Whew, time flies when you are the only school counselor at a Title 1 elementary school with nearly 600 students! In fact, time is flying so much that I am just now sitting down to plan for Red Ribbon and Character Counts week and it is just over 1 week away. Yikes! Luckily, I follow some pretty great blogs that have wonderful ideas and resources (perfect for us first year and totally overwhelmed school counselors like me!)
Thank you School Counselor Blog for being awesome and sharing such wonderful ideas!! I love the idea of using Character is our Super Power as a theme for the week. Now it's time to get planning. Check out these great ideas for combining Red Ribbon Week and Character Counts Week-- and check back in a few weeks for some pictures and thoughts about how it all came together :)
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
7 Habits Poster
Over the summer, I made this poster for my office to refer to the habits with my students! I am so excited to be teaching these important skills to my students.
Be Proactive!
It's official, I am PUMPED about teaching the 7 Habits at my school. I think in the past 3 weeks I have used the word "proactive" at least a thousand times. To me, if our students can learn, practice and do this first habit, then they are limitless in what they are able to accomplish! I've taught it to all grade levels differently, but everyone has heard my definition of Be Proactive: Being
proactive means that you take
control of
things in your life rather than letting things in your life take control of you.
I used the example of someone hating the rain and deciding to just stay home and not do anything they had planned because of the rain. What is in control in that example? THE RAIN! Instead, what could that person bring or do so that they are in control? An umbrella! :) We also talked about the difference in being proactive (like a water bottle) and reactive (like a soda bottle). The kids really got it, and I continued to provide them examples in each lesson.
My favorite lessons were with the upper grades. I used the circle of control to talk about how we should spend our time and energy focused on things that we actually can control and make better rather than spending time complaining, feeling bad about ourselves, or giving other people the power to ruin our days. Then, in 5th grade, I got a wonderful idea from another counselor in my district. Each student created a Personal Proactive Plan for ways that they were going to be proactive at home, at school and outside of home and school. They folded a piece of paper into thirds and came up with ideas that they could do to be proactive in those three areas. I shared my own PPP to help get them started thinking of ideas. We talked about how it was like a contract with themselves to practice being proactive all year.
I've caught so many students being proactive since our lesson, and I love complimenting them on it! How have you been proactive this school year?
I used the example of someone hating the rain and deciding to just stay home and not do anything they had planned because of the rain. What is in control in that example? THE RAIN! Instead, what could that person bring or do so that they are in control? An umbrella! :) We also talked about the difference in being proactive (like a water bottle) and reactive (like a soda bottle). The kids really got it, and I continued to provide them examples in each lesson.
My favorite lessons were with the upper grades. I used the circle of control to talk about how we should spend our time and energy focused on things that we actually can control and make better rather than spending time complaining, feeling bad about ourselves, or giving other people the power to ruin our days. Then, in 5th grade, I got a wonderful idea from another counselor in my district. Each student created a Personal Proactive Plan for ways that they were going to be proactive at home, at school and outside of home and school. They folded a piece of paper into thirds and came up with ideas that they could do to be proactive in those three areas. I shared my own PPP to help get them started thinking of ideas. We talked about how it was like a contract with themselves to practice being proactive all year.
I've caught so many students being proactive since our lesson, and I love complimenting them on it! How have you been proactive this school year?
Friday, September 14, 2012
The 7 Habits of Happy Kids
This summer, I got together with my fabulous former internship supervisor and another counselor friend of hers in our district and we planned lessons for the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. I am so excited that the lessons have started! Below is the bulletin board that is across of the cafeteria. I like the idea of a tree, but we used that last year at our school for something different and I wanted something that I could use and add to as the year goes on. There are 7 habits and 7 colors of the rainbow so, viola! Each month, I will teach a habit to all grade levels. After the lesson, I will have kids write down on the "gold" an idea they have for practicing that habit and display it so that others can have ideas for how to practice the habits. Stay tuned for more to come about the individual lessons and some freebies of things I've created for the program :)
Individual, Individual, Individual!
True Life: It is Hard to Blog During the Week! But finally, I can steal a couple of minutes to sit down at my computer and write about the week. I have been busy seeing individual students because of my new mailbox. I brought it with me during the first counselor introduction lesson and kids have been filling it up! I've found that it's pretty easy to weed through the notes to find the "emergencies" versus the "small stuff" but I know that even the small stuff is a big deal to those students.
Most of the student referrals have been about getting along with people in their class. When I meet with them, I try to give them some tools that they can use to solve their problem themselves. We discuss Heart Talk and The Feedback Game [When someone gives you feedback about yourself- good or bad- ask yourself these questions: 1) Does this match what I know about myself? 2) Did the person who gave me this feedback have my best interest at heart? 3) Will this help me become a better person? If NO is the answer, you reject the feedback with positive self talk!]
Some of my friends have needed to talk about things going on in their family, and I have been keeping a little list for students to add to a group when they get started. Also, I've gotten to help some friends learn to self-monitor their behavior in class! It's been lots of fun to get letters from students who want to talk with me about things going on in their life. One sweet little 2nd grade filled my bucket by leaving me this note: "Dear Mrs. Kendrick I love you and you are a good guidance counselor." :) Do you have a system for letting kids self-refer themselves to you? I'd love to hear about it!
Most of the student referrals have been about getting along with people in their class. When I meet with them, I try to give them some tools that they can use to solve their problem themselves. We discuss Heart Talk and The Feedback Game [When someone gives you feedback about yourself- good or bad- ask yourself these questions: 1) Does this match what I know about myself? 2) Did the person who gave me this feedback have my best interest at heart? 3) Will this help me become a better person? If NO is the answer, you reject the feedback with positive self talk!]
Some of my friends have needed to talk about things going on in their family, and I have been keeping a little list for students to add to a group when they get started. Also, I've gotten to help some friends learn to self-monitor their behavior in class! It's been lots of fun to get letters from students who want to talk with me about things going on in their life. One sweet little 2nd grade filled my bucket by leaving me this note: "Dear Mrs. Kendrick I love you and you are a good guidance counselor." :) Do you have a system for letting kids self-refer themselves to you? I'd love to hear about it!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Lat Minute Lesson Change-Up :)
Well it turned out to be a busier weekend than I had anticipated and as of Sunday afternoon, I didn't have any of the items that I wanted to use for my introduction lesson to the students! So I had to come up with something quick that would work. I had seen the School Counselor's First Aid Kit floating around on Pinterest and decided that I could make it work for me. I went to this wonderful blog and got all of the directions that I needed to create my very own School Counselor Tool Box. Yep, you read that correctly-- I made a tool box instead of a first aid kit. I like using the analogy of adding tools to the students' tool boxes throughout the year and I figured it was a good start to teach them about the different "tools" that I use in my job. They got a kick of out me asking them if they thought that I had a hammer and a saw in my box-- of course I don't use those types of tools! I used it with all grade levels (even the upper grades) and it worked so well to help explain my role to the kids. Since the lesson was done in such a short amount of time (15 minutes each) I was able to meet all classes before next week when I will start my lessons... 7 Habits here we come!!
Here is a picture of my tool box:
I didn't have time in each class to cover all of the items, but I was able to pick and choose. I used the eraser (to help them fix mistakes), the head phones (because I'm a good listener) and the key (to explain what confidential means and tell them the exceptions to that rule) in every lesson. I only used the star in 5th grade to talk about how I was going to help guide them to middle school and get them through the lonely, confusing, scary times along the journey. I just picked and chose the rest of them depending on the grade level I was with. I made sure to talk about all of all of the points I wanted to make even if I didn't use the tool that specifically represented that (they all tie together pretty nicely).
Also, the most important (and my favorite!) thing that I did, was leave them with with their own tool to solve problems this year. When I came in the middle of last year, I brought with me Heart Talk. It was something that I learned in my internship and came from a WONDERFUL lesson planning resource, Puzzle Pieces by Diane Senn. Heart Talk teaches the children to use I-messages (I feel, because, please) when they have a problem. In every class I had at least a couple of students fill my bucket by showing me that they remembered Heart Talk! :)
What did you use for your first lesson with your kiddos? I'm so glad to have met all of the classes and I can't wait to get started next week with my lessons!
Here is a picture of my tool box:
I didn't have time in each class to cover all of the items, but I was able to pick and choose. I used the eraser (to help them fix mistakes), the head phones (because I'm a good listener) and the key (to explain what confidential means and tell them the exceptions to that rule) in every lesson. I only used the star in 5th grade to talk about how I was going to help guide them to middle school and get them through the lonely, confusing, scary times along the journey. I just picked and chose the rest of them depending on the grade level I was with. I made sure to talk about all of all of the points I wanted to make even if I didn't use the tool that specifically represented that (they all tie together pretty nicely).
Also, the most important (and my favorite!) thing that I did, was leave them with with their own tool to solve problems this year. When I came in the middle of last year, I brought with me Heart Talk. It was something that I learned in my internship and came from a WONDERFUL lesson planning resource, Puzzle Pieces by Diane Senn. Heart Talk teaches the children to use I-messages (I feel, because, please) when they have a problem. In every class I had at least a couple of students fill my bucket by showing me that they remembered Heart Talk! :)
What did you use for your first lesson with your kiddos? I'm so glad to have met all of the classes and I can't wait to get started next week with my lessons!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Back to School!
Well, we made it! This has been my first first week back to school since I was a student myself, and I must say I am loving the chaos, smiles, nerves and excitement as our students and teachers gear up for a wonderful year. I've gotten so many hugs and "Hey, I remember you!"s that make me truly excited to be back in the swing of things. This week I've been mostly floating around to be helpful wherever I can, but next week I'll be "popping" into classrooms for a quick counselor introduction lesson plan. Last year I introduced myself for a full 30 minutes lesson with Mrs. Potato Head for K4-1, counselor trivia 2-4, and decorating puzzle pieces in 5th grade (the counselor helps "connect the pieces"... their puzzle pieces went on my bulletin board. So cute!)
This year however, I think most of the students already know who I am, and I really want to get started with my 7 habits lessons in September so that I can cover all of them, so I plan on getting a few things here and there and taking them to each class to introduce myself for a quick 10-15 minutes. Some of things I'll be looking for this weekend are: a large ear (where to find?!?), big shoes (maybe I can borrow a pair of the hubby's), an oversized key, a hand (thinking a foam hand would work), large sunglasses. I'll share whatever I am able to come up with next week. I'd like to have students in the upper grades help me out by wearing some of the things that I'll bring.
A little back to school FUN:
I just thought I'd share this with you since it was crafted for back to school. Below is a picture of our volcano that was in the middle of the atrium for Meet the Teacher and the first day of school. Our theme is Learning is a Treasure and we turned the atrium into a treasure map! We found some footprint peel and stick wall art that we put on the floor with the volcano in the middle ("we're erupting with learning!") and a pirate ship on the wall. The ship has pirates that will hold the "scrolls" of our honor roll students, perfect attendance and Bug Club for the 9 weeks. It was so much fun to see the kiddos walking on the footprints around the atrium. What did your school do for back to school?? I'd love to hear about it!
Have a wonderful, fabulous school year!!
This year however, I think most of the students already know who I am, and I really want to get started with my 7 habits lessons in September so that I can cover all of them, so I plan on getting a few things here and there and taking them to each class to introduce myself for a quick 10-15 minutes. Some of things I'll be looking for this weekend are: a large ear (where to find?!?), big shoes (maybe I can borrow a pair of the hubby's), an oversized key, a hand (thinking a foam hand would work), large sunglasses. I'll share whatever I am able to come up with next week. I'd like to have students in the upper grades help me out by wearing some of the things that I'll bring.
A little back to school FUN:
I just thought I'd share this with you since it was crafted for back to school. Below is a picture of our volcano that was in the middle of the atrium for Meet the Teacher and the first day of school. Our theme is Learning is a Treasure and we turned the atrium into a treasure map! We found some footprint peel and stick wall art that we put on the floor with the volcano in the middle ("we're erupting with learning!") and a pirate ship on the wall. The ship has pirates that will hold the "scrolls" of our honor roll students, perfect attendance and Bug Club for the 9 weeks. It was so much fun to see the kiddos walking on the footprints around the atrium. What did your school do for back to school?? I'd love to hear about it!
Have a wonderful, fabulous school year!!
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