| | Yet another sign that I am running on empty: I emailed this video to myself as a reminder and now I can't remember where it came from! If you wrote an article and highlighted this video, thank you for the inspiration! Oh, and if you find my brain, will you tell it to kindly find its way back to my head? Thanks so much! ;)
Anyway, this video is designed for parents and helps prep them for a big meeting at school. I think it's easy to forget how stressful these meetings can be for parents because we attend them all the time and, more importantly, it's not our child being academically and/or behaviorally "dissected," so to speak. | Imagine walking into a room filled with teachers and administrators...it's like an interview. You sit there, hoping you have good answers to their questions and that you understand everything that's being discussed. It's stressful, to say the least. We have to remember that parents come to these meetings as beginners most of the time; they are not sure what to expect. Our job is to help prepare them before they come to the meeting so that there can be a productive, team approach.
As school counselors, we are often in charge of scheduling meetings with parents. How do you help explain the meeting process? Any tips for other school counselors?
Maintaining positive relationships with your school staff is essential for every school counselor. One way I try to show my appreciation is by writing a note to each of my school's employees on their birthdays. Of course, we must be sensitive to all religions, so in some situations, this idea may not be appropriate and, in fact, could be offensive. If you do not celebrate birthdays at your school, you could still incorporate this idea into your school counseling program, but select random dates to recognize your colleagues for their efforts. | | I like to use bookmarks for my notes because they are cute, inexpensive, and functional. On the back of the bookmark, I write about something special that I see in them - maybe it's their ability to energize their students or their compassion for others. I want to make my comments as specific as possible (as I do with Counselor Mail) to show each individual how important they are to our school family. Do you do something similar to boost your staff's morale? If so, leave a comment and share your idea! We'd love to hear it! |
| | You may remember my BFF, Tim. Oh, the fun times we have at our school! Tim helps with my office tour, visits classrooms, catches students being good, makes videos for special school events, and is often a behavior reward for my students. But, I still thought Tim could add another job to his resume. I have a bulletin board that I update monthly to focus on my district's core values. This year, I am including pictures of Tim demonstrating the core values with me. So far, the students LOVE this new addition to the interactive board. | Last month, our core value was "courage."
Take a look at how Tim and I demonstrated this character trait...
This American Life is one of my favorite radio programs. The content is always thought-provoking, engaging, and sometimes even heart-breaking. When I heard this episode, I knew I had to share it on my blog. As school counselors, we are handed extremely difficult situations and, with other school personnel, must help our students rise up out of their challenges and succeed. "Back to School" offers great information to help with this task. Check it out!
| | As you may remember, I am currently in a play called From Up Here. It's an amazing show about a high school student (Kenny) who brought a gun to school. He is scheduled to make a public apology to his peers - the same peers who bullied him every single day. My character is Caroline, Kenny's aunt. She comes back home, but has trouble handling the heaviness that her family is struggling to manage. So, what does this have to do with my blog? Well, I like to think that since I started writing in January, we've become a, for lack of a better phrase, cyber family. Since I've been so busy with my everyday school counseling responsibilities, my school's cross country team, and this show, I haven't kept up with my site. Thank you for being patient! Here are some pictures from our production of From Up Here, courtesy of Frank Venda. Enjoy! |
In my school district, we have monthly core values. To help promote and teach these positive character traits, I create interactive bulletin boards, utilize my Students of Character Club, and conduct classroom-based counseling lessons. Every month, I will host a contest open to all school counselors. The challenge is to submit a 30 min. lesson for a K-6 classroom (pick 1 grade) that focuses on the core value of the month. This month's core value is... | | Submit your 30 min. classroom lesson by completing the form below. Deadline for submissions is September 28, 2012. Winner will be announced September 30, 2012. The winning lesson will also be posted here with credit to the author. | Winner will receive a banner of his/her choice. | |
The winner of the Counselors with Character "Courage" contest is... View the winning lesson here!
It's sad to say, but Ron Clark Week has come to an end. I hope you have enjoyed the posts and have learned something new.
I wanted to wrap up this week with hope. The reason I became a teacher and school counselor was to make a difference. I know I could have picked professions with bigger paychecks and more social "glory," so to speak, but I chose education. I love watching students learn, grow, and become responsible adults.
Last week, I spoke with one of my former students. He talked about his love of music and how he wanted to write songs that moved people, showing them that they are not alone. As I listened to my student, I couldn't help but well up a bit. When I met him, he was shy and somewhat withdrawn. Now, he walks with confidence, smiles, and shares his passion with others. I am so proud of the person he has become. | | School counselors have the power to connect with students, supporting their goals and dreams. We should wake up every day proud of the life we lead - we are lucky to work with our country's future. In fact, doing so helps us shape the future.
I know it's not always easy. There are days when I want to crawl back into bed. There are days when I feel like a failure. There are days when lessons don't go as planned. It takes courage to pick ourselves back up, dust off the disappointment, and try again. That's what true success is, in my opinion. I have this one life and I'm giving it all I've got. Thank you for everything, Mr. Clark! |
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