School Counselor Blog

In my latest post for the  Free Spirit Publishing's Blog , Thriving in the Middle  I share tips for parents and educators to make students' transition from elementary school to middle school smoother. What tips do you have for helping students make the transition from elementary to middle school? Please share your comments and ideas in the comment section of my post on the Free Spirit Blog! I started writing for  Free Spirit Publishing's Blog  in April of 2012. Check out the  Counselor's Corner  for more Free Spirit Publishing Blog Posts by me! I love  Free Spirit's books  and I am so excited to contribute to  Free Spirit's Blog , "a springboard of ideas for teachers, counselors, and anyone who cares about kids!" Comment below,  tweet ,  contact Danielle , or share on the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page ! Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and b...

I cannot believe it is May already! Eek! I am happy for state testing to be over so that I can resume my regular roles and responsibilities. I am so excited to start my groups back up. Students have been asking me everyday when groups will begin again!  I am also excited for all of the great events that I have been planning for May! A brief summary of my plans for May include: resuming my anger management groups, starting an after school program (CARE Club), planning/coordinating 5th grade transition, presenting at two different conferences, and planning/coordinating career week! I will be resuming my Anger Management Groups using Seeing Red: An Anger Management and Peacemaking Curriculum.   I will be running five groups total: fourth grade boys, fifth grade girls, fifth grade boys, sixth grade girls, and sixth grade boys. I am starting an after school program I created called CARE Club.  CARE club stands for Character And Resiliency Education Club. I will be facili...

The following is a guest blog post I wrote for the Really Good Stuff Teacher's Lounge Blog . Three Tips for a Smooth Transition The school year is winding down. State testing is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. As educational professionals we get used to the routine of the school year. It important to remember, however, that although we may be in our groove, students are moving on and transitioning. As a school counselor, I work with students and teachers through various transitions. Transitions can be challenging, whether the transition is from Pre-school to Kindergarten, elementary school to middle school, middle school to high school, or even from one grade to the next. I have found that there are three things that can create a smooth transition for students: involving stakeholders, addressing questions and concerns, and having fun! 1. Involve Stakeholders Involving stakeholders is a great first step to a smooth transition. Stakeholders can be anyone...