School counselors who have been dreading teaching career awareness...I have good news for you! Teaching career exploration does NOT have to be boring! With the right story books and resources, it's actually super engaging and fun! As you know, college and career readiness is one of our three main areas of focus as school counselors. I like to say that college starts in kindergarten, and teaching career awareness from an early age is absolutely critical. Working at a Title I school with a ... VIEW POST
Career Exploration for Elementary Learners
Valentine’s Day Counseling & SEL Ideas
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 sessions and classroom lessons is a win for me! Luckily, my kiddos love it as much as I do, and we have so much fun not only celebrating the day, but learning the true meaning behind ... VIEW POST
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
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
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 welcome the fall season with open arms! 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 fall season and love when we used autumn-themed stories, games, and activities with them. I'd like to share with you some of my fall-themed favorites, and be sure not to miss ... VIEW POST
