School Counselor Blog

Sometimes you just need a pep talk. Who better to deliver it than Kid President ?! If you haven't seen this Kid President video yet, it is a must! Not only is he super adorable but he shares some great messages about how we need to be on the same team in this game of life and make the world an awesome place. My favorite part is when he starts to read the Robert Frost poem, "Two roads diverge..." you'll see what I mean! :) I encourage you to share this video with others who need encouragement and have the potential of making the world a more awesome place! That's why I am sharing it with you all! You ALL make the world more AWESOME by being school counselors or aspiring school counselors and supporting student success! Who will you share this video with? 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...

My mom made adorable gerber daisy flower center pieces for the tables at my bridal shower. The flowers are colorful, bright, and cheerful. I thought the flowers would be great for Career Café tables to add some ambiance and make Career Café feel even more like a cafe experience. Then, I got an idea to make the flowers even better and serve two purposes, by making flower pens! I have always wanted to make flower pens... now I had a great excuse! Watch the video below to learn how to make your own flower pens! I realized while making the flower pens that they would make a great gift for a school counselor, teacher, principal or educator. Really, they would make a great gift for anyone who has a desk. ;) I love that they serve a purpose and look cute! Here's a picture of the flower pens on a  Career  Café table. Have you ever made flower pens? How would you use flower pens in your work as a school counselor? Comment below,  tweet ,  c...

My school principal just sent a link to this amazing video, Too Important To Fail, to our school staff.   The video is powerful. It is a MUST watch if you work in an urban school.  You can watch the video below or on the  PBS website .  There are also  related clips and web extras .                                                       Watch the  full episode . See more  Tavis Smiley. Too Important to Fail is   about how schools are failing African American males and students of color and how schools can help them succeed.   Tavis Smiley interviews children, teens, teachers and other individuals in education about what can make a difference for African American males and students of color.  When talking to one of the teens, Smiley asks...

48 Hours did a special on bullying called Bullying: Words Can Kill.   I haven't watched it yet, but I wanted to share it with you because I just found out about it! You can watch the video below. Also, check out the 48 Hours: Bullying: Words Can Kill  website for tons of web extras and related videos. What did you think of this video? What other related videos did you watch any on this site? Comment below,  tweet , or  contact Danielle , 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 , follow her on  twitter , add her on  LinkedIn  or  Google+ , and become a fan of the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page .

My previous post about 3 Ways to Have a Ball with a Beach Ball All Year Round inspired me to make a video. Play the video below to learn how to create a question ball using a beach ball. What questions would you write on a question ball? What kind of activities would you use a question ball for? Comment below,  tweet , or  contact Danielle , 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.  Contact Danielle via  email , follow her on  twitter , and become a fan of the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page .

I was first introduced to this powerful spoken word poem by Daniel Beaty at a Children of Incarcerated Parents training. I have since shared this video in individual sessions and group sessions with children and adolescents who have experienced the incarceration of a loved one. Beaty's performance is candid and emotional. It doesn't matter how many times I have seen it, I still become tearful each time I watch it. I encourage you to watch it and share it with others!!! I have created a google document with the words to the poem: " Knock Knock ." "Knock Knock" serves as a powerful discussion starter for children who have experienced the incarceration of a loved one. Students often want to watch it over and over because it is so powerful. The line that seems to stick with children the most is "Although we are our fathers' sons and daugthers, we are not their choices."  Often children experience guilt, shame, and stigma for having a paren...

I received a question about movies and books that illustrate topics and concepts pertinent to working with "at-risk" youth. The movies below also have themes related to the importance of relationship, hope, and resiliency. Q: Do you have a category of current or relatively current favorite movies or book titles that address concepts or topics pertinent to working with at-risk youth? I want to be able to illustrate the importance of relationship, hope, and resiliency for a class I am teaching. Any ideas you have would be greatly and deeply appreciated.  A:   This question is a tall order! The main focus of this post is to showcase movies with themes related to relationship, hope, and resiliency with a focus on "at-risk" youth. However, I have mentioned some books that meet the above criteria.  The following movies are 10 of my favorites.  Some of them you can even watch instantly on Amazon Video On Demand. 1. Freedom Writers Themes: abuse/neglect, d...

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!...