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Overview: The role of the school counselor is often a mystery to those outside the profession. Considering the profession has been around 100 plus years, the role of school counselors should be common knowledge. So why the confusion? The reason seems to stem from the dynamic and evolving nature of school counseling. School counseling started as a vocational focused service and has now expanded to include academic, social, and personal goals. This process is data driven, focusing on what each school needs in order to get students ready to learn. When you ask elementary school counselors what this role includes, you may be surprised by the variety of activities within their job description, since it only became distinct in the 1960’s. School counselors in elementary school run classroom guidance lessons, small groups, and individual counseling sessions. They collaborate with students, staff, administration, and parents to provide an optimal learning environment for each child. They write...

Lesson Objectives: To introduce students in Special Education classes to relaxation strategies for stress and to improve coping skills in and outside of the classroom by guiding them through a meditation session. Discussion: Meditation is the process of relaxing your mind by intentionally setting aside time to create a state of awareness and focus.  Meditation can relax the body and mind of the busy, stressful, and overwhelming life of a teenager battling day-to-day anxiety.  Professionals who teach meditation believe it can help in many areas including building self-confidence, helping resolve fears, improving focus and concentration, stabilizing an emotional state, and lessening aggressiveness.  Mindfulness is a general awareness of living each day consciously and it encourages us to be fully present, in the here and now.  Tapping into your own strength to manage stress and increase focus can help high school students respond to everyday stressful situations. ...

“Great people talk about ideas; ordinary people talk about things; small-minded people talk about other people”. -Unknown Purpose:  The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about gossip, rumors and perspective. Not all students have a clear understanding of rumors and their impact on others. This lesson provides a hands-on example of how messy gossip can be. This lesson can be easily adapted for any age group. Materials Needed for Lesson:  Bottle of fine, loose glitter; Prize for Students; Paper/Board for writing classroom ideas Time Required :  30 Minutes Lesson: Write “GOSSIP” on the board. Have the class define gossip and talk about what it means to them. Record answers on the board. Ask the students if they have ever had a rumor spread about them and if they have ever heard a rumor about someone else. Choose 5 students to stand at the front of the room to perform a task. Offer the students a prize for completing the task within 5 minutes. Pour a handful of glit...

Below you will find creative tips/suggestions of resources current school counselors are using to help their students get "learning ready" at each stage of schooling. Elementary School:  Often, the perception of counselors at the Elementary school level is centered in social skills and classroom guidance lessons. However, Elementary School Counselors also provide support in many creative ways. At this stage in school, students are at varying stages of acclimating to the classroom setting and sitting still for long periods of time. Learning readiness looks different for every student, and one creative resource some school counselors can provide students with is fidgeting toys and or manipulatives to play with while listening in class. Fidgeting toys could be a simple, effective resource for students who have difficulty paying attention, or focusing. Counselors can provide creative tools like manipulatives to improve the overall learning environment for students and teachers.  ...

Introduction: High school counselors have multiple roles within the school but one aspect is to ensure all high school seniors make it to graduation. They have to focus on not only credits of seniors who are making their way to graduation, but also start at the freshmen level to ensure their track is paving its way to the big day. An aspect of graduation is finding the track students want to pursue through their high school journey and what classes make the most sense to take for their career plan. School counselors want to ensure all students have an idea of where they want to end up and have a successful plan to do it. Support, encouragement, trust, and flexibility are huge factors that are incorporated in school counselor’s role to guarantee all students end up at graduation at the end of their senior year.  Resources: One aspect of a school counselor’s role is to provide resources for students who for one reason or another end up off track for reaching Graduation. While at firs...

This is a guidance lesson that is designed for use with middle school students in special education classes. Students who have difficulty focusing or with organization will especially benefit from this lesson. Students must be able to read at a second grade level to understand what is taught without modification. This lesson will take anywhere from 25-45 minutes, depending on class size and whether or not all suggested activities are included. While the intent of this lesson is to support students in a special education setting, this information can be valuable to general education students as well. Introduction With six classes each day, multiple homework assignments each night, countless activities and busy social lives, being a middle school student can be overwhelming and stressful. Disabilities that impair motor skills, processing skills or make it difficult to focus can make this even more challenging. Acquiring the skills to be organized and manage time well can lead to feelings...

Introduction   School counselors are important aspects of the school system. They take care of the emotional needs of students, help schedule classes, and act as a bridge between school and home. In addition to these tasks, school counselors have shown that they are able to make an impact on the larger community through establishing meaningful connections between teachers and students, and addressing the needs of the surrounding areas. School counselors don’t just support their students. Their actions impact the outside community, teachers, and faculty members. From making sure families and students are supplied with adequate food and clothing to creating mentorship programs, school counselors make a significant impact that extends past their traditional roles. FOOD & CLOTHING             Last year in the Spokane school district, 57.8% of students were enrolled in the free and reduced lunch plan (OPSI). With over half of th...

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson plan is to teach students time management skills and techniques.  Time management skills will not only assist students in their education, but it will also assist students in other aspects of their life. Special education students can use these strategies to help them complete their work on time and accurately.   Instruction Strategies: Teachers need to be aware of their students’ developmental levels and know what each student is capable of. Different students will process information at different rates. Educators for these students have to make sure everyone understands the information before moving forward. These teachers also have to be sure to not do this lesson with students who have more dire needs or different areas of concern. This lesson would not be good for a developmentally impaired class where students are not able to write. Lesson Objectives: Students will adequately learn how long it will take them to complete assignments an...