Interview with Isabel Gómez del Moral, Altair advisor

What is your role as an Altair advisor?

My role as an advisor is to help the entire educational community: teachers, students and families. I am in charge of the psycho-pedagogical evaluation of students so that they receive the attention they need, particularly those with special educational needs. I also help families who request tutoring, resolve their doubts and support them in difficult situations. Additionally, I manage more bureaucratic matters related to internal protocols and procedures.

How important is the orientation service at Altair and what benefits does it bring to students?

I think the guidance service is essential. Many students need it, and when a child has a difficulty – as happens to all of us at some point in life – knowing what is going on is essential to being able to work and resolve it. These difficulties can be psychological or linked to learning. Counseling helps identify what is happening and direct appropriate support.

Compared to today’s students, what are the main challenges that a department like guidance faces?

Today we see a growing attention problem, heavily influenced by the use of digital devices. More than attention itself, it is immediacy that is most damaging: children want quick results and rewards, which affects their capacity for effort and perseverance. They have difficulty waiting, processing, stopping.

What measures can help combat this lack of attention and this need for immediacy?

Reading and good classic cinema – the kind that requires more pause and contemplation – are authentic antidotes. At first, they may reject them, but when they trust the person proposing and find out that they love them, they begin to develop patience.

It is also important to encourage activities that allow you to slow down: playing outside, walking, contemplating, even getting bored. Children are used to constant stimuli and need slower experiences that activate other parts of the brain. Reading, nature, free play… all this helps them slow down and relieve this saturation of stimuli.

At what age should children be given cell phones, in your experience?

This is a difficult question, but the recommendations are generally aimed at 14 year olds. And that doesn’t mean offering a complete mobile phone. At this age, you can equip a device with basic functions – calls, messages – but not social networks like Instagram or TikTok. It is the mobile phone that must adapt to the age of the child, and not the other way around. And always under parental supervision.

How does the department collaborate with families to support student well-being and academic development?

Collaboration with families is constant and open. When they need something, they can come by appointment or without an appointment; The important thing is that we communicate. Sometimes parents detect things that we didn’t see at school, and other times, we are the ones who observe situations that parents aren’t aware of.

We also help resolve economic or administrative problems, for example by providing advice on grant applications, diagnostics or the documentation necessary for certain procedures. Our goal is to support families in everything that can promote the well-being of the student.

Does Altair offer specific resources to meet special educational needs?

Yes. We have an excellent team of professionals. We have two Therapeutic Pedagogy teachers (one for Early Childhood and Primary, and another for Secondary), an external speech therapist who deals with communication difficulties and a psychologist who works with students who need psychological support.

My job is to assess students, provide guidelines, guide teachers to adapt exams or materials if necessary, and ensure that each child can progress according to their abilities.

Is there a particularly enriching anecdote or case that you could share?

Although I have only been a counselor for a short time, I have seen cases of students with significant difficulties who, thanks to the support of the school and working together with their teachers and families, have managed to progress more than expected. There are children with very limited abilities who, with constant support, manage to progress and maintain their place at school. These are discreet processes, but very exciting.

What role does the guidance service play in preventing coexistence problems or risky situations, such as youth suicide?

Protocols exist and are activated when necessary. At Altair we have a support team made up of the reference nurse, the director, the tutor and myself as an advisor. Our goal is to be alert to any signs and support the student at all times.

When the situation requires it, we refer to Mental Health for specialized follow-up. It is important to understand that serious problems do not always come from school: they sometimes come from internal difficulties of the child himself or from family situations. This is why we are working in coordination to support it on all fronts.

Altair is committed to personalized education. How is this reflected in the daily work of the department?

The key is individual attention. The tutors are very attentive to their students and share any concerns with me. When a child presents difficulties – academic, emotional or social – we see them, talk to them, analyze their situation and look for the origin of the problem.

If the difficulty is academic, we assess whether it is attentional, intellectual or learning. If it is emotional, it is accompanied and, if necessary, it is derived. The idea is that each student feels good at school, that they can perform according to their abilities and above all that they are happy. Not everyone has to reach 10; They must become the best version of themselves.

What role do parents play in the education of their children?

An absolutely priority role. Being a parent is hard and no one is fully prepared. Today’s society makes being a good parent even more complex.

At Altair we want to support parents, advise them, guide them and give them tools. They are the primary educators and, in many cases, the ones who can promote real change in their children. This is why it is important that they train, read, attend conferences and participate in COFs organized by the school. We are here to help, but education begins at home.