Tammy Pulse, CISD K-12 Coordinator Of Counselors, shares insight for parents and students.
THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB IS… Hands-down getting to know students and collaborating with my fellow counselors. I’m all about building meaningful and positive relationships. Our students have so much to teach us if we will just take the time to listen.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR STRESSED STUDENTS? Make a list of what HAS to be done and tackle those things first; set short-term and long-term goals; eliminate distractors and/or prioritize where your focus and energy needs to go. Do not be afraid to ask for help.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR CARROLL ISD? I’ve been in CISD for 23 years. I taught at Carroll Middle School for 10 years, and then I transitioned to Carroll High School and Senior High as a counselor. This past November, I became the K-12 Coordinator of Counselors for Carroll ISD.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PARENTS REGRADING BULLYING? Communication is key. It’s important for parents to talk to their children and to know the warning signs of bullying. Monitoring student’s social media accounts to ensure that they are maintaining healthy boundaries in regards to cyber citizenship is very important.
WHAT’S THE LARGEST CHALLENGE FACING SCHOOL COUNSELORS? As we see the numbers of students who are in need of social/emotional support, our counselors spend a great deal of time dealing with students who are in distress, which in turn can create a secondary stress for the counselor.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO WORK WITH KIDS? I love working with kids because they are full of life and untapped potential. I feel like it’s our job as adults to preserve the goodness in our students and to provide a listening, empathetic ear for them in order to guide them in making healthy decisions throughout their life.
IF YOU COULD, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR HIGH SCHOOL SELF? Not to take myself too seriously.