Michelle West
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About me:
My name is Michelle West and this is my first year as a counselor at Station Camp Middle. Prior to working at Station Camp, I was the counselor at EB Wilson Virtual High School for four years. Prior to EB Wilson, I was the school counselor at an elementary school in Robertson County, TN. I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2013) and a Master of Science in Counseling (2015), with specializations in school and mental health counseling, both from Austin Peay State University. I also have post-masters training in behavior analysis. I interned as a school counselor in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and as a mental health counselor at a boy's group home in Nashville for Youth Villages. |
Mrs. West's philosophy of school counseling:
To me, being a school counselor is not just about being a counselor—it is also about being an educator, an advocate, a leader, and a role model. These multiple roles will aid me in becoming a part of the school’s collaborative leadership culture by actively participating in plans for school improvement through the implementation of a strong comprehensive, developmental, and results-based school counseling program aligned with the American School Counseling Association’s National Standards and the school’s mission. Integrating this school counseling program into the student’s total educational process will benefit the student not only academically, but also psychologically.
Developing a school counseling program involves constructing a standards-based, data-driven, comprehensive approach that will work to enhance the mission of the school and to create a learning environment that fosters student growth in academic, career, and social domains. In order to promote academic, career, and social development within our students it is critical to first identify student competencies. These competencies will aid me in developing a comprehensive school counseling program by acting as a tool to assess student growth and by providing me with guidelines to implement new and redefine existing proactive strategies, such as student advising and assessment, individual counseling, group counseling, and guidance curriculum, that will best suit our students. As a result of participating in a comprehensive school counseling program, students will acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to become career-oriented as well as academically and socially successful.
To me, being a school counselor is not just about being a counselor—it is also about being an educator, an advocate, a leader, and a role model. These multiple roles will aid me in becoming a part of the school’s collaborative leadership culture by actively participating in plans for school improvement through the implementation of a strong comprehensive, developmental, and results-based school counseling program aligned with the American School Counseling Association’s National Standards and the school’s mission. Integrating this school counseling program into the student’s total educational process will benefit the student not only academically, but also psychologically.
Developing a school counseling program involves constructing a standards-based, data-driven, comprehensive approach that will work to enhance the mission of the school and to create a learning environment that fosters student growth in academic, career, and social domains. In order to promote academic, career, and social development within our students it is critical to first identify student competencies. These competencies will aid me in developing a comprehensive school counseling program by acting as a tool to assess student growth and by providing me with guidelines to implement new and redefine existing proactive strategies, such as student advising and assessment, individual counseling, group counseling, and guidance curriculum, that will best suit our students. As a result of participating in a comprehensive school counseling program, students will acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to become career-oriented as well as academically and socially successful.
Pennie Dismukes |
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About me:
My name is Pennie Dismukes, and this is my second year as a licensed professional school counselor. I have been in education for several years as a teacher and Reading/Math Interventionist. I completed my Master of Arts in Teaching from Trevecca University in 2013 and have been at Station Camp Middle School ever since. As much as I love working with students, I felt that I could best serve them outside of the classroom as a school counselor, so I returned to school and completed my school counseling education through the University of TN at Martin in 2020. Prior to working in the field of education, I spent 11 years as a paralegal specializing in Employment Law at Dollar General Corporation. |
Mrs. Dismukes' personal counseling style:
My personal counseling style is an integration of person-centered, solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, and existential. I am very relational naturally in my personality and see each person as a unique and valuable member of society who has a purpose for the greater good. I believe that with so may distractions and busy schedules nowadays that people, especially students, are missing out on that vital aspect of direct human connection and communication. My goal is for individuals to feel more positive, empowered, and hopeful after leaving a conversation with me.
My personal counseling style is an integration of person-centered, solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, and existential. I am very relational naturally in my personality and see each person as a unique and valuable member of society who has a purpose for the greater good. I believe that with so may distractions and busy schedules nowadays that people, especially students, are missing out on that vital aspect of direct human connection and communication. My goal is for individuals to feel more positive, empowered, and hopeful after leaving a conversation with me.
