by schoolcounselingbyheart | Feb 21, 2013 | bullying, classroom lessons
It’s finally out – the crowd-sourced music video of Stand! The singer, Charleigh Gere is a middle school student in our district, who decided to take a stand herself and do something to help other kids stop bullying. The video is comprised of clips of students from all over the world singing, dancing, acting, writing, and signing, united to end bullying. My counseling partner Amy worked with some of her 3rd and 5th grade groups to create clips, which they submitted for the video (some of them even made the cut!). Amy and I use the song (available in iTunes) in our bullying prevention units and the kids LOVE it! And now here’s the video, which will be a great addition to any lesson about bullying! You might also be interested in: Goodbye Bully Machine, Hello Integrated Learning Spiraling Bullying Prevention Brave, Bold First Graders Responding to a “Perfect Storm” of... read more
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Feb 19, 2013 | bullying, children's literature, classroom lessons, Common Core, curriculum, technology
I’m always tweaking and working to improve my lessons and units – I want to make sure that they’re meaningful and engaging, and that kids are learning and applying what they’ve learned in real-life settings. Also, I am addicted to just love figuring out how to incorporate new ideas and techniques! (Which may have something to do with why my to-do list is completely ridiculous.) Most recently, I set my sights on my fourth grade bullying prevention unit. Even though this unit has been impactful and well-received, I wanted to: (1) experiment with how integrating technology and art might expand kids’ understanding about bullying; (2) see how this could help me assess student learning; and (3) increase my knowledge about how best to address the Common Core standards within the counseling curriculum. It was a LOT of work, but the outcome has been amazing! The foundations of the unit did not change. As always, we reviewed what the kids had learned in previous years and added fourth grade level content. (See the scope and sequence of our K-5 bullying prevention lessons in Spiraling Bullying Prevention). Lessons included read aloud, video clips, book studies, writing, and role playing. The kids took turns re-teaching concepts at the beginning of each class. At the conclusion of the unit the students shared what they had learned and I assessed it. But here’s what did change: The theme of the unit was built around a non-fiction text. Bullying prevention concepts were explored not only by talking, listening, reading, and writing, but also through acting, movement, music, and art. Students used technology to share information... read more
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Feb 2, 2013 | classroom lessons, Common Core, group counseling, individual counseling
You work hard every day to help kids communicate clearly, solve problems, collaborate, gain independence, understand others’ perspectives and cultures, and become college and career ready. You facilitate discussion in one-on-one, small group, and whole-class settings. Depending on the grade levels you cover, it’s likely that you read books with kids, help students prepare for college or job interviews (or disciplinary hearings!), help them interpret assessments or other data to make decisions, and provide guidance about writing application essays. So guess what! You’re probably already on your way to addressing the Common Core State Standards. Here’s some information to help you better understand what the Common Core standards are all about, and how you can integrate them into your practice to improve student learning and build system-wide support for your school counseling program. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) outline what all students, K-12, are expected to know and be able to do in the areas of English Language Arts (ELA) and Math in order to be well prepared for college and career demands. Although they focus on ELA and Math, the standards are to be addressed in all content areas. Technology and media skills (critical analysis and production) are integrated throughout the standards. The CCSS have been fully adopted by 45 states (all but Alaska, Nebraska, Texas, Virginia, and Minnesota, which has adopted the ELA standards only), the District of Columbia, four out of five U.S. territories (Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, but not Puerto Rico), and the Department of Defense Education Activity. Their adoption in our schools provides an opportunity... read more
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Jan 27, 2013 | individual counseling
I never know what I’m going to find in the mailbox outside my office door. It could be a request for help, a thank-you note, a picture, a detailed description of what went on at recess (can you say third grade girls?), a mushed up cupcake, or one of the flurry of notes I get about nothing much once first graders discover how exciting it is to deposit their missives in my mailbox. “Can I help you with something?” I ask. Often the answer is, “No. I’m just writing you a note.” And sometimes I get something like this: F this scool. Get me out of hear know. No, I didn’t write this myself, although I have to admit, sometimes I come pretty close to sharing the author’s sentiment. But it did crack me up! Why would I laugh? Well, first because it’s funny (I am easily amused.) And secondly, because it represented a huge step for the writer. In earlier days these words would have been shouted, and accompanied by either a desk-clearing sweep of the arm or a noisy, dramatic attempt to leave the building. In even earlier days they wouldn’t even have been uttered at all – something would have been thrown (perhaps even a punch) and pretty soon I’d be under a desk or peeking under a beanbag chair, trying to coax my friend into calming down and coming with me. Also, his spelling is really coming along! And how about that sunshine-y sun in the corner?!!! But this day, when I went to find him, only a short time after he had left the... read more
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Jan 22, 2013 | abuse, classroom lessons, personal safety
There is nothing like kids teaching kids – it is engaging, powerful, and another kid’s words can often be more meaningful than an adult’s. It’s great to have role models visit a classroom to talk about how they learned to solve conflicts or stop bullying, but this kind of presentation is not possible when it comes to abuse prevention. Here, though, is a way to provide meaningful kid-to-kid teaching about this important topic. The video, Break the Silence: Kids Against Child Abuse is an amazing, must-have resource. In it, four real kids tell their stories and share the importance of telling an adult about physical and sexual abuse, and how doing so ends the abuse and brings them to safety. See below for suggestions about how you can get a copy. The Kids and Their Stories Curt and his sister were physically abused by their father, whose drinking contributed to the abuse. The abuse stopped when Curt’s sister told a friend, who told her school counselor. They were removed from their home and went into foster care for a while while their parents did the work they needed to do to ensure their children’s safety. In the video the family has been reunited and are shown in a home visit family meeting with a social worker. The parents speak about how they needed to learn how to parent in a way that is safe and loving. As the segment concludes, they are shown bowling together as a family, celebrating and encouraging each other. Xochitl was sexually abused by her stepfather. When she finally told her mother, her mother did not believe... read more
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Jan 19, 2013 | abuse, classroom lessons, personal safety
Recently, McKenzie Roman, a community educator from the YWCA in Kalamazoo, Michigan contacted me to ask if she could use some of the ideas in my posts about sexual abuse prevention in a coloring book that she was developing for classroom lessons in Kalamazoo elementary schools. Of course, I said “YES!” The coloring book is now complete and the Kalamazoo YWCA has generously shared it with me so that I can share it with all of you! It was pretty much like my birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and a dance party all wrapped up into one magical moment when I received my copy this week! The book is titled Very Important People. It contains 13 pages of pictures to color and drawing prompts, as well as a note to parents. You can download it here. It can be used in classroom lessons, as a whole book or by using selected pages, and as a resource to share with parents. It covers the topics of: Your body belongs to you Private parts are covered by your bathing suit Trust your feelings Happy/contented/safe touches Adults you trust at home and school Touch should never be a secret Tell an adult you trust about uncomfortable touches Uncomfortable touches are not your fault Tricky words that might be used to try to stop you from telling Ways you can tell about uncomfortable touches Telling makes you feel better (real words from real kids) I absolutely LOVE this resource! It can certainly be used on its own, but it also complements the lessons and scripts outlined in Teaching Kids How to Tell About Sexual Abuse, “I... read more
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Jan 12, 2013 | group counseling, social thinking
Let’s be real: group counseling can be really hard. No matter how carefully you build the group membership and plan lessons and activities, sometimes things do not go as expected. Here are some ideas that I have found to be most helpful: Think carefully about whether the group members are actually ready to be able to be in a group. Sometimes kids need some “pre-teaching” about things like how to listen, take turns, or manage their personal space. They may need a chance to get familiar with your group space and the items in it, or to learn that they will be safe there and with you before they have the added stressors of having other kids around or an audience. They may need to start out in a mini group of just one other kid – and maybe that kid needs to be a really strong, easy-going role model! And in some cases, individual counseling, with the goal of working toward being able to be in a group, is in the kid’s best interest. Don’t let the group experience become “one more failure.” It can be heartbreaking when a group setting doesn’t work out for a kid – those kids are often the last ones who need to get the message that they don’t fit in. If things haven’t gone well for a particular student in the group, I generally talk with him/her about it after the group (but not always right after) to make a plan for the next session. I also check in with him/her the morning of the group to make sure that he/she... read more
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Jan 6, 2013 | technology, Uncategorized
Feeling overwhelmed by the out-of-control number of tasks on my plate, I posted the following status on the School Counseling by Heart Facebook page on Friday: I need an app that will create a 3-D to-do list. Two dimensions are not enough to wrangle all these tasks into manageability! #IthinkIcanIthinkIcan Ask and Ye May Receive! I found a solution! But first, the problem: Now, I’m a fairly well-organized person. I am a good list-maker and rememberer. I use the Any.Do and Wunderlist apps, handwritten lists, Post-it notes, colored pens, highlighters, and have even been known to write on my hand occasionally. However, sometimes a simple list – even one with sub-lists – doesn’t cut it, and heaven knows my brain can’t always hold all the details at once! And this might be why: Master the Art of the To-Do List by Understanding How They Fail is a fascinating article (well, fascinating for those of us who are organizing geeks) that provides some insights into the to-do list problem, as well as reassurance that you’re getting more done than you think. Right now I’m juggling finishing up and assessing units in two grades, beginning units – one brand new, utilizing technology I haven’t used before – in two grades, preparing two January inservice staff presentations, identifying, contacting, and coordinating community members for a career fair, managing a new semester of the Big Brother/Big Sister program (which has been very challenging this year – prodding elementary students to do what they’re supposed to is one thing, inspiring college students to follow through on their commitments is another!), starting new rounds of groups, re-juggling... read more
