“That’s Not Fair!” and Other Ploys: Turning Student Pushback Into Positive Growth

Portrait of boy, hear no evil, grey background

As elementary school counselors, we often encounter familiar phrases that students use as emotional shields, attempts to avoid accountability, or ways to test boundaries. These “ploys” may seem like resistance, but they’re actually great teaching moments. Here’s how to respond to five common student ploys with empathy, clarity, and growth-focused strategies. “It’s Not Fair.” What…

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Closing the Chapter: Helping Students Say Goodbye with Heart

happy kids

As the end of the school year approaches, students may experience a mix of excitement, nervousness, and even sadness. While they may look forward to summer break, they’re also saying goodbye to routines, classmates, and teachers that have been a consistent part of their lives for months. For elementary-age children, this transition can feel especially…

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DISCover Your Temperament

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Good counselors and educators do things well. Great counselors not only do things well but also teach and inspire others to do things well. One of the advantages of training counselors in DISC temperament assessment is that it opens up a whole new way to communicate with kids, parents and other educators. In addition, it…

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Celebrate Your Students’ Temperament!

Group Of Children Playing In Park

Every temperament has strengths Why does he act like that? Why would she say that? What’s wrong with her anyway? Have you ever said any of the above?  Don’t worry, we all have. One of the goals of understanding the four basic temperament styles is to move from misunderstanding a temperament in  others to accepting…

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The Strong-Willed Child

mad boy

The Strong-Willed Child In a favorite comic strip, a little boy tells his Dad, “You’ll never be as smart as me Dad.  Back when God built your brain…he was using older technology.”  Pretty clever, huh?  Probably hits home for many adults who rely on younger children to tweak their websites, blog posts and download all…

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