Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Staff
Everett K. Wilson
Boarding School Counselor 1935-1937
Teacher 1935-1940
Summary of Wilson’s PMSS Work Experience
1937

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TAGS: Everett K. Wilson, correspondence, A Study in Civics, PMSS publications, visits to applicants, homesickness, counseling, use of student leisure time, group vocational guidance, vocational surveys, vocational placements, student records

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EVERETT K. WILSON Correspondence

CONTENTS

Everett K. Wilson summarizes his work experience at Pine Mountain Settlement School as a counselor, followed by recommendations in this 1937 [n.d. on the original] document. The five typewritten pages on Pine Mountain Settlement School letterhead include the following highlights:

01

“Mr. [Glyn] Morris:
Considering a summary of my two years’ work a propo at this time, and wishing to offer some suggestions regarding the Counselor’s work in the future, I submit the following.”

Summer visits to applicants
Academics
Introductory week at school

02

Problem of homesickness
1. Guidance proper….Counseling

03

Utilizing information gained in counseling
Guidance in use of leisure time
Work in group Vocational Guidance
Vocational Survey
Vocational placements

04

2. Incidental jobs
3. Records

05

Suggestions

“Regretfully concluding two years that have been loads of fun and, for me, immensely worthwhile,

                                               Everett K. Wilson

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GALLERY: EVERETT K. WILSON Correspondence

 

TRANSCRIPTION

Mr. Morris:
Considering a summary of my two years work apropos at this time,  and wishing to offer some suggestions regarding the counselor’s work in the future, I submit the following.

__________________

P. 1

SUMMER VISITS TO APPLICANTS

Logically, or chronologically, the counselor’s work begins with his interviewing prospective.  students. Last summer, I talked and took Home and. Parent-Personal History records on something over 150 applicants, visiting about 100 to 125 families. This is tedious work and. too likely to become routine questioning. I think this danger may be lessened to some extent, if two people always do the interviewing, and if written records are discarded during the interview, (data. recorded immediately afterward. In the car. This, unless it is deemed necessary to give a child the Binet.) The suggestion of Miss Weller, that she take various workers on Saturdays to visit homes of our several students is, I think, an excellent one. It is hard to describe graphically to a new Worker, the home environment from which many of our children come.

INTRODUCTORY WEEK AT SCHOOL

A year ago. Last fall, we had a week of orientation – rotary work schedule, etc., as this proceeded, the new students had conferences with the counselor who endeavored to establish intimacy and pass on anything of value gained from the interview to the principal, in conference with whom the new student arranged his program. The counselor, on a basis of preference, so far as possible., arranged the work program for the boys, attempting when expedient to line up such work with possible vocational inclinations among the more advanced and mature students. Because of the feeling that this program has dragged., last fall, the Counselor interviewed only the new students who., when they went to the principal. Were immediately, sometimes tentatively placed in class. The counselor. Assisted in the giving of the Stanford Achievement Test later., as more new students entered, administered the test to these.

PROBLEM OF HOMESICKNESS

This first week of each semester is an anxious time for the Counselor, since nostalgic pangs are keenest then, inducing a heavy. wave of blubbering.-  generally entirely irrational.  (that is., it cannot be eliminated

p. 2

Reasonable persuasion, but is almost always a very strongly emotional feeling). Occasionally, some bases may be found in lack of adequate clothing., merciless “ragging” by other boys or girls, or in an early fist fight in which the newcomer has been worsted. This type of homesickness quote. is in the negligible minority. Most of it is the emotional type. The most effective method I have found with this type is to agree with the child that perhaps home is the best place to be, in the meantime, seeing that he is involved in the most. Interesting (to him) , active and all – engrossing program possible. Saturday. In Sunday afternoons and. particularly Sunday evenings are the critical times for the first two weeks of each semester. Special attention should, I think, be given to the activities offered at these times.

GUIDANCE – PROPER COUNSELING

the work of the year as whole divides itself in my mind into three parts, namely: 1. guidance proper; 2. incidental and miscellaneous jobs; and 3. Records and correspondence.  Regarding the first there has been the constant. business of talking with students and attempting to adjust the academic person., vocational and disciplinary problems which arise. This I regard as the Counselor’s primary function. In conjunction with it, I have used the Binet Intelligence Test and the Detroit Behavior Scale, both merely as pointers to personality or adjustment difficulties. I think they are both valuable in disclosing factors contributing to academic, personal, vocational or behavior difficulties. Counseling is a very complex and difficult part of the guidance work. Needless to say,  I am still learning about it. Ideally the youngster comes to the counselor of his own accord.  (This has been almost wholly so during the latter part of this year.)  He may come purposefully or just. to “shoot the bull.” with an older friend.  Either the counselor or he [the student] initiates the conversation on some problematical personal subjects., But the student himself continues and carries the body of the conversation. When the student is through, the counselor helps him to arrive at his own conclusion. That it be his own conclusion, I feel, is essential. I have allowed some students to leave with what I considered the wrong conclusion, rather than impose my opinion too strongly upon them. I have probably talked to two or three students each day of the week, including Saturdays and Sundays. I have talked to each student in the school. I should estimate about four or five times during the year. To some, off course, many more times than that. ” Talks” were recorded in the Anecdotal Records from time to time.

p. 3

UTILIZING NFORMATION GAINED IN COUNSELLING

The counselling work saw the light of day in tangible results when academic programs were changed, when work assignments were revised, when new techniques were devised for inducing acceptable behavior. This as regards personal and academic problems. Cn the Counselors meetings with house mothers,  many of these problems were advanced for discussion. The House mothers also assisted the counselor in collected data on the physical welfare of students, covering such items as past and present help. children’s disease, serious infectious diseases, vision, hearing, speech defects, serious accidents, height, and, and weight.

GUIDANCE IN USE OF LEISURE TIME

It was a result of such discussions with the House Mothers that the Counselor took Boys House last year during quiet hour, reading Tom Sawyer and such, or conducting general bull sessions. Later, as a result of much misuse of leisure time, the Counselor devised a leisure time sign- up sheet, which has not been in use during this past year, but which, at the time, I think, brought to the youngster’s mind the necessity of deciding upon something worth doing during his free time.

WORK IN GROUP VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

Group guidance was carried on in the Vocational Civics Class with relation. to Civic problems and with regard to the choice of an occupation. Vocational guidance was also aided and abetted by the several speakers representing various local occupations who spoke to the juniors and seniors on Sunday afternoons. The Counselor also took occasional groups into his office for discussion and such subjects as the relation of Ethics as a class subject to vocational life..

VOCATIONAL SURVEY

The work of Vocational guidance has also been carried on through an attempted vocational survey of Harlan ad environs in which representatives of 36 local businesses or professions replied, 34 being useful for our purposes.

VOCATIONAL PLACEMENTS

Job placements I am inclined to regard as a potentially important phase of the counselor’s work and as a part of Pine Mountain Education, particularly with our emphasis upon industrial education and efficiency. In my first year, as I recall, only one student was placed directly by the Counselor. this last year, 15 students were given job placements. (9 directly by the counselor) All of our senior group being satisfactorily taken care of, except Tom Madon. many of the ….

p. 4

More capable. Juniors were also given an opportunity for job experience. Since I felt it important that such work be evaluated, as well as academic work, I have sent out letters to employers of our students, asking them to assist us by. Making is careful and appraisal as possible of the workers whom we have sent to them. I have also asked our students on the job to write a letter about their work to the counselor.. while. the student is at school, of course, the counselor has collected work reports from supervisors and, Last year, assisted in the selection of those worthy of scholarships.

INCIDENTAL JOBS

Secondly, there have been various other jobs, not altogether relevant to the guidance department. I shall list them briefly below.

1. In. Y. a period go. weekly time reports, assigning extra work, making out monthly reports, ETC.
2. Class.- Social studies – first semester, three periods.
3. class- Personality problems, two or three periods per week, last semester.
4. Class – Substituting for Mrs. Faulkner in geography class latter few weeks.- two periods per week.
5. Occasional work in dramatics.
6. House father at Boy’s house for periods of from two weeks during school to two months during summer.
7. Writing PINE MOUNTAIN CIVICS text. [A STUDY IN CIVICS 1937]
8. Organizing reunion. – Largely for purposes of Vocational Guidance.

RECORDS

There are three main records., of course., over and above records of Stanford achievement test., Binet Tests, and the Detroit Behavior Scale. They are the Home and Parent – Personal History Records, Anecdotals and. the Accumulative Records. The latter, two, require many hours of work. All of them, of course, are very important since they are the tangible evidence of the guidance program and the scientific basis upon which to act.

[Handwritten at bottom: “I might add occasional  business of interviewing perspective students and their parents during the year.]

p. 5

And now for some suggestions the. first of which will probably be quite impractical. It. has to do with the matter of keeping records. I estimate that I have spent on an average around 10 hours per week or more on this work. I could. and perhaps should, have spent. 15 [hours]. I visualized the student Counselors work, ideally. as being similar to that of a College Dean’s with some stenographic assistance to take care of routine.. possibly in our situation, the Principal would. share such assistance, thus relieving him to a routine correspondence in such recording as he may do.

Moreover, I would suggest that all correspondence dealing with the students (outside of that directly pertaining to administrative policy) such as letters requesting application blanks, permission to quote work ones way through, end quote. ETC. be taken care of through the counselor’s office and through whatever clerical assistance he and the principal might have. This would put him in more intimate touch with parents throughout the year, and would avoid unnecessary duplication or misunderstanding between office and school house.

I would most humbly plead for a good file for student folders (not to be taken from academic budget.!) And the placement of the old student files in the counselor’s office., in so much as the guidance program should carry out. An intimate follow-up program on the school’s graduates.

Perhaps it would be well, since Pine Mountain is probably further. ahead than any of the schools in this part of the state in Guidance, for us to ally ourselves more actively with the State and National Vocational Guidance Association. I have not been particularly successful in getting my humble offers of assistance accepted.; but I think perhaps Miss Weller might.

And finally. in their work down the Creek, it would be splendid if our Community Workers could ally themselves with the teachers at Big and Little Laurel, giving them their knowledge of the home and family situation and lending their assistance in the initiation and maintenance of an activity’s program… acting as counselors there.

Regretfully, concluding two years that have been loads of fun. And, for me immensely worthwhile.

Everett K.Wilson

 

ee Also:
EVERETT K. WILSON Staff – Biography
EVERETT K. WILSON A Study in Civics 1937

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