It could have been a hot mess.....

Today was the first day of my 12th year as a counselor, and I have to say, it was one of my best!  I hate to jinx myself for the rest of the week, but I didn't have one Kindergarten crier. What?! I'm pretty sure that's never happened to me before.  It was also great being in the second year at my school; I could actually help people find things, I knew students' and parents' names, and I was able to pop into teachers' rooms without feeling like I was interrupting them because I have relationships with them now. It was amazing!

I'm hitting the ground running with my FIRST 30 DAYS CHECKLIST, which I wrote about here and here last year. Download it for free at Life on the Fly TPT, especially if you are a brand new counselor. I am also loving some of the changes I have made in my office this year.  I had a stroke of inspiration about a month ago and decided I would paint my cinder block wall with chalkboard paint.  First, because the white was really boring and ugly.  Second, because I thought the kids would think it was awesome to be able to express themselves through chalk drawing. Third, because I wanted to incorporate some of my regular group and individual counseling activities into wall activities. So, it could have been a hot mess when I started.......(and I was worried it would be).

Here's what I started with.......GROSS!

I bought 2 cans of tintable chalkboard paint from Home Depot and decided on the royal blue color because it would be dark enough to show different colors of chalk, and it's also one of our school colors.  I painted a huge rectangle on the bare wall. and added some 3-D butterflies I happened to have to extend the blue color out into the rest of the room.

Next, I added a fun pennant banner. I knew the kids wouldn't be able to reach that high anyway, and it made it feel more festive.  You know I love festive!!! I bought different cardstock papers at Michaels and used my handy dandy Cameo Silhouette machine to cut out the triangles. It is definitely one of the best investments I have ever made for my crafty projects.

Then came the fun part! I bought liquid chalk markers on Amazon to make more permanent designs that I wanted to stay up for awhile or would use all year with kids! Check out my miracle scale, positive thought mirror, and "Be Groovy" inspirational quote.

So, it could have been a hot mess, but when those first kids came in and saw this wall, their reactions said it all.....it is awesome!  I am so glad I took the risk and that it paid off.  It is going to be a great year!

If you have any questions about this project, feel free to comment or email me! I'd be happy to give you more tips on how I made it work.

Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~ Angela