Education has never been non-partisan. Buffeted by economic, political, and social influences, education, educators, and various stakeholders have taken sides to provide institutionalized instruction to child and adult learners. Instruction that is right or wrong, ethical or unethical, just or unjust, can be just that, depending on where one's education and schooling takes place in the world. Education alone can be construed as a first step towards indoctrination into a community and nation's way of life. Despite divergent views, the ultimate goal of serving students has remained paramount. At the same time, the work of educators has placed them at the forefront of numerous debates and controversies that have beset the profession. The process of informing oneself professionally and personally in the midst of such educational deliberations may not be an easy task, but may be a necessary one given the impact of one's decisions and stances on learners. This book focuses on contemporary and critical topics of debate that educators face in American educational settings. The book's distinctiveness rests on its Socratic approach to the content. Each chapter begins with the examination of an issue of interest and concludes with a series of related questions. Readers are asked to ponder the materials individually and with others to enable all to draw their own conclusions. This book will interest and benefit educational professionals along all points in their professional careers from new professionals and students-in-training to those with extensive experiences across educational disciplines.

This the first text to fully integrate the developmental, systemic, multicultural, and relational elements of child and adolescent counseling. This unique approach emphasizes the powerful interconnections supporting effective child and adolescent counseling with creative and time-efficient methods. Supported by CACREP standards, competencies, and outcomes, this book features best practice strategies and techniques to aid counselors-in-training who will be assisting children, adolescents, and their families in developing transformative coping methods while navigating contemporary issues. This textbook is distinguished by its broad and holistic focus as a means of increasing counseling efficacy and applies to a range of therapeutic modalities.The text advocates for a multisensory approach, using creative props, expressive arts, and interactive activities that helps to foster change by harnessing the learning styles best suited to individual children and adolescents. Based in theory yet highly practical, time-efficient, real-world counseling methods are illustrated through case studies, vignettes, and verbatim counseling sessions that are tailored to the needs of today's child and adolescent counselor. The book presents a comprehensive toolkit to foster engagement and assist the future counselor in grasping key concepts. Pedagogical aids include learning objectives, key terms, learning activities, case studies, points to remember, chapter summaries, and questions for further study. Abundant instructor resources include sample syllabi, an instructor's manual with experiential activities and assessment rubrics, additional chapter discussion questions and resources, a test bank, and PowerPoint slides. Purchase includes digital access for use on most mobile devices or computers. Key Features: Grounded in a unique integrated approach encompassing developmental, systemic, multicultural, and relational elements and innovative and time-efficient practices Applies to a range of therapeutic modalities including school, marriage, couples and family, clinical mental health, clinical rehabilitation counseling, and more Illustrates time-efficient counseling methods through case studies, vignettes, and examples from actual client and counselors-in-training sessions Highlights contemporary issues including incarcerated parents, sexual minorities, military influences and same-sex parents. Infused with CACREP standards, competencies and outcomes to help with accreditation and prepare students for exams Edited and authored by educators and authors with a wealth of professional expertise Includes learning objectives, key terms, charts, tables and figure, questions for further study and chapter summaries

Education has never been non-partisan. Buffeted by economic, political, and social influences, education, educators, and various stakeholders have taken sides to provide institutionalized instruction to child and adult learners. Instruction that is right or wrong, ethical or unethical, just or unjust, can be just that, depending on where one's education and schooling takes place in the world. Education alone can be construed as a first step towards indoctrination into a community and nation's way of life. Despite divergent views, the ultimate goal of serving students has remained paramount. At the same time, the work of educators has placed them at the forefront of numerous debates and controversies that have beset the profession. The process of informing oneself professionally and personally in the midst of such educational deliberations may not be an easy task, but may be a necessary one given the impact of one's decisions and stances on learners. This book focuses on contemporary and critical topics of debate that educators face in American educational settings. The book's distinctiveness rests on its Socratic approach to the content. Each chapter begins with the examination of an issue of interest and concludes with a series of related questions. Readers are asked to ponder the materials individually and with others to enable all to draw their own conclusions. This book will interest and benefit educational professionals along all points in their professional careers from new professionals and students-in-training to those with extensive experiences across educational disciplines.