Did you know that, since the pandemic began, 72% of public schools in the U.S. report an increase in chronic absenteeism? (National Center for Education Statistics). All students’ learning and school experiences were interrupted in 2020-2021. But what is even more concerning is that millions of chronically absent children continue to miss out on the […]
One of the most common questions that school counselors ask me is: “How do you schedule classroom guidance lessons?” It sounds like a simple question that deserves a simple answer, but the truth is, scheduling counseling lessons can be a headache! School counselors may feel overwhelmed by so many “moving parts,” and unsure where to […]
Love is in the air! One of my favorite holidays, Valentine’s Day, is just around the corner. While I could easily spend all day googly-eyed over my adorable sons and handsome husband, I also get warm and fuzzy feelings from celebrating the holiday with my students. Y’all know any reason to theme up my counseling […]
Have you ever had a student look at you through teary eyes and ask, “What does divorce even mean? Will I still see my parents? Is this all my fault?” With divorce rates skyrocketing during the pandemic, more children than ever before are asking these painful questions, and struggling to navigate stressful family changes. Divorce […]
“He’s bullying me!” As educators, this is something that we hear all.of.the.time, but how often is the behavior actually bullying? This word is thrown around so casually, and so frequently, that one-time, mean choices are often labeled as “bullying.” My fear here is that real bullying behaviors may go unnoticed or undetected, while educators and […]
Can advocating for our role as school counselors be scary, tedious, and a bit overwhelming? Can it be done – and is it worth it? Yes, and YES! In my last post, I shared my four-step process for removing inappropriate duties from our plate, making way for programming and services that best meet the needs […]
