Peer Counseling 3   (#1400320)

General Notes

The purpose of this course is to enable students to develop proficient knowledge and skills in communication, personal and group dynamics, and conflict resolution. Emphasis will be on the issues and concerns of students within the school.

The content should include the following:

• Select and use appropriate, effective leadership and interpersonal skills and techniques in group settings.
• Demonstrate knowledge of varied behavioral responses to situational, environmental, and chemical elements; and the impact of subsequent decision-making on self and others.
• Demonstrate use of proficient facilitative communication skills (listening, feedback, nonverbal communication, nonjudgmental response, repairing communication breakdown).
• Demonstrate understanding of methods for dealing with conflict (communication, assertion, avoidance, aggression) and use strategies specific to varied types of conflict to facilitate resolution.
• Demonstrate knowledge of varied school and community resources (school counseling center, School Resource Officer, community mental health services, public health services, AIDS clinic, rape crisis center, drug and alcohol intervention/prevention programs, hotlines, Internet).
• Assess needs and issues among individuals and groups of students within the school.
• Work cooperatively to plan, implement, and evaluate effective student programs designed to address needs and issues identified through assessment.

Special Notes:

Instructional Practices Teaching from a well-written, grade-level textbook enhances students' content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any reason. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning:

1. Reading assignments from longer text passages as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
2. Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
3. Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
4. Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
5. Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).