connection
The Science of Encouragement: What Elementary School Counselors Need to Know About Positive and Negative Comments
Elementary school counselors play a critical role in shaping school climate, supporting student growth, and helping children develop the social-emotional skills they need to succeed. While many counseling strategies focus on specific interventions, one of the most powerful tools counselors have is something they use every day: their words. Research has consistently shown that the…
Read More3 Mistakes Even the Best School Counselors Make
Being an elementary school counselor is one of the most rewarding—and demanding—roles in education. You’re the emotional anchor of the school, helping students navigate everything from academic struggles to family transitions. But even the most dedicated counselors can fall into common traps that drain their energy and limit their impact. How do I know? I…
Read MoreConnection with Kids
Connection with Kids In her book, The Good News about Bad Behavior, the author, Kathryn Lewis, identifies three steps that are taught in the Parent Encouragement Program. It will come as no surprise to counselors of all types that the first step is connection. Establishing rapport with a student is always the first necessary step…
Read MoreEvery Child Needs a Champion
Don’t we all need a little encouragement like that from time to time? Someone to remind us of that all things are possible? Someone who accepts us just as we are without judgement, then helps us to be the better version of ourselves? Someone who isn’t just task focused (get the work done!) but…
Read MoreHow many positive comments does it take?
The Benefits of Creating a Positive Environment What do you do when someone makes a critical comment? Hide in bed with a pillow over your head? Make a snappy come back…several hours later? Repeat it over and over to yourself? Shawn Achor in his book– The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That…
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