School Counselor Blog

Congratulations to Becky!   Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest and shared great ideas of how you would use  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  in your work with students!   Read the comment section on the closed giveaway post for great ideas of how you can use the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Bullying Lesson  with your students! Comments are now closed. 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. Connect with Danielle via  email , follow her on  twitter , add her on  LinkedIn  or  Google+ , and become a fan of the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page .

I am hosting a Black Friday Giveaway for the  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  DVD! Last year I showed  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  to sixth grade classes for a lesson about  Rudolph and Bullying . Last week I taught a lesson about being a "hero bystander" in a 7th grade class using Confessions of a Former Bully . During the lesson I asked if anyone could give me a definition of a bystander.  A student raised their hand and said, "a bystander is someone who watches bullying happen and adds to it, like the other reindeer when you showed us  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ." I was so excited that a student referenced the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Bullying lesson  I did last year! The  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  and Bullying lesson  could be used for many different grade levels. Check out the  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  and Bullying lesson  to see the discussion points I came up with...

I am thankful for so many things...  I am thankful for my amazing family and friends who love and support me in everything I do.  They mean the world to me and I am so fortunate it to have them in my life. I am thankful for all of the students I work with who inspire me and fuel my passion for school counseling. I am thankful for all of the amazing school counselors and educators I have been able to connect with through School Counselor Blog! You brighten my day everyday when I interact with you through comments, email ,  Facebook , Twitter , and  Google+ . Thank you for sharing and caring all year round!  View a Smilebox card from me to you below! A free greeting by Smilebox What are you thankful for?  Comment below,  tweet ,  contact Danielle , or share on the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page ! Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at  School...

My mom made adorable gerber daisy flower center pieces for the tables at my bridal shower. The flowers are colorful, bright, and cheerful. I thought the flowers would be great for Career Café tables to add some ambiance and make Career Café feel even more like a cafe experience. Then, I got an idea to make the flowers even better and serve two purposes, by making flower pens! I have always wanted to make flower pens... now I had a great excuse! Watch the video below to learn how to make your own flower pens! I realized while making the flower pens that they would make a great gift for a school counselor, teacher, principal or educator. Really, they would make a great gift for anyone who has a desk. ;) I love that they serve a purpose and look cute! Here's a picture of the flower pens on a  Career  Café table. Have you ever made flower pens? How would you use flower pens in your work as a school counselor? Comment below,  tweet ,  c...

I am a big fan of This American Life . This episode about Middle School aired recently. You can listen to it below. I am interested to hear your reactions to it! What do you think about the This American Life: Middle School episode? Are the issues discussed similar to the challenges you face in your school? Comment below,  tweet ,  contact Danielle , 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. Connect with Danielle via  email , follow her on  twitter , add her on  LinkedIn  or  Google+ , and become a fan of the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page .

I made a bulletin board for my office that highlights some of the "puzzling" things that middle school students deal with on a daily basis. There are many different things middle school students face that can make life confusing.  Some of these puzzling things include: homework, friends, family, high school options, a parent being sick, a death of a loved one, or someone you love being in prison, and much more. This "Feeling PUZZLED?"bulletin board will serve as a conversation starter for students.  I liked the idea of using the play on words from the "puzzle" theme to help students understand school counselors can play a role in helping them cope with the puzzling aspects of their lives. In the corner of the board I put some puzzle pieces together and wrote, "School counselors can help you put it all together!" I plan to use the blank puzzle pieces for student suggestions of "puzzling" things to add to the board. ...

I have gotten many questions recently about how I find out about school counseling and educational related events. Below are some resources I use to find out about events that I can celebrate and spread awareness about in my school. National Education Association NEA has an Educational Events Calendar and Diversity Calendar on their website.  Both calendars are packed with details and links to information about events you can celebrate in your school. A Year of School Counseling A Year of S chool Counseling has lots of great ideas of how to celebrate events and includes activities and lesson ideas that correspond with events. A Year of S chool Counseling also has suggestions for monthly themes related to events. A Year of School Counseling includes bookmarks for each month that you can copy and give to students and staff! The American School Counseling Association Magazine The American School Counselor Association magazine has upcoming events in the ...

On Friday, after putting HUGs in mailboxes and bringing breakfast treats, I decided I wanted to spread some more cheer. There is a bathroom at the end of the hallway that is just depressing looking inside.... and don't know about you, but I very much dislike school soap. Over the summer I bought some Bath and Body Works soap in fun scents to keep in my office. Before I moved downstairs to the Student Services Suite I had a sink in my office. They kids enjoyed using fun smelling soap. I got the idea the other day to "donate" my scented soap to this dismal bathroom. Then on Friday, when I was on my way to take the soap to the bathroom I got an idea. I turned around and went back to get my window markers . I drew a sun, some clouds, grass and flowers on the bathroom mirror. I also wrote " Have a great day!" on the mirror. (It is hard to see in this picture because of the reflection of the paper towel holder.) I put my Citrus Blueberry Swirl soap on...

I got the idea to give the staff at my school HUGS during the S chool Counselor Tweet Chat about collaboration . Kelly (@KJohnson222) , a school counselor who participated in the School Counselor Tweet Chat , mentioned that she puts Hershey's Kisses in the staff mailboxes at her school. She doesn't tell anyone it was her. She uses this as a moral booster. I loved this idea! Our school is in definite need of a morale boost. I decided to use Hershey's Hugs instead of Hershey's Kisses. I made little cards that say "Thought you could use a HUG or two!" to use the play on words with the Hugs .  I put the card and two Hugs in each mailbox. I put an additional card and more Hugs near the sign in sheet. I did not write on the cards that the Hugs were from me. :) Just the act of giving Hugs boosted my morale and really made my Friday much better than usual! School has been very stressful and challenging lately. This was a great pick me up because...

The fourth School Counselor Tweet Chat was held on November 1, 2011 at 8pmEST! School Counselor Tweet Chat is a collaboration between  School Counselor Blog  and  SCOPE . We chatted about collaboration with teachers, administration, parents, and community members! Jen Grossman , president elect of the Missouri School Counselor Association was our host this month. School counselors shared great ideas for collaboration! Read the  full transcript  via google documents.  To access all of the tweets with the hashtag #sctweetchat,  click here . The next School Counselor Tweet Chat is on December 6, 2011 at 8pmEST! For information on how to participate in a future School Counselor Tweet Chat, click here ! Did you participate in the School Counselor Tweet Chat? What did you think about it? What new ideas did you learn? Comment below or share via twitter #sctweetchat ! Erin Mason is a former Middle School Counselor, now Counselor Educ...

Friday was Dream Career Day for our theme "Follow Your Dreams - Don't Do Drugs!" Students were encouraged to dress up as their dream career. Staff were encouraged to dress up like a career too! Students dressed up like lawyers, teachers, movie stars, singers, cheerleaders, football players, nurses, doctors, and much more. Some students who dressed in their normal uniform attire told me that they were dressing up as students! :) Teachers were dressed as a variety of careers as well. They dressed up as flight attendants, baseball players, coaches, nurses, doctors, and more. Some teachers wore their graduation caps and gowns from their undergraduate or graduate ceremonies! I dressed up as a veterinarian! To make my "costume" I bought a white lab coat and wore it with dress pants and a button down shirt. I wore a stethoscope that I borrowed from my brother around my neck.  I printed out a name tag for myself that said "Dr. Schultz, Veterinarian"...