When I was in grad school, my place was always super clean. This is NOT because I am a neat freak, but because I found that cleaning and organizing a closet was so much more interesting than writing, say, a 10 page paper on the benefits of a given medication or treatment. 

Now I am finding a similar pattern in that I will do pretty much anything to avoid packing for my upcoming two year stint in a country halfway around the world. One weekend, I spent hours downloading old photos to convert into electronic copies. Now I am updating my blog…

In the last few weeks, I have been working on getting prepared to leave my current school and getting excited about going to a new one. For some reason, my mind is just not grasping how quickly this transition is taking place. Three things have helped, though:

1. I started a countdown to the end of the current school year. I do not normally do this, as I don't want the days to rush by and forget to savor those little moments with students. Most students I work closely with are not looking forward to summertime away from school. However, I needed to be shocked into the realization that I don't have much time to say my goodbyes, help students transition, tear down my office, sort through all of counseling stuff (what stays, what goes in storage, and what must come with me overseas), and still do all the necessary daily aspects of my counseling jobs (...not to mention all the paperwork and packing in my personal life)!

2. I made a Prezi to announce my departure to my current students (all 580+ in grades K-5). It is a simplified version of one I made to announce to my adult friends and family. As I have presented it to classes, I have repeatedly watched the videos and caught the excitement of the students ("There's a mall!" "There's a POOL!" "I want to move there!" "We can Skype with or email you?"). This has helped me to accept that this transition is, in fact, happening.

3. I received a care package from my future school (see the photo above). It contained:

• a fancy pen with the school's name,
• a t-shirt with the school's logo and mascot, the Dragons (why an XL, though? Geez!),
• a lanyard again with the school's name, and
• chocolate covered dates.

Even the package with Qatari stamps and Arabic writing were exciting! 

As my friend Sarah is fond of saying lately, "This is getting REAL!"

So I should probably start packing now, huh?

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!

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