by schoolcounselingbyheart | Jun 26, 2014 | collegiality
By this time next week ASCA14 will be over and you and I will be either (1) overtired basking in the afterglow of attending and/or (2) feeling good about everything you got out of it, even if you didn’t go. Whether you’re going to be there in the flesh or not, you can still join in and feel a part of it all and get some great ideas and resources. I will be there, and hope to meet you. Some of the School Counseling by Heart readers I met last year have become my very good friends! That one time, at ASCA Camp . . . (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | May 14, 2014 | career, classroom lessons
Kids have lots of fun at Career Day, and are exposed to a lot of new possibilities, but how can we be sure that they’ve truly understanding the concepts that we want them to learn? More and more in recent years, I’m incorporating ways for kids to demonstrate their learning as part of the units I teach. Sure, it takes additional class time, but it also enriches and deepens their understanding and, when they have the opportunity to share their work with others, that of their classmates. It also helps me assess their learning and the efficacy of my lessons. One example of this is the Career Trading Cards assignment, which serves as a follow-up to Career Day, provides a way to address Common Core writing standards within counseling lessons, and results in some very nifty, personalized thank-you gifts for our Career Day guests. (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | May 7, 2014 | classroom lessons, college
Career Day is one of the highlights of the technology-based CareerSmarts unit, but for the event itself and the lesson right before it, students use face-to-face interpersonal skills instead of using technology. They do, however, build on what they have already learned through technology about multiple intelligences, interests, and careers, and gather more information that will help them create their digital final projects. (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Apr 15, 2014 | abuse, children's literature, classroom lessons, curriculum
My sexual abuse prevention unit for fourth grade consists of two lessons that focus on how to recognize and report about grooming and sexual abuse. Each lesson begins with a read-aloud story in which a child grapples with complex uncomfortable feelings and how to tell about what has happened. Follow up activities help students think about why it might be hard to tell; understand how telling can change how a kid is feeling; figure out ways to tell, even when you’re feeling very uncomfortable; and practice telling about unsafe or uncomfortable situations. (more…)
by schoolcounselingbyheart | Feb 22, 2014 | behavior, individual counseling
Raise your hand if you’ve ever worked with a kid whose behavior was complicated. Yeah, I thought so. Now, raise your hand if you’ve ever had staff describe behaviors using terms like “disrespectful,” “rude,” “unfocused,” or any other vague descriptors and then wanted you to be able to fix everything quickly. Raise your hand one more time if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed and didn’t know where to begin! Join the club! We’ve all been there. I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve had a conversation like this: (more…)
By this time next week ASCA14 will be over and you and I will be either (1) 
