You're Hired!

So, the EOGs are done, and my school did great! I'd like to think our awesome EOG pep rally pushed everybody over the top, but I know it's really due to all the hard work from our staff and students this year. I will say, though, the third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers rocked it out at the pep rally. We had everything from Uptown Funk to Maroon Five to my personal favorite, Meaghan Trainor.

This year I changed the words to "If Your Lips are Movin'" and my media specialist and I did a live performance of the song after an American Idol type skit involving other specialists and our administration. Imagine in your head--- "If your lips are movin', if your brains are movin', if your answers are groovin' then you'll fly, fly, fly baby!  YES, it was special!!! There is video evidence of this performance, which I am trying to edit so I can share it with you (too many kids' faces in it right now).  A post-performance photo is below of my media specialist and me (I'm the pencil.....ha!).

Luckily for all, I have not been hired as a singer, but I have been hired at a new job for next year. WHAT?! Yes, it's true!!! Big changes are coming for Groovy Mrs. Poovey as my family MOVES to the Charlotte area this summer.  My house is sold and I have a new job at a school that I am very excited to join!

Many school counselors, whether new grads or veterans, are in job search mode this time of year, and it can be a little nerve-wracking to interview for a new position. I have only interviewed two other times in the past 10 years and have been thankful to be offered positions both times. This third experience also went well, and I was truly impressed by the quality of questions my future administrator and co-counselor asked thanks to their fantastic central office school counseling personnel. If you are preparing for an interview, prep by brainstorming answers for some of the questions below (Not exact wording but paraphrased versions).

  1.  What are some examples of school-wide programs you  have been responsible for?

2.  Give an example of how you have addressed the academic domain this year? Personal/social domain? Career domain?

3.  What are examples of small group topics you have addressed this year?

4.  What small group counseling techniques do you use with students?

5. What are some examples of topics you have addressed in classroom guidance this year?

6. What bullying interventions do you implement?

7.  How do you motivate students to be career and college ready?

8.  What's your vision for your school counseling program

I also had to give responses to two hypothetical situations involving crisis situations and how I would handle them at the school.  There were many more questions, but those are the ones that stood out the most.  It was the best interview to hire a school counselor that I have ever been a part of, no matter whether I was the one interviewing or being interviewed. Kudos to them because they really know who they are getting as a school counselor!  

If you have any other interview or resume questions, feel free to contact me while it is fresh on my mind and GOOD LUCK to those who are job searching!

Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

Stick-To-It Thoughts

My co-counselor and I have been busy with our Test Success small groups that I wrote about here (on TPT here) and our EOG classroom lessons that I have mentioned before here.  This week is our final session before the BIG TESTS later next week. I am thinking about ending with a special  treat and have been checking out Pinterest for some fun ideas. Below are my favorites from a few different bloggers:

(Tales from Outside the Classroom)                   (Calico and Cupcakes)                                                (Primary Possibilities)

One of our last sessions is focused on test anxiety so after we practice our calm down strategies, we are going to take some time to share our positive thoughts with the rest of the school. I love these high fives from the blog, A Fellow School Counselor. The students can make them for their hallways and write things like "Free High Fives----You've got this!" or "Free High Fives----Go rock this test!".  I'll let them be creative!

I also promoted positive thoughts with this bulletin board, which will be added to as third grade EOG lessons are completed this week. My co-counselor is including an activity where students write down the positive thoughts they will use during the EOG on a post-it note.  We are displaying them for all to see here.

Also, I'm truly looking forward to another awesome EOG assembly this coming Friday. You may remember my past performances here and here. I promise I will not disappoint and have a gem of a performance lined up! Check back next week to see how it turned out.  Any guesses to what type of costume I will have???  Hang in there.....we are getting close!

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

What Does the Fox Say?! EOGS!

You probably aren't surprised to see the picture above.  If nothing else, this blog documents my passion for kids, my love for having fun in my job, and my lack of concern about embarrassing myself on a regular basis.  So, when conversations started about our EOG pep rally this year, I decided to go big or go home! The video below on YouTube was my inspiration to use "What Does the Fox Say?" as our performance song for the third, fourth, and fifth grade EOG pep rally.

I ordered my fox costume on Ebay, and it was sent straight from China to my doorstep in a matter of weeks.  My co-counselor, the fabulous Amanda Collins, got her shirt for $5 from Walmart (our kind of price!) to fit in with the theme.  We changed the words up a bit, and I choreographed my own pop and lock dance routine at the end to give the performance a little extra pop! I also decided to include the students in the performance and created an iMovie that I played before the song began.  I asked a variety of third, fourth, and fifth grade students what their parents or teachers said they should do to pass the EOGs. Then, we segued into "what the fox says...."  Needless to say, the staff and students loved it! Check it out below.

Also, I finally got to use a great idea I saw awhile ago on Pinterest for the days of the EOGS. I headed to my school this past weekend and decorated the sidewalks leading from the carpool line and the bus loop.  As students arrived this morning to test, there were words of inspiration and encouragement greeting them as they walked in the school.  Hope your last days of school go well!

Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

ROCK the EOGs!

Today is officially the one month countdown until my last day of school.  Crazy, exciting, and scary all at the same time! I could say, "where has the year gone?!", but I can just look back through all my posts to see all the work, time, and energy that has gone into my kiddos this year! And, it has been a GREAT year!

Along with the month countdown comes anticipation and stress over the EOGs so I have started my EOG small groups with third and fourth graders (my co-counselor does fifth grade) as well as classroom guidance lessons.  I am especially excited because I get to use an iMovie that my book club made as a technology project once we finished the book, Because of Mr. Terupt (see my post about that here).  Three of the students wanted to make the video to help others learn how to cope with stress once we had discussed their favorite strategies for so many weeks. It is really cute and can be viewed below: (sorry for the videography in some parts....it is a fifth grade production and we are low-budget...ha! :)  )

My lesson with fourth graders focuses primarily on multiple choice strategies and coping with anxiety based on needs assessment feedback from my teachers.  We start out by brainstorming the words they think of when I say we are going to have a lesson about the EOGs (Note:  They are not POSITIVE words 90% of the time in my classrooms).  Then, I give them a pre-survey that determines the students' prior knowledge of multiple choice strategies as well as their confidence in passing the EOGs.  I have them fill out the same survey at the end of the 45 minute lesson to chart growth.  See my two pre and post survey examples below: 

Next, I model EOG strategies with a NC DPI released EOG question and have the kids guess which strategies I am demonstrating. We are using the acronym RUCKUSS to remember the multiple choice strategies of:

                                                               R= Re-read

U= Underline keywords

                                                               C= Circle numbers

                     K= Know what the question is asking

                                                               U= Use time wisely

                              S= Show your work and solve the problem

                              S= Slash the trash (process of elimination)

I also highlight the strategy of drawing a picture even though it isn't part of the acronym since it is so helpful to students who are not as strong with computation.  All of the students get a chance to complete their own math question  using the strategies, and I choose one student to come to the Smartboard and show their strategies to the rest of the class.  

The second goal of the lesson is to focus on test anxiety, and I begin by assessing where the students are on an anxiety scale of 1 to 10.  The students use post-it notes to show where they are on the scale. We emphasize the difference between taking the EOGs seriously and being prepared versus being overly stressed and unable to do your best due to anxiety.  Another benefit of this activity is that it gives me a chance to really see what students I may need to follow up with individually or in informal lunch groups.  

At this point I show the student-made video to the class and we start talking about and practicing deep breaths, set routines, exercises, and positive thoughts.  For the set routines discussion, they get to volunteer to come to the board and decide whether the choice would make them feel "FANTASTIC" or "FRAZZLED".   The students also get to be involved in writing the positive thoughts they would choose for that strategy.  

 It has been a fun lesson, and my post-survey data has been great! I have had about 98% of students increase the number of strategies they know in the classes I have presented to so far.  Most students have already reported that they feel confident about passing the EOGs on the pre-survey, but a handful of students in each class have changed their answers from NO to YES that they have confidence they will pass the EOGs following the lesson so I know it's making a difference!  Feel free to download my EOG Smartboard lesson as a freebie HERE if it will be helpful to you. I would love any comments you have if you download it. THANKS!

                                         Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

Are You Ready for the EOGS?

May is a busy and sometimes stressful month preparing for the EOGs.  Students, teachers, administrators, and parents all want the EOG scores to reflect how hard everyone has worked during the year. So, it's nice to take a moment to have some fun and de-stress before the big testing days begin.  My school took time to do just that during our EOG pep rally this week.  It was quite a spectacle with cheerleaders coming over from the middle school, skits by teachers, and a musical performance by my co-counselor and me.

I found inspiration in this YouTube video featuring the tune of "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green.  Thank you Ms. Watson's fifth grade class! My co-counselor, Amanda, and I changed a few of the words to include EOG strategies we have discussed with students, but it didn't need much tweaking for our use.
The best part of this rap is that the video shows the students dancing at recess, which I thought was really entertaining and a great way to incorporate students into the EOG performances (see below for an example from the video).  I decided a student video would be an awesome backdrop for our live performance and quickly downloaded the iMovie app on my iPad so I could get to work. It was literally as easy as me going to the playground and asking third through fifth graders (who are allowed to have their photo taken) to give me their "best dance move". 

I then edited the different video clips on iMovie and added the Cee Lo Green "Forget You" instrumental version downloaded from iTunes. Amanda and I made up our dance moves to go with the the lyrics for our performance. Then, we decided to give our performance a little something extra and designed EOG shirts to wear for our singing debut.  I created the perfect design at Vistaprint using a line from our rap's refrain, "Let's Do this.... 4s and 3s".  The shirts cost $16 each, and I will definitely wear mine to school on casual Fridays.  We thought it would be cool to go old school with the cassette tape, although I wonder how many of our elementary students even knew what it was. Ha!

Here are some photos of us on the day of the pep rally.

Although I would love to be able to share the video we created on You Tube (it is really cool!), I don't want to violate my students' privacy unless I am able to get permission from all 100 or so that were in the video.  Our media specialist video recorded all of the pep rally so the K-2 teachers and students will be able to enjoy it on our Morning Show.  It was so much fun and a memory I hope our students will have for a long time to come.  What are you doing for your EOG assembly or pep rally?! I would love to hear!  Happy Counseling!   Angela