Importance Of Guidance And Counselling In a Student’s Life

Every student is unique with learning ability and interest areas which may have a degree of variance from his peer group. Children are exposed to the concept of schooling when they are young. In those tender years, most students tend to form an extremely strong and dependable bond with their teachers. A teacher is seen as a credible and trustworthy figure who becomes a students’ source of knowledge and a window to the external world. Over the years, based on the guidance and empathetic counselling by the teachers, students choose their path in life and regard these mentors as the first friend, philosopher, and guide in their lives. Not only do teachers impact a student’s educational and career choice, but also shape their personality and character. Therefore, the guidance and counselling that a student receives during elementary years, become the foundation on which they build their lives and contribute to society.

This is only possible when students are provided with a safe and reassuring environment to express themselves freely without the fear of judgement or being incorrect. Progressive schools understand the importance of instilling the required level of self-assurance and self-confidence in students to ready them for a futuristic world. Therefore, over the years, the focus has been moving towards aspects that matter the most, including teacher-student ratio, personal attention to each student, mental wellness and career counselling, inclusivity, innovative teaching techniques and global exposure.

It is imperative for schools to ideate on innovative means of ensuring that students are willing and receptive towards the guidance they are being provided. Building a culture of interactivity, curiosity and kindness ensures a student feels inspired and motivated to learn new things. An enthusiastic student is always receptive to diverse points of views which become a good starting point for him/her to shape an opinion or choose a direction. Some practical teaching methodologies like one-on-one counselling sessions, time to time psychographic mapping, group projects, practical experiments, field visits and exchange programmes broaden a student’s horizon and empower them with a wider view.

Building an open culture of interactivity and exchange is a two-way street that requires teachers to evolve as the external environment demands. To be able to see a guide and a friend in their teachers, the students must feel comfortable sharing their views and ideas with someone much older than them. Therefore, being contemporary and relatable is the most crucial aspect for a teacher. From creating an engaging environment in the classroom to being open to evolving and learning new things with their students. With every session, a teacher should be willing to unlearn and relearn. Schools should provide requisite professional training sessions to all teachers to evolve from being subject matter experts to attitudinally becoming mentors and guides.

Over the years, society at large has become more aware and open about conversations concerning mental health. Adolescent years are notorious for most students when they willingly or unwillingly undergo changes, both physical and psychological. This time overlaps with some of the most crucial years in the educational lifecycle and therefore, the need for an expert counsellor is even more pronounced. Schools have increasingly started working towards eradicating the stigma attached to mental health issues and that is a step in the positive direction. Misplaced anger, anxiety, mood swings are some common emotions observed in the students ranging across class 8th to 12th and most schools now have a dedicated student counsellor who helps students as well as parents in sailing through these years seamlessly.

As rightly said, life is a journey of uncertainties, despite best efforts, we are met with situations we have not planned for and the current COVID-19 pandemic is one such situation. In such times, the investment made by the school, the teachers, and the parents, in shaping an individual and building the strength of character, confidence and reassurance is what comes to the rescue of a student. Therefore, along with being a subject matter expert, it is imperative for a teacher to forge a bond for life with their students and become their confidant who guides them through thick and thin while imparting crucial life lessons. 

Rajiv Bansal

Guest Author The author is Director - Operations, Global Indian International School India