by schoolcounselingbyheart | Mar 13, 2012 | individual counseling, yoga
No, these are not my legs, although they’ve got a Zooey Deschanel-meets-Ms. Frizzle vibe that feels kind of appealing today. But this is what I did today with a young friend who was despairing. I was beginning to despair myself, because he was so hopeless. Things are tough in this guy’s life, and he knows it. He and his family have strengths, but he has great difficulty seeing them. I am terribly worried about him, but not sure that he will actually get the level of help and support that he needs. These are the hardest kinds of situations I deal with. (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Mar 10, 2012 | bullying, curriculum, group counseling, individual counseling, planning
This is not a tale of the high seas. It’s about one stormy year in kindergarten, when a combination of individual students’ behaviors developed into a “perfect storm” of bullying. A couple of kids didn’t know how make and keep friends without using intimidation. Some others’ impulsivity hindered their ability to think before they acted. Some did not know how to be assertive, and reacted in a way (tears, giving in to intimidation) that reinforced the bullying. A few did not know how to make good friendship choices, and consistently put themselves back into situations in which someone else might be mean to them. Some had annoying behaviors that unwittingly provoked (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Mar 5, 2012 | empathy, individual counseling, oppositional
You know that kid who doesn’t like to join in as a member of the classroom community? The one who says everyone else is annoying? Who needles other kids to get a reaction because he isn’t quite ready to take the risk of making a friendly overture? For whom power struggles are a seeming delight? Luckily he (or she) doesn’t come along very often, but when he does he can be one tough customer!
Kids like this need help with building friendship skills, developing empathy, and managing anxiety. Often, though, their defenses are so well established that they don’t easily buy into the idea of working to change their behavior. What they are currently doing (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Mar 3, 2012 | individual counseling
A great way to help students identify the range of feelings that they are experiencing is to use post-it notes. (You could also use index cards or small pieces of paper, but there’s just something about the stickiness . . . ) I use this technique all the time, including yesterday, when working with a third grader who is clearly depressed and anxious, but reluctant to talk about how she is feeling.
I start by having the student choose (more…)
No, these are not my legs, although they’ve got a Zooey Deschanel-meets-Ms. Frizzle vibe that feels kind of appealing today. But this is what I did today with a young friend who was despairing. I was beginning to despair myself, because he was so hopeless. Things are tough in this guy’s life, and he knows it. He and his family have strengths, but he has great difficulty seeing them. I am terribly worried about him, but not sure that he will actually get the level of help and support that he needs. These are the hardest kinds of situations I deal with. (more…)
