Category: Classroom Counseling

Updates

02/06/2014

For the past few weeks, I've been adding content to my website. In case you've missed the new additions, here's a list of all of the new material. Just click on the numbers to visit each page.

6th Grade Classroom Lessons

Staff Appreciation Ideas

Website of the Month (Interview with Jeff Ream)

Individual Counseling (Reorganization of Page)

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Book Review: Spoonful of Sweetness

01/19/2014

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Elementary School Counseling.org is another stop on the Spoonful of Sweetness book tour! I was lucky enough to get an early viewing of this adorable book and speak with the author, Maria Dismondy, about it.

Spoonful of Sweetness is a book designed for children ages Birth-3 years. As Maria explains, "It is my effort to incorporate early intervention, encouraging parents to teach simple character traits in the book from the very start of their child's life. It is my hope that if we can start young, children will be equip with important social and friendship skills to use when they enter school."

I believe this book does just that.

As school counselors, we work with families of our school-age students, but often, there are younger siblings who tag along at problem-solving meetings, conferences, and school events. Parents see us a resource, so it makes sense to have other, non elementary-specific ideas in our back pockets.

This book is a wonderful reading suggestion for a family struggling with challenging behaviors. If they recognize the issues their older child is having in school, they may be panicking, hoping to prevent similar problems for their younger children.

Other Ideas for Elementary School Counselors:

*Read the book with kindergarten-1st Grade students in a small group or classroom setting. Explain that babies learn important manners when they are younger, just like we are learning now. Then, brainstorm what "big kids" need to practice, writing their ideas on the board. Finally, students get to pick their favorite from the list and make their own book page. This way, the class has their own, age-appropriate version of Spoonful of Sweetness for their class library.

*In an individual, small group, or classroom setting, reflect with older students (5th-6th) about how they've changed since kindergarten. What is their classroom environment like now compared to then? Do they act differently? Reflect on the manners they see from various age groups at school and the role that the oldest students play. Use Spoonful of Sweetness as an extra resource to remember and discuss early childhood. Finally, have students create posters in small groups (or individually) that highlight the manners they feel are important for their age group and/or school as a whole.

How Would You Use Spoonful of Sweetness?

Write your idea(s) in the comment section of this post! You will be entered to win a free, autographed copy of Spoonful of Sweetness. Deadline: January 31, 2014.

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Icecream Career SCoops

12/28/2013

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New classroom lesson posted!
Check it out here.

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Excellence

12/07/2013

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This month, my school district's core value is "excellence."

I decided to shake things up a bit and try a new lesson with my kindergartners. It turned out to be a very cute, but still educational classroom lesson.

To learn more about this activity, click here.

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Cloudette

11/10/2013

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Cloudette is an adorable picture book about a tiny cloud who wants to do something important. One day, a big storm hits and she is blown far from her home to a new, unfamiliar place. Cloudette has to find the courage to make friends and show those friends what's special about her.

Here is the activity I did with my kindergarten students after reading the book. They loved it!

Cloudette Header (PDF)
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Clouds and Raindrops (PDF)
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Moving Forward

07/30/2013

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You may have heard about a captivating poster series created by graphic designer, Khoa Ho, that depicts the origins of various superheroes. What I love about these thought-provoking posters is that they are simple, yet powerful. Children could look at these images and understand the general message. However, school counselor friends, I think we could go beyond that.

As described on Khoa Ho's website, "everyone has a memory, a past. It's the driving force behind all of our actions for our present, our future." That statement got my school counselor wheels turning - isn't that what we teach our students?! Our experiences shape our thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and understanding that connection can help unlock the secret to making better choices. These posters reinforce that "despite the trials of our past, what we choose to do moving forward is much more important to us and the world we share."

So, you could use the superhero images to introduce a variety of topics: identifying and expressing feelings, positive school behaviors, making and keeping friends, self-esteem, etc. I often use superheroes (and other pop culture references) to address the ASCA standards. Kids love it and more importantly, remember it.

One activity could be a self-portrait, like the example on the right. Start by having students draw a basic outline of themselves in pencil. This is who they are now, which can be represented in a specific pose. Then, have students reflect on what caused that change. How did they become the person they are today? That image is put inside their bigger drawing. The example shows a confident, independent person who is not afraid to be noticed, which came from being singled out and teased. I would use this activity with my older students (4th - 6th).

"It's not who you are underneath. It's what you do that defines you." - Batman Begins

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Dedication

02/03/2013

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Each month, I offer classroom lessons that highlight my school district's core values. "Dedication" is our January core value, so I taught my students about the importance of never giving up.

For my youngest students, I based my lesson on The Little Engine that Could. This year, I opened my lesson with a Sesame Street music video called "Don't Give Up." Then, I discussed the story of The Little Engine and told students we would make our own train to show what we will never give up on. They loved it! I definitely recommend this lesson!

Click here for more lesson details.

I also found this amazing video that older students may appreciate. It's about a man who was told that he would never walk without assistance, but with hard work and dedication, he was able to run.

Be ready to wipe away some tears, because this video is quite inspiring.

One of my favorite quotes from the video is: "Just because I can't do it today, doesn't mean I'm not going to be able to do it someday." That is such a wonderful message to share with our students. School isn't always easy (and it shouldn't be), because we are challenging ourselves to be better, stronger people. Let's live this message: Never, EVER give up!

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SoulPancake

01/29/2013

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While catching up on my blog reading, I came across a Corner on Character post about "the path that leads to awesome." Within the post, Barbara highlighted an adorable, hilarious, and heartfelt video by SoulPancake's "Kid President" that inspires viewers to make the world a better place.

I was incredibly moved by the video and instantly thought of dozens of ways that my students could benefit from its message. But, like the obsessive video scavenger I am, I HAD to discover what SoulPancake was all about and, of course, if there were more videos school counselors could incorporate into their own programs.

So, here's what I found out:

SoulPancake was founded in 2008 by actor Rainn Wilson and his friends, Joshua Homnick and Devon Gundry. As described on their website, "SoulPancake sprang out of their desire to create a space where people from all walks of life could discuss and question what it means to be human - a place to wrestle with the spiritual, philosophical, and creative journey that is life" (FAQ). SoulPancake is not just video - there are also print, web, and live event formats.

One of my favorite aspects of the site is the "activities" section. There are various writing or multimedia prompts (i.e. "List the one thing that you'll never give in to.") that visitors can participate in. These activities are a wonderful springboard for school counseling services; you could easily modify an existing prompt to meet your specific needs. If you trust their little hands, you could even provide your students (in individual or small group sessions, ideally) with a camera so they can respond to challenging questions in a different way.

As for the additional videos for school counselors, I found plenty of clips to spice up a lesson or two. I added some of these SoulPancake videos to my YouTube channel - organized by topic, of course! ;)

You can view my "Brighten Your Day" SoulPancake playlist in its entirety here. You won't be sorry! I promise! These videos are meant to energize, inspire, and ease the burdens we carry. Lighten the load. Enjoy!

Here are two of my favorites:

In addition to their website and YouTube channel, SoulPancake also published a book. You could use this to spark conversation, encourage friendly debates, or to help with your own self-care.

Wow...big discovery today. Thanks, Barbara!

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The Olive Branch

01/26/2013

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In December, I highlighted an educational and super adorable television series called Small Potatoes, which was created by Little Airplane Productions, Inc.

Little Airplane, as described on their website, "specializes in quality film and television programming for young children." They have created many outstanding shows, such as The Wonder Pets, 3rd & Bird, and Tobi! One of my favorites, which was recommended to me by one of my readers, is The Olive Branch.

The Olive Branch is part of Little Airplane's non-profit wing, Little Light Foundation. Each 1 minute episode is meant to model effective conflict resolution strategies, but does so without using words. This way, the message can be understood by anyone, anywhere, which is quite beautiful.

"The children of today are the global citizens of tomorrow. They will play and ultimately work with people from different countries and different cultures. Tolerance, the ability to see and incorporate diverse points of view, and the skill to forge win-win solutions will soon be the most important skills we teach our children. It's never to early to lay the groundwork of these skills."
-Laura G. Brown, Ph.D.

While researching Little Airplane, I was lucky enough to speak with Tone Thyne, Supervising Producer for the company. We discussed how their shows are made, the dreams for The Olive Branch, and ways that fans can get involved.

We also talked about an exciting and unique aspect of Little Airplane: Little Airplane Academy, a 3-day intensive workshop in New York for those interested in created their own preschool series. Participants are able to meet with influential network executives during a panel discussion. There's still time to apply for the upcoming February 9-11 session. Interested? Then, contact Tone at .

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Updates

Book Review: Spoonful of Sweetness

Other Ideas for Elementary School Counselors:

How Would You Use Spoonful of Sweetness?

More Career Lessons Posted!

Icecream Career SCoops

Excellence

Cloudette

Moving Forward

Dedication

SoulPancake

The Olive Branch

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