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!

As I shared in my last post, we offered eleven small groups with five different topics for students in grades 3-5 this fall. It required a great deal of organization to keep everything running smoothly! Luckily, I had many school counseling blogs to use as reference for efficient methods and systems. Below are a few tools and systems that were implemented.

The check in scale (modeled after that of Tabitha's at Scrapbook of a School Counselor) proved to be extremely popular with group members! The scale is a simple piece of laminated cardboard with the numbers one through five, and is attached to the edge of a large whiteboard. Every week, I wrote two emotions/ states that could be considered along a range (satisfied/longing, extroverted/introverted, shy/outgoing, etc). Every group member had a clothespin with their name, and clipped their pin to the number that best suited their feelings at that moment. Each member then had the opportunity to share about their choice or pass. At the end of our groups, students reported this was one of their favorite parts of the group experience.

For my own organization, I have a groups binder with tabs that contain the list of group members by topic, permission form letters, lesson plans, and notes from each group. Each curriculum also has its own binder filled with clear plastic sleeves. As we completed projects, I placed extra worksheets and samples of group members' work to show in future groups. When I find ideas for supplemental projects or worksheets, I place these in the back of the binder as well.

Recently, I joined a group on Facebook called the Elementary School Counselor Exchange (Join us! We're sharing ideas, topics, questions, resources and more!). Last week, someone posted about school counseling classroom lessons being scheduled into the Building Specials (i.e., music, P.E., etc) Schedule. I am a school counselor who has been scheduled in this way, and I found it challenging to find enough time during the school day to complete tasks that required face to face connections (i.e., crisis management, individual counseling, small groups, behavioral observations, and staff & parent consultations). Therefore, I created an alternative schedule. I pitched the idea to my administrator, who suggested we present the alternative to the staff for a vote. The Prezi presentation I created is below.

I found that I was nervous on the day of the presentation (I felt very strongly that the alternate schedule would be beneficial for our students and community), but I had no reason to worry. Our staff members were overwhelmingly supportive, which meant a lot to me. I could infer that the staff support a comprehensive counseling plan with their vote: they can see the value in a school counseling program that provides a variety of other services besides that of a "guidance teacher."

We are now three weeks into our new schedule and I believe it has been successful so far. I have had the chance to visit classrooms, observe students, put behavior plans and interventions into place, consult with staff and parents, assess and form small groups, and collaborate with staff to establish new routines in a variety of areas. It is exciting to see how much more the counseling program can provide with this alternative schedule! At the end of the year, I hope to reflect and see if it has in fact made a difference to our students, as well.

I must say that I am glad that I gathered up the courage to advocate for this change. It is empowering to experience such tremendous support from colleagues, and exhilarating to find yourself with time to do more tasks that directly serve students' needs! Get out there and advocate for your programs, school counselors!

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!

I enjoyed the office link party so much that I thought I'd join another… the Back to School, Back to Connecting Linky Party hosted by Franciene Sabens (School Counselor Space)! 
This party has inspired me to begin planning for the coming year in earnest; I hope it will also encourage new counselors to connect with colleagues around the country. Blogs and social media have been a lifesaver for me this past year, and I'd like to pass that knowledge on to others. What are you waiting for?  Join our link party!

Staff officially begin August 26th, but I was lucky enough to be invited along with the K-1 team for a planning beach retreat weekend! Students start on September 3rd.

Last year (my first year!) was spent getting to know everyone, being testing coordinator, and/or teaching 24 guidance lessons and 8 groups every week. This year, I want to work alongside our new principal to create a formalized Comprehensive Guidance Program and implement it according to the ASCA model. Just a small goal, right? ;-) I have a lot of work ahead, but I am honestly looking forward to creating a program to compliment the needs and character of our school.

1. A smile. It works wonders in so many situations, and helps establish therapeutic relationships.
2. A clapper board. I brought one to a classroom lesson early in the year and it became a behavior management tool disguised as a fun toy for role plays!
3. Pinterest. If you've seen my boards, you know that I use ideas from Pinterest pretty much every day for group and classroom lesson planning, displays, and… well, everything! Pinterest is a goldmine of creative ideas… and it's FREE!

I am planning to have a table similar to Mary Beth's featured in her Elementary Counseling Blog. I hope to have assistance from my two interns this year, as well.
In addition, I am planning an icebreaker activity involving Whoonu cards for an introductory lesson in grades 1-5. When these are done, I will post in my blog!

This is an area where I would really like to expand my skills. Thus far, I have relied on the phone and in-person contact. This year, I would like to create a page on this website for parents and connect it to our school's counseling page.

1. Do not attempt to reinvent the wheel. Really, that is the key to keeping sane. There are so many fantastic school counseling blogs out there, and with a little searching, you can find a lesson to work with just about any topic. 
2. Also, when you see a resource you really love but can't yet afford, add it to your very own Amazon SC Wish List. It reminds you of super cool lessons you want to try in the future, with the added bonus of allowing friends, family and PTA members to know exactly what you need in your program… :) 
3. Finally, make your lessons engaging and fun, but also practical. Observe students at recess and in the cafeteria, attempt to seek out the struggles of individual classes or grade levels, then then try to create realistic scenarios for role plays.  It was neat to see students begin to use the problem solving we were practicing in classes, but on their own and all around the school!

Hahahaha… that's funny! (Give yourself a break if you're new to counseling. It can take awhile to find a system that works for your school(s) and program!)
I had a binder last year that held a master calendar, to do lists, SWIS data, event planning, lesson plans, etc. This year I would like to divide and conquer by having multiple binders, similar to the organizational genius of Alyssa the Classy Counselor. I also use Google Docs and Calendar, and (try to) keep on top of email and scheduled lessons!

I'm really looking forward to the year ahead and all the challenges, triumphs and general merriment in store! I look forward to hearing how you all are progressing, as well. Best wishes for 2013-2014, everyone!

Stephanie