by schoolcounselingbyheart | Oct 14, 2012 | testing, This wacky job!
Administering standardized tests means that you have no time at all to accomplish the myriad things on your to-do list, much less teach classes, run groups, see individuals, or deal with the inevitable crises that arise when you are unavailable. It does, however, give you plenty of time to plot revenge, even if you are also scribing and reading all the allowable bits.
Who, you might ask, is deserving of SuperCounselor’s particular brand of justice? Well, today it’s the the Kingpin of the Testing Mafia, the guy who decided that it was a fine idea to make eight-year-olds (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Oct 13, 2012 | collegiality
School Counselors are in the House – the State House, that is!
Vermont is a very small state, and the Vermont School Counselor Association annual conference is not the multi-day extravaganza that associations from larger states offer, but this year school counselors from the Green Mountain State got to feel especially important when the VTSCA conference was held at the State House, in the chamber of the House of Representatives. (And we got to meet a presidential candidate! More on that later.) The theme of the conference was Mindfulness, Movement, and Motivation, and we got to experience some of each of those in a very grand setting. (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Oct 10, 2012 | This wacky job!
Photo credit: www.imperfectparent.com
Scratching your head about how this whole school counseling thing plays out? Feeling like a lousy counselor? Stay tuned . . .
Let me set the scene: End of the school day. Me, teaching (aka tap dancing to keep everyone focused, on task, and in their own space) a lesson on self-regulation to 14 kids, in grades 1-5, in our PBiS Targeted Program. Two paraprofessionals, who deserve to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, providing back-up. Did I mention that this class/group is scheduled at the very end of the day in a behavioral program? (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Oct 6, 2012 | children's literature, classroom lessons, conflict resolution
Teaching kids how to resolve conflicts is at the very center of the counseling program at my school. When I started at my school in the dark ages 1996, it was as a long-term sub. Being a sub had its challenges, but one of the major advantages it provided was that I had the opportunity to assess the skills and needs of our students and how the counseling program addressed those skills and needs. Here are my findings in a nutshell: They had some skills, many needs, and there was no program. When I was hired to fill the position permanently, one of the first things I did was develop (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Sep 30, 2012 | bullying
Here’s a moving video from the Austin, Texas Police Department and the It Gets Better project. In it, uniformed officers, victims’ advocates, and other police department employees share their experiences, encouragement, and support for young LGBT people. Central to the video is a powerful and direct statement from Art Acevedo, the Chief of Police in Austin, about acceptance for all, regardless of differences: (more…)
Administering standardized tests means that you have no time at all to accomplish the myriad things on your to-do list, much less teach classes, run groups, see individuals, or deal with the inevitable crises that arise when you are unavailable. It does, however, give you plenty of time to plot revenge, even if you are also scribing and reading all the allowable bits. 
