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 can be shattering for everyone involved, but seems to hit elementary-aged children especially hard. 5 to 11-year-olds are old enough to remember their family life ... VIEW POST
Helping Children Cope with Divorce
Bullying Prevention Story Books
"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 parents overwhelm themselves with small, no-big-deal issues that children can solve themselves. This can have very serious, even life-threatening, ... VIEW POST
Helping Children Cope with Anger
Into my office stomped an obviously upset fourth grader: his fists were clenched, his face was as red as his shirt, and his body was trembling. Behavior is communication, and it’s not uncommon for kids who have trouble handling emotions to lose control. Just like adults, kids experience big emotions as they navigate through life, one of the strongest of which is anger. Anger is one of our most basic emotions and although it is often seen as a negative feeling, it does serve a purpose. Anger ... VIEW POST
Helping Children Cope with Grief and Loss
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
Winter Ideas for Counseling & SEL
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Family time, cozy fires, hot chocolate, gingerbread houses, sledding...I'm here for all of it! Y’all know that I LOVE incorporating a seasonal flair into my counseling sessions and classroom lessons, and find that it leads to increased student engagement, buy-in, and fun! Just like us, our students are excited about the winter season and love when we use winter-themed stories, games, and activities with them. In this post, I'll share my winter favorites, ... VIEW POST
