School Counselor Blog

I taught a lesson on tolerance to a group of third and fourth graders. I showed the students a kiwi and asked if anyone could tell me what it was. All of the students had seen and tasted a kiwi before. I asked them what they thought of kiwis when the first saw one. Students gave descriptive words such as "nasty, hairy, and ugly." Since the students have tried kiwis before, I focused the discussion on how it feels to be judged by the outside. Students commented that they felt sad and kind of angry when people judged them by the outside. I asked students what lesson we could learn from kiwis. One student stated that the lesson that we learn from kiwis is "don't judge a book by it's cover." He commented that just because a book may be strange on the outside doesn't mean it isn't a good book. I gave the students an opportunity at the end to have some kiwi fruit that I brought. I also gave the students a bookmark that is pictured. The front reads...

How does respect grow? I taught a lesson about respect to a group of fifth graders. I decided to use a flower theme since, it was almost May and "April showers bring May flowers." I made a poster with construction paper letter and flower cut-outs. The message on the poster stated, "How does respect grow?" I brought in a flower and asked students if they could tell me what a flower needs to grow. Some answers included, water, dirt, air, sunlight. I explained to students that just like flowers, people need water, air, and sunlight to grow too.  I asked the students if anyone could tell me what the word "thrive" means. One student stated, "to do really well." I explained that people need food, water, and air to survive, but in order to thrive people need to be treated well and respected. I asked students if they could think of any examples of how they could respect someone else. Some of the answers included, make my mom breakfast, be kind...

I graduated on May 1, 2009 from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania with a Master's of Education in Secondary School Counseling and K-12 Certification. Master's of Education! I truly enjoyed my time as a long-term substitute school counselor. I met so many amazing students, faculty, and staff. I will greatly miss all the wonderful people I worked with. I do not see graduation as the end; it is just the beginning! I am excited for the new experiences and challenges I will experience in the future. Are you a new school counselor? Comment below,  email me ,  tweet , or share on the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page ! Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at  School Counselor Blog , a place where school counselors share innovative ideas,  creative lesson plans,  and quality resources.  Contact Danielle via  email , follow her on  twitter , and become a fan of the  School C...