School Counselor Blog

Last year, I made a Be the "I" in Kind banner in Canva thanks to the amazing inspiration of Melissa Gillespie a School Counselor in California. You can follow her on Instagram here: @schoolcounselormelissa . Melissa shared how she created a Be the "I" in Kind banner for her school in Canva.  You can access her template by clicking the image above or by clicking here: Melissa's Be the "I" in Kind Banner Template . I loved Melissa's idea so much that I decided to make my own banner in our school colors. It turned out so amazing.  This is the banner hanging in the hallway of our middle school. It makes a great photo opportunity for Kindness Week! This is what the design looks like in Canva. And because sharing is caring and we aren't gatekeeping amazing school counseling ideas, you can make your own banner by using my version  Be The "I" In Kind Banner Template link  or Melissa's version! You can also click on the images above to acc...

As a school counselor, I often need to collect rating scales or forms from students. Usually, I write teachers a quick note on a post-it asking them to complete and return the form. Today, to work smarter, not harder, I created a reusable note template in Canva that I can use whenever I need to send these requests. I saved it as a PDF and printed it 4 to a sheet on astrobrights  paper.  This editable school counselor note template feels way more efficient and organized than writing on a post-it. It took me less than 5 minutes to make it and it will definitely save me time writing out post-it notes in the future. The best part, is I am sharing this with you! Access an editable version of my "Editable School Counselor Note" here or by clicking the image below. To make this 4 to a page: Duplicate the page so there are 4 copies of your design Save the design as a PDF Change the layout to print 4 to a page Connect with Danielle! If you have questions, connect with me on on  I...

Last year I presented a National School Counseling Week Idea Sharing Session for my local school counselor association. I explained why we celebrate National School Counseling Week and provided some practical tips and ideas of how to:  🎉 celebrate  🎓 educate &  📣 advocate!  I am sharing this presentation with you to spread some ideas and inspiration from other school counselors including:  ✨ Tara Kirschman from Montana - @mtschoolcounselor  ✨ Dr. Danielle Duarte and her team from Hatching Results - @hatchingresults   ✨ Hannah Kembel from Kansas - @counselorkemble   ✨ Mal Jacobs from Kansas - @maljacobs  ✨ Sarah Nanman from Illinois - @miss_sarah_counselorlife   You can view my NSCW presentation here: http://bit.ly/drsnscwshare , or below. The images with yellow arrows are clickable links. 😉 I hope this presentation gives you some inspiration for #NSCW26! NSCW Idea Sharing  by Danielle Schultz, PhD Within the presentatio...

I am heading to the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association Conference next week. I will be presenting about one of my favorite initiatives at school - 12 Days of Self-Care - during my session "Promote Self-Care to Your School Community. Below I will share about the 12 Days of Self-Care and how you can host it at your school! I provide everything you need below! 12 Days of Self-Care & Self-Care Selfies The days leading up to winter break can be stressful! To help students and staff cope with the stress of the season, the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) team at my school hosts a daily self-care challenge for the 12 days leading up to winter break. Each day, students and staff can take a selfie featuring them doing the daily self-care prompt. Students and staff who submit a self-care selfie, will be entered in the weekly prize drawing.  Find some examples of prizes here:  12 Days of Self-Care Prizes .   This year the challenge starts on Monday, Dec...

I have been hosting Children's Grief Awareness Day at school ever since I was an intern and I am shocked to find that I have not written about it on this blog since 2009! Below I will share what I am doing this year for Children's Grief Awareness and share some pictures of what I have done in the past. I also share lots of resources you can access for free to plan Children's Grief Awareness events at your school! This year we will host events and activities leading up to Children's Grief Awareness Day, Thursday, November 20th. The purpose of Children's Grief Awareness Day is to show support to students and members of our school community who may be experiencing grief and loss.  The holiday season can be a particularly difficult time for students, families, and staff who are grieving. Student members of our #bethekindkid group will assist with creating displays and facilitating the events this week.  View this video from The Highmark Caring Place to learn more about...

I’m so excited to present “Promote Self-Care to Your School Community” at the 2025 Pennsylvania School Counselors Association Conference!  🗓 December 4, 2025 | 3:50 PM 📍 The Penn Stater Hotel & Convention Center, State College, PA ➡️ Register now: https://ncyionline.org/conferences/pascac/    💬 Session Description: Self-care goes beyond bubble baths and spa days. It involves proactive, intentional practices that support physical, emotional, and mental well-being. For students, promoting self-care helps students manage stress, build healthy habits, and develop positive relationships. For educators, it can reduce burnout, boost productivity, and support a positive school culture. Discover creative ways to promote self-care through standalone programs and integrate self-care into existing programs. I can’t wait to connect with school counselors, counselor educators, and graduate students at #PSCA25! 💙✨  Want me to bring this session to your school or organizati...