The gist:
While discussing individual counseling sessions on a Twitter #escchat (where counselors form all over the country gather to share ideas via tweets for one hour), the question came up regarding how students request to see the counselor. Last year I knew that I wanted to use a self-referral form similar to that of my internship supervisor's form. Yet I had no structured way to collect these forms other than teachers handing them to me when they could. Thus, I decided to try a more efficient system this year. 

The box:
This year, I purchased a drop box that was attached to the wall near the library, a central location that nearly every student passes by daily. This box is the perfect size, affordable (very important to counselors on a budget!) and has a convenient slot in the back to hold blank forms and pens. Students tell me they like using it because it feels like they are passing me a secret note… which makes the process fun, too! I like it because it teaches students to be aware that it may take a day or two before I can meet with them, and it is locked to ensure confidentiality.

The form:
The form incorporate Kelso's choices and big versus small problems, which (hopefully) encourages students to try to solve a problem on their own first. When I meet with students from these self-referrals, I always go over the attempts they made to solve the problem and use it as a teachable moment (either how they could try next time and/or affirming their choice to seek a trusted adult). The student's description and the indicated level of urgency help me to prioritize sessions, as well. Here is the form I use currently:

What is your process for gathering student referrals?

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.

This school year, I have had the opportunity to provide six week cycles of classroom lessons and small groups (see my blog post advocating for (a schedule) change for further details). This means I am scheduled into every classroom like music or P.E., but rotate every six weeks. I teach in grades K-2 while I run small groups for grades 3-5, and after 6 weeks I start small groups for Kinder through 2nd grade students and teach in grades 3-5. I really enjoy this schedule, because it allows me to run more small groups than I could if I taught all 24 classes weekly. For the past six weeks, I had the opportunity to run eleven groups with five different topics. Here are the topics, along with the accompanying curricula, and a sample lesson that went over well with group members: 

Topic: social thinking 
Curriculum: Superflex
Popular Lesson: Using the Superflex Distractor Shield against the Unthinkable the Brain Eater

Topic: friendship 
Curriculum: G.I.R.L.S.: Friendship
Popular Lesson: Creating artwork from random scraps to discuss perspective taking
Lesson Details: Group members selected 4-6 items from a random collection of scraps, then arranged the items into a work of art. They were then asked to think of a theme for their art. The group went around the circle guessing what each person's artwork was themed. Members were excited to guess the theme, or to "see" it once it was revealed by the artist. We then discussed as a group how gratifying it can be when someone sees our perspective from the start, or can learn to see it after talking for awhile. We then extended this to our experiences at recess and other common social interactions.

Topic: self esteem & social skills for boys 
Curriculum: Operation Breaking the Boy Code (see below)
Popular Lesson: Creating superhero characters
Lesson details: The book provides worksheets with prompts to help each group member to create their own superhero, with powers, costumes, sidekicks, vehicles and more. Group members were asked to think of heroes who could help our school, and were excited to draw pictures of their created heroes.

Topic: self esteem & social skills for girls 
Curriculum: Operation Breaking the Girl Code
Popular Lesson: Creating symbolic badges 
Lesson details: After discussing Juliette Gordon Low's life and the use of badges in Girl Scouts, group members chose three symbols and colors. They created a unified badge that represented their unique traits and individuality.

Topic: leadership 
Curriculum: Building Everyday Leadership in All Kids
Popular Lesson: Leadership Talk Show 
Lesson Details: Members split up into pairs and chose A and B. "A" was instructed to play talk show host and choose one question from a long list (i.e., what kind of furniture would you be and why? If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose and why?). "B" then played talk show guest and spoke for 1 minute while "A" listened without speaking. Then the two switched. "A"s then found new "B" partners and repeated the activity, but for 3 minutes. Afterward, the group discussed how it felt to talk and listen for a shorter and extended time. Group members reflected on how difficult it can be to be a good listener, but that when you stop and really listen you learn more about the speaker. They also discovered that body language impacts how much the "guest" could talk, especially during the three minute stretch. This activity was a favorite of the entire group, and they requested to play it again with their class.

* This group also created a video about solving problems with Kelso's Wheel. When it is completed, we will attempt to get permission to share it here!

This year's Giving Tree program is themed "Deck the Halls." Rather than creating the sign on my own, I asked a group of fifth grade girls to make our signs (didn't they do a great job?). They used butcher paper and die cut snowflakes were added.

Our Giving Tree program is a food drive that benefits families in our communities. Here's how it works at our school:
1. Students select an undecorated paper ornament with a label (for a food or hygiene item) from the tables on either side of the tree in the lobby.
2. Students then bring in the food or hygiene product from their ornament/tag (with parent permission, of course). The item(s) are placed in the proper labeled box in the lobby.
3. Students hang their uniquely decorated ornament on the tree; it's a visual way to display the school's generous giving on our tree!
4. Donated items are sorted into boxes and delivered to families in the community.

Below is the Q & A posted on our school website:

In addition to the tree, tables and "Deck the Halls" sign, another display was added to the lobby. This bulletin board says, "Tis the season to be JOLLY!" and includes clean holiday jokes sprinkled generously in the "snow!" A box under the display allows students to submit jokes to add to the display. With all the stress and rush during this time of year, I wanted this year's holidays to be fun and festive, as well as a time for giving and contemplation. 

On December 5th, there will be a Twitter chat (#escchat) about the role of 504 Coordinator. If you are in this role, join us for an hour long discussion with school counselors around the country. Hopefully, you will get the opportunity to ask questions, share resources and ideas, and possibly come away with new knowledge about the 504 process! An easy way to follow the entire chat is to use a website like Tweetdeck or Tweetchat (check them out now and get set up so you're ready to join the chats for elementary school counselors weekly on Thursday evenings @ 8E/5P!) You can find a list of upcoming topics for the #escchat at http://bit.ly/escchat-info.

By the way, I can't recommend Twitter highly enough as an alternate PLC. I have found so many phenomenal school counselors who are sharing great articles, lesson plans, and other ideas. Maybe you have always considered Twitter a social site for teens, but I ask you to consider it as professional resource as well. My Twitter handle is @adventurousSC… find me and follow! Or join me at #scchat to find those resources and other counselors I was talking about. We are so lucky to have social media to help connect us in ways that were never before possible.

The Elementary School Counselors Chat (#escchat) on Twitter was started a few months back by Carli Segal (@carlicousels). Every Thursday evening at 8ET/5PT, elementary school counselors around the country and the world come together to chat about a topic relevant to our practice. It has been an online PLC for me, where I have gathered new resources, information, and networks to support my counseling work. It's been great! If you'd like to see the upcoming topics, hosts, and dates, visit bit.ly/escchat-info. 


On Thursday, October 17th, I will be trying my hand at hosting at #escchat for the first time. I have to admit I am a little nervous... but also very excited! The topic will be "Planning for Red Ribbon Week." I hope that you will either spread the word to other elementary school counselors or join us. If you haven't already, I encourage you to join Twitter for professional use. It has been beneficial to my growth as a school counselor, and I believe you will feel the same.

I am also hoping to host a chat covering the role of 504 Coordinator. If you would be interested in joining this or other topics, hit the comments and let me know!

October 26, 2013 Revision
I have spent the past month feeling ill, then having my gall bladder removed, and then again the subsequent recovery. During that time, I missed out on hosting the Red Ribbon Week chat. I read the Storify script from Carli, and it sounds like there was a good discussion. I will not be at school to see students celebrating Red Ribbon Week… best laid plans, etc, etc. I hope to hear how other counselors' plans go, however, and I look forward to hosting another chat (barring other unforeseeable health concerns, that is!).

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!

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!