Creating Calm: Relaxation Strategies

boy meditating

It really wasn’t that many years ago when people would ask me, “What problems could elementary age children possibly have that necessitates a full time counselor in an elementary school?” Fast forward to the environment of today, and we are all too familiar with the many mental health issues that children face. As elementary school…

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Burned out?

teacher burnout

Four Ways to Overcome Burnout At my age, I talk to a lot of retired teachers as well as many educators who are counting the years until they can retire. While I do know teachers who absolutely love their work, there are a large number who are dissatisfied. In fact, about 50% of new teachers…

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School Counselors and “Extra Duties”

tired teacher

Recess Duty Lunch Duty Specials Rotation Classes Testing Coordinator It goes on and on. Everyone in a school must pull together to make it work, so teamwork counts, but what do you do when you feel that all the extra duties are creating a serious problem in meeting the goals of the actual job description…

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Separation Anxiety at School: Nine Ways to Overcome It

parent with child

At some point every school counselor deals with a child who doesn’t want to come to school. Every child and every situation is different so you have to tailor the solution to the particular student and their parents. Begin by collaborating with the parents, the child and the teacher. This is key. If you are…

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School Counselors and Journaling with Kids

child-daydreaming-

  Journaling can be a very effective counseling and teaching technique for kids of all ages. It can be used in small groups, individual sessions and classroom lessons. There are many advantages to journaling including: Each student has a personal book all their own Each student has an opportunity to express, explore, and identify emotions…

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Top 3 Mistakes School Counselors Make

Surprised frustrated young woman

And how to correct them No matter whether you are in small school or a large one, a public school or a private one, school counselors often make the same mistakes. How do I know? I was a school counselor for 20 years and I’ve made them all myself.  The problem is that these mistakes…

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