Posts by Lynne Watts
School Counseling and Burnout: Why Boundaries Matter More Than Ever
School Counseling and Burnout: Why Boundaries Matter More Than Ever Elementary school counselors are often the emotional backbone of a school. You support students, collaborate with teachers, communicate with families, and manage administrative demands—all while trying to deliver a comprehensive school counseling program. But here’s the reality: without clear boundaries, even the most passionate counselor…
Read MorePrepared to Lead: Teaching Elementary Students the Power of Being Ready
What Does It Mean to Be Prepared? Being prepared means thinking ahead, organizing what you need, and being ready to take action when the moment comes. For elementary students, this can look like: Bringing materials to class Completing assignments on time Mentally preparing for transitions or challenges Anticipating what comes next Preparation is more than…
Read MoreWhy Boredom Is Good for Kids: A School Counselor’s Guide to Building Creativity and Independence
Summer is a time of relaxation and freedom. It’s unstructured days and late nights; movies and picnics, wild roller coaster rides at the theme park and lazy days poolside. But eventually something will probably rear it’s ugly head. It’s the dreaded “B” word. My own kids would usually bring it up after a particularly eventful…
Read MoreFrom Overwhelmed to Empowered: Practical Burnout Solutions for School Counselors
School counseling is one of the most rewarding professions—but also one of the most emotionally demanding. Many elementary school counselors find themselves stretched thin, juggling student needs, administrative demands, and crisis response daily. Over time, this can lead to school counselor burnout, a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that impacts both effectiveness and…
Read MoreFrom ‘I Have to Get It Right’ to ‘I Can Try Again’: Tackling Perfectionism in Kids
Perfectionism in children is often misunderstood. At first glance, it can look like motivation, high standards, or academic excellence. But beneath the surface, perfectionism in elementary students is frequently rooted in anxiety, fear of failure, and low self-confidence. For elementary school counselors, recognizing and addressing perfectionism early is critical. Left unchecked, it can impact academic…
Read MoreTeaching Kids to Get Better at Getting Along
Teaching kids to get along together You’ve got two kids who disagree and fight constantly… Yet they seem attracted to each other like magnets… You’ve talked to them You’ve threatened them You’ve separated them… repeatedly. What’s the answer? We’ve all been in this situation before as educators and parents; two kids who just can’t get…
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