It's the Final Countdown......Part I

                                                                              *image from wikipedia.org

It's the final countdown (cue drums and bad 80s hair)....fourth quarter. I have 33 school days to support my students in reaching their goals, whether that means we are trying to improve a report card grade, pass the EOGs, avoid behavior referrals, or have better attendance; the time is now. So, what am I doing?

Right now 
I am using my report card conference form to review third quarter report cards and help students make fourth quarter goals for specific subjects. I will also be starting my test success small groups with third and fifth graders who need that extra push to pass the EOGs. The fifth graders are students who missed passing last year's EOG by one to two points, and the third graders are "bubble students" as determined by the "Beginning of Grade" (BOG) test data and mock EOG data.  

Do you see a theme here? All of these interventions require looking at data to determine who I should be supporting; they require data to determine what the next steps should be for students as they move toward their next goals.  The focus is on making progress, moving forward, and having a growth mindset.  Good teachers do a great job of using formative assessments to inform their interventions and drive instruction.  Counselors can do the same.

You may remember this goal-setting post from the beginning of the year where I used my new goal-setting form (FREEBIE NOW at my TPT store), SMARTboard slides,  and lesson plan to help fifth graders create goals for the year.  Most years, I help students create goals in September and then I move on, hoping, wishing, and crossing my fingers that they will reach them. This year I challenged myself to return to goal setting and do more.

Using Data:  The Objective
I decided I wanted to use minute meetings to follow up with students about their goals and collect qualitative data that would inform my next steps in supporting them with academics.  I knew I wouldn't have enough time to interview ALL 120+ fifth graders from ALL six classes so I worked to get a majority sample from a majority of the classes. I ended up talked to students from four out of the six classes.

The Plan
I had hoped to begin my minute meetings as soon as first quarter ended (end of November), but "school counseling" happened, and they didn't begin until December with the bulk of the meetings being completed in early January.

I created a Google survey to review goals with students and asked the following (see below):

• Did you meet your first quarter goal?
• If not, why not?
• Do you have a new goal for third quarter?
• What would help you most in reaching your goal?

The Outcome
Here is some of my survey data (I love the summary of responses view in Google!).  It was helpful for me to see that 37% of the students I interviewed did not meet their first quarter goal and 21% couldn't remember what their goal had been.  It validated my decision to return to goal setting and take time to collect formative data on how to support students best in my next steps.

As I talked to students about what skills would help them be most successful for the rest of the year (below), several habits became prominent:  Organization of Time, Study Skills, and Listening Skills. The "other" responses were typically students saying they needed help in TWO areas, which I typed out. After reviewing the percentages, written responses, and getting feedback from the classroom teachers, I decided to focus on study skills and organization of time.

Next Steps
I created two academic habits lessons for my fifth grade students, personalized to their needs. Teachers were given the option of having both lessons or choosing the one that best met their students' needs. Most of the teachers chose both lessons.  Part TWO of this post will review those lessons.

Reflection
I was proud of the growth I made in using my data collection as a formative tool to drive my instruction and interventions.  Feeling comfortable with data and using it effectively is one of the great challenges that most school counselors face, myself included. I have gone from groaning when I am presented with data to getting excited about  it. My perception has shifted. I now realize that student data is not the end of the story; it's the the first paragraph of the next chapter as students continue their story.

Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

What's Inside Your HeART??

Well, hello again.....I hope these spring months have been good to you and you have been recharged and rejuvenated over spring break. I know the break was a welcome chance to unplug and relax for me!!! I have been committed to prioritizing family & friend time and "ME" time in 2016, and I have really stuck to it!  Remember my New Year's post?! Of course, this commitment means the blog posts have not been plentiful, but when I do write, I hope you will find it useful.

March was a BUSY month for me, and I think that is typical for most school counselors. Students (and staff) are tired and ready for a break, and problem solving skills tend to deteriorate. There was a lot of student conflict, and I found myself using my mediation form and problem solving card OFTEN! I also taught some really fun diversity lessons to my grade levels, which I will share in a future post.  I saw a lot of students individually and got a chance to implement some of the skills I wrote about in my post from the ASCA conference last July.  In particular, I loved using the feeling heart from the Counseling with HeART session by Julie Ford to help students, especially younger ones, process their feelings

I start out by having students draw a heart and choose colors to represent each feeling. Then, they color in sections of the heart to represent how much of each feeling they currently have.  After brainstorming behavior strategies, disputing irrational thoughts, coming up with a solution-focused plan (or whatever theory I am currently using to help!), the student re-colors the heart to show if any feelings have changed.  You can also have the student reflect on the chart from one session to the next if it's a more complicated problem and needs more time to address. In addition to allowing the student to be growth-oriented and giving them a concrete visual that feelings can change and improve, it also provides awesome pre and post data for counselors! Check out some student examples below.

Heart Example #1:  In this example there is no feeling key, but the student colored in the following feelings:  Angry (red), Sad (blue), Happy (Purple), Scared (Green).  After our session, the student colored over half the red and all the green with purple to show increased happiness. We still had work to do on the rest of the anger and sadness, but it was a start!

Heart Example #2:  My second example does include a feelings key, which I really liked creating while the student and I talked about different feelings you can have. This student was feeling very angry when we started the counseling session. After working together, the student colored in about 75% of the heart purple to show we had figured out appropriate ways to get rid of angry feelings and feel more happy.  Again, we still had to work on that last 25%, but we had definite progress.

I liked this art feelings activity so much that I created a template I could pull out of my individual counseling folder anytime it would be useful for a student. I have found that having resource folders for common issues ----conflict, anger, friendship, family, perspective-taking, etc.---- in a hanging wall organizer helps me be ready when students come in with concerns. It also saves me a ton of time because I can quickly find a visual resource to help focus our individual session instead of creating something new each time and spinning my wheels. With so many students and so little time, it has become a great time-saver! 

For this template, you might have a younger student that only lists two or three feelings in the feelings key or an older student who is able to discriminate 4 or 5 feelings with different colors that need to be represented. I included six boxes for different colors, but you can always add more boxes. Hundreds of you got this freebie in its first weeks on TPT, and you can still find it here as part of my DOLLAR DAY items on my Life on the Fly TPT Store! 

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

Full STEM Ahead......

My love affair with Donor's Choose is still going strong!  They never let me down when I write a grant, and it has gotten even easier to request needed materials now that they have partnered with Amazon as a vendor.  I also LOVE the fact that all donations are matched by Donor's Choose within the first 7 days the project is posted.  I usually put my request up on Facebook, Twitter, and email close family members and have my grant funded within a few days between people I know and those I don't.  In the days of limited budgets and stagnant salaries, Donor's Choose is truly a life saver!!!

My current project is focused on STEM activities for my Kindergarten and first grade students. STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics --seems to be a major push in lots of school rights now, and I wanted my kids to have a chance to explore these academic disciplines in a fun way. So, how did I do it?!!! I came up with the idea that I wanted to request a variety of building materials -- Magnatiles, plank blocks, Legos, stacking cups, and gear blocks-- and use them in engineering centers. Each center has a specific task card to guide students in what they should be building with the assigned material.  However, there is a lot of room for students to use their own critical thinking skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities within each task.  Some of the websites I explored to add to my own ideas were these great Livebinders here and here.

I introduced the idea of becoming an "engineer for the day" with these YouTube videos to help explain what an engineer does. Kindergarten saw this one:

First grade will see this one:

I also wanted to incorporate teamwork skills, which can be a struggle for this age group, so I created a teamwork checklist that we follow during the center activities. Students rate themselves at the end of the lesson and give themselves 0, 1, 2, or 3 teamwork points as a way to reflect on what they did well on and what they need to improve. The Kindergarten students helped me brainstorm the three skills:  Passing materials, whispering and making a plan, and talking nicely and using manners.

Each child also has a center activity sheet to help with accountability for completing the center. Again, I explain the sheet at each center and assist as needed, especially with some of my English Language Learner students.

These engineering centers are particularly exciting for my Kindergarten kids who I teach "specials" (enhancements, rotations) to each day because they can complete the entire rotation of centers over the next five to six weeks.  At this point in the year, I wanted to mix things up and have more of a challenge since the majority of my students are reading and can handle being a little more independent. I am creating groups to ensure that at least one really strong reader is in each group and am assisting when needed.  My first graders will only receive one lesson so they will probably only get to explore one of the following five centers:

1.  Magnatiles:  Students work on building a house together.  They start with a cube and use their imaginations to add the magnetic tile shapes to create the rest of the structure. On the activity sheet, students identify the shapes and colors they used and sound out the names of the shapes to write them down. In my  opinion, Magnatiles are one of the coolest building materials around. If you haven't tried them before, you've got to check them out!!!

**Permission was given to post these pics of students on my blog since I am required to share pictures with Donor's Choose.

2. Lego Center:  Students attempt to build a "pet carrier" for Bruno who is 5 blocks wide by 1 block high.  They have to think about how he will get in and out and how he will breath. Initially, I was having students use the plank blocks for this center, but I could tell they weren't as familiar with these types of blocks and it was harder for them to build a tall structure so I switched the Lego and plank task cards....always tweaking and adjusting!

3.  Gear Center:  Teams works to create a new invention that will create wind in this center.  They have to see how many gears they can get to turn and count the final number for their activity sheet.

4.  Plank Center:  This center is focused on having students build a bridge that a toy car can cross.  Students practice using measurement and compare hand lengths to the bridge to determine how long it is for their center sheet.

5. Stacking Cups Center: Students attempt to create a tower using Solo cups.  The task card stipulates that the tower must have at least four levels and use at least 20 cups, and students draw the tower on their activity sheet.  Check out how great my kids did in the picture to the right!

Here are some more close-ups of the students' work on their center activity sheets (left and below).  So far, we are having a blast and I am really enjoying seeing the students use their creativity to work together, use their brains, and have fun! My first grade kiddos start their lessons this week, and I think they will do an even better job due to having another year of maturity and problem-solving skills. I truly could use these centers all the way through third or fourth grade and may do that next year!!!  Send me a comment if you have done any STEM activities or have any other questions!                                      Happy Counseling! ~Angela

Integrity and Beyond!!!!! - Part One

Two more days until Spring break starts and we are going to make it!!! I have been having fun with my Easter egg hunt again this year (see my post from last year here and download some free new quotes from the Life on the Fly Store). I have also been doing some exciting lessons on Integrity.  I found a great idea from my friend and previous guest blogger, Rebecca Atkins, on her blog here. Check out her original description of the lesson and write her a nice comment. :o) After being inspired, I tweaked the lesson to include some of my own activities and objectives. I taught the lesson in first grade, but I could have delivered it in second or third grades with no problem. I will be posting my original Kindergarten Integrity lesson later this week.

First, I started out with my Integrity definition pre-survey (D is the correct answer) and noted the baseline data.

Then, I connected the definition of Integrity to some current events with this great news story found on the Today Show website.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We discussed the story as a class and did an oral retelling activity to incorporate some literacy objectives and emphasize the behaviors showing Integrity.  I ended our class discussion with the cliffhanger question, "Do you think the boys earned the $50,000 or not?!" and got the students' predictions.

Next, we had a blast with a kinesthetic activity "Balloon, Balloon" (see my Ordinary Objects post here) where the students got to pass the balloon around until I said FREEZE.  The lucky student catching the balloon read the behavior their hand was touching, and we decided if it showed Integrity or not.  I had TWO rules to make this game a fun learning experience rather than a free-for-all mosh pit.
1)  Feet had to stay planted on the ground as if they were rooted to the ground
2)  We had to be silent/quiet while passing the balloon (after all, trees don't talk!)

We discussed behaviors such as lying, stealing, cheating, following the rules, admitting you are wrong, recycling, littering, etc.  I wanted to incorporate Earth Day themes since that celebration is coming up later this month!!

It was really fun! I had also created a Smartboard slide where we could sort the behaviors visually to Integrity/No Integrity sections on the board, but we didn't really have time to do both.  We ended the game by brainstorming other behaviors that show Integrity at school and at home.

Finally, I introduced our flower activity.  The students enjoyed creating the petals and decorating their plants and pots. I even incorporated some Science objectives and had early finishers label the different parts of the plant, which the class had been learning about in class.  Check out the finished products to the left and below!

 Happy Counseling and Enjoy! ~ Angela

Guidance Essential Standards

Tomorrow I am sharing a Guidance Essential Standards presentation at the NC School Counselor's Regional Drive-in Workshop for the Capital Region of North Carolina.  I could not be more excited to be with my NC peeps and the fantastic state organization that offers us so many professional development opportunities.  I am posting my presentation here so the attendees of my workshop can easily access the information as we discuss and delve into the Guidance Essential Standards.  My blog readers can also check out the information below.  I hope it will be helpful to you!

If you are interested in getting a copy of the K-5 Guidance Essential Standards crosswalk document I have created, you can find it at my Life on the Fly store here.
 Happy Counseling! ~  Angela

16 days......That's how many school days are left until the first End of Grade (EOG) test at my school.  Now if that number quickens your pulse or causes you to feel anxious, you are not alone!  I think most teachers, administrators, and school counselors are feeling a little overwhelmed at this time of year (or a lot!) because there is SO MUCH to do between now and the final day of school.  I, for one, just finished coordinating the final MAP assessments at my school for second through fifth grade students and now am trying to fit in all of my school counseling interventions before the next wave of testing hits.  Luckily, I have a fantastic co-counselor who is able to keep our comprehensive school counseling program on track during the testing times.  One of our ASCA (American School Counselor Association) plans this year is focused on creating small EOG groups for students who did not pass the third or fourth grade EOG the first time but did pass it the second time.  We figure those students are on the cusp of passing and our extra attention and support may be enough to help them pass on the first try.

 I used EOG initial and retest data to create the fourth and fifth grade groups.  My school had 15 fourth graders and 14 fifth graders that fit into our target group. My co-counselor sent parent permission letters home and we planned a 4-5 session group, depending on how quickly we can get through each topic.
My co-counselor made each student a small group book (something I do for every small group I run) so that they would have the information in a handy reference guide and could remember what we talked about after our group was over. The groups are being run during recess time and lunch time, depending on the grade level. The main topics we are focusing on are:

• Routines for the nights before and days of the EOG (foods to eat, how to dress, when to go to bed and wake up)
• Multiple Choice Strategies
• Coping strategies if you get nervous 

These are all basic pieces of information that help students feel more confident and prepared when going into the EOG testing days.  They can also be presented as whole group lessons if you are able to get into third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms for guidance lessons prior to the EOG. My favorite parts of the group are:
 
The Test Plan
Each student has the opportunity to visualize and construct their ideal plan for EOG testing days after we discuss each topic.  By the end of the group, the test plan will be completely filled out and ready for students to review on the days leading up to the EOG.  We also encourage students to share their test plan with their parents so everyone can be on the same page on EOG days.

The EOG Fortune Teller
Even if we don't have enough time to complete AND fold the fortune teller in group, it is a FUN and EASY way to review all the strategies we have brainstormed in group.  The kids LOVE these paper games, and I have used them with everything from EOGs to conflict resolution strategies to friendship skills. The students often will take them to recess and help each other fold them after they have filled out each triangle in group. You can find an editable template here.

"I Have, Who Has?" Vocab Game
Icebreakers, games, and other fun activities keep EOG small groups from being another classroom lesson for kids whose favorite thing is probably NOT talking about tests during their recess or lunch period.   This vocabulary game emphasizes the keywords that students should be paying attention to, underlining, or circling when reading passages or word problems on the EOG.  You can make your own game by picking 25 common EOG vocabulary words.   Decide which word you will start the game with.  For example, you might put "In All" on the front of the card.  On the back you would write "I have In All.  Who has the word that is the answer to an addition or multiplication problem"?  The person with the word PRODUCT would stand up, show their word and read the back of their card.  "I have product.  Who has the word that is a number sentence"?  Then, "I have equation....." and so on until every student has the chance to stand up one or two times (depending on if you are using this game for a guidance lesson or small group).  The last person will say "The End" after they have shown the last word.  Kids get to stand up and down, everyone talks, and they have to pay attention to which word is being defined so it's a really engaging game!

End of Group Encouragers
Leave it to Pinterest to have the best ideas for encouraging and motivating students during the EOGs.  In our last session, my co-counselor and I will give a little treat to our small group students for working so hard to prepare themselves for the EOG.  Here are some of my favorites:

I also found THE BEST website called Keep Calm-O-Matic where you can create your very own "Keep Calm" poster and order other merchandise, too.  How cute will this image be on some postcard-sized cardstock with a positive thought message on the back from the school counselor???? Maybe the EOGs won't be so bad after all!

Happy Counseling!

Angela

Individual Data: KISS- Keep it Simple, School Counselor!

Data, data, data.  If you have been a counselor over the last 10 years, you have witnessed an EXPLOSION in the use of data with school counseling programs and the ASCA National Model.  It isn't enough to say that you met with 50 kids in one week, delivered ten classroom lessons, and met with five small groups.  You have to show that progress was made; students feel different, are acting differently, or are achieving different results because of YOUR interventions.  It can be daunting as a school counselor when you think of every student interaction in this way, and it can be easy to try and make data complicated.  But the key really is KISS- Keep It Simple, School Counselor!

Individual counseling is one of the areas where I have found it is difficult for me to consistently track data that is simple and easy to gather, especially if this issue is more social/emotional.  I am often fitting in students in 15-30 minute slots whenever I can and am responding to student crises before running to the next lesson, conference, small group, or testing session.  My tools for documenting change in students have evolved through the years, but I have finally found some that work for me.

The Kimochi Doll 

Students love my Kimochi doll! I don't know if it's the squishy body or the interactive pocket, but they are drawn to this cuddly stuffed animal. During the beginning of  individual counseling sessions, I explain what the Kimochi doll is and use it to see how students are feeling.  I document which feelings the student chooses and then compare the student's feelings between sessions or pre/post within one session. I ordered the Kimochi box set, which includes the doll, three basic feelings of Happy, Sad, and Mad, and a book entitled Cloud's Best Worst Day.  I also ordered the Kimochi mini mixed bag because I knew I would need a wider variety of feelings for my students.  The bag set includes feelings such as surprised, guilty, sleepy, excited, and embarrassed. I also LOVED the fact that there was a blank feeling face included so my students wouldn't be constrained by specific feeling choices.  I really haven't used the book, but that's mainly because I haven't taken the time to go through it. I feel certain there are applications for small group, classroom, or individual use once I make time to read it.

Playdoh Feeling Faces
I love using playdoh with younger students (sometimes older, too!) so I decided to create a sentence starter sheet that incorporates playdoh faces.  I ask students to create a happy face if things are going "great", a straight face if things are going "OK", or a sad face if things "are not going well" in each of the areas.  As a data tool, I document the faces students draw for the three areas each time we meet and compare the faces between sessions to ensure things are improving. In addition, this sheet really helps me to assess and pinpoint the areas of school that may be bothering a child the most.  Instead of spending 20 minutes talking about friends when home is the issue, I can zero in on the student's main concerns.  And in school counseling where our limited time is so valuable, that is key! 

Scaling Number Line

I use a lot of solution-focused counseling with my students.  I find that it is perfect for my busy schedule, which requires short individual counseling sessions, and for the majority of issues that come up with elementary students.  Scaling is a major component of solution-focused counseling, so I created a HUGE number line to use as a tool during my individual counseling sessions.  After students tell me what they want to happen with whatever problem they have, I ask students the "Miracle Question"- what if you went to bed tonight and a miracle happened? What would your goal look like if everything was perfect? What would I see you doing, hear you saying, etc.? Who would notice a miracle had happened? I explain to students that this miracle is the "10", and I have them rate for me where they currently are on the scale. Sometimes, I have students create a unique clothesline clip that they can use for months if I think I will be meeting with them more than a couple of times. Other times, I have them use my generic magnetic clip to show how thing are going with their "miracle".  I then document their scale on my Student Individual Counseling Sheet and we brainstorm strategies based on the student moving up ONE number on the scale.  I find that students love charting their progress on my number line, and it is a concrete way to track perception data for students (and for teachers- but more on that later!).

Happy Counseling!
 Angela

Character Education Remix

If we are going to talk about character, then I need to be honest.  I love having fun in my job, and I often have no problem making a fool of myself in the process. It is clear that I was meant to be an elementary school counselor because the students still think I am cool no matter what crazy idea I try during their lessons.  I realize this fact would probably not be the case in middle or high school, so I'm thankful to be working with little ones who reward me with hugs no matter what.  Here are some fun ways you can spice up your character education lessons if you want to try something new!

Fairness - Judge Poovey

 It's amazing how excited students get when you come into their room in character.  For my Fairness lessons in second and third grades, I donned my graduation robe (knew that would come in handy again), borrowed a blow-up gavel, and transformed into JUDGE POOVEY to teach students what it means to be fair. We linked fairness to situations at our school and to situations in the news (Lance Armstrong) to decide what is fair and unfair.  Then, students brainstormed fair behaviors they should use at recess, in the classroom, at home, and on a team.  The best part, however, was when I entered and exited to the People's Court music using my IPAD, some external speakers, and an adapter.


People's Court Music

If you have an Ipad and want to play music during a lesson so that students can hear it, you just need a few things:  an external speaker that has a power cord with one USB end, an Ipad Camera Connection kit (or any adapter that can plug in and has a USB slot), and your Ipad.  Here is a picture to show how I set it up. 

Respect Rap

Another way I have used music to hook students at the beginning of a lesson is with the Respect Rap, an AWESOME YouTube Video that was created in neighboring Chapel Hill by the Fearless Lions at Frank Porter Graham Elementary.  Students from Kindergarten thru fifth grade absolutely  LOVE this video! It can be used in a respect lesson for character education, or I often use it when starting my bullying unit.  We spend a lesson talking about respect so that students will understand what replacement behaviors they should be showing if they are having a problem with conflict or bullying.  I always say that if we are only showing respect, we would never even have to talk about bullying.

Movie Video Clips -  Honesty and Courage

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video clip must be worth a million.  Any educator who has taught in school has seen how students perk up whenever they get to see a movie or video clip as part of instruction.  Again, I think that using video clips as a "hook" to start a lesson or illustrate a point can be really powerful for students (and teachers).  Here are a few that I have used this year for different character lessons.

Pinocchio:   I use this video clip to introduce the character trait of honesty.  I tell the students they are going to guess which character trait we will be discussing that day and then let them watch it.  We relate Pinnochio's nose growing to consequences you can receive at school and at home when you lie or steal. 

A Bug's Life:  If you start the video around 2:07 and show it for a short amount of time, you will see Flick and the princess show courage to stand up for themselves and the other ants.  I also made this cute activity sheet for my kindergarten students to help relate the lesson to their lives following this video and other discussion.

There is so much more to say about games, experiments, and more video clips, but I will leave that for another post. Happy Counseling!

                                                                 Angela