As counselors, we know that parent engagement and involvement is important. We also know that it can be tricky to find ways to get parents involved in their child’s social-emotional learning. One way to help bridge this gap is by hosting a social-emotional learning family night. I have found that hosting a night like this […]
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Cultivating healthy friendships amongst students is crucial for a positive learning environment. When students know the difference between healthy and unhealthy behaviors, they are able to modify their behavior. Encourage them to look inward as you review the qualities of a healthy friendship. Let’s take a look at 8 healthy friendship qualities that you can […]
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As a school counselor or other mental health provider in a school, you rarely have the resources to see students in individual counseling long-term. You also might not be trained to handle more chronic psychological disorders. This is why ASCA recommends that you only use individual school counseling short-term as a responsive service for acute […]
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Involving parents in your school counseling program and in the school in general can often get overlooked. I remember the story of a principal who had a student absentee problem. When she dug deeper, she realized that students were missing school because they didn’t have clean uniforms. So, she at her parent nights, she had […]
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Positive thinking can be the difference between a student persisting with a challenging activity and stopping too soon. As counselors, we can directly work on building a student’s positive thinking, and give them the skills to be resilient when faced with challenges.Identify & Replace Negative ThinkingI focus on two things when building a student’s positive […]
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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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School counseling book clubs in elementary school are some of my favorite twists on a classic small group counseling. I love sharing a good book, watching students make connections to the characters, seeing first hand my students reading and comprehension levels, and helping them improve their reading. Books clubs provide wonderful opportunities for you to […]
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No matter what your school looks like, chances are you’re helping students to effectively and peacefully manage conflict. We are all human and conflict is a part of our lives! Teaching students conflict resolution is one of my absolute favorite parts of being a school counselor; it’s fun and it has a huge impact. Your […]
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After fidget spinners came on the scene, teachers began banning self-regulation tools from the classroom. Students misused them and teachers weren’t prepared for them. These tools get a bad rap when not used properly. Without clear usage rules, they can be a disaster and a distraction. With an effective management plan, using fidget tools in […]
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Testing season can be the cause of anxiety and frustration for students and teachers alike. As school counselors, we have the unique ability to help prepare our students for test success in a multitude of ways. In addition to helping reinforce test-taking skills, we can teach students how to handle and cope with the big […]
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