In the international community, it can be easy to dismiss goodbyes as old hat or just a routine to complete. Yet, every year, strong emotions erupt and can feel a bit out of blue... if you don't recognize and teach the five stages that David Pollock, the author of Third Culture Kids, calls the transition cycle:

1. Involvement. The first stage involves feeling settled and comfortable in a place that we know; we feel like we belong and know where we fit in. There may be some signs that moving may be on the horizon in a vague sense.
2. Leaving. The second stage is marked by the realization that we will be leaving our place of comfort. As we realize this, we may begin leaning away from our responsibilities, commitments and relationships. There are often mixed emotions during this stage. For example, we may feel both anxious about leaving and excited about moving to a new place.
3. Transition. This stage begins when we actually leave our place of comfort and ends when we make the conscious decision to settle into the new place. During this stage we may be confronted with chaos and stress.
4. Entering. This stage begins when we feel ready to become part of life in the new place. We begin to figure out how we should go about becoming accepted, start to reach out to others and take some risks.
5. Re-involvement. Finally, we reach the stage where we feel accepted in the new place. We begin to have the feeling that our presence matters and that we belong.

Not only the leaving students and their families (otherwise known in fancy terms as leavers), but those who remain behind (called stayers) are impacted by this cycle. Leavers are often most stressed in the second and third stages; stayers can be impacted most in the fourth stage when they realize the leavers really will not be returning.

Scroll down for ten ways that our school community has begun to acknowledge and support this process of transition.

I was excited when the bulletin boards I'd ordered finally arrived and were mounted to the walls. I think it makes a huge difference in the windowless, florescent-lit space! This afternoon, I spent some time putting up butcher paper and borders, but I have yet to decide what exactly will go onto the boards! The purple board has a border with the continents (middle row of the last photo below) and the grey board has the multi-colored dots. I would like to post some of the postcards I have collected from around the world on the purple board, and I am considering a character traits theme for the dots board. Stay tuned for the final results!

UPDATE: September 18, 2014
Here is the most recent update to my office, which we will call the "after" photos (despite the fact that I probably won't be done with this office until, oh, mid-May…). First you can see the entrance to my office, with a welcome sign (but, alas, still no "where is Ms. G?" sign yet). Inside, you can see the front half of the room with table, chairs, and shelves for art supplies and games (and there is a small area with bean bags for a calming down space). In the other half, I have my desk area with reference books and curriculum hidden away. There is a small couch that is hidden from the door, making it a great spot for students, teachers, or parents to come in for a private chat. There is also more storage hidden away, for sensory materials as well as the odds and ends that all counselors need for the many roles we play.

For the new bulletin boards, I decided on themes of global citizenship and growth mindset. The purple board boasts some of the postcards from the many years I have been collecting postcards from everyone else's exotic adventures (and now- finally- I can buy some to represent my own travels!!!). It's already generated a lot of conversation with my well- traveled students and families!

For the growth mindset board, I used different colored circles to display fixed versus growth mindset examples. I hope to have students try their hand at creating some of their own examples during guidance lessons. Check out the original board at this blog.

Since then, I have added lamps to lessen the harsh nature of the fluorescent lights, and will one day add that locate-the-counselor sign. In the meantime, I am feeling more at home in my office. I was truly pleased to hear a student tell me the other day that he thought my office was comfortable and a good place to hang out in… worth all the effort, for sure!

We had an open house called Supply Night at our elementary school last night. It was so wonderful to see all of our students and families again after several months apart! In preparation for this, I created a display to fit this year's theme: "You can be a hero, too!"

One section displays a school counselor's "super powers," including consultation with staff and parents, group counseling, connecting families to community resources, and on and on. I added a touch of humor by adding a "G" symbol in the Batman-styled search lights, as I go by Ms. G. around the school. The third section features a comic strip story of three students who have a problem, but make heroic choices to turn the situation around! I plan to use this board as I teach my introductory lessons in classes in the coming weeks. At the table on Supply Night, I also provided pamphlets for local community resources, our elementary counseling program pamphlets, a sign up sheet for any parents or guardians who wanted to discuss their student or family needs in greater depth, and a sign to encourage everyone to vote for our school at the Give with Target Facebook page. Overall, I am pleased with the result!

So, what do YOU think? Do you have any resources, websites, or lesson plans about ordinary heroes to share? And what do you do at Open house events?

When I saw this art work in a pin on Pinterest, I knew I wanted to make a bulletin board in the same realm. I had already decided that we would be focusing on heroes and heroines this year, and this fits perfectly. Of course, my board doesn't do justice to the original artwork, which I really want to buy for my office. And I have yet to add the ship… but it's almost there! 

After quite a bit of rearranging and redoing, I am feeling quite satisfied with my office! Of course, there are more little things to add and tweak. But I am certain that the room is ready to accommodate students' needs. I also wanted it to reflect my personal mantra for the year, "Choose Joy!" It's important to me that the space is not only functional but inspirational, hopeful, joyful… especially as we approach the rainy season in Oregon!

My desk area incorporates the "BE" bulletin board that I'm finding all over the school counseling blog world (whomever came up with the original idea is a GENIUS! I believe it was Susan with Entirely Elementary blog). I acquired an ancient bookshelf that may need to be returned to its owner (thus, I can't paint it…yet!); it holds all of my reference books and binders, several "in progress" work trays, and some personal touches from home. Sitting to the left of my desk under a pretty plastic plant, I flipped an old box with removable watercolor trays on its side. It now holds my five organizational binders (individual, group. classroom, events, SWIS). Once I have my schedule confirmed, I will post a laminated weekly calendar (so I can write and erase with dry erase) next to the black poster on the wall.

By the windows, I have fantastic double sided bookshelves that split the room into two distinct sections. On the right, I have created a play space. I placed the old school wooden dollhouse on a well-loved, paint-covered IKEA coffee table that I inherited from neighbors with kids. We covered the table in green butcher paper and drew little toys and flowers! I threw down the nature themed IKEA rug I mentioned in a previous post, and created a bulletin board featuring cute animals frolicking on green with white polka dotted mountains and silver star stickers on a navy blue sky. All of my stuffed animals, puppets, play stations (cooking, travel, dress up, etc) and games are in the colorful green and blue baskets or stacked on the bookshelves (out of sight of the photo). I am hoping this area is inviting to students.

The section with the teal adirondack chairs is for students needing a quiet space. I brought these from home after my co-workers convinced me that a couch is not as hygienic! I added a rag rug and an old crocheted blanket which incorporate the color scheme. There is a little shelf with wicker baskets to hold sensory items such as squishy balls and tangles. To the right, out of the picture frame, is a bookshelf full of counseling books for students and a small CD/ radio. The calm down bulletin board is a modified version from a previous blog post; this time I added fun blue circles in different sizes.

Last week, my mentoring Little Sister visited my office to help me organize. She did a ton of work helping me rearrange furniture, setting up a treasure box (for a lesson), and consulting with me about color and decor decisions. Her biggest contribution, though, was the maze idea! I told her I needed a bulletin board that showed parents and staff the counseling services available, but was also appealing to students. She suggested a maze where students could take different paths based on what services they chose (and also suggested that one be blocked for making bad choices!). I still need to write in the services on the pathways and add a few stick figures on the left, but I love how the board turned out! Thanks, Little Sis!

Not pictured is the round table and wooden chairs (perfect for groups), an old dining room table and filing cabinet that will serve as a makeshift desk for my interns, and a corner of the room that is rather empty. I have a Nerf basketball hoop and velcro dart set which require some movement, but I am open to other ideas, as well! 

I don't know if you feel the same way, but just getting the room set up makes me feel more prepared for the year. I love that the overall effect is bright and inviting, too. I look forward to seeing the joyful expressions on students' faces when they discover the new and improved counseling office!

A little over three years ago, I was "matched" with a sassy little fifth grade girl with white blond hair and big blue eyes. She was to be my Little Sister; I was to be her mentor. It was the kind of match that mentoring programs dream of! We hit it off immediately, and still meet often. She was- and is- like a true younger sibling or niece to me.

Today, she agreed to come along with me to purchase back to school items for my office and counseling program. We went to a teaching supply store, where she provided her almost-a-high-schooler opinion about borders, posters, and other decorative items. Her favorite item was a set of magnetic faces for my office white board! I enjoyed her delight in the toys and, after I had been rung up, I turned to find her intently building a house from magnetic shapes. 

From there, we took a tour of IKEA after an obligatory stop for swedish meatballs, to collect a nature themed rug (see my previous blog post), a bunch of new puppets, and a list of items to add to my Counseling Wish List. Finally, we stopped at an office supply store to purchase binders and dividers so that I can get myself organized (I want to create a system similar to the one I saw in The Classy School Counselor's blog; once I am done, I will post).

Next week, my Little Sister has offered to help me put up bulletin boards and rearrange the furniture (you can see the "before" pictures in the post below). Then, she says, it's her turn to do a little back to school shopping of her own! I am so lucky to have her in my life. She reminds me that mentoring can be a powerful change agent… especially for the mentor!

This year, I am staying in the same classroom that I had my first year... but I decided to change things up! I wanted to maximize the space. My desk has been moved close to the door in order to be more welcoming and accessible to visitors. I also wanted to create a space for play and individual counseling, as well as a quiet space, which seemed better suited for the ample sunlight near the windows. I'm also adding an area to do lesson planning (Last year, I taught 24 classroom and 8 group lessons weekly!), complete with a table, art supplies, and a collection of counseling themed books. Finally, there will be plenty of space for groups with a round table, chairs, art supplies, and a white board. I plan to bring a few furniture pieces from home, and I purchased a new rug from Ikea (see below)! When it is all said and done, I will post the "after" photos!