I'll never forget the phone call from my best friend, my precious student DeShawn's kindergarten teacher. She explained, through tears, that DeShawn and his sweet older sister Deja had rode the bus home from school like they did every day, expecting to see their mom waiting for them at the bus stop. When she wasn't there, they walked home and knocked on the front door. No one answered. They decided to go to their next door neighbor's house, who kept a key to their home in case of emergency. The ... VIEW POST
Helping Children Cope with Grief and Loss
Winter School Counseling & SEL Books
I've shared many times before that just about every one of my counseling lessons, with every elementary grade that I taught, began with a story book. Stories captivate students and teach memorable, relatable, and powerful lessons like nothing else can. When I created my curriculum map in August with my lesson topics and ideas for the year, I tried to be really intentional about choosing stories that were relevant and meaningful for students during each season of the school year. I wanted to ... VIEW POST
Teaching Peaceful Problem-Solving Skills with I-Messages
Teaching students how to use I-Messages was one of my most important lessons as a school counselor. I wanted my students to be peaceful problem-solvers who could confidently address issues themselves rather than turning to a teacher (ugh tattletaling!) or making a sad choice. I loved how I could teach my students how to use I-Messages in class or group, and they could leave my room with a new practical skill that they could use that very same day with their friends and family members. ... VIEW POST
Fall Ideas for Counseling & SEL
After a long, hot, and buggy summer here in Nashville, we always welcome the fall season with open arms. Along with the changing season and new school year comes a desire for fresh, new resources to use in practice with our students. I found that no matter the time of year, incorporating a seasonal flair into my counseling sessions and classroom lessons often led to increased student engagement. Just like me, my students were excited about the fall season and loved when I used autumn-themed ... VIEW POST
Supporting Elementary Students during the COVID-19 Crisis
Well, this is certainly a Back to School Season unlike any other. Returning to school after summer vacation can be nerve-racking and stressful for children and educators under "normal" circumstances...let alone during the chaos, uncertainty, fear, and isolation that have come to define 2020. States and school districts are starting to announce their "official" plans for the fall - with "official" in quotations because as COVID-19 cases increase or decrease, these plans can change at any moment. ... VIEW POST
Teaching Growth Mindset
Growth mindset, for good reason, has become one of the biggest buzz words and theories in education today. The concept comes from Dr. Carol Dweck's studies of thousands of children and their attitudes towards failure. In her research, Dr. Dweck noticed that, when faced with failure, some children felt devastated and helpless, and quickly gave up. Other children, on the other hand, seemed to bounce back, learn from their mistakes, and move forward with optimism and hope. So, what is the ... VIEW POST
