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

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!

All dressed up for "Mismatch Day"

Positive Reinforcement Buttons
Stephanie Moore

Rumors (Glitter Hand Sanitizer)
Renee Stack

Staff Morale Tear-Off Poster
Stephanie made one for each of us!

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!

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.