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

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

Popping onto Campus!!!!

                                    *Image from ebay.com

I can't believe it is the week before the EOGs, and there are only 12 more days of school left this year. Wow! It has gone fast! It feels odd to be wrapping up classroom guidance lessons and small groups and not be starting new ones.  I am still looking forward to our EOG pep rally tomorrow (will definitely be sharing my fun skit in a later post!), my middle school transition lessons after EOGs,  and the fun lunches I have started with my fifth graders in-between testing days, field days, and award days.

I mentioned in a recent career post here how I was excited to do virtual campus tours with  my fifth
graders after discovering the website youvisit.com.  I decided to do a popcorn theme and created a sign-up poster to put in the fifth grade hallway that reads "Popping Onto Campus".  I laminated the sign-up section of the poster so that I can reuse it for future lunches, and explained the concept to all my fifth grade classes a couple days prior to the first scheduled lunch.  After the 22 available lunch spots were taken, my fifth grade teachers removed the dry erase marker I attached with velcro.   I took a picture with my iPad as soon as I saw it was full (retouched to blur out names), just in case there was any smudging of names with hallway traffic, and I gave each student a "event ticket" with  the date and time on it.

 I also sent home a notice to fifth grade parents (see below) to drum up some donated popcorn so we could make the virtual field trips even more festive.  After all, what fifth grader doesn't like popcorn?! I have already had several parents send in four or five bags each so I think we will be covered for the rest of the year! When we did our first event today, I let the students vote on which of the 12 campuses they wanted to tour.  It was a close call between Syracuse University and Yale University, but Yale won out! After a welcome from our peppy tour guide Jessica, who explained she is a senior at Yale, we walked through numerous spots on campus with descriptions, college information, and even 360 degree panoramic views in many locations. It was really interesting!  Also, the pathways were lined with directional arrows that I let students go up and touch on the Smartboard to make it more interactive.

The lunches are optional, but I think I'm going to end up doing five or six before the last day of school based on student feedback.  It's also a really good break from the monotonous EOG prep and gives them something else to think about during a somewhat stressful time. Enjoy and Happy Counseling!  ~Angela

I'm A School Counselor......What's Your Super Power?

I know I already wrote about School Counseling Week here and here, but I had to post these final pictures from last Friday. My part time co-counselor was able to come back to end our week-long celebration, and we continued our Superhero theme.  My kids happened to get a bunch of superhero costumes for Christmas this year (lucky for me!), so I "borrowed" them for the day.  The students, and staff for that matter, LOVED IT! We even went on the morning show to thank everyone for the cards, posters, and other treats we had gotten during the week.  It was really fun!

We also finished our cooperative bulletin board (see below) that most classes pitched in to help create.  We asked each class to draw pictures or write words of things they have learned at school that make them a "SUPERHERO."  It didn't necessarily have to be something students had learned from the school counselors; It could be anything! We got some great examples back that incorporated character traits, career information, and friendship skills among many other ideas.  Can't wait until next year! 
                                Happy Counseling!  ~Angela

I've got the MAGIC in me...........

I know we have a few more days before National School Counseling Week officially starts, but I feel like CELEBRATING early! It's a snow day in NC, which doesn't happen very often, and we actually got a decent accumulation. So, as I sit by my fireplace and write about school counselor's week, I want to celebrate you!!!  Next week, I hope people give you big high fives and write you notes telling you how great you are.  I hope kids draw you pictures and you get special treats. I hope your principal buys you lunch! However, even if no one else acknowledges you  (I speak from previous experience), know that you ARE making a difference and planting the seeds of change for many students.  Each time you greet someone with a smile during arrival, give a crying child a hug, or help a student solve a problem, you are making your school a happier, more caring place for kids.  So, think about how you want to highlight the great work you are doing and ponder these tips if you are still planning for School Counseling Week 2014.


1. Include students in your celebration.  Last year I handed out puzzle pieces to each of my classrooms and asked them to draw or write a picture of something they had learned from the school counselors. I got so many GREAT pictures back and then put the puzzle back together on a bulletin board. This year I am doing something similar so that everyone is included, but my individual pieces are going to create a different type of image. Just wait and see................

2.  Thank your teachers for being part of your SUCCESS as a school counselor!  It is very difficult to be a great school counselor unless you have good relationships with your teachers.  They are the rock stars who are on the front lines every day noticing the subtle changes in their students, seeing who walks in without a coat, alerting you if grades suddenly drop or if a child has a mark on his or her cheek.  Sure, we notice these things too, but we can't lay our eyes on every child every day like 40+ teachers can.  Good relationships with teachers also make planning your classroom guidance lessons, small group sessions, and individual counseling meetings SO.MUCH.EASIER. I appreciate my teachers who say "sure, take them" each time I ask for a student more than they know. So, thank them.  My co-counselor and I have been busy making preparations so we can host a small breakfast celebration the first day of School Counselor's Week. It is nothing fancy, but I hope my teachers know it is done with much love. Picture to come.......

3.  Have a theme!!! Let's just put it out there....themes are fun and get people excited. So, pick a theme. You can go with the ASCA theme ---- School Counselors: Building Magical Futures (hence the title of this post), borrow an idea from someone else, or come up with your own!! I piggybacked on the "magic" part of ASCA's theme this year but put my own spin on it.  You can DRESS UP to go with your theme (yes, I will be, of course!), use it to make something cutesy to put in your teachers' boxes, or simply incorporate it into a bulletin board. It can be simple! ASCA has some ideas here and you can join the ASCA SCENE discussion even if you are not an ASCA member.  Of course Pinterest has tons of ideas, too, so get pinning!

4. Say "Thank You."  Next week, if people tell you how great you are as a school counselor, just say "thank you" and smile. Sometimes school counselors don't own their "magic."  We would rather fly under the radar and just keep giving like we do every day. Resist the temptation to downplay yourself next week. Let your bucket be filled and enjoy it!

And just in case you need anything else to pump you up for next week.............
Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

Head Elf

Leadership is a fascinating topic to me. I have had eight principals in my nine years of being a school counselor, and I love observing how different people manage and lead a school.  Whether I worked for a principal for four months or four years, I have gleaned something from each distinct personality.  It has truly given me a broad perspective of leadership styles.

I strive to be a leader as I carry out my school counseling functions and that includes encouraging leadership in those around me. I came across this Ted Talk video that speaks to the vision I have for leadership and the impact I can only hope to make each day among students, families,and staff.

  http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership.html


As you guessed by my title, there is more to this story than the video clip above.  I've talked in previous posts about choosing to be a leader as it relates to school climate and a positive school environment for the staff at my school (remember the Easter egg hunt?!). After Thanksgiving break I decided we all needed to have a little fun as we dealt with MAP testing, MClass progress monitoring, exhaustion, and holiday stress before the winter break. So, my principal graciously agreed to adopt a new member into our school family and STAR was introduced to the staff.

Each day, STAR has a new message for staff members as they go about their daily activities. I also post a picture of where STAR was the day before in our daily staff email just in case teachers didn't get a chance to find her.  It has been a big hit so far, although there was some confusion on the first day when a teacher assistant thought you were supposed to turn STAR into the office for a prize if you found her. I quickly sent out an email reminding everyone not to touch her and referencing the Elf on the Shelf movie. Ha! As a side note, I only hide STAR in teacher areas so no children have been involved in this activity. It is solely for the staff.  What are you doing to spread holiday cheer?  Any good ideas for what STAR should  do next?!

Happy Counseling! ~ Angela (AKA Head Elf)

Ordinary Objects

Two ordinary objects have become permanent fixtures in my office lately:  Balloons and clothes baskets

I wanted to share a few quick ways you can use these inexpensive items, which 99% of us already have at our houses, in your counseling office.  My first post will focus on clothes baskets.

Clothes Baskets:
1.  Goal Setting:  I am doing a "7 Habits of Happy/Highly Effective Kids" small group right now, and I absolutely LOVED the goal setting lesson I did with my students using clothes baskets.  It was an idea I adapted from a Goal Setting presentation at last year's NCSCA Conference (wish I could remember the speaker's name to give credit! Email me if you recognize this activity).

I took my students into the gym during the PE teachers' lunch break.  I had them all stand on one side of the gym and gave them each a frog (you could use a stress ball, rubber ball, etc.).  In the first round, I had them cover their eyes and try to get the frog in their basket. I placed three baskets out for five students so they would have more space for their throwing.  We related this action to going through the school year without an idea or vision for where you are going.

During the second round, I took all three baskets and placed them on the opposite side of the gym, about 30 feet away from the students.  We related this basket "attempt" to choosing goals that are too hard.  In the third round, the baskets were placed right in front of their feet. The students immediately knew that this round showed the goal was too easy.  In the fourth round, the baskets were placed about 10 feet way to signify an appropriate, challenging goal. Most of the students made the basket by their second attempt, but a few took three or four tries. Finally, I held one of the baskets in the fifth round and "assisted" them by moving the basket as they made their toss. We related this round to teachers, parents, and school counselors who will support students in reaching their goals, which can make things easier. 

 

2. Icebreaker Time:  Kids LOVE to try and toss my frogs in the clothes basket when we meet for individual counseling, especially kids that have a hard time sitting still or feel uncomfortable with traditional "talking" at a table.  I find they open up and are much more relaxed if we start talking while playing the frog toss game.  Sometimes we will even take turns and switch once we have gotten a certain number of frogs in the basket.

At first, I was just putting the basket on the other side of my office so I could take shots with my students, but then I got the bright idea of hanging it on a hook that has randomly been on the back of my office door since I moved to my school.  I now call the game Hook Ball.  The new basket placement also frees up floor space in my pretty small office...truly a win-win! Check it out:

3.Skill Practice Motivation:  I met with a student last week who needed to work on prosocial skills (hands to self, talking nicely, working appropriately in centers).  I wanted to make our skill practice more fun, so we turned it into a game.  Each time she got two frogs in the basket, we would stop, model, and practice one of the skills we were working on.  After she practiced, she got to take more shots.  It definitely made our session more enjoyable, and we still talked about her classroom progress while she was playing.

Do you have any other uses for clothes baskets? I would love to hear!  
Happy Counseling ~ Angela

New and Shiny

There is a lot of "NEW" in my school this year, which is not a bad thing. In fact, it's pretty exciting! We have ALL new administrators, some new teachers, new schedules and roles....most importantly, not being the "testing coordinator" due to the Safe Schools Act that was passed by the NC Legislature in July (thank you!). I am now teaching specials to Kindergarten for 45 minutes each day, but I think it will be a great opportunity to have built-in classroom guidance for a grade level that can really use a lot of proactive instruction on character traits, social skills,  work habits, etc.

With all the changes,  I have found that a larger chunk of my time has been spent welcoming in the new.  Our theme chosen by my principal for the school year is "ALOHA" - welcoming the new while also acknowledging that it is sad to say goodbye to the old.  You can see my co-counselor and I embraced our Hawaiian theme the first workday- what fun!

We also have been embracing the new and trying to be welcoming ambassadors for our school.  Here are some examples:

Welcoming New Staff

Check out these cards we gave to our new teachers!

We also created a bulletin board to introduce our new staff (our mascot is the STARS) to students, parents, and colleagues.  We are going to use the map in the middle for new student groups and place stars where our new students are from....incorporating a little Social Studies!

Welcoming Our Parents and Students



We couldn't forget to welcome our parents and students at Open House and remind them how school counselors can help during the school year.  I love the bobbleheads!











Also, I can't wait to pass out some of these fun sticky notes to my colleagues this year.  They are from Knock Knock Stuff, and even if you can't find these exact ones, there are some similar ones here.  Being in a positive school environment is so important to me, and I want to do my part to make someone else's day!

What are you doing to welcome new staff members or students? I would love to hear!

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

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