Top 3 Mistakes School Counselors Make
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…
Read MoreThe Burnout Cure: Seven Tips
How to take back control in your life Are you overwhelmed? Overworked? Over-committed? All of the above? So many school counselors would describe themselves as burned out not fired up. Days are characterized by TOO MUCH. There is too much to do at school. Kids are more needy than ever. Teachers are on their last…
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 MoreKids and Loss. How to Help.
How to help kids cope loss A grandparent is sick and in hospice. A parent or sibling has terminal cancer. A close friend or relative is undergoing treatment for a chronic disease. Children are not protected from loss and grief any more than adults are, yet they often have fewer emotional resources or coping mechanisms…
Read MorePicking the Topics for Elementary Small Groups
Small groups are a great way develop relationships with students and teach meaningful lessons, all while maximizing your time by serving several students at once. What’s the downside? For me it was developing an effective system that I could repeat over and over rather than re-creating the wheel every year. The first question to tackle…
Read MoreWhat to Do About a Student with Angry Outbursts
Angry Outbursts: Prevention and Coping Skills On a School Counselor Facebook page, a school counselor asks for help with a 5th grader who regularly has angry outbursts over such things as forgetting his work at home or his Chromebook is missing from the class. During sessions focused on helping him calm down, he’s still very…
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