Join Leah & Jeff as we chat with MCHS Counselor, LINK Advisor, Comics Fan & Staff Infection Band Member, Curtis Menke!


Listen in as we chat about School “Guidance” vs. School “Counseling” - what’s the difference? and MUCH more:


GUIDANCE: It’s about the role and what that person does


Guidance is antithetical to the word counseling


51% Social-Emotional / 49% Educator


Guiding is reactive (guidance is telling someone what to do, “better than”)


Curtis’s Philosophy - “If I’m guiding them, I know where the end is”


Partnering with teachers and other professionals - what a good counselor should be doing


Manager vs. Leader


Middle-Manager


Curtis’s Education Story -


Settled on school counseling because his counselor was “less than,” and was also his Driver’s Ed teacher


From Grant Park, IL - one of those little “Blink and you miss it” towns


Graduated from a 31 student class in high school


WIU - College


Transferred to Olivet (Psychology)


Just clicked when he was there


Grad School - Northern IL U


Entire career here


Has worked at both MCHS campuses


Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches:


COVID - trying to develop rapport and connection in the age of Zoom


Advice for New Teachers/Counselors


Embrace silliness


Permission to put their guard down, and mistakes more


Social barriers to protect themselves


HOPEFUL:


Short term - return safely


Long term - Overall roles of MCHS employees focusing on developmental needs of kids as we merge campuses; content is enhanced when students have post-secondary goals




GUEST CONTACT INFO:


Twitter: Curtis Menke




HOST CONTACT INFO:


INSTAGRAM


Dr. Jeff Prickett


Leah Pelletier


TWITTER


Dr. Jeff Prickett


Leah Pelletier

Twitter Mentions