Armour Transportation.s Sal Radcliffe, centre, outlines the controls of a transport truck to Fairview Junior High Grade 9 student Jolene MacNeil and guidance counsellor Lori Welsh-Hawley in Dartmouth on Friday. Ms. Welsh-Hawley has spent five "satisfying" years as a guidance counsellor. (PETER PARSONS / Staff)

LORI Welsh-Hawley taught English and gym for 10 years before she decided she wanted to be a guidance counsellor.

"I was doing some basic counselling in classroom, but I found I didn't have the training I needed to help the kids the way they deserved," she said in a recent interview from her guidance office at Fairview Junior High. "Despite what some people might believe, a guidance counsellor is not just someone who likes to talk to kids."

The transition from teacher to guidance counsellor required her to take a master's degree in counselling at Acadia University and to hone her leadership skills so that she could work in the "zone" between teacher and administrator. She completed the training without problems and has spent five "satisfying years" helping young teens find their way at a time in their lives when the world can seem very complicated.

"Without training or experience in the classroom first, it would be very easy to become jaded," she acknowledged. "We do see a lot of the kids in difficult situations, but thankfully we also have a comprehensive program and offer career life planning that can be very uplifting."

The work is fresh "and draining" every day, and it is definitely not for people who need to see results.

Students move on very quickly, and there are only the occasional indications that the hard work has had an impact.

"You have to be satisfied you've done your best and know you can't save everyone. You have to know your limits and be prepared to turn over a situation to other people when the time comes."

To learn more about guidance counsellors and the teaching profession, read on.

NATURE OF THE WORK
School counsellors provide a wide range of counselling services for individuals and groups to support students. well-being and academic success. They specialize in dealing with students. emotional and behavioural needs.

Nova Scotia school counsellors use a comprehensive guidance and counselling program to address educational, career, personal and social issues. They work with parents, school staffs, community agencies and organizations to provide programming that meets the needs of students and school communities.

SKILLS
To work in this field, you should be patient, imaginative, objective, and resourceful. Leadership skills and the ability to motivate students are important. You must be able to communicate ideas in a clear, concise and interesting way. Planning and organizational skills are also necessary. Energy and stamina are often needed, as a teacher's or school counsellor's workday involves more than just school hours. Teachers must be knowledgeable about their subjects and be informed about new material or methods of teaching.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
To teach in public schools in Nova Scotia, a Nova Scotia teacher.s certificate is required. Under current standards, the certificate requires a minimum of four years of post-secondary training, including an approved bachelor's degree from a recognized university and the completion of an approved teacher education program.

This is most often accomplished by the completion of a bachelor's degree in education, which must be preceded by a bachelor's degree in arts, science, physical education or equivalent.

School counsellors are required to have regular teacher certification and must have completed a master's degree in counselling.

Additional training beyond the academic requirement of a B.Ed. may be required to specialize in special education.

EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS
All parts of Nova Scotia are experiencing declining student enrolments, which will affect the number of opportunities for secondary-school teachers, counsellors and librarians. Enrolment decline will be higher in rural areas than in urban ones.

Countering this trend, many retirements are expected for secondary-school teachers in the next few years, and this will be the main factor contributing to job openings.

There is a particular demand for teaching expertise in French, mathematics, fine arts, science and technology.

For school counsellors, demand is increasing as the Education Department is providing more funding for new positions.

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