kids on playground

Building Bridges: Fostering Friendships Through Role-Play

Friendships are a crucial part of childhood, offering emotional support, opportunities for social learning, and a sense of belonging. As elementary school counselors, you play a vital role in helping students develop the necessary social skills to make and maintain friendships. One of the best ways to do this is through role-play either in a…

girl-hugging-legs-

Introvert or Extrovert?

What is the Difference? When I teach training groups on temperament, one question that often comes up is how to best teach and encourage a child who is reserved or introverted. . Often extroverted parents or educators feel that they need to help introverts become more outgoing and get more involved in a social network.…

Rear view of pupils raising arms during the lesson with teacher looking at them

Creating Engaging Lessons: Best Practices for Elementary School Counselors

Crafting engaging and interactive lessons for young elementary age students is both an art and a science. As counselors, we have the unique opportunity to captivate young minds, instill valuable lessons, and foster a love for learning. Here are four best practices for creating dynamic lessons while avoiding common mistakes. Creating an Engaging Lesson: Set…

parent teacher conference

Ten Secrets to Effective Parent Communication

Communicating Effectively with Parents As the school year begins, an important part of starting school for every counselor is establishing communication with parents.  This is especially true in the younger years but even in later years, counselors have a responsibility to keep parents informed.  I know you probably got into this field because you enjoy…

A Positive Mindset and Starting Kindergarten

Tackling those Back to School Blues It’s back to school and there is excitement in the air! As the school counselor in an elementary school, the beginning of school was always a mixed bag of smiles and tears.  I frequently spent lots of time comforting crying children who missed mom, dad, brother, sister or their…

back-to-school

Begin School with Intention-Plan for Reflection

How Intention and Reflection Determine Learning What was the most memorable and significant year of school for you? The first year you attended school? The year you starred in the class play? The year you won an award? The year you graduated? Research has shown that an important part of learning in any environment is reflecting on our…

counselor with student

3 Tips for a Winning Job Interview

Each spring and summer, lots of school counselors are graduating from school and looking for their first job or perhaps leaving one counseling job and looking for a new one. What do both of these things have in common? When interviewing for a job (of any kind) your first order of business is to sell…

back-to-school

Making School Year 2024-2025 the Best Year Ever

Create an Intentional year What can we do to get off to a great start and create the conditions necessary for a new beginning?  There’s a lot! Five Strategies for a Magical and Intentional Year Set an intention–-Not to get all woo-woo on you here but this is a useful technique for whatever you are doing that…

counselor with student

Advice for the First Year School Counselor

Whether you are a first year counselor, someone who is starting a counseling job at a new school or a seasoned school counselor who has been at it for years, there is a always a lot to learn. Here are some tips that everyone can use: Focus on being a guide…not a hero. You can’t…

What People Say About The Wyatt Books

kind words from educators, parents, and kids!

"Going to kindergarten is a milestone for everyone and the beginning of the year is usually filled with excitement and angst.  Wyatt the Wonder Dog addresses the typical concerns that most children have in a sweet and relatable way.  Kindergarten really is fun!"

— Laura Uszenski
Kindergarten Teacher

"Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Teamwork is another great example of helping kids improve their social skills.  It teaches kids the power of working together and how much better we are when we work as a community"

—Melissa Toren Hrin, Professional School Counselor
Beverly Cleary School, Portland, OR

"[Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Mindset] This book is funny!  It's dogs doing things that only people do!  I learned to try new things."

— Samuel Traub
Age 6

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving is a delightful book that teaches kids (and reminds adults, as well) that generosity is possible no matter how old, young, rich or poor we are.  This is a powerful message and an engaging story that every child will love. 

~Jen McDonough, author of Living Beyond Rich

Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Friendship teaches not only friendship and making connections, but also how to become successful at problem solving. Great for school counselors, teachers and families.  Bravo! 

Sharissa Shatten~ School Counselor

Feeling left out? Need help getting along with friends? Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Cooperation weaves important life skills into engaging story telling. Join Wyatt as he learns how to be the superhero in his group of friends by using cooperation and compromise.

~MaryFrances Gonzalez MACCCSLP

Have you ever had a friend that did some things that you disagreed with? Wyatt does and he doesn't know what to do about it. Join Wyatt as he learns that being honest with his friend is the best and only way to solve the problem. A great story!

~Lynn Hughes M.Ed. school counselor

If you've ever lost your lunch money or misplaced your favorite toy, you can relate to Wyatt the Wonder Dog.  This adorable story offers simple, helpful ideas that kids and parents can use to make life less stressful and more fun!

~Erin K. Casey, author