Anxiety in Masters Students in Term Paper

If a student feels uncomfortable with the idea that he has to follow some counselor sessions, he should think this way: "positive effects of receiving personal counseling suggest that any counselor in training would benefit from the experience, which is consistent with personal counselling requirements instituted by many programs nationwide" (Mancillas, Adriea).

The newest methods in Counselor Programs are the ones who have a technological base: "Counselor educators can promote pedagogical principles of active learning through these technological methods [...] Course website, Presentations with Graphic Software Packages, Movie Clips, Videoconferencing, Video Taping in Observation Lab (Baggerly, J.)

Following the same line, a Practicum CD-Rom appeared as a guidance to an online Counselor Program: "The purpose of the Practicum CD-ROM is to help orient practicum students to the clinical practicum site, its policies and procedures, documentation and assessment, clinical training and resources, and the internship process" (Daire, a.P. & Rasmus, S).

Technology is very important these days, and it will continue to become more and more important in developing new teaching methods: "Technology will continue to play a more significant role in the counseling profession thereby revolutionizing the counseling supervision process"(Watson, J.C.).

As a proof to the online method success, a student declares that: "The most challenging was probably getting over my own inhibitions about self-disclosing... giving myself permission to trust someone enough to share openly and honestly, and allowing myself to be supported" (Huang-Nissen, L., Lin, G., Lee, C., 1999).

You can find many ways to cope with anxiety of evaluation tests, some tips being found here http://www.unt.edu/unt-dallas/campuslife/anxiety.pdf.

For preventing anxiety, it is important that the students are correctly informed about the program they are going to take, about the classes and their significance and importance and about the final testing and the students fear regarding this matter, which can become, during the program, a subject that stops the student from reaching performance. "Therefore, if instructors can eliminate the source for their failure -- examination, students at least can focus more on learning rather than outcome evaluation" (Pan, Wei & Tang, Mei, 2005)

The teachers have to be very open to students' problems that can appear during a counsellor program, because the safety of a support from their part can mean more than a family support for once, because teachers are seen as the actual persons the students wish to become. "Availability of assistance is important because knowing they can ask for help any time, students will not feel frustrated when they are stuck." (Pan, Wei & Tang, Mei, 2005). The same advice teachers get from the author Ronkowski, who has a tip for teachers "let them discuss their feelings and thoughts. Often this alone relieves a great deal of pressure; reassure when appropriate; remain calm; be clear and explicit" (Ronkowski, S.).

The teacher's continuous support, understanding and empathy, as well as trying to find and apply the best teaching methods for their students, can make a real difference in an education program which involves people responsibilities, self-control, and the most important, self trust and appreciation.

Bibliography

Anxiety and Panic Disorders, Finding Voice, University of Michigan, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://sitemaker.umich.edu/findingvoice/anxiety

Baggerly, J., Practical technological applications to promote pedagogical principles and active learning in counsellor education, Journal of technology in counseling, Vol. 2_2, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://jtc.colstate.edu/vol2_2/baggerly/baggerly.htm

Counseling Laboratory Manual (2005, spring), Division of Counselor Education & Psychology Counselor Education Program, Delta State University, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://www.deltastate.edu/docs/coe/Counselor_Education_Counseling_Laboratory_Manual.pdf

Daire, a.P. & Rasmus, S., a CD-Rom supplement to practicum in counselor education, Journal of technology in counseling, Volume 4, Issue 1, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://jtc.colstate.edu/Vol4_1/Daire/Daire.htm

DSU Counselor Education Program Student Handbook (2006, Fall), Division of counsellor education and psychology. Master of Education in Counseling. Community and school counselling emphasis, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://www.deltastate.edu/docs/coe/Counselor_Education_Student_Handbook.pdf

Huang-Nissen, L., Lin, G., Lee, C. (1999, Fall), Mentoring Through Cyberspace, Mentoring Connections, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://www.mentoring-association.org/MCybersp2.html

Li, Ming-hui, Actively Cope With Stressful Situations: Is Active Coping a Trait or a Match Between Traits and Stressful Situations?, Article 39, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas06/vistas06.39.pdf

Mancillas, Adriea, Counseling Students' Perceptions of Counseling Effectiveness, Article 42, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas06/vistas06.42.pdf

Pan, Wei & Tang, Mei (2005, Sept.), Students' perceptions on factors of statistics anxiety and instructional strategies,

Journal of Instructional Psychology, page 7, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCG/is_3_32/ai_n15882749/pg_7

Ronkowski, S., Helping different types of distressed students, TAs as teachers, Chapter 6: A referral guide for helping distressed students, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://www.id.ucsb.edu/ic/ta/hdbk/ta6-3.html

Test Taking & Managing Test Anxiety, from Student Development Office, UNT Dallas Campus, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://www.unt.edu/unt-dallas/campuslife/anxiety.pdf

Watson, J.C., Computer-based supervision: Implementing computer technology into the delivery of counseling supervision, Journal of technology in counseling, Vol. 3_1, retrieved February 9, 2007, at http://jtc.colstate.edu/vol3_1/Watson/Watson.htm