This summer, Reem and Samia both undertook a 4-day CTC course in Lisbon.
CTC , the Counselor Training Center, is part of the Principal’s Training Center, a highly regarded, non-profit organisation founded in 1989 ‘to meet the professional development needs of leaders in international schools’. Counselor Training Center Overview. The PTC Director, Bambi Betts, who we were so happy to meet in Lisbon, is a giant in the world of international school education. Last year she very kindly offered RS-Ed membership of the organisation, which allows us to continue to support our former students throughout the transitions enforced by the outbreak of war, with access to the training support of CTC. Reem had already completed the minimum requirement of 4 courses to be awarded a Certificate of International School Counselling in 2021, and for Samia it was her second CTC course.
The CTC has Eight Standards of Practice that International Counsellors are expected to uphold as they support and maximise student learning. They are:
- 1. Establish helping relationships with a community of diverse students
- 2. Create and implement features which support students in a culture of transition and mobility
- 3. Facilitate communication among students, parents and teachers
- 4. Foster intercultural communication within the school community
- 5. Apply relevant and appropriate ethics, laws and standards of professional practice to an international school context
- 6. Advocate for students and families
- 7. Collate and conduct research in the field and utilise it to continuously improve support programs
- 8. Model the skills and attitudes of a global citizen, including: cultural sensitivity, antiracism, positive attitude, empathy and proactivity.
It was the first time the Intensive Skills Course was offered; designed to offer practical advice and role playing scenarios ranging from angry parents to teenagers in distress, with the above standards in mind, while honing the following skills:
- Active listening and reading of body language
- Presenting to teachers, parents and students
- Open-ended questions for difficult conversations
- Addressing serious concerns preemptively and responsively
- Identifying and addressing impact vs intent with students
- Self-reflecting based on standards of practice
- Problem solving, critical thinking an prioritising
There were 39 participants from over 20 countries, which allowed for counsellors to engage with scenarios that highlighted different cultural nuances and concerns. The support and feedback given was invaluable to our practice and professional development.
Throughout the four days we had lively discussions, with some great school counsellors from Kuwait American International School, and from schools from all over the world including China, Guatemala, Colombia, USA, Kenya.
Other than reminding us all of the fundamentals of good practice in school counselling, the course provided a great opportunity to share new ideas and to identify new trends. All participants shared resources and presentations on a wide range of topics- which has provided us, at RS-Ed, with lots of great new resources. Updating practice and professional development is something that we believe in very strongly and it was fantastic to have the opportunity to meet with so many lovely fellow-professionals from all over the world. It was also wonderful for both of us to visit the beautiful city of Lisbon for the first time.
