Have you ever needed a schedule change?  What about having trouble with your peers? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then you’ve probably spent some time in the Paint Branch counseling department.  The basic idea of school counseling is to provide a place for students to get help if they have a problem or to receive guidance regarding their classes and their future.

According to Resource Counselor Mrs. Darlene Jackson, Rule One in every counseling situation is always speak up. Everyone should be able to speak up for themselves because speaking up for yourself helps improve your confidence.

Mrs. Jackson, who has been in counseling for 18 years, feels that counseling is “about educating and helping kids out.” Mrs. Jackson also suggests that children should advocate for themselves if they have a problem because that problem can evolve quickly. She also explains that educating students now means that your life in the future is going to be brighter and better.

As for the complexity of her job, Mrs. Jackson feels that it changes depending on the day.  “It has a different scale every day,” she says. Mrs. Jackson goes on to explain that “January and February are the hardest time of the school year because the counselors have to find the right schedule for [every] student.”

While the job can be difficult, Mrs. Jackson really enjoys working with young people.  “I love kids and enjoy watching them become successful and improve,” she notes.  Mrs. Jackson suggests, “Students who are having trouble with their homework should get in a support group (of which there are several at school) because it is a good way to get help with the materials that they don’t understand.”

Fellow counselor Mrs. Adrianne Whipple, who has been a counselor for 8 years, encourages students to get help with projects that they don’t understand.  “Students could get help at lunch in the media-center and at home by getting a tutor or a research website,” Mrs. Whiple explains.

Students are their own people, notes Mrs. Whipple, who feels that it is important that each person follow his orher individual path, not their friends’ because everyone has their part to play in life.