Question

A professional school counselor meets with a student's parents and teachers to address concerns that the teachers have about some of the student's classroom behaviors. During the meeting, as the team plans strategies to help the student be more successful, the school counselor notices that the parents do not provide any feedback. Which of the following best demonstrates an effective strategy for involving the parents in the problem-solving process?

A. Reminding the parents that they are the experts with their child
B. Inviting the parents back for another meeting with the principal
C. Paraphrasing for the parents what the teachers think is the best approach to address the student's problematic behavior
D. Asking the parents to talk to the student at home about the teachers' concerns

Answer 1

A professional school counselor should remind the parents that they are the experts with their own child to effectively engage them in the problem-solving process for addressing their child's classroom behavior. This method respects the parents' knowledge, encourages critical reflection, and facilitates collaboration in the child's educational interventions.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given scenario where a professional school counselor is working to improve a student's classroom behavior and involvement of the student's parents is needed, the effective strategy for involving the parents in the problem-solving process would be to remind the parents that they are the experts with their own child. This approach follows the asset-based method, reinforcing positive roles and fostering critical reflection rather than persuading with top-down expert-identified solutions. Secondly, it aligns with the principles of Unconditional Positive Regard by validating the parents' knowledge and experience and encouraging them to actively participate in designing interventions that cater to their child's unique needs.

Engaging parents in this way also accounts for the roles and influence of different family and community actors, which is essential in any program addressing youth behavior and education. It is a way of adopting adult education methods that elicit critical reflection among community actors, as per recommendations in community psychology. By acknowledging the parents' expertise, the counselor can facilitate a more collaborative environment where parents feel comfortable to share their insights, consequently improving the learning outcomes and possibly identifying barriers to learning that are unique to the child's context.