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It's the Most Challenging Time of the Year

10/26/2014

10 Comments

 
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I'm sure none of us are singing a joyful tune about this time of the year. It's stressful, exhausting, and seemingly never-ending.

I recently read a hilarious blog post about this period of the school year and what you are feeling is known as DEVOLSON, the Dark Evil Vortex of Late September, October, and November.

Once I discovered DEVOLSON, I knew I had to share it with my staff. Here are some pictures and free downloads from this special week.
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Signs (PDF)
File Size: 478 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Cute Pictures (ZIP)
File Size: 1985 kb
File Type: zip
Download File

Notecards (PPT)
File Size: 215 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

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Kicking Off the School Year

8/26/2014

4 Comments

 
Here's a quick summary of how I've started the 2014-2015 school year at my building:

Open House

Our staff decorated our building with a "Surfing into a New School Year" theme. Here's a sample bulletin board introducing our staff to students and parents.
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My Office

Very similar to last year's office. Here are some pictures and a video of my space.
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Intro Lesson

I used a LEGO theme to introduce/reintroduce myself to my students. The students loved it, especially because of The LEGO Movie. Check out additional beginning of the year lessons here. Make your custom LEGO icon here.
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LEGO Lesson (PDF)
File Size: 32013 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

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Interested in the videos from the lesson? Contact me. I can tell you where I found them on YouTube.

Want a "Building Better Futures" t-shirt (different from the one above)? Click here.

4 Comments

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

3/5/2014

0 Comments

 
At my District Leadership Team meeting this evening, we opened with this very entertaining and also VERY enlightening video from TEDx Talks. The presenter, Shawn Achor, discusses how happiness can positively impact our lives, including how successful we feel at work, home, and beyond.

I think this would be a great video to show at a staff meeting or to cut into segments to discuss with older students. I would like to use these concepts to help my 6th graders, in particular, find better ways to deal with stress, disappointment, frustration, and failure. There are some aspects of the talk that may be inappropriate for your intended population, so be sure to view and decide which sections, if any, you'd like to share with those specific individuals.

Just watch. You will be glad you did.

How would you use this video to help your
students and/or staff?

Let me know your ideas in the comments section! :)
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Updates

2/6/2014

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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.
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6th Grade Classroom Lessons

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Staff Appreciation Ideas
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Website of the Month (Interview with Jeff Ream)
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Individual Counseling (Reorganization of Page)
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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: "The Color Quiz" 

11/28/2012

16 Comments

 
You may remember learning about my Career Cafe (right) last month. I spoke about my personality inventory called "The Color Quiz," which is how I organize my students into groups for our guest speakers.

I decided to create another video to focus specifically on the quiz to help explain how it works. For more information, go to this classroom-based counseling link.

Also, this year, my colleagues took the survey during our staff meeting and then met as grade level teams to review the results in greater detail. It's been a fun, but educational way to look at how we function as a team.
16 Comments

Showing the Love

10/21/2012

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My school has an AMAZING climate committee that focuses on highlighting special events to boost staff morale. They pick random days, like National Pasta Day or Friday the 13th, and decorate our lounge. The staff love it! Here are some pictures from our latest special day: National "Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work" Day!
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This table was in our staff lounge. All of the teddy bears received special awards, like "best manicure" or "best dressed." My little friend earned the "best monogram" trophy!
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Our fabulous art teacher created teddy bear table decorations to match the theme. The Teddy Grahams were the final, delicious touch.
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Leaving Your Mark

9/29/2012

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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.
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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!
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This American Life: "Back to School"

9/22/2012

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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!
Click here to read the transcript.
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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
16 Comments
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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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