Doctoral Students : We Need More Support !
continued from page 15
• How do we engage students ?
• How do we counsel a student who is not effectively displaying counseling competencies throughout the program ?
• How do we assess attendance ? For example , do we penalize students for excessive absences ?
• In the grading realm : How does a professor ensure , even with the rubric , that grading is uniform and fair across the board ? Is grading subjective ? Is it typical to give extensions on late assignments without taking off points on a late assignment ?
Being able to get these questions answered prior to graduating and / or applying for a faculty assignment will help reduce some of the doctoral students ’ anxiety in entering the teaching arena and equip us with skills that enable us to manage the classroom effectively .
Solutions — What We Need
In order to better prepare ourselves for the teaching experience , we propose that professors provide additional guidance and insights . We propose adding a discussion and lecture during the core teaching course along with partnering with a strong mentor during the internship process . We have found that most professors are stretched thin due to their own vast number of responsibilities and may not be able to make adequate time for additional discussions with us .
Learning a professor ’ s experiences and expectations regarding grading and overall course expectations would be beneficial . Yes , we know rubrics seem to be the logical answer ; however , subjectivity still applies when grading student ’ s writings . Are you a hard grader ? An easier grader ? Why ? These conversations and insights would benefit us greatly . We do not know what to ask if we have never taught before — especially as a teaching assistant .
We also recommend increased mentorship from a professor prior to the course and throughout . Feedback from the course professor should be provided on doctoral students ’ quality of lectures , grading , and interactions with students , so this would obviously require that the professor observe us teaching and working with students .
We also propose that CES programs consider providing technical training on how to use the college or university ’ s online platforms for course instruction . This training is not only advisable to enhance the instructor ’ s teaching ; an instructor ’ s proficiency on an online platform can help the students taking that online class be more successful . We have all found it to be extremely anxiety-provoking to be given access to a professor ’ s online teaching platform with no training on how to navigate behind the scenes . We propose that this type of training occur prior to beginning the internship so that doctoral students are ready to hit the ground running .
RESEARCH
Challenges
Amplify Your Peer Support and Engagement
Consider joining AMHCA ’ s Graduate Student and Emerging Professionals Committee .
The committee ’ s mission is “ to enhance the professional identity of graduate students and recently graduated counselors through advocacy , specialized training , licensure guidance , and collaboration with clinical mental health counselors and the governing body of AMHCA .”
For more information about the committee , contact the chair , Daun Kwag , at dkwag1 @ student . gsu . edu .
Research and scholarship are underlined factors for impacting career opportunities and success of future CES professors , according to research that appeared in Volume 10 , Issue 4 of The Professional Counselor , https :// doi . org / 10.15241 / clb . 10.4.501 , a special issue “ designed to inform and support faculty , staff , and administrative efforts in starting or revitalizing doctoral degree programs in Counselor Education and Supervision .” Though research and scholarship are required of professors at many colleges and universities , some CES programs fail to adequately prepare their graduate students for these tasks . They do not :
• Stress the importance of developing the proper writing skills for research and scholarship ,
• Offer opportunities for students to participate in research and scholarship , and
• Convey how to submit articles for publication ( magazine or peer-reviewed article ). continued on page 17
16 The Advocate Magazine Summer 2021 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org