School Counselor Blog

I have a new post on  Free Spirit Publishing's Blog  today!  Check out my post about self-care for helping professionals:  It's Ok to Hold All the Frogs ! I started blogging for  Free Spirit Publishing's Blog  in April of 2012! 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 blogger at  School Counselor Blog , a place where school counselors share innovative ideas,  creative lesson plans,  and quality resources. Connect with Danielle via  email ,  Twitter , Pinterest ,  LinkedIn ,  Google+ , and become a fan of the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page .

I recently started blogging for Free Spirit Publishing's Blog ! 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!" Check out my post that went live today: A Bully Called Buttercup ! 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 blogger at  School Counselor Blog , a place where school counselors share innovative ideas,  creative lesson plans,  and quality resources. Connect with Danielle via  email ,  Twitter , Pinterest ,  LinkedIn ,  Google+ , and become a fan of the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page .

Are you interested in writing a guest blog post for School Counselor Blog? Do you have an innovative idea, creative lesson, or quality resource that you want to share with other school counselors? School Counselor Blog is currently seeking Guest Bloggers in the following categories:   •   Secondary School Counselors (Junior High and High School)   •   Secondary School Counselor Graduate Students If you are interested in these or future opportunities email Danielle with the subject line "School Counselor Blog Guest Blogger." Include a writing sample or link to your blog in the email. Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at  School Counselor Blog , a place where school counselors 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 ...

School Counselor Blog's first guest post! Creating a Portable Sand Tray by Shelly Blair, M.Ed., NCC   One of the students' favorite (and mine too!) activities to choose to play with is the sand tray.  There really isn’t a “wrong” way to use the sand tray.  Some children use objects in the sand to tell a story, some simply play with the sand because it is soothing to them, some do not say anything but the themes in their play tell the whole story.  It really is powerful to watch! When I was in graduate school, I used a wooden sand tray. However, when I looked into getting one of my own, I realized they are very expensive!  If you are like me and you have to travel between schools, or you are just starting out and and do not have the money to buy an expensive wooden sand tray, I have a great solution! Make Your Own Sand Tray I simply bought a clear plastic container (mine is approximately 8-10 inches deep) from Walmart which cost around five dollars. I g...

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...