We’ve all seen the research and know that mindfulness has a whole host of benefits for health and schools. So this raises the question: how can we create a schoolwide culture that values mindfulness? As with any culture shifts, all-staff buy-in and routines are key! Keep reading to find out more about how you can […]
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Mindfulness with middle schoolers: a piece of cake or labor of love? I’ve had loads of fun teaching mindfulness to elementary-aged students, but when I first threw out the idea to some of my middle schoolers, they looked at me like I had three heads. I knew that buy-in would be a little tougher with […]
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During the second quarter of the school year, I started talking to my seventh graders about stress. We did a simple self-assessment and nearly all of my students were reporting high levels of stress about things like school work and interpersonal problems. This is of course not unique to my students. According to a study […]
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One box I can always count on being checked on the needs assessment is ☑WORRY. Our students are coming to school with worries about friendships, home life, their school performance and so much more. Researchers estimate that nearly 32% of adolescents (ages 13-18) experience an anxiety disorder. Additionally, in a survey of children aged 10-11 in England […]
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If you find yourself reaching for worksheets for classroom guidance lessons and you’re noticing that students are lacking interest or engagement, it’s time to ditch the desks! Getting your students moving to learn and practice the skills you’re targeting in counseling instruction will boost engagement and have your students begging for more classroom guidance time. […]
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I don’t know about you, but my counseling grad program didn’t spend a lot of time focusing on whole classroom instruction. I was ready for individual counseling. I was sooo ready for group counseling. But I was totally not ready to be standing in front of a group of 30 (a whole other issue…) students […]
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Pipe cleaners are one of my go-to craft supplies for the counseling office. They’re so versatile, easy to store, and students love to create things with them or just keep their hands busy. While they are great for demonstrating flexibility, they have so many more uses from keeping students’ fingers busy to tracking progress toward […]
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If you’re a counselor in an area with a dense military population, you’re acutely aware of the ongoing military engagements around the world and the effects these long periods of parental absence have on students. Sometimes, families move away from military installations to be closer to supportive extended family during deployments. In this case, some […]
Continue readingIf you’re like me, you saw the gratitude tree in the Target dollar spot and grabbed it for a fun fall activity! But now that fall is over, are you wondering what to do with that gratitude tree for the rest of the year? I was too! To stretch out the lifetime of your tree […]
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Gabi Garcia, author of Listening to My Body, just published another book that is a great addition to any counselor’s shelf! I recently had the opportunity to do a book review of her newest title. It is truly a wonderful book for exploring self-compassion and positive self talk with elementary school students! Book Review […]
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