Counselor Q&A: Part Two and a Freebie!!!

Hey, friends! Hope you are soaking up every bit of summer. I go back Friday...yes...this week. It's always bittersweet! I love being with my family but I also love being there for my students!

Today, I am finishing up my Q&A from sweet counselors that emailed or messaged questions. If you didn't see the first one, you can check it out HERE! So here we go, Round 2!!!


I will be a first year counselor, what do you think is the hardest thing about being a counselor?

In terms of being hard, that could fall into a number of areas. For me, understanding how much of a multi-tasker you need to be was tough to figure out. Counselors do a lot on campus (which can be an amazing thing so that we have accountability). I think just getting down your system as in how do you handle 504, crisis, staff support, admin support, parent meetings, planning activities, possibly testing or scheduling depending on the grade level. Once you know what to expect and can fit it into your system, it all kind of falls into place. I won't lie, I just finished my first year at a new campus/grade level and I am still learning.  Another hard thing about being a counselor is the emotional attachment. I am a mom and I meet with kids and want to save them all. Learning when it's beyond what you can do and that your hands are tied is the hardest thing EVER. Those were the hardest things for me but at the same time, I wouldn't give it up for anything.


I am currently an intern in an elementary school. What are some ideas of things to do with kids who may not want to talk or just sit there?

Haha...I wish there was a magic activity or one liner I could give ya' but honestly it is all about making the kiddo feel comfortable. I never want them to feel forced to talk to me. I want them to know I am here for them and that I won't "make" them tell me something unless of course they are being hurt, are hurting someone else, or wants to hurt theirself. Now I will say with some of my Kindergarteners and Firsties at my old school...puppets or stuffed animals always worked well. Some of them would just need to pick one up to hold to feel safe before they start chatting. I would always have a basket of them near where kids sat. Also, good ol' fashioned paper and crayons can sometimes tell you so much. They tend to open up more and feel like they have something distracting them. You can even sometimes get some intense things from what they draw. But I would say creating a warm, welcoming environment and being very visible to kids so you don't seem like a stranger are the best things to do.


I have seen you post about planners, which one do you recommend? 

Well, I must start by saying I kinda love planners and notebooks....just a lil' bit.

 
 It really depends on what you're looking for and are needing. Some people need a daily page for appointments or need super large boxes for their month at a glance. I researched planners a lot and also have used a variety!!! 

The ones I would recommend are below:

Erin Condren

I have gotten Erin Condren planners for the past 3 years and have loved them. The only setback for me was needing more room for the monthly at a glance. Other than that, I love them!!!! It also has stickers for appointments, parties, etc. I will so miss that now!!! 
Price Range: $65-75


 Kate Spade

I am trying this one out this year and I won't lie...I got it because it is so stinkin' cute and I heart Kate Spade. It seems clean and together. My only concern is that the monthly calendar boxes are too small for my bubbly handwriting. Now, I will say that a week after my co counselor and I purchased ours, Swoozie's got a new shipment of larger ones. Bummer!!! If I would have known about that, I would have waited for the bigger one. But so far this one seems really nice.
Price Range: $36-48

Emily Ley

My sister in law has one of these and loves it. This one seems like it has more room for you to write daily/hourly. It looks amazing and she swears by it. She needs the daily page and I focus more on the monthly. So for her, it works great and for me, I needed something with more room to write in for months.
Price Range: $65-75

Let me also say that $10 planners from Target can be equally amazing. It just depends on what you need and are wanting. 


Well, before I leave...let me leave you with a Freebie!!! 

 

How cute would this be on your door or enlarged for a bulletin board or in the hallway??

Gets yours for FREE, HERE! 

I hope you all have a great week! Please feel free to email or message me with any questions or ideas for posts. Hearing from y'all makes blogging 10x more fun!!! 

melroseacker@yahoo.com

Counselor Q&A: Part 1

Hey y'all! I had posted about counselor questions you may have because I had hoped to do a little Q&A. Now, let me first start by saying....I am definitely NOT an expert. I have been a counselor for only 4 years going on 5 and have tons to learn.

I feel like I have some ideas to bring to the table and wanted to help any questions new counselors or interns may have. I know how scary it can be looking for a job and starting your first year. Being a counselor can be a scary job because we are a big part of our students' lives but it sure can be the most rewarding job! I broke this up into two parts because I wanted to be able to give thorough and hopefully helpful answers. So let's start!  These are some questions that sweet counselors sent in!


I am going to be interning at a middle school in the fall. I love doing small groups, but they are not done often at this school. My supervisor says I am welcome to give them a try. I have experience with groups at the elementary school. Do you have any tips/ideas/resources for groups at the middle school level?


Great question!! I had to figure this out, as well, this year. I moved from elementary to middle school and did tons of elementary small groups (12 to be exact) but was clueless as to how I would run them at the middle school level. With different lunches, CAIN time (student support after lunch), and different periods I was a bit overwhelmed at first but then I tried to get creative. 

I emailed teachers a couple of weeks after school had started (I think the 2nd six weeks) to ask who may benefit from some of the groups I was going to start (based on the needs of some kiddos I had already met with).  From there I looked up each of their lunches and created a chart to see if I had any common kiddos at specific lunches for specific topics. From that, I was able to do lunch bunch small groups similar to what I did in elementary. 

In regards to resources, I usually kept it simple. I did, however, use this book a lot. 

You can find it on Amazon HERE!

I also used a lot of music for "free writing" activities, journals for coping skills, paper and markers for writing goals, and I also loved looking up fun icebreaker, team building activities online.

Ultimate Camp Resource had a lot of neat ideas for icebreakers. You can find the site HERE. With my students, I noticed they enjoyed team building and just talking more than anything!! I just tried to see the needs of the group and the vibe the first meeting and that helped me to plan for future sessions.



Any suggestions on how to make yourself stand out when applying places!? I have just finished a year leave replacement and am now looking for a new position.

This may be corny...but I think being yourself is the key to standing out. Focusing in on your talents and letting a glimpse of that show in your interview really sets you apart. At the same time, it's also important to understand that not only do you want a job....but you probably want to be at a campus where you are the right fit. When I applied for elementary positions, I knew that I was going to be flexible and adapt but luckily the principal that hired me wanted someone creative, positive, and upbeat! When I went into my interview, I created a not so traditional resume that was fun and highlighted my strengths. Note: I also brought my regular resume.
Here is an example of what I gave them as a way to see how I enjoyed being creative.

 I think letting them see your passion shine through and being genuine makes a big difference!!! I also think dressing professionally is so important. I have sat in on many interviews and helped out at job fairs and there have been times I was either shocked by how short a skirt was or how low cut a shirt was or how it seemed like they didn't try at all and just threw on something. I am in no way judging or saying looks matter but if you are wanting to obtain a job and work with kids, dressing professionally is important. Professionalism is so important! Now, have I gotten every job I applied for? No... but I remember thinking that I will be put where I am supposed to be and that gave me a sense of peace about it all. I know it can be heartbreaking and stressful and put you on a roller coaster of emotions but just be yourself and know that you will end up where you're meant to be!! Good luck!!! : )


Starting out as a fresh new school counselor: Any tips on some must haves I should have in my tool box?

 I think no matter what grade level you have, there are some simple, budget friendly essentials.

#1 Paper and markers
It's amazing what some markers, paper, and prompts can do. At my last school, we had a lot of students that did not speak English. We had refugees from around the world and when I had them come to me, I was so thankful for paper and markers because somehow we could communicate with pictures. It was amazing. 
There are so many activities you can do with those basics. For elementary, it may be drawing how you feel or drawing something that scares you. For middle school, it may be writing down goals or drawing/writing how you feel when people call you names, etc.

#2 Stress ball or something students can "fiddle" with
Sometimes I have students who truly need to see me but feel so awkward. That is when a stress ball or a squishy ball comes in handy. They may want to talk it out but have something to "fiddle" with to possibly avoid eye contact or use it as a way to distract their nervousness. I am actually on the look out for more items like this!! 

#3 A laptop/technology
A laptop or ipad is a must have! Whether it is to play a song to reflect on in group or a video for students, or a way to access college info...a laptop or computer is a must for any counseling program. 

#4 A Planner
Being organized is one of the biggest qualities a school counselor must possess. As counselors we wear many hats and having a planner or electronic way to keep it all together is an absolute must!!

#5 Books
For elementary, I had a lot of books that I frequently used in my guidance lessons and even small group (Ex: Julia Cooke books). For middle school, I would love to do a book study or integrate more literature into lessons but even they sometimes love the younger kids' books. I remember reading Oh the Places You'll Go and then creating goals and plans of action!! They loved it!!

I would say we could add so many items to this like puppets, printables on the wall, etc but really you can start off with these simple things and do so much!!!


I hope these were helpful and I look forward to the next round of Counselor Q&A's which I will post this week! If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me at melroseacker@yahoo.com or comment below!!