Back to School Classroom Lessons

There are so many wonderful ideas out there in the school counseling blogging community and on pinterest for meet the counselor and back to school lessons. I've tweaked some ideas to make it work for me. After introducing myself and reviewing classroom expectations and our behavior system, this was what we did in each grade level:

Kindergarten: The Kissing Hand is my favorite book for beginning of the year. As students came to my room for their first classroom guidance lesson, we discussed how they felt on their first day of school. I introduced them to my Chester stuffed animal, we read the book, and they made a kissing had to take home - a hand they colored and put a heart sticker on. I also came across this coloring sheet which could work well with the lesson.

1st Grade: I reviewed with all of these students my role as a school counselor using the Mrs. Potato Head ideas I've seen on other websites. We watched the first day of school clip from Finding Nemo and discussed how Nemo felt and his father felt and how we could tell the difference. We then discussed how they felt about starting 1st grade. I read a cute book - The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School - which the students were captivated by! While they don't have magical hair like Zoe, they all have something that makes them special and which can be celebrated in their 1st grade class. The students wrote and illustrated an activity sheet with "My name is _______ and I am special because ___________."

2nd Grade: We discussed rules at school and why we have rules (safety, so everyone can learn, etc.) We imagined what it would be like if we came to school and there were no rules! I read the book What if Everybody Did That? The students all had the opportunity to come to the SmartBoard and complete a sentence related to the story (for example: If everybody shouted out the answer, then __________.) I took some ideas for this lesson from this excellent source. It was a good discussion on the importance of making positive choices and realizing the ways our choices can affect others.

3rd - 5th Grade: With these students I reviewed my individual student referral form and policy. Each student completed a get to know you information sheet as a way for me to check in with everyone about how they're feeling at the beginning of the year as well as a place to write me notes about things that are going on. They then made a get to know you fortune teller. They LOVED this. It was a great way for them to follow various instructions as I instructed them on how to make it. They practiced listening skills as well as teamwork - students really helped others out at their tables. I loved watching students interact and ask each other questions (practicing those conversation skills!)

I'm Back.

It's hard to believe sometimes that my 6th year as a school counselor is underway. And this is the year I'm resolving to finally start blogging more of my ideas and experiences. This summer I updated a few bulletin boards in my classroom. I'm already very excited about the college readiness bulletin board and interactions my students are having with it. It's inspired by this image on pinterest.

My Counseling Space

Welcome to my school counseling blog! I am in my 5th year as an elementary school counselor and want a place to share ideas and experiences from my work. This past summer I moved from an elementary school in North Carolina to an elementary school in Tennessee. At my new school I have a whole classroom where I see students for classroom guidance, groups, and individual counseling. I loved getting to decorate and make this space my own!

This was what it looked like when I walked in . . . a bit overwhelming (but look at all those books and games in the back!!)

So after many hours, here it is ready for students . . . a cheerful and happy space.

I hemmed some curtains I found at Goodwill to cover the games shelves and my personal bookshelves in the back. I created a play therapy space in the back corner, tucked away behind a cabinet. I sewed these fabric buntings to hang from the ceilings. I created this bulletin board based on this one online.

And a few months later, these red tables were purchased for me! So exciting!! (And that SmartBoard is waiting to be installed on the board.)