Getting ready for the end of the year while being stylish!!

As we all know I have definitely been slacking in the blog department. I have about 6 half finished units for Teachers Pay Teachers, about 2 pages of ideas and initiatives, and an office halfway redecorated. I know....HOT MESS!!!

I have said it a couple of times before but making the switch to middle school sure keeps you busy!! My heart and mind have been on blogging lately with ideas I have floating in my head but "learning" what to expect and getting it done has surely kept me busy. I absolutely love my job but I will say I am excited for the summer so I can get back to blogging and creating. I know next year will be much better since I will have things set up and in place and I will have a good idea of what to expect.

This past week, I have worked on a couple of things I wanted to share with you all.
The first is a form I created to help me document students that may be in jeopardy of failing. This helps me to know who I have talked to and the areas they are struggling with. Here in Texas, in 8th grade we have what is called SSI (Student Success Initiative) and students must pass STAAR (our state assessment) in Reading and Math to go on to the next grade. Here I can document everything I need!!!

 

The other thing that I have been working on are notes of encouragement for students who did not pass the state assessment. I don't want to get started on standardized assessments because I can't change that but what I can do is think of ways to help and motivate the students.

 

I will of course fill in names as I finish them up! I gave three out Friday when I was visiting with some students and they seemed appreciative! Sometimes, good ol' elementary stuff goes a long way with the big kiddos...I even had one tear up.

With Teacher Appreciation Week coming up next week, don't forget to check out last year's post on what I created at my last school HERE. I am not sure what this year holds due to having a much larger campus but I will post as soon as I get it together. I am trying to think of budget friendly ideas. One idea I have so far is leaving sweet notes attached with stickers to their doors or computer.....just a little..."hi." This is what I have so far.

 

I also had a blast with my Stylish School Counselor on Instagram challenge and can I say..."Y'all have got style!" I wish I could copy all of the pictures from Instagram because they were pretty fabulous!! Here is a peek at some of my outfits and my co-workers. If you haven't emailed me pics from the challenge, please email me at: melroseacker@yahoo.com. Andrea over at JYJ Counselor Blog and I are planning some pretty fun school counseling fashion posts for you all...so get ready. I must add that she is pretty stinkin' stylish, too!!!

My adorable co-counselor and too cute intern

Hope y'all have a great week and remember to take time for YOU! We are so blessed in the jobs that we have....we get to be a big support for our students on our campus but we must remember to take time to reflect and wind down so that we can be the best for them and our families at home! 

Liebster Award!!!

I don't know about y'all but it has been pretty stinkin' busy lately!!! Scheduling, registration, and other things have been keepin' me on my toes! All I can say is I love every minute of it because I have been able to have such great discussions with kiddos!!!

Today I am blogging about the Liebster award. Carol over at The Middle School Counselor nominated me and I couldn't be more excited!! She is too sweet and I heart her blog!! You can check it out HERE. She has tons of great resources, I don't know how she does it all!!!


The blogging world has opened so many doors for me and I am so thankful for it. I feel like I am part of such a great community of fellow counselors and love chatting with many of you on here or on facebook. It has been a blessing to me!!!!

Part of the conditions on accepting this award is to answer some questions, so here we go!!!

1. What are your favorite blogs??

Wow, this is super hard because I read SO many but I would have to say:

School Counselor Blog
(This was the first counselor blog I ever read and instantly became addicted)

Savvy School Counselor
She is so creative!


The Middle School Counselor
With making the change to secondary this year, this blog has become my BFF!!

Scrapbook of a School Counselor
Great insight and I like how she keeps it "real!"

I have tons more but I would say these are some of my favs that I started on so they are special to my little blogging heart!!!


2. Why did you start blogging?

My first year as an elementary counselor my head was full of ideas and I went to blogs to help create a plan because I felt like I had so many swimming in my head and wanted to put them into action. Reading fellow counselor blogs, I saw similar ideas or things they had done and it helped me sooo much to "see" it! My second year, I wanted to share some of the things I had done in hopes it would help other counselors out, too!!! It's also a great place to get my thoughts done and know that my fellow counselors totally can relate!

3. Share three things about you that most of your followers wouldn't know.

• I am half Filipino!! (My mom is from the Phillipines)
• I was a Chi Omega in college!
• I used to pretend to have homework in college so that a "guy" would meet me up to study at Starbucks. Almost 8 years later and 2 kids...that "guy" is now my husband! : )

 





4. What is your favorite thing about your job?

The students. They melt my heart. I love being able to be a snippet of their lives, whether big or small. Knowing that I can be a shoulder to cry on, help with planning their future, or help with a problem...I can't say that there is a better job!! : )

5. What would you be doing if you weren't in the school counseling field?

 I would say something in fashion.  I just love fashion, materials, patterns, and color!!! It may be why one of my fav movies is The Devil Wears Prada..... : )



6. What do you do for self care?

Talk to my bff or my husband. Sometimes just venting a little makes a world of difference. I also love to hang out with my kiddos (6 and 3) and get lost in their little world of play! Other days its Starbucks and a pedicure! Every day... it is prayer!!!

7. What are your top 5 tech tools?

• my laptop (my tech tool BFF)
• Microsoft Office (Power Point especially): This is how I create all of my stuff!!
• phone/camera
• Pinterest
• Facebook

8. What books are you currently reading?

The Anxious Organization by Jeffrey A. Miller
(Great book for companies, schools, and people who stress themselves out...haha)
 

Balancing It All by Candance Cameron Bure
(Awesome book of how to balance work, being a wife and mom, follower of God, and everything else life brings!
 


9. What's your guilty pleasure t.v. show?
Honestly I do not watch much tv but if I do it's old episodes of Gossip Girl, 19 Kids and Counting, and Everybody Loves Raymond, NCIS. Weird mix...I know.

How can you not love Blair Waldorf??

10. What is your favorite quote?
No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying

11. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Texas has my heart but New York City would be a close second.


Thanks for reading!!! 
I would love to spread the love and nominate some other blogs that I think deserve some recognition for their great resources, so here they are!!

The Helpful Counselor

The Counseling Geek

From the Counselor's Office


The rules are:

1. Link back to the blog that nominated you.

2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers.

3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator.

4. Create 11 questions for your nominees.

5. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them.





My questions are below:
1. What is your favorite school counseling blog?
2. Why did you start blogging?
3. What is your favorite part of being a counselor?
4. What is your go to counseling activity?
5. What is a new program you have started on your campus?
6. What are 3 interesting facts about you?
7. What do you like to do in your spare time?
8. What is your favorite movie?
9. What ways do you incorporate technology in your counseling program?
10.  What is your best piece of advice for a new counselor?
11. What is your must have counseling item?


Hope you all have a great rest of the week and I can't wait to have a chance to post again!!