Blog Archives

Program Review: S.H.A.R.K. Patrol

12/31/2012

If you're a school counselor, then I know you've been asked to, in some capacity, manage bullying and bullying prevention at your building(s). The trouble is, we don't always have materials available to us. I've had to create my own lessons and materials more times than I can count and while I love to exercise my creative muscles, sometimes I need something that's ready to go.

I recently heard about S.H.A.R.K. (Students Help Achieve Respect & Kindness) Patrol, a program for grades K-3. The goal is help students understand the importance of working together and taking responsibility for our actions.

You can buy the whole kit or just pick and choose your favorite components. I personally love the CD, because the music is very catchy. I use the songs as a way to engage my students at the beginning or end of a lesson. Since my primary students LOVE puppets, I bring in a puppet to help "sing" the songs. You'd be surprised at how funny and enchanting a singing puppet can be. Try it in the mirror with any song...see what I mean?!

The Captain McFinn website has a lot of great extras too! There are 3 sing-a-long songs (have your puppet ready!), coloring pages, interactive games, and more! Whether you need books, activities, puppets, posters, or songs, you can find it with S.H.A.R.K. Patrol. The kids will love the characters. Check it out!

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Book Review: Mom, Am I Different?

12/29/2012

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I recently read a book by Jennifer Adkins, a first grade teacher in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mom, Am I Different? is a story about a little girl who feels self-conscious about who she is. She wonders why she likes to spend time by herself, read books, and do her homework - the other kids don't like those things, so there must be something wrong with her.

The little girl's mother explains that different isn't always a bad thing. This comforting statement gives the girl the courage and motivation to be who she is and make positive changes in the world around her.

I can definitely relate to this story. While I may appear extroverted, I have always been an introvert - I have just found ways to mask it when need be (i.e. theatre). I encounter a lot of students who feel that they don't fit in because their interests and needs are different from the other students in their class. The problem with most elementary schools is that the pond is quite small, so students who have more unique interests and personalities may have to wait until junior high, high school, or even college to make lasting, more compatible friendships.

I definitely recommend sharing this story with your students, especially those struggling with their individuality. The artwork by Georgia Stylou is striking and just like the little girl, unique. Enjoy!

Are you an author? Do you have a book that you would like me to review on my blog? If so, contact me at . I'd be happy to check out your work and spread the word to my readers.

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School Counseling Linky Party 2013

12/27/2012

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Want to highlight the best of your blog?
Let's celebrate the new year by reflecting on our 2012 blogging gems.

I am proud of my "Website of the Month" award because it gives me an opportunity to highlight exceptional web resources. Also, I have been interviewing most of my winners, which allows me to network with school counselors across the country and even in different parts of the world. If you'd like me to consider your blog as a future "Website of the Month," just click here and fill out the form.

I loved my interview with Lauren Seaberg, a school counselor from an international school in the UK. I have always had a passion for history and architecture, so blending that with school counseling is a dream. Check out the post here.

My readers loved "Organization Inspiration," a blog post about my documentation system.

Funnily enough, I attended a workshop at the All Ohio Counselors Conference and noticed they incorporated some of my ideas into their presentation, which was a collection of documentation strategies from all over the blogosphere. Pretty cool!

To learn how I attempt to keep my head on straight when documenting (keyword being "attempt"), check out my post.

There are too many to list, which makes this decision VERY difficult! If you're not included, please know that I still blog stalk you...in the nicest way, of course! :)

Want to participate?

Create a blog post titled "School Counseling Linky Party 2013."
Place the Linky Party logo (above) in your post.
Answer the questions (above). You are free to copy and paste my headers if you'd like.
Submit your blog post link (below). Be sure to link to the actual post, not your homepage.

Now everyone can catch the highlights from amazing school counselor blogs!

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Small Potatoes

12/27/2012

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Self-Esteem

Feelings

In case you haven't noticed, I love using video clips with my students. It's a fun way to grab their attention and transition into a lesson.

I just found one of the most adorable television shows ever...yes, EVER! Small Potatoes is about four singing potatoes who travel the world making music and making friends. Each three-minute episode contains a song about a specific topic and audio clips of children reflecting on that topic.

As described on the Small Potatoes website, the show helps children to:
1. Develop an understanding of how to make friends.
2. Laugh and relax through humor.
3. Develop an appreciation of a variety of music.
4. Process their emotions through music.

You can create your own potato through the Small Potatoes Facebook page. Check out mine (left).

Check out more videos on my YouTube channel or here.

School

Career Exploration

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Subtext

12/26/2012

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In my day-to-day school counseling world, I spend a lot of time reading between the lines. I am constantly scanning my surroundings to informally check-in with hundreds of students and dozens of staff members. In the hallway, we exchange our "Hi, how are you?" pleasantries, but the responses are typically riddled with hidden messages.

A few years ago, I had one clever student explain to me that he always responds with "good" because it's not bad enough or special enough to warrant further conversation. When you want to disappear, bland vocabulary can be your best friend. When you need help, but are afraid to ask, "fine" can be all that squeaks out.

A friend of mine recently posted this thought-provoking video on Facebook. It deals with the underlying causes of bullying, particularly why individuals feel the need to lash out and hurt others.

I must warn you that this video contains some harsh language and mature themes. I still, however, felt it was important to share because school counselors work with both sides of bullying and must find a way to pull back the layers of lies, hurt, embarrassment, shame, and fear to get to the truth. Only then can there be hope of long-term solutions.

With that, I'll leave you to have a GREAT (not good) day!

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Pinterest Parties

12/10/2012

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You may remember a post from August 2012 that described a school counselor Pinterest Party I hosted. Well, my school decided to take it one step further and have an all staff Pinterest Party during one of our scheduled professional development times.

To learn more, click here.

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You Know You Make Me Wanna (Shout!)

12/08/2012

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Well, shout in the most polite way, of course! :)

I am definitely feeling the love today, having been featured on both School Counselor Blog and JYJ Counselor Blog.

Thank you, Danielle and Andrea! I can't wait to meet you in person at the blogger meet and greet!

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When Skies Are Gray

12/06/2012

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Do you have students who are chronically negative? Typically, these children have trouble making and keeping friends, often feeling rejected by their peers and the world at large. This is a "chicken or the egg" situation: Which came first, the rejection or the negativity?

I think it's important to empathize with students who feel excluded, but we still must address what students CAN control. While they cannot control their environment, they can certainly control how they respond to it. We, of course, must be mindful of mental health diagnoses and trauma that may contribute to a student's negativity. Therefore, some of my ideas may not apply to those specific situations.

A few weeks ago, I saw this video (left) on Saturday Night Live. It's about a man dealing with his complicated personal life while starting a new job as a mouse mascot.

This is for comedic purposes, but still shows how negativity and sadness can affect how a person responds to his/her environment. In the movie, whenever someone neglects to wave back, even if it was unintentionally dismissive, the man adds more proof to his negativity bank - "See, you were right. Everyone DOES hate you."

Additionally, this SNL video shows how uncomfortable and frustrating sadness and chronic negativity can be for other people.

Children (and, let's face it, many adults) often have little patience for negativity. When students' interventions, such as asking him/her to play or trying to rationalize why something "isn't so bad," do not work, it's easier for them to give up and blame the negative peer for not trying hard enough.

So, what do you do? I always give my students the first few minutes of a session to vent. Then, we move on to the positives so that I don't feed into the negativity and make it worse. For kiddos who struggle with identifying happy thoughts, I create a sticker chart to track all of the positives they can share with me. Each session, they have to name 3 good things in their life. Then, if they are able to complete the task, they add a sticker to the chart. We set a goal for the number of stickers we want to earn and once they reach their goal, they get to pick a prize from my prize box.

After a few weeks of tracking positive thoughts, I definitely notice a difference in my students. They come up to me to share good news and smile more. We also reflect on how their positive attitude feels, how it impacts their school day, and how others students respond to them.

In a world of uncertainty, we have to focus on what we can control. In the words of Albus Dumbledore, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."

Let's help our students flip the switch and see the world through different eyes.

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You've Got Mail...or Not

12/04/2012

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Have you contacted me, but didn't get a response?

If you've waited more than 5 days, there is a chance that my response has made its way into your spam folder...or, even more tragically, never made it there at all due to some forceful email filters. I tend to have the hardest time with school district email accounts.

So, if you're not successful via email, try contacting me through Facebook.

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Counselors with Character Contest

12/02/2012

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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 December 15, 2012. Winner will be announced December 16, 2012. The winning lesson will also be posted here with credit to the author.

Winner will receive a
coffee mug of his/her choosing.

No winner this month.

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<< Previous

Program Review: S.H.A.R.K. Patrol

Book Review: Mom, Am I Different?

School Counseling Linky Party 2013

Small Potatoes

Subtext

Pinterest Parties

You Know You Make Me Wanna (Shout!)

When Skies Are Gray

You've Got Mail...or Not

Counselors with Character Contest

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