to work at Elkton, I highly suggest taking it because not only will you learn a ton, but you will also feel so welcomed and important while you are there!
Fall 2020 – Taylor Bronaugh
My field placement site this semester was at Elkton Elementary School (EES) in Elkton Virginia. My participation in this site was one of the most impactful experiences I have had while at JMU. This year there were approximately 310 students enrolled at EES. Their mission statement is “We believe that all children can succeed. It is our goal to provide the children of Elkton Elementary with a strong foundation of basic skills, basic technology and problem solving skills. Armed with these skills, the students can pass the SOL tests for their grade level, and work towards becoming positive and productive members of society. We believe effective education is best achieved through a safe environment and an active partnership of school, home and community.” From my experience working at EES, I believe this mission is upheld. EES strives for all students to succeed. My future career goals include working in a public school system. With that in mind, I was looking for opportunities where I could enhance my knowledge and comfort working in a school. I looked forward to making an impact on the students' lives with whom I worked.
One of the main responsibilities that I had at my placement was to serve as a mentor for a group of students. We met individually once a week. Our meetings were a time where I offered unconditional positive support to the students. During this time, students were given a safe space where they had the opportunity to be themselves and interact with me. Sometimes I would bring specific materials that targeted a student’s individual needs, or opportunities for growth. I worked with my supervisor and some of my students' teachers to brainstorm ideas for what I could do during our time together that would have a sustained impact on them. For example, with one student, I prepared worksheets and activities around positive self-image and personal development. We worked together on these activities, so it didn’t feel like “work” per se. I made it fun and engaging, and we would talk about the answers we put down and how they made us feel. This was something I enjoyed because during my time working with this student, I could see small improvements, which was so rewarding for me. I had planned to create more activities that targeted my students individually after our spring break, but unfortunately my time with them was cut short due to COVID-19.
Another role that I had was assisting my supervisor during group counseling sessions. Group counseling consisted of my supervisor planning themes or topics around issues that were of a particular need to the student body. During my time, I worked with the second grade and fifth grade group on anger management and impulsivity. I was initially nervous about working with the fifth-grade group, because I was unsure of the severity of their counseling needs due to their age and the topics we were discussing, but they ended up being my favorite group of students. At the end of our time, I felt like I was able to develop relationships with them. I enjoyed group counseling because it let me meet more of the students in the school, and I had the opportunity to play a role in their personal development. During group counseling it was my responsibility to assist the students in completing worksheets, and reminding them to stay quiet and on task while my supervisor was talking.
I also prepared materials my supervisor needed for her counseling class, group counseling sessions, or for the latest bulletin board she was creating. Doing these small tasks for her gave me a sense of accomplishment because I knew that with my completion of these, she could complete her more pressing tasks. While it might have been tedious work for me, I was happy to help with it because I knew that it would be something off her full plate.
Finally, my other role was to assist my supervisor during her monthly counseling classes. In this position, my role was closely associated with one of a teacher's assistants. I made sure the students were staying on task, I would help hand out materials, and overall make sure that our lesson time ran smoothly. If my time was not cut short, I would have worked it out with my supervisor to have a larger role in this position. That could have been offering to read the story that went along with the lesson or explaining the activity that the students were going to complete.
Overall, I am so thankful for the time that I had at Elkton. I felt welcome, and my supervisor was incredible. She encouraged me to gain as many experiences as I could while at EES. I attended meetings with her and had the opportunity to supervise and assist in some special education classes because that was something I was interested in observing. I am thankful that my supervisor was flexible and encouraged me to get as much extra experience as I could. One big take-away that I had during my time at EES was that this experience solidified to me that I am on the right career path. I have so much enthusiasm for going to school each day, and finding ways to better the experience of the students and teachers with whom I will work.
It is hard to think about any disadvantages that I had while at Elkton. One could see the 30-minute drive as a disadvantage, but I always found it as a relaxing way to start my day. A main advantage of this site is the flexibility of the job requirements. Like I said before, with the help of my supervisor I was able to better tailor my time at Elkton in ways that were unique to my own learning needs. Outside of my mentorship and group counseling times that were all predetermined, I had the opportunity to make my experience unique to me.
My contribution project unfortunately was not able to be implemented this semester due to COVID-19. I was planning on creating a mindfulness intervention for a second-grade class. The purpose of this was to help these students increase their self-awareness and attention to the present, i.e. paying attention during classroom lessons. I would have worked out a time with their teacher that fit both of our schedules where I would come to their classroom and lead them in a mindfulness activity. I would have “Mindfulness Activity Cards” with different mindfulness prompts that could be completed in approximately a minute. I would also have mindfulness body scans and other longer forms of re-centering through predeveloped scripts. Finally, I would have taught the students breathing techniques that they could use when they were feeling overwhelmed. They would have received individual handouts of these techniques for their own visual assistance and future reference. I would have also created a poster where students and the teacher could refer to if they felt like there was a need for a group mindfulness breathing break.
Working at EES was a positive experience. While I was sad that my experience at EES was cut short due to COVID- 19, I know that I gained invaluable knowledge and had an amazing experience. I would highly recommend working at this school.
Fall 2020 – Sam Scully
This semester I had the opportunity to be a part of the JMU psychology field placement. I interned at Elkton Elementary shadowing the counseling department. Elkton is located in Rockingham county and home to about 370 students, pre-kindergarten through fifth. Due to covid-19, the school was at limited capacity with only grades pre- k through first. Many challenges came with going to school during a global pandemic. However, Elkton continued to ensure a positive, safe environment for all faculty, teachers, and students. Their mission statement is, “We believe that all children can succeed. It is our goal to provide the children of Elkton Elementary with a strong foundation of basic skills, basic technology, and problemsolving skills.” Elkton prides itself on giving students all the necessary tools for success. Whether that be advanced technology, individualized learning, and special education. The goal of Elkton is to bring together school, home, and the community. When parents, teachers, and students are one cohesive unit, education is at its best. Elkton strives to provide everyone with an effective education to promote long term academic achievement.
During my time with the counseling department, I learned a tremendous amount about the role of a school counselor and school psychologist. I delved into the logistics and daily routine of their jobs. My supervisor, Cindy Hepner has been the school counselor for over 18 years. She has duties ranging from guidance lessons and individual/group counseling sessions to scheduling and lunch duty. Due to Covid-19 Ms.Hepner's routine was slightly different from years past. Every other week, she would hold guidance lessons. We would travel to various classrooms and give the scheduled lesson of the week. Usually consisting of yoga and breathing activities. All centering around alleviating stress and mindfulness strategies. Our curriculum for the first semester involved feelings and moods. We encouraged students to express themselves through feeling words. We wanted them to practice communicating emotions such as angry, excitement, and upset. The breathing activities teach the students to take a second and calm down after an intense emotion. My other intern duties consisted of individual mentorship. I would meet with students who were struggling academically, socially, or emotionally. I was there to be a friend and make them feel more comfortable at Elkton. I visited them weekly and we set goals in hopes of accomplishing them by the end of the semester. I also made copies, helped in the cafeteria, and assisted other teachers. For my contribution project, Ms. Hepner and I collaborated on making a multifaceted resource to assist parents during COVID-19 and online learning. We added links to sources related to coping with a child's newfound anxiety, depression, and pandemic related stressors. In addition, we had tips to promote socio-emotional learning at home, handling grief, loss, bullies, and divorce. Online learning created difficulties for many families. The parents corner is meant to aid parents, and hopefully, alleviate any added stress due to virtual learning.
The school psychologist would typically come into Elkton once a week and evaluate the students. The school psychologist would use assessment strategies to determine the needs of the students. Both the school counselor and psychologist are looking to provide all the tools necessary for a child to succeed. Once the assessment process is over, they may intervene in the students' learning. The counselor and psychologist were primarily responsible for special education testing. Based on what they observed during the assessment, and information given by others they would decide what is best for the student. Typically there is a consultation with the parents, teachers, school counselor, other faculty before any permanent changes are made. These experiences allowed me to better understand the difference between a school counselor and a school psychologist.
My field placement was a very hands-on experience that strengthened my knowledge of the field of psychology. I learned skills that I can certainly use in my future academic and career endeavors. Communication and asking questions was essential during my field placement experience. When a student had an issue that I couldn't solve directly I made sure to find a source who could. Collaboration with students, teachers, and faculty was extremely important. Asking questions and being attentive help promote teamwork. I plan to continue prioritizing collaboration in future jobs and while working with colleagues. I was also able to improve my time management and organizational skills. Balancing an internship, college courses, a job, and COVID-19 was not a simple task. I learned ways to devote time with the students while also ensuring all my intern duties were being met. I had to be cognizant of time and schedules. This helped me carry out tasks that needed to be done by certain deadlines. Working in an elementary school is very unpredictable. One never knows what a student might say or do at any given moment. Therefore, I always allocated time in my day for the unexpected. Especially in a time of COVID-19, schooling is ever-changing. I learned to adapt to the constant shift of the school day and in turn affected my daily life. Adjusting to new health precautions and teacher, student needs was something I learned to strive off of. Being prepared and organized was essential to succeeding at my job.
Elkton Elementary has a very friendly, inviting atmosphere. I always felt welcomed and truly enjoyed my time this semester. The teachers and faculty made me feel a part of the Elkton family. The students were always eager to talk to me about anything on their minds. My favorite part of interning was the in-depth look at the role of a school counselor. My interest in integrating psychology and helping children grew. Counseling is certainly a passion of mine. Elkton gave me an amazing opportunity that in turn taught me more about the imperative job of a counselor. One limitation of this field placement site, however, would be the distance. Elkton is a 30-minute drive from JMU. I am lucky enough to have the time and means to travel an hour each day for the internship. Not everyone is as privileged, and this is something to take into account before accepting this field placement. Overall my time at Elkton was a positive experience that I will cherish forever.
