In this blog post, we’ll delve into a self-esteem activity that focuses on identifying individual strengths. By engaging in this activity, teenagers can discover and celebrate their unique qualities, talents, and accomplishments. This process not only boosts confidence but also encourages a mindset shift towards recognizing and appreciating personal strengths.
Today, we’re diving deep into the world of Red Ribbon Week. This annual event, celebrated in schools and communities across the United States, is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. We’ll explore Red Ribbon Week themes, share valuable resources, and even provide a free lesson plan for your use. Let’s embark on this exciting journey of promoting a drug-free and healthy lifestyle!
As the new school year dawns, middle school counselors find themselves embarking on a thrilling adventure—one filled with the promise of growth, learning, and transformation for their students. To ensure a smooth and successful journey, it’s essential to have a well-organized beginning-of-the-year checklist. Here’s a guide to help middle school counselors kick off the school year on the right foot:
Blue Shirt Day is an annual event that takes place on the first Monday of October to raise awareness about bullying prevention. It is a day for students, schools, and communities to come together and show their support for a bully-free world.
Navigating the challenges of growing up can be a daunting task for students. From school-related stress to personal issues, there are numerous problems that may seem insurmountable to young minds. That’s where school counselors step in, offering guidance, support, and assistance to help students overcome these hurdles. However, not all problems require the same level of intervention. To streamline this process, many counselors are turning to the “How Big Is My Problem?” chart, a valuable tool that helps students assess their issues and determine if counseling assistance is necessary. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of this chart, both for students and for the counselors who play a pivotal role in their lives.
Every year we do our “annual middle school bullying lesson” with our students during the first month of school. We want to educate them on the definition of bullying, how to deal with a bully, and the consequences of bullying. It’s important to educate students on these concepts every year; the more you hear/learn about something then the more likely you are to remember it.
When most people think back on their middle school years, they tend to remember it being full of drama. Middle school is full of drama because friendships/relationships really start to change and grow throughout that time period. Key interpersonal skills and conflict resolution skills are developed in middle school. The Circle of Friends Activity is the perfect activity for talking to students about middle school friendships/relationships.
Calming corners can be used in your house, in the classroom, and in your counseling office. I view calming corners as a way to help students regulate their emotions and focus on positive coping skills. Calming corners encourage students to cope with their negative emotions and “self-soothe”. Learning these positive coping skills at a young age is something that will help them throughout the rest of their lives!
School has just started, which means you’re probably focusing on getting to know all of your wonderful students! It is important to have at least 2-3 counseling get to know you activities in your counseling toolbox. You can easily use the same activity over and over again, but I encourage you to try something new. Remember to avoid that counselor burn out you’ve got to try new counseling activities!
The first time I heard about Minute Meetings my immediate reaction was “OMG that sounds impossible, this lady is crazy!” About 30 seconds later I thought “But it is pretty awesome.” And then every so often the thought would come back and I’d wonder if I could figure out how to do minute meetings at my school. Minute Meetings floated around in my head for about 2 months before I decided to just dive in!! Y’all know sometimes the best ideas are the crazy ones!