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!

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!