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Showing posts from January, 2011

School Counselor Blog Turns 2!

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I cannot believe it has been two years since my first post on School Counselor Blog! I am so glad I took my dad's advice to start this blog.  Looking back at my first posts I realize how far this blog has come in the past two years. I have grown so much as a blogger and a school counselor. Writing School Counselor Blog has been an amazing experience and has enabled me to connect with so many readers all over the United States and the world.  I get so many emails from people thanking me for this resource and asking questions.  It is very rewarding to know that School Counselor Blog is helping other school counselors and educators find ideas , resources , and lessons . Thank you to all of my readers for making this journey such an unbelieveable one! What is your favorite post, lesson, resource, or idea you received from School Counselor Blog ? Comment below, email me , tweet , or share on the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page ! Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counse

Give "Put-Ups" not "Put-Downs!"

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"Put Up" Designed by student council member side two One of my roles at school, in addition to my role as a school counselor, is co-advising student council with the other school counselor.  One of many the benefits of co-advising student council (especially with another counselor!) is the opportunity to facilitate school-wide programing aligned with our school counseling program. At our first student council meeting in January, we told the students we were interested in hosting " No Name Calling Week ," January 24th - 28th.  We explained that "No Name Calling Week" is a week-long event to foster dialogue about bullying and disrespect.  The students were very excited and began brainstorming ideas.  One of the students had an idea to make and sell "Put-Ups," an alternative to "put-downs."  I was very impressed with her idea, because I have a lesson from Teaching Tolerance about "Put-Ups," but I have not facilitated it a

Taking Steps to Make Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream a Reality - Part 1

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Monday was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  In honor of Dr. King's legacy, I participated in my district's day of service. Hundreds of volunteers, including school counselors from my district, gathered to work on service projects to support individuals in our community. Together we made MLK day a day ON, not a day off. In honor of Dr. King's legacy, I wanted to find a lesson that would bring the spirit of acceptance and social justice into the classroom.  I facilitate weekly classroom lessons for students in sixth grade, so I am always looking for engaging lessons. I found some great lesson ideas on the Teaching Tolerance website. I combined aspects of two extension lessons, "Take a Stand" and "Keep Moving Display," from the lesson Dr. King and the Movement . This week, I am facilitating the lesson in the three sixth grade classes. When students enter my room, I explain that I will be reading three quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and asking th

Book Review: "What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety"

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I am always in search of books I can use for individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom lessons. When I find something great, I love to share it with my readers! What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety was recommended to me by Lacey, a School Counselor Blog Facebook Fan . I knew there was something special about this book the minute I opened it! About What to Do When You Worry Too Much What to Do When You Worry Too Much by Barbara Huebner is an entertaining guide to help children overcome and conquer anxiety.  What to Do When You Worry Too Much uses metaphors, stories, art, and writing to help children understand their worries and learn how to gain control over them. What to Do When You Worry Too Much explains anxiety in kid-friendly terms. The book begins by comparing worries to tomatoes.  Like tomatoes, if you "water" worries by paying attention to them and "feeding" them, they will get out of control fas

Grief and Loss Group: Balloon Release

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Over the summer I volunteered at a weekend-long grief and loss camp for children.  As part of the closing ceremony, I had the privilege of facilitating a balloon release. The balloon release was a simple, yet meaningful way to commemorate loved ones who passed away and give closure to the weekend. The children and staff members wrote messages on the balloons to their loved ones who passed away. I asked everyone to take a few moments to think of their loved one as well as their time spent at the camp that weekend.  After a few moments had passed, I did a countdown to release the balloons.  It was mesmerizing to see dozens of colorful balloons floating in the sky. For the balloon release, I wrote a message to my grandmother who passed away in 2005 unexpectedly from cancer at age 61.  I wrote a personal message to her and closed it saying "You Are My Sunshine." My grandmother always sang "You Are My Sunshine" to me as a child.  The song is very special to me becaus

Ready to Decorate™ Journal: Really Good Stuff Product Review

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I have been looking for the perfect journal for individual and group counseling and I have finally found it! Really Good Stuff Ready to Decorate™ Journals are a dream come true for individual and group counseling. The Ready to Decorate™Journals are blank on the outside and have one blank page and one lined page next to each other. The journal is 7" by 9" and has 64 pages. The Ready to Decorate™Journals are available to purchase in packs of 36 or packs of 144 . They are a great price too! The Ready to Decorate™ Journals is $1.50 per student for 36 and $ 1.25 per student for 144 plus shipping and handling. Students enjoy personalizing their journals and making them their own. The front of the Ready to Decorate™ Journal is blank, which makes it easy to personalize.  Students in my 8th grade girls group enjoyed decorating the front of their journals. I instructed the girls how to decoupage the front of their journals using magazine cut outs , Mod Podge , and foam pa

"Respectful Listening" Skills

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I recently began facilitating weekly classroom lessons with 6th grade students. I am planning to cover a myriad of topics with students throughout the remainder of the year. Some of the topics I am working on currently include bullying, conflict resolution, and respect. For the lesson I facilitated today, I used No Kidding About Bullying by Naomi Drew.  I taught students about "Respectful Listening," through a role play described in the book.  The students identified ways  I was being a respectful listener, including making eye contact, paying attention, asking questions about the topic, and not interrupting.  I recorded their answers on my white board. After the role play, I instructed students to complete a brief checklist from No Kidding About Bullying to assess how well they feel they listen to others. To get students up and moving while reinforcing "respectful listening" skills, I used an activity from   Energizers! 88 Quick Movement Activities That Ref