It's the FINAL Countdown: Part II

I'm BACK and super excited about some upcoming posts to share resources (new books, websites, counseling resources, the list goes on and on).  I had four days of amazing professional development earlier in July and am also presenting at the Eastern Summer Academy for the NC School Counselor's Association TOMORROW! Nothing like the end of July to start getting you thinking about school again!

As promised, it is time for PART II of my Academic Habits post (and my first offer of bundled lesson plans EVER at my Life on the Fly TPT store....read to the bottom for your special READER deal). School counselors do SO MANY THINGS, and I am loving this infographic that I saw on school counselors affecting student success at the NYU Counseling website (click on the picture to see the entire infographic or visit my Life on the Fly FB page where it is also posted). Note the college readiness and academic outcomes that fit right in line with this post. There are some pretty awesome stats here; perhaps you should also send it to your school administration!

Where are We? 

I ended my last post sharing the data I had collected from my fifth grade students and teachers on what academic habits they needed most to affect their future success.  Although they identified listening skills, study skills, and organization as the most critical, I narrowed it down to two topics that would be most developmentally appropriate, as well as fit into our time constraints for fifth grade.  As an aside, I am constantly thinking about how guidance curriculum spirals through the grades so that by the time students go through K-5 at my school, they will have received multiple lessons presenting varied academic objectives within that domain.  This year, that spiraling curriculum looked like this for my grade levels in bold (and what I have taught for the other grade levels when I was a solo counselor):

K: School is my Job! (Positive feelings toward work and learning)

1:  Whole Body Listening

2:  Homework Habits

3:  Goal Setting, Organization of Materials (backpacks, cubbies, desks)

4:  Goal Setting, Organization of Time 

5:  Goal Setting, Learning Styles

Since I was not responsible for fourth grade this year and my fifth grade students identified organization of time as an area they needed help on, I actually presented lessons on goal setting, learning styles, and organization of time with them. Here's how......

The Lessons: Learning Styles and Organization of Time 

Learning Styles

My fifth grade students all have Chromebooks so I was able to share bit.ly links with them as we viewed many of the materials in these lessons. It was amazingly efficient and so kid-friendly! We started with Learning Styles because I wanted to tackle study skills in an intentional and personalized way.  Students completed a pre-test on what learning styles they already knew. I have really been enjoying having older students use the same pre/post ticket (like the example below) during lessons to measure growth.  They draw lines through pre-test blank spaces if they don't know the information at the beginning of the lesson and then write it in for the post-test information once they do. I collect them as an exit ticket at the end of the lesson and use it for my program results data at the end of the year.

I then reviewed the following infographic from UltraLinx (yes, I love infographics!) and students predicted what learning style would fit them best to a partner. The students took the following short quiz found at Educationplanner.org on their Chromebooks to get their learning style results.  One of the reasons I like this quiz is because it gave hybrid results. For example, it might say a student was 70% visual learner and 30% auditory learner rather than giving one rigid type. This flexibility is more applicable to real life and helps kids get away from "inside the box" thinking.

After receiving their quiz results, students were grouped based on their most dominant learning style, which meant I had to be flexible with materials and table groupings since I was never sure how many students would fit in each category. I stayed organized with table cards showing each assigned group.  Then, I gave students overview sheets I created on their dominant learning style and asked them to apply it to a teaching activity. Each group used current Science or Literacy vocabulary (I collaborated with their teachers to create these lists) and planned a way to teach one vocabulary word to the class using their particular learning style. The analysis and application (think Bloom's taxonomy higher order thinking) really helped them internalize their learning style.  Students came up with everything from poems to raps to dances to drawings to teach their words, and it was a fun way for them to practice oral presentation skills, too.

Time Management

Our second academic habits lesson focused on time management, which I also emphasized as an ultra important topic for middle school.  Students started out by sharing all the different extracurricular commitments and homework responsibilities they have. Nothing gets kids more excited about a lesson than being able to talk about themselves, and I have found that turn & talk or stand up, hand up, pair up conversations are a good way to get the ball rolling.  Check out Spencer Kagan for more structured cooperative learning ideas.

Next, students paired up and accessed my Google Drive lesson via a bit.ly link (again, super easy and efficient if you have that capability).  I had students make a copy of my lesson once they were in their own Google drive so they could discuss the activities and actually type in the document without affecting others.  Students read a sample fifth grade after-school schedule for "Ashley," and we talked about Need to Do versus Want to Do tasks. Then, they organized her schedule electronically in a chart.  Then, they brainstormed discussion questions, which we also shared out as a whole group.  

Finally, students picked one school day and created their own afternoon schedules. I allowed students to choose whether they wanted to create their schedule electronically with my template or with a paper version. We shared model examples of prioritizing time (homework first, including daily reading, getting exercise) as students completed the activity.

This lesson didn't have a pre/post written component, but in the future I plan on using four corners to gather some perception data about how well students think they are doing with organizing time before the instruction and after the instruction.

So, there you have it.  The final countdown for this post is over, but it has just started for the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year! I am down to 21 days in my neck of the woods and plan on enjoying every single one of them before I head back to my school kiddos. I hope I can save you some time and help you enjoy your days MORE by offering my first ever lesson bundle at Life on the Fly TPT. This K-6 bundle includes four lessons (including the two in this post) so you can check that domain off your list for next year! As a special deal for my Life on the Fly readers, I am giving an extra 25% OFF if you buy in the next 24 hours.  

Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

1, 2, 3.....EOG!

*Image from theguardian.com

Today I must take a moment to celebrate the fact that it is my 100th blog post for Life on the Fly! It has been so rewarding to share my journey as a school counselor with others around the world, and I appreciate those that have taken a moment to read a post, make a comment, or contact me behind the scenes. There is no doubt in my mind that this blog has made me a better counselor, especially as it has given me the platform to connect and collaborate with so many other school counselors!

With that being said, I am excited to kick off my Test Success small groups this week. I have been facilitating general homework clubs for the past four to six weeks, depending on the grade level, and am now moving into my structured five-session EOG small groups.  I wrote about my homework clubs in my last post  and was especially excited to try out the app Educreations recently with one of my homework club students......best part, it's free!!! We know when students create something with knowledge they have learned, it gets them into the upper levels of higher order thinking (check out this awesome infographic for Bloom's Revised Taxonomy) and challenges them! One of my fourth graders did a great job of explaining how to convert an improper fraction to a mixed number in the video below,  an often difficult skill for this age group!



I'm sure many of you are also doing Test Success small groups with your "bubble" students or those who need a little extra help with confidence and/or test anxiety.  I have written about my EOG small groups in the past here and have FINALLY put together my Test Success Activity Pack to help you make end of grade test prep as easy as 1, 2, 3....for YOU!  Check out the 15 page PDF at my Life on the Fly TPT store.  Enjoy and Happy Counseling!  ~  Angela

How to do Homework Without Throwing Up!

Perhaps you've seen this catchy Trevor Romain title that deals with getting kids over the homework hump (there's also a DVD version!).   Many kids and their parents would agree with this sentiment, especially my upper elementary students. There are so many philosophies out there about homework: Should we have it, should we not? How much is helpful? How much is too much?  I like this article about homework and especially the two reflection questions about whether the assigned homework is getting kids more excited about learning and supporting deeper thinking on the subject matter.

So, why am I talking about homework as a school counselor?! You may remember my post about report card conferences and my interventions to support academics this school year.  There has been a recurring theme in my talks with students and teachers.  Missing homework assignments and lack of effort on homework is significantly impacting students' grades.  It seems as if it's time for a pep talk (and yes, I have shown this video to my students!):

Did that  make you feel better?! Now, get ready to complete and UNDERSTAND some homework in Groovy Mrs. Poovey's homework club!  In previous years, I have always implemented homework clubs for 3 or 4 weeks before I begin my EOG groups (group booklet coming to TPT soon!) so I can get a clear picture of what students are excelling on or struggling with before we work on EOG strategies. This year, I am supporting students in homework club for a longer amount of time.  We have already been meeting for three weeks and will probably meet 2 or 3 more times before we start our formal EOG sessions.  In addition, I usually only include students in my homework clubs and EOG groups that have missed the passing scale score for the Reading or Math EOG by one or two points.  This year, I am allowing teacher referrals for my fifth grade homework club and have 20+ students each week. Only the "bubble" students will continue to the EOG sessions, but everyone will have classroom EOG lessons.  So, how am I running homework club?

1.  Start with data.  Talk to your teachers, go through PowerSchools with them, and identify the kids who truly need homework club support.  My third and fourth grade homework clubs are only the 5 or 6 kids who were identified as "on the bubble" with EOG scale scores, and it is manageable. My 20+ kids in fifth grade homework club require more energy so make sure you have the kids who will benefit most.  Another unfortunate source of data may be "write-ups". My school's discipline policy states that students with 3+ missed homework assignment will receive a parent notification, and I receive copies of all of those infractions so I am always aware of the students who are struggling to turn in homework.

2.  Talk to the students.  I gave my fifth grade homework club kids this Google survey (right) during our first

meeting because I think it's important to hear what STUDENTS think is the problem. It was interesting to read what they thought was hardest about homework and what was keeping them from doing homework (distractions, sports, pets, video games).....very enlightening!

3.  Use incentives and make it FUN.  Doing homework during lunchtime once a week is probably not on the top of my students' favorite things list so I try to make it fun.  I started homework club by giving out V.I.P., Very Intelligent Person, passes the first week to set the right tone (see above example). I also pick a Person of the Day who has shown the most focus and determination to complete work.  They receive a STAR ticket (our positive reinforcement system), which results in an automatic prize from my office. This week I am going to try some fun background music from my favorite station on Pandora, Eklipse (check it out!).  I am also keeping weekly attendance and students who make it for a fourth consecutive time to club this week will receive an extra special Easter treat.
Hit me up via email  - apoovey@hotmail.com- if you have additional questions about my homework club structure.  I am happy to share any other details I may not have covered in this post.
Enjoy and Happy Counseling!
                    ~ Angela

Say YES to MTSS!

 

TPT is having a sale- Click the image to see what you can scoop up for a discount at the Life on the Fly TPT Store!

                        

RtI. MTSS. SST. SAT. A-Team.  The evolution of documented interventions and progress monitoring in school systems has been long and full of  paperwork. And no matter the acronym used in your county, Response to Intervention (RtI)/Multi-Tiered System Support (MTSS) is a process school counselors need to be involved in.  However, talking about RtI/MTSS isn't particularly exciting.  In fact, many school counselors prefer to not be overly involved in the process or only interact with the RtI/MTSS team when a student behavior issue arises.  You may only be called in to do an observation or help out with a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).  Wow.....there are A LOT of acronyms!

My experience with MTSS has been long and varied depending on my school and the personnel available. I have always been a part of the team but was not the coordinator until I switched schools a few years ago.  Although it does take up more of my time, I have found ways to turn my coordinator position into a win-win for my school counseling program.  Here's how:

1.  Use the Data:  Remember the post about my     3-5 report card conferences and my Stuey Lewis book club with second graders?  Those interventions were all based on MTSS data at the Tier 2 or Tier 3 level.   My co-counselor and I are also meeting with first and second grade students on Tier 2 about general academic habits such as homework hygiene and paying attention in an attempt to keep them from moving to Tier 3.  At my school, primary students have a developmental report card that is not as conducive to report card conferences. In addition,  many of the students I see in individual counseling have come to my attention through Tier 3 MTSS data.

2.   Collaborate and Consult with Teachers:  My monthly MTSS PLC time is often the only time I get to sit down with an entire grade level at one time.  Everyone's schedules are hectic and it is difficult to grab more than 5 minutes with someone as you walk down the hallway to your next lesson, much less an entire grade level.  We have set aside one day/month when all grade levels meet during their planning periods to discuss student data, intervention plans, and the MTSS process.  These conversations have been the catalyst for a new homework club I am starting with fifth graders (more to come on that in a future post!) and additional attendance interventions for students as teachers express their concerns.

3.   Learn About Academic Interventions:  Many school counselors were not teachers prior to entering this profession and sometimes we feel like we are at a disadvantage when we can't throw out educational jargon like TRC (Text to Reading Comprehension), ORF (Oral Reading Fluency), and phonemic awareness or talk about bubble maps with ease.  MTSS is a great place to learn! I didn't know a lot about Symbaloo's until I was in a MTSS meeting with a reading interventionist and now I use a Symbaloo Webmix for e-books when I do a computer lab lesson with my Kindergarten students. I certainly hadn't heard of the Florida Center for Reading Research prior to being involved in MTSS and now I can talk about reading interventions with any grade level.  No school counseling graduate program would have ever taught me that!

The point is, no matter the roles you undertake at your school, you can use them to your advantage in your comprehensive school counseling program.
           So think outside the box, keep learning, and Happy Counseling!
                             ~ Angela

Academics are Aca-Awesome!

 

                                                                 *Image from Pinterest- etc-alltherest.blogspot.com

Can you believe we are already one nine weeks down for the 2014-2015 school year?! AND, we all know how quickly the weeks fly during the holiday season.  With that in mind, I am really increasing the intensity of my academic interventions this school year.  My fabulous co-counselor, Nicole, and I came up with two academic SMART goals for our comprehensive school counseling program this year in addition to our attendance and behavior goals.  If you are not using the ASCA Smart Goal worksheet to create program goals, check out this previous post and access info from my ABCs of the ASCA National Model presentation.  Links to many of the ASCA forms and examples can be found in it.

Our first overall program goal written in SMART goal format aims to increase EOG scores among third, fourth, and fifth grade students. Each year, I do homework clubs in the spring, which then transitions into EOG small groups for students who missed the passing EOG scale score by 1 or 2 points in Reading or Math. Most educators call them the "bubble kids."  We focus on coping with test anxiety, multiple choice strategies, test preparation habits, and goal setting for the upcoming EOGs.  However, this year I really wanted to include our K-2 students, too, when addressing academic success.  This year's goal, in general, is to decrease the number of K-2 students that come before the retention committee in June.  We have Closing the Gap Action Plans as well as other initiatives designed to meet this goal.  Here are a few of the interventions:

11.  Reading Readiness Book Clubs:  Typically my book clubs address primarily social/emotional issues with reading improvement as a pleasant side effect, but this year I am specifically targeting "bubble" second graders who are a level or two below their MCLASS benchmarks in reading fluency and comprehension.  I am starting with two second grade groups, a boy group and a girl group.  We will be reading the book The One and Only Stuey Lewis:  Other Stories from Second Grade.  I really loved this book when I previewed it because the main character, Stuey Lewis, provides a great model for young readers who lack confidence. Stuey is self-conscious about reading, hates being around "good readers," and needs lots of encouragement from his teacher at the beginning of the story. I  am predicting that  my students will be able to relate to him and will be able to do some vicarious learning as they see him persevere and totally change his attitude about school. I will also be emphasizing a growth mind-set by discussing Stuey and facilitating confidence building activities as we practice reading.

If you have read about my book clubs before, you know I always give the students "jobs" to give them a sense of ownership in the book club. This time,  I have added a WORD MASTER job so we can include vocabulary or word work while we read.  Anytime a student sees a word they don't recognize, they will smash this buzzer (left).  We will then add the word to our list, look up the meaning, and draw a picture to help us remember our new vocabulary word.  Pretty fun, huh?!

The best part of the book club is that I have definitely upped the "WOW" factor by getting new Kindle Fires for the students to use.  I requested six Kindle Fires and cases in a recent Donor's Choose Grant and had it fulfilled in about 24 hours!  If you haven't tried out Donor's Choose yet, you really should give it a try.  The key is promoting your project on Facebook, Twitter, email, and any other social media outlets you use.  I also plan on having popcorn parties, reading camp-outs, and other fun activities during the Stuey Lewis book clubs so I can avoid having these weekly lunches be another dreaded work time. Check out my 24-page Stuey Lewis Book Club Activity Pack here and get started on your own!

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2.  Report Card Conferences: I am holding report card conferences with all of my RtI students and others I am concerned about following report cards going home last week. I have always had informal meetings with students about report cards, but this year I am using a specific, standard form with my students to help me stay organized.  Find it on TPT here.

3.  Retention Groups:  2014-2015 is the first year I have conducted retention groups with K-2 students.  I am working with second grade students who were retained and Nicole is working with first grade students. I will be sharing more about the structure of these groups in an upcoming post. 

I would love to hear about any academic interventions you are excited about this year.  Leave a comment!  ALSO, the first person to correctly identify the movie this blog post title is referencing will receive a free item of their choice from my Life on the Fly TPT Store....good luck!

Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~  Angela