Posts

Showing posts from 2010

School Counselor Blog Favorite Posts of 2010

Image
2010 has been an exciting and eventful year for School Counselor Blog . In 2010, I created podcasts (including a video podcast), hosted a contest, wrote guest blog posts for other education blogs, and much, much more. When thinking about all School Counselor Blog accomplished for 2010, I am so excited about the future possibilities!  Below I outlined 10 of my favorite posts from 2010 and why they made the list. Plan to Be Surprised Plan to Be Surprised is about planning your day, but also being adaptable. Plan to Be Surprised is one of my favorite posts of 2010 because "plan to be surprised," is something I tell myself daily.  Sometimes I have my whole day planned out and have some pretty high expectations of what I am going to fit into my day.  Then, a crisis happen.  An unexpected event can rearrange your whole day... and that's ok.  Thankfully, not everyday includes a crisis. However, adaptability a very important trait to have as a school counselor! How Di

Happy Holidays from School Counselor Blog!

Image
Thank you to all of my readers who make my spirits bright year round! I greatly appreciated all of your questions, comments, and feedback throughout the year! I hope you all have wonderful and relaxing break! Happy Holidays from School Counselor Blog ! Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at  School Counselor Blog , a blog where school counselors can share innovative ideas,  creative lesson plans,  and quality resources.  Contact Danielle via  email , follow her on  twitter , and become a fan of the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page .

School Counselor Interview Tips

Image
Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have tackled one of the most difficult parts of job searching, getting an interview. The following post was inspired by reader who asked for tips for an upcoming interview.  If you are searching for a job or will be on the lookout soon, check out my post Make Connections! I describe how networking is a key part of advancing your career as a professional school counselor. Below are tips for interviewing for a position as a school counselor.  Do you have school counselor interview tips? Comment below,  email me ,  tweet , or share on the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page ! Do Your Homework My number one piece of advice is to research the school and district before the interview. What is the population (rural, suburban, urban, high poverty, moderate, poverty, etc)? Has the school been in the news media for anything noteworthy (awards, grants, etc)? How does the school/district perform on state tests? The more information you know

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and Bullying

Image
While holiday shopping, I saw many items featuring my favorite Christmas character,  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer . Amid the nostalgia I was feeling for good old Rudolph, I was reminded of a conference I attended at the beginning of the calendar year.  One of the speakers mentioned using popular art and media to teach classroom lessons.  The speaker mentioned that  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer   could be used to teach lessons about bullying.  After watching  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  as a school counselor, it is alarming how much bullying is in  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer . Talking to students about bullying using  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  is powerful because it is popular media that they may have already seen before, but may not have identified as bullying behavior. The overall lesson from the movie is to be true to yourself and accepting others.  "How Can You Overlook That?" Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  begins with Rudolph's fath

School Counseling Gift Ideas for Interns, Grad Students, and New School Counselors

Image
'Tis the season for December graduations, school counseling internships coming to an end, and holiday gift giving! I decided to make a series of gift idea guides to take the guesswork out of gift giving for school counselors. The following gift ideas are suggestions for school counseling interns, graduate students, and new school counselors. The gifts ideas mentioned would make great gifts for anytime, not just the holidays! All of the items I mention have either received as a gift or I have purchased myself. A Book that Keeps on Giving When I was an intern, one of my site supervisors gave me  The Giving Tree   by Shel Silverstein as a gift.  The Giving Tree   is  a powerful book about friendship. I greatly appreciated the book because it was not only a thoughtful gift I enjoyed reading, but it was something I could (and do!) share with students.  I have used  The Giving Tree   in individual sessions and classroom lessons about friendship, kindness, and respect.  A

Making Time for Groups

Image
A reader asked what time during the day I facilitate groups. Q: I really enjoy  your blog. I would like to know what time of day do you schedule your groups?  I can only have them at the lunch hour, so it restricts things a bit. A: Making time for groups can be challenging, but it is possible! At my current school I work with late elementary and middle school school aged students (grades 5-8).  Our school runs on a six day learning cycle instead of using days of the week. However, I facilitate groups and programing using days of the week. Below I discuss the times I facilitate groups and the advantages and disadvantages of the times. Advisory Period, Homeroom, and Study Hall In a middle school or high school setting, advisory period, homeroom, or study hall may give you enough time to facilitate a group.  Advisory periods and homerooms are usually the same time for all grade levels. Study halls usually occur at certain time of the day, so it may be possible to pull students

"The Line Game"

Image
I am currently running three groups using the Girls in Real Life Situations curriculum. The curriculum is great! I especially like the Girls in Real Life Situations curriculum because it allows for flexibility. One of the activities in Girls in Real Life Situations is an activity, where girls stand on a line when they can relate to statements read by the facilitator. An example of a statement includes, "stand on the line if you like the color red." The purpose of the activity is to show similarities and how the girls are connected in different ways. The line activity in the Girls in Real Life Situations curriculum reminded me of "The Line Game" from The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruewll. In Freedom Writers , the movie version of the Freedom Writers Diary , Erin Gruwell (played by Hillary Swank) facilitated "The Line Game" with her students. She instructed students to "stand on the line" if the experience she stated related to them.

Groups, Groups, and More Groups!

Image
It's crazy to think Thanksgiving is next week! It feels like just yesterday it was August! I wanted to share about groups I have been running so far this year and groups I plan to start in the near future. G.I.R.L.S. Groups I am running two sixth grade girls groups, and one seventh grade girls group using  Girls in Real Life Situations (G.I.R.L.S.) curriculum by Julia V. Taylor. The groups are going great! The Girls in Real Life Situations curriculum is working out really well. Girls in Real Life Situations covers a myriad of topics including self esteem, friendships, and stress. I love that the curriculum is flexible and enables the facilitator to pick and choose which activities to facilitate for each topic! I have used some of the activities in the Girls in Real Life Situations with other groups I am running too! I will be writing a review about the Girls in Real Life Situations curriculum in a future post. Grief and Loss Groups I am currently running two grief and loss