An Interview With Mrs. Ubelhor
The life of a high school counselor
Who is Mrs. Ubelhor?
Mrs. Ubelhor recieved her Bachlors at the University of Texas at El Paso and later recieved both her Masters and LPC at Texas State in San Marcos.
Was counseling what Mrs. Ubelhor always wanted to do, if not was it her backup plan?
-Mrs. Ubelhor wanted to be a teacher but halfway through the experience, she changed her mind and became a counselor. However, Mrs. Ubelhor now wants to be more involved in a classroom.
What do Mrs. Ubelhor's daily duties consist of?
-As a counselor, Mrs. Ubelhor has to check and adjust transcripts, schedules, and credits, put in grades, fill out forms, and she also has to meet with students to discuss certain problems.
What she does requires a good eye on details.
If there was anything Mrs. Ubelhor could change about her job, what would it be?
-When I asked Mrs. Ubelhor what she would change about her job, she immediantely said the paper work. The amount of forms or transcripts and schedules she has to go through just seem endless.
What is Mrs. Ubelhor's biggest challenge as a counselor?
-Time is the biggest challenge. Anytime Mrs. Ubelhor needs something to be done, something else pops up and that too needs to be taken care of. Or there are times when she calls in a student to discuss a certain matter and after the student leaves, Mrs. Ubelhor has to take care of or fill out a form that is completely different to the reason why she met with the student.
On a scale 1-10, with ten being the highest, how much self-motivation is needed in this job?
-9
How many hours does Mrs. Ubelhor put in per week?
- About 55 hours a week.
Has Mrs. Ubelhor ever considered going back to school and majoring in something outside of teaching?
- Mrs. Ubelhor, after she retires from being a counselor, has plans to be more involved in a classroom with students; but she wants to teach at a college level.
How does Mrs. Ubelhor's job impact her personal life?
-Mrs. Ubelhor made it pretty clear she does not allow her job to affect her personal life. If she's having a bad day at work, she makes sure she that stays at her job. Many people make the mistake of taking their problems from work home but that, unfortunately in many occasions has and can ruin relationships. Mrs. Ubelhor steers clear of that.
What advice would Mrs. Ubelhor give to someone wanting to be in the same field as her?
-Mrs. Ubelhor said when she meets with new counsellors, she tells them to lower their expectations. It might sound bad but it's true. Many new counsellors walk in thinking its an easy job and its just listening to any problems the students might have, part of the job is listening to the students, but it's more than that. Counsellors also have many forms and bottomless stacks of paperwork to take care of.
What is the best part of Mrs. Ubelhor's job?
-The best part of Mrs. Ubelhor's job is the students. If she's having a bad day, the students cheer her up. The students remind her why she loves her job.