School Counselor Blog

Our district is hosting a career week in May.  I am so excited to participate! At my previous job, one of my colleagues and I were planning on having a career fashion show to make learning the PA Career and Work Standards more meaningful for students. The purpose of the event was to teach 8th graders appropriate dress for interviews and work. I told one of my current co-workers about the idea and she thought it was great.  She suggested that we model the event after the Black Entertainment Television (BET ) show Rip the Runway. We presented the idea to the career committee for our district and they loved it. We are going to do the event district wide. All of the students in 8th grade will be able to participate. Not only will students be showcasing proper work attire, but the event will showcase student talent. We will have have student performances of singing, dancing, step, and drill. I think it would be really cool to have a section of students to dress up like their ...

I received an email from a reader looking for lessons about test-taking strategies. Q:  I came across your blog a few weeks ago and I am just loving it! As a school counselor myself, it is so wonderful to hear from other counselors across the U.S. Thank you for sharing your ideas and thoughts with us! Here in Texas, we are starting the "Testing Season," if you will, and I am really looking for some new and creative ideas on lessons for my 3rd, 4th and 5th graders on test-taking strategies and taking initiative. I was wondering if you had any ideas or suggestions on something that has really worked for you. I really want to liven things up a bit and get away from the "same old" lessons. Thank you for your time and again, for sharing a bit of yourself with us! Keep sharing!  A: Thank you so much for your question! "Testing Season" is fast approaching here in Pennsylvania too! Scholastic  has a great section on their website on  Standardized Te...

A reader asked me for suggestions on where to find lessons on respect. Q: Where can I find respect lessons?  A: I get a lot of ideas for respect lessons from www.tolerance.org , the  Teachin g Tolerance website . You can look up a specific topic, chose a grade level, and chose a subject for your lesson. I recently wrote a blog entry about ideas for respect lessons . I found ideas for respect lessons from the  National Education Association (NEA)  website.  A book I use for older kids, that you could use also use for younger kids if you altered the lessons slightly is, The Freedom Writers Diary Teacher's Guide . What respect lessons do you facilitate with students? 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,...

A reader asked me about paper-based career interest inventories. Q: My students have limited access to the computer lab.  Do you know of any free pencil and paper career interest inventories? A: In Pennsylvania, we have some great career resources available through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEEA) .  There is a part of PHEAA's website specifically for counselors . There are two different resources on PHEAA's website that provide a paper-based career interest inventory for elementary age students.  Exercise Your Mind is an activity book geared towards younger elementary students. Exercise Your Mind has three different activities targeting student's interests in relation to career: "Are You a Good Student?,""What are Your Values?" and "Your Learning Style." It's My Life: Career Guide for Middle School Students is a workbook geared towards 5th though 8th graders.   It's My Life: Career Guide for Mid...

A reader asked me about career inventories for elementary students. Q: Are you aware of any resources for career interest inventories for elementary students? A: Absolutely! My favorite career interest inventory for elementary students is called Paws in Jobland .  Paws in Jobland  is a free, web-based program created by Bridges Transitions, Inc.   I have used  Paws in Jobland  with 3rd and 4th grade students. Both groups of students really enjoyed using  Paws in Jobland . A little dog named "Paws" gives students a tour through "Jobland." Students can explore careers with "Paws" by completing the "Job Finder" career interest inventory, exploring "Jobland," or using the "ABC Search." Students can also take a "Quiz" about the jobs in "Jobland." "Job Finder," a 26-question career interest inventory.  "Job Finder" highlights areas of "Jobland" that correspond with the stu...

A reader asked me if I had any ideas or resources for building leadership skills.  Q:  I asked [a teacher] if she had some thoughts on what would be helpful to her kids. The first thing that came to her mind was helping kids build leadership skills... or becoming comfortable with not being followers of what the cool group is doing,  but to able to stand up on their own and building/becoming comfortable with who they are. I am not sure where I would go for ideas... Do you have any ideas of a session that might work?   A: I would do an activity that builds on students strengths. I would do some activities that focus on the questions "What are you good at?" "What do you like?" "What are some of the goals you have?" "How are you going to accomplish those goals?" There are specific American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Standards in the personal/social, academic, and career domains that those questions are related to. You can learn...