School Counseling Week 2015.....KINDNESS COUNTS

*Image from ASCA

Fellow counselors,

Next week is your week! The time of the year when you should be recognized for all of the tears you help dry, the girl drama you help quell, the homework you help get turned in, the kids you help get clothed when they have no coat in 30 degree weather, the teachers you help calm down when they need to vent, the life lessons you help instill in children who need YOU..............................................

Next week is your week! And if no one else tells you next week, I am saying THANK YOU right now to YOU! I am saying thank you for doing the things that no one knows you do, for doing things that may not be quantifiable, for doing a job that often leaves you totally and emotionally drained because you have given every ounce of energy and feeling to the little bodies that fill your school. I am saying thank you because I have had school counseling weeks where lots of people have recognized me and made me feel like I was on top of the world, and I have had weeks where I wondered if anyone knew it was school counseling week.  So no matter what, know you are appreciated by at least this girl!

 

And I am celebrating next week because I love my job.  Believe me, I have been in jobs I didn't love, and the difference is life changing.  I am happy to have a job I love and will be celebrating!

So, fasten your seat belts because School Counseling Week 2015 is on the way, and we are going to have some fun!  It all started last week when my staff got a memo from my co-counselor and me (right) outlining our activities.

We decided to incorporate Random Acts of Kindness Week (actually the week of Feb. 9th) with School Counseling Week as I mentioned in my previous post.  Here is how we are involving our school in our Kindness Counts  theme:

1- Students are creating Kindness Grams for staff members in art classes all week long. They will be delivered on Friday as a Random Act of Kindness to the wonderful teachers, administrators, and support staff at my school.

2-  Students will be given RAK BINGO cards to complete during the week.  The bingo cards are general so that all 1st-5th grade students can participate.


3- In media time, students will be able to write one of the Random Acts of Kindness they completed on a heart template, which will be added to our #RAKTIVIST bulletin board (below).

It may be hard to tell, but the bulletin board is complete with bobble head fairies, a kindness video QR code, and RAK ideas to share.

4-  We are doing a Kindness Cocoa Bar for staff members before school on Wednesday morning---idea courtesy of my awesome intern Ashley Warren. I will share pics later, but one of our hot cocoa toppings to choose from is jumbo heart marshmallows....enough said!  We also have a little candy treat for mailboxes on Monday in case some of our staff isn't available Wednesday morning.

5- Every class has made a class RAK mascot where they brainstormed kindness ideas and discussed the upcoming week.  The mascots will be used to decorate the border of our bulletin board. Here are some examples that have already been turned in. 





















There are so many ideas for School Counseling Week if you look at the ASCA website or Pinterest board. Don't forget the ASCA photo challenge for February 4th!  I also have my Random Acts of Kindness SCW Activity Pack available on TPT here for those who want to use it either week.

So, have fun, celebrate, and enjoy next week....you deserve it! 
Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

PS-  I meant to share the great news that my school got RAMP last week.....cheers!

Perseverance: Turn Those Lemons into Lemonade!

We all know this quote, which was surprisingly hard to find on Pinterest due to "new versions" (search and you'll see what I mean), but it is often difficult to keep sight of the "lemonade" part when we have trying circumstances in our lives.

Recently I was browsing through the Elementary School Counselor Exchange and Caught in the Middle Facebook groups (I hope you are ALL members of these online communities.  They have great ideas!), and I came across the most fabulous picture of a kid holding a pile of lemons.  I was immediately intrigued; after all, I LOVE props! After reading the comments, I realized that school counselor Tonya Egas was using lemons in "Introduction to the School Counselor" lessons to explain her role. I immediately began to brainstorm how I could use a bag of lemons in my upcoming Perseverance lessons and created a lesson for my second graders (Smartboard lesson, lesson plan, and worksheets found on TPT here).  I also was inspired by this Perseverance Walk lesson by Amy Lyons.  Thank you YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter for facilitating collaboration......we are all more creative and exciting educators because of you!

I started the lesson like always with my pre/post test gauging students' knowledge of the Perseverance definition.  Then, I related Perseverance to reaching goals this school year and potential obstacles that could slow students down or challenge them.  Students were able to do a cooperative learning activity to share their goals with a partner.

Next, the fun started happening! I chose a volunteer and took one of the example goals of getting 100 points in Accelerated Reader (AR).  As we brainstormed challenges that could slow students down like losing your book, not understanding words, doing poorly on a test, getting sick, and forgetting to read, we gave our volunteer a lemon to hold for each obstacle.  By the end, it was pretty hilarious to see our friend trying to balance all the lemons as he walked towards his goal.

 


Next, I wanted to incorporate the idea that obstacles   affect everyone, no matter what age, color, gender, or goal you are trying to achieve. Besides being a fan of props, I am also a huge fan of football. So, I was thrilled to FINALLY be able to use this Derrick Coleman commercial that came out around the Superbowl.  It brings a tear to my eye pretty much every time I watch it.  What an inspirational story! We discussed the video as a class and also highlighted some other famous people, athletes and non-athletes, who reached their goals despite obstacles.

Next, we listed subjects and areas of school that could challenge students this year.  The kids did a great job of thinking about potential pitfalls in math, writing, science, AR, and general homework.  I emphasized that we have to use the resources around us and Perseverance strategies to overcome all of these challenges and NEVER GIVE UP! As we brainstormed what those strategies and resources would be, I added lemonade powder to a pitcher of water for each one.  By the end, we had a delicious pitcher of Perseverance lemonade that I shared with the class while they completed an ending work product to apply what they had learned in the lesson. 

I've got to say that the lemonade was a HUGE hit, and the kids were so thankful to have an unexpected treat during the lesson.  I did extend the activity to home by having students interview a family member about their own goals and obstacles in my Perseverance Walk Interview. I hope to post some of these on an upcoming bulletin board or share them in my next lessons in the classroom. 

  Keep turning those lemons into lemonade and 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

Courage: A Specialist's Resource

This is Part Two of my COURAGE lesson post.  You can find Part One here.   I teach Kindergarten lessons every day and also have a rotation of lessons in upper and lower grades so I am ALWAYS looking for creative and fun ways to teach character traits, bullying prevention, social skills, and academic habits. I really strive to make my time with students memorable and meaningful while incorporating cooperative learning, art, literacy, and interactive discussion....whew!

For these courage lessons, I focused more on choices --- like doing the right thing even when others are not and trying new things--- rather than showing courage in the face of failure and making mistakes.  I used the video clip A Bug's Life for both the K-2 and 3-5 lessons, which many school counselors use.

Third- Fifth

My upper grades lesson starts out with a brief  A Bug's Life clip  as the hook. I ask the students to brainstorm what character trait they think was shown in the video clip. Then, I move on to the courage definition slide for pre and post data. Most of the time, older students have the definition down pat, but I like that it shows growth from my previous years' lessons focusing on that character trait.

Then, I introduce the Robert Frost quote:

We discuss what "taking the road less traveled" really means for students and then we talk about historical and current figures who would fit into that category.

Next is the fun part.  I put the students in teams and give them character dilemmas that could happen in elementary or middle school.  Each team has to come up with 3 or 4 possible choices for their assigned dilemma.  After we have finished, I show them an OPTIONAL video clip from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indiana Jones has to take a leap of faith and walk on a bridge that is invisible....if you are a child of the 70s or 80s, you will know what I am referencing! I happen to have this clip on a character education DVD that I have had for years, but you can also skip this part.

I made this pathway out of bulletin board paper and cut out feet so the class can share the different choices and pathways for each character dilemma previously discussed in their teams.  The person who makes the choice for each dilemma that is most courageous gets to wear the Indiana Jones hat. Gotta use props!!!

Finally, the students write specific ways they can show courage on "the road less traveled" at school and home on these footprints:

Kindergarten- Second

My primary grades lesson starts with the courage definition, as always, for my pre and post data. Then, we discuss historical, pop culture, and current figures who show courage. The discussion helps give students some context clues about what the definition could mean.

Next, we cut to the Bug's Life clip. I show it for less than three minutes so that I am following the Fair Use Copyright Law. After some discussion about Flick, Hopper, and the Princess, we apply courage to behavior at school (and a little at home) with pictures on the Smartboard.  I really emphasize trying new things such as food, sports, and games as a courageous behavior in this part of the lesson.  The kids come up to the board and interact with the Smartboard throughout our discussion.

Finally, the students create a work product comparing how Flick show's courage in the movie with how they show courage in their lives.  I included artwork and a descriptive sentence so it can be differentiated for different grade levels and students.

If you teach any specials at your school (like me!) or go into classrooms once a month (like me!), it's nice to have lots of different choices for character trait lessons.  I have added these resources to the Life on the Fly Store here in case they will be helpful to you.  All K-2/3-5 lesson plans, work products, and two Smartboard lessons are included with the Bug's Life Activity Packet.    Happy Counseling!  ~  Angela

Dare to Make Mistakes!

Sometimes I think that Pinterest has ruined us all.  We can now create the perfect birthday party, organize the perfect children's craft, create perfect home decor in six easy steps, and find perfect outfits for every season or occasion imaginable.  Does the average person stand a chance anymore?! Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE PINTEREST, but I think the push to do everything perfectly is starting to seep down to our children. I have never seen so much perfectionism and anxiety in my students as I have this year.  I worry that students' self-esteem and love of learning is being dampened by high-stakes testing and the pressure to perform ALL THE TIME.

So, I decided to conquer this concern during the month of March as I planned my COURAGE character trait lessons. I have written about courage before in my Character Education Remix post here.   However, I usually teach it from the angle of standing up for yourself or making good choices even when others don't.  This time I wanted to really focus on showing courage in the face of failure, in the face of imperfection.

My lesson was created around the book Beautiful....Oops!  by Barney Saltzberg.  If you do not already own this book, RUN (do not walk) to your nearest bookstore or library and check it out.  Or, you can purchase it here.  I actually bought this book for my niece and my daughter and then decided it was perfect for school, too.  

I presented this lesson to Kindergarten and first grades but differentiated with some optional activities so I could add rigor to the first grade lessons.  It would also be great for second grade. I started with my pre-survey to see how many students already knew the definition of COURAGE.  Students vote for the answer they think is the best definition at the beginning and the end of the lesson so I can note growth in their character trait knowledge (data!). 

With my first graders, I added the optional activity of giving a riddle and asked them, "What do a slinky, microwave, silly putty, fireworks, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies have in common?"  Anyone, Anyone.....??? The answer is they were all made by MISTAKE!  I had jigsawed an article about all of these inventions and gave one laminated section of the article to each of my table groups. The students read the short paragraph about their one invention and then summarized what had happened with the whole class.  I really wanted to incorporate some reading comprehension into the lesson and using a nonfiction piece of literature worked great! Depending on reading levels, I had to help some groups more than others, which is why this activity could easily be transferred to second grade.

Next, we talked about mistakes and had some discussion about what they are and how students feel about mistakes. This discussion was critical because I made sure students mentioned mistakes they have made at school like writing a number backwards, reversing letters, reading a word incorrectly in a book, etc.  I even had them give me a thumbs up or thumbs down to tell me if they thought it was OK or NOT OK to make mistakes. 

Finally, I read Beautiful....Oops!  I loved hearing the students gasp as they saw how a ripped page or holes in the book had been turned into something amazing and beautiful. Seeing the author's perspective of mistakes and discussing his attitude towards them was really eye opening for the students.  Afterwards, we practiced turning "mistakes" I had made on the Smartboard into something new and exciting (like this line that was turned into a hat, mountain, and mustache).  All the while I was emphasizing how important it is to LEARN from mistakes and how they allow us to be more creative, better problem solvers, and more mentally flexible.

My final work product was for ALL the students to get to turn a "mistake" into something beautiful. Here is one of five versions of the template I created for students to complete as well as some of the student work and WOW is all I can say! From princesses, to our school building, to oceans and elephants, they far exceeded my expectations for the creative things they could make from a line, squiggle, or right angle.   You will notice on the last student work picture that I had them add the sentence, "I drew a ___________________." underneath their completed pictures so they could incorporate writing.

 I do have my Beautiful....Oops Activity pack available at the Life on the Fly Store...check it out here! The lesson plan, Beautiful Oops templates, a link to the "invention" article, and an emailed link to my 8-page Smartboard lesson are all included with the activity pack. I have to say it is one of my most favorite lessons that I have ever taught!

DARE TO MAKE MISTAKES and enjoy! Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

Finding Your Inner Olympian.....

The other night my daughter and I were watching the slopestyle snowboarding event at the Olympics. All of a sudden she looked at me and asked, "Mommy, why aren't you in the Olympics?"  After laughing out loud and explaining to her that I didn't know how to snowboard, she boldly proclaimed, "I am going to be in the Olympics." It quickly brought me back to the now famous story of the Seahawk's quarterback Russell Wilson whose father used to say, "Why not you, Russell?"  I get chill bumps every time I hear that story and think about the goals that could be reached if every child had parents who saw limitless possibilities for their child and urged them to dream big.

I grew up excitedly watching the winter and summer Olympics and even had the privilege of going to the 1998 Olympics in Atlanta where the indelible image of Michael Johnson's gold track shoes on the Jumbotron will forever be etched in my memory. I LOVE everything the Olympics stand for ---hard work, self-discipline, goal setting, perseverance;  the list goes on and on.  So, it was only fitting that I created a lesson incorporating the Olympics to go along with the character trait of FAIRNESS for my first graders this month.

 I started out with my multiple choice pre-survey to find out how many students already knew the definition of fairness.

HINT:  C is the correct answer!!! My big emphasis for this lesson is for kids to realize that FAIR DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN EQUAL.

After the pre-survey,  I made a big deal of showing a bag of M&Ms I brought and telling the class I was only going to give one to students wearing red (or yellow or just girls...whatever your whim).   You can imagine how quickly students started exclaiming that "it wasn't fair" that some kids got M&Ms and others didn't.  We then had a discussion about how no one had earned the M&Ms and how you didn't really NEED M&Ms to live so I was simply favoring some kids over others, which made the have-nots feel bad.  Then, I pulled out some Band-aids and asked if anyone needed a Band-Aid. If you have ever been in a first grade class, you know there is ALWAYS someone who needs a Band-Aid. After giving my "injured" child a Band-Aid, I started passing them out to every student and innocently asked, "Don't I need to give everyone a Band-aid just like the M&Ms?" Of course, the students said no because they didn't need them, and I re-emphasized that everyone doesn't always need the same thing.

We then applied these discussions to FAIRNESS at school, at home, at recess, and on the playing field and brainstormed specific strategies students could use to show FAIRNESS in these locations.  Every class had their own ideas but sharing, taking turns, including everyone, doing your job, helping out, and good sportsmanship were all recurring ideas among my first graders.

Next, we really focused on FAIRNESS in teamwork and I incorporated my Olympic theme. I had made a paper torch as a prop and embedded Bugler's Dream into my Smartboard slide (play it and you'll recognize it!).

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I had them brainstorm teams they might see competing in the Olympics who would have to use FAIRNESS.  There are a million, but I used this slide below:

Then, we watched and discussed two video clips showing different sides of FAIRNESS and TEAMWORK.  I took them old school on the second one! Unfortunately, I can't embed the actual Mighty Ducks clip I used because it was a DVD.  It was the part of Mighty Ducks where Coach Bombay tries to get Charlie to cheat, and he says he won't.

Finally, I gave the kids a written sheet I created for a work product. In teams, they colored in the Olympic rings and added hair and facial features to make it look like a person.  Then, they added the FAIRNESS strategies they had brainstormed earlier for recess, home, school, and sports teams inside the rings.  Each team completed one paper and  used teamwork strategies while working together. Once I'm done presenting the lesson to all my first grade classes I am going to make a bulletin board to share it with others.  Visit my Life on the Fly Store to get a copy of the PDF sheet emailed for free. Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

I'm Groovy Poovey.....What's Your Hook?

Think back to your school days.  What was memorable? Did you have a spirited PE teacher who taught you how to juggle and ride the unicycle? (I did!)  Did you have a teacher who never wore the same outfit twice the whole year and had pictures of Elvis everywhere? (I did!) Did you have science teacher who did fun experiments and let you bring in exploding volcanoes? (yep, me again!)

The point is, sometimes we need a little excitement, quirkiness, or a "hook" to get our students' attention and help them "get" the objectives we are trying to teach.  Although it has been a LONG time since I had those aforementioned teachers, I still remember them and what they taught me because they got my attention, which is sometimes half the battle with our students.  As a school counselor, I am continually trying to engage my students and give them a prop, hand motion, or saying that will help them connect with what I am teaching and commit it to memory.

My first "hook" is my Groovy Poovey nickname. I use it because #1:  It helps students say my name correctly instead of calling me all kinds of crazy things and #2:  They never forget it and can always tell you the name of their school counselor.  Helpful, right?!!

Here is a sampling of some of my other "hooks" and when I use them.  What are yours?
 Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~Angela
                                                                          

LEFT: Using a Hula Hoop to illustrate the Hula Hoop Space for my Kindergarten students in Good Touch/Bad Touch lessons.

RIGHT:  Modeling a career I would like as an E! fashion reporter on the red carpet for "Career Dress Up" Day during Red Ribbon Week.  We have better things to do than drugs! This event went along with my career lessons in the classroom.

LEFT:  My co-counselor and I starting our "Camp Counselor" introduction to the school counselor lessons at the beginning of the year.  Read more about that lesson here.









BELOW:  Dressed up as "Judge Poovey" for Fairness character trait lessons in the classroom.  Read more about that lesson here.