les and papers as the AP history class. Since she is a trusted student, she could spend time in the library (if given a pass of course) studying and working on assignments, or in the classroom in a corner of the room if necessary. In this way, Jamieka would be able to earn the AP credit, keep up with the other students in the honor society, learn how to remain self-motivated (an aid for any future independent study work), as well as remain intellectually challenged as opposed to falling into lazy thinking habits.
Reading about this situation was particularly frustrating for me. It seemed that those students who thought a class was too difficult were able to transfer easily enough, while a bright student, willing to work hard to achieve her goals, was confined to a class that was too under-challenging for her, as well as being forced out of the library--the normal refuge for those who like to excel academically. It appears that most schools are aimed at teaching towards the middle of the spectrum, while some are also good at aiding those who are slower. However, the bright students, because they are bright, are often left to fend for themselves. As a future school counselor, I hope that I will be able to track my students more closely as well as be able to think of creative solutions to difficult problems when they come up. As is noted in the article, "Hiring the Best School Counseling Candidates" (1999), counselors are supposed to be advocates for the students, no matter what their talents or abilities are, as the students are gradually preparing to enter the work force or an institution of higher learning.
The role of school counselors should be an active one, not passive. Jamieka Houston was able to accept her schedule, yet if she had been able to take the AP history class she would have not only been that much more prepared for her university courses, but on some university campuses, AP classes may be counted toward th...