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Moving Forward

7/30/2013

9 Comments

 
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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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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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Video Podcast: Go Ahead! Judge this Book by its Cover!

10/14/2012

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Yikes! Horrible, unwelcoming screenshot! Please ignore. :)
We tell our students not to judge a book by its cover, but we can't ignore our natural impulse to do so. Watch my video podcast to learn how to make your clothing work for you!
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All dressed up for "Mismatch Day"
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Pinterest Party

8/17/2012

16 Comments

 
On Thursday, August 16th, all 8 elementary school counselors in my district got together for a Pinterest Party! Each school counselor brought materials for at least one project. It was unbelievably fun and energizing! I thought I'd share some of the projects we made, with links to the actual Pinterest activities. Also, two of my brave colleagues agreed to explain a couple of their ideas on camera. Enjoy!
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Tear-Off Posters
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The "What Can I Do?" Can
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Pool Noodle Stress Balls
Positive Reinforcement Buttons
Stephanie Moore
Rumors (Glitter Hand Sanitizer)
Renee Stack
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Staff Morale Tear-Off Poster
Stephanie made one for each of us!
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Quiet Spray
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Flower Pens
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Quilted Memories

8/15/2012

2 Comments

 
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I don't know about you, but each and every school year I receive at least 10 new t-shirts. While I love a nice tee as much as the next person, I can only wear one at a time...well, fashionably, that is.

I decided that I wanted to take half of my t-shirt collection and make a quilt, but unfortunately, I am not the most talented quilter out there - my sewing machine always breaks, taunting me with each thread jam.

Therefore, I chose to call in the professionals so that my precious shirts (and school spirit) would not be damaged. Campus Quilt Company to the rescue! 
Campus Quilt Company offered professional service and a high quality product. As I spread out my gorgeous quilt, my cat decided to test it out for himself. As you can see, he approves!
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How to Use TED-Ed in School Counseling Programs

7/3/2012

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TED-Ed is an organizaton aimed at spreading great ideas in education. Educators around the world can submit their best lessons and, if selected, share their message with countless classrooms. The goal is simple: "capture and amplify the voices of the world's greatest educators."

In addition, the TED-Ed platform "allows users to take any useful educational video, not just TED's, and easily create a customized lesson around the video. Users can distribute the lessons, publicly or privately, and track their impact on the world, a class, or an individual student."
 
Check out this video on chemical reactions.
School counselors could use TED-Ed videos and technology to integrate their students' core academic lessons with ASCA standards. Look at the "chemical reactions" example; it lends itself to discussion on what draws us to others or how we make new friends. Certain "rules" speed up chemical reactions, so which "rules" speed up new friendships? How can we use this information to help us in our daily lives? The possibilities are endless!
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Creative Thinking

4/1/2012

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First of all, I apologize for being, for the most part, inactive on my site for the past week or so. It's that time of year when everyone seems to be stressed, overworked, and tired. I am not immune to this, even though I think I am sometimes!

Second of all, I wanted to share two AMAZING videos with you. When my brother forwarded "Fresh Guacamoli" to me, I wasn't sure what to expect. After watching, I was hooked.

These videos highlight creative thinking, something I encourage my students to practice and value. I would use the clips before an activity that may require students to think outside the box or to use symbols to illustrate their thoughts/feelings. Those particular assignments seem to be the hardest for students to complete. I often get questions like: "What is the right way to do this?" or "What should I do?"

Check out videos like these and MORE on my YouTube channel.
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    My name is Marissa Rex and I am a 1st Grade teacher and an elementary school counselor from Ohio. I hope you enjoy my site!

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