All of us experience grief and loss at some point in our lives, with many of us navigating our first loss as children. Coping with grief while balancing academic and social responsibilities (and just being a kid!) is challenging! As the school counselor, you have a unique opportunity to provide support and teach students practical skills for managing grief that will last a lifetime. Having engaging and interactive activities on hand to support students is crucial in providing this much-needed ... VIEW POST
Grief & Loss PART 4: Activities to Help Students Cope with Grief & Loss
Grief & Loss PART 3: Resources to Help Students Cope with Grief & Loss
Grief is a complex emotion that follows a great loss in a person’s life. For elementary students, these losses can include the death of a loved one, a major life change like moving schools, or a severed friendship. As a school counselor, having high-quality resources on hand to support your students through grief is critical!Introduction to Grief in Students and How School Counselors Can HelpGrief is such a big emotion for students to deal with. It is defined as deep sorrow.Grief can manifest ... VIEW POST
Grief & Loss PART 2: Storybooks to Help Students Cope with Grief & Loss
As school counselors, we never know what students will bring to us each day, and sometimes their needs are so great, so profound, that it can be overwhelming even for us as trained professionals. Storybooks are a great tool to help students cope with grief and loss!What Does Grief Look Like in Students? Grief is defined as deep sorrow. Students who do not process big emotions, like grief and loss, are at-risk for several physical, social, emotional, and academic hardships:Read more ... VIEW POST
How to Teach Students the Difference Between Bullying and Conflict
Problems between friends and classmates happen all the time, and it's hard for young children to know when a problem is bullying or just a conflict. The most current research finds that approximately one in five school-aged children are victimized by bullying. Helping students understand the difference between bullying and conflict can decrease incidents over time and increase positive social interactions at school! The Difference Between Bullying & ConflictConflict ExplainedA conflict ... VIEW POST
My Top 10 Favorite Stories for School Counseling
One of the most common questions that followers ask me is, "What are your favorite, must-have books for school counseling?" Well, the truth is, I have SO MANY favorites that it's hard to narrow down and make a list! Having a thorough school counselor library with books on a variety of topics is crucial to my success. I make sure to have at least a couple of go-to books on as many SEL and mental health topics as possible (i.e. divorce, grief, anger, anxiety, etc.) so I am ready for any student ... VIEW POST
School Counseling Office Must-Haves
School counselors, did your school give you a budget to purchase supplies, but you have NO.IDEA what to buy? Friend, I've been there! Let’s dive into my list of 10 School Counseling Office Must-Haves to help you make the most of your school funds! School Counseling Office Must-Haves:1) SEL BooksIf you know me, you know that I start just about every school counseling lesson with a story! Having a solid school counselor library with books on a variety of topics is crucial to my success.Scholastic ... VIEW POST
