School Counselor Blog

Get your creativity flowing with my latest post for the Free Spirit Publishing Blog,  Pinterest-Inspired Winter Art and Activities for Back-to-School .   I share simple winter-themed crafts and activities you can use in lessons and groups. What winter-themed art or activities are you planning? I started writing for  Free Spirit Publishing's Blog  in April of 2012. Check out the  Counselor's Corner  for more Free Spirit Publishing Blog Posts by me! I love  Free Spirit's books  and I am so excited to contribute to  Free Spirit's Blog ,  "a springboard of ideas for teachers, counselors, and anyone who cares about kids!" Comment below,  tweet ,  contact Danielle , or share on the  School Counselor Blog Facebook Page ! Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor,  Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC),  and blogger at  School Counselor Blog , a place where school counselors share inno...

This is my second post in the Who's on Your Boat?  Series .  School counseling is a lot like navigating a boat. Bringing school staff and other key people "on board" can lead to smooth sailing for you and your school counseling program. In each post of the  Who's on Your Boat?  series I will focus on one person or group of people to get "on board" and how they can be beneficial to your role as a school counselor and your school counseling program. Art Teacher My second position after graduating from my school counselor masters program was as a long-term substitute K-8 school counselor at a charter school. I had the pleasure of working with the most amazing art teacher I have ever met, Alison Babusci. I am so fortunate that I was able to work with someone as talented as Alison! The artwork that she makes with her students is seriously out of this world. You can see her amazing work at her blog: Propel Studio 101 . One of the many things that ...

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 so excited to host the  School Counselor Blog Back to School Contest , which is 10 days of daily giveaways starting September 1st and ending on September 10th! Today is day seven of the  School Counselor Blog Back to School Contest . Today's giveaway for the  School Counselor Blog Back to School Contest  is  The Secret Olivia Told Me   by N. Joy and illustrated by Nancy Devard. The Secret Olivia Told Me   is one of my favorite books of all times. It has special place in my office and in my heart.  I learned about this book  from an AMAZING artist and teacher, Alison Babusci , during one of my long-term substitute school counselor positions. The Secret Olivia Told Me   is about a secret between friends that turns into a rumor.  The Secret Olivia Told Me   is the whole package. The children in the book are multicultural, the pictures are engaging, it has a strong message, and it rhymes!   I absolute...

I love all of the different bucket-filling books that exist. I recently used bucket-filling books in the self-esteem group I co-facilitate with my intern. This activity teaches students how to give quality compliments and creates a bucket-filling extravaganza!  Bucket-filling books and supplies Bucket-Filling Books For this activity, I read  Have You Filled a Bucket Today?  by Carol McCloud to students and briefly showed them other examples of how buckets could be filled or emptied from  How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids  by Tom Rath and Growing Up with a Bucket Full of Happiness: Three Rules for a Happier Life  by Carol McCloud. All of the bucket-filling books are great at explaining bucket-filling and how buckets can be filled or emptied. (Side note:  How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids  by Tom Rath and  Growing Up with a Bucket Full of Happiness: Three Rules for a Happier Life  by Carol McCloud were received through a...

I am currently running a group for children with a loved one in jail. One of the activities I have facilitated with my group is the kiwi lesson.  The kiwi lesson can be used to address many different topics including stigma, shame, diversity, tolerance, body image, and more.  This lesson is fun and engaging. It worked especially well in the context of this group. The idea for the kiwi lesson comes from  The Freedom Writers Diary Teacher's Guide  by Erin Gruwell.  In the book there is a lesson called the "Peanut Game." I decided to use a kiwi instead of peanuts because of how colorful kiwis are on the inside and to avoid any allergies.  At the beginning of the activity I pass out a kiwi to each child. I instruct students to explore the outside of the kiwi and to make a list of as many adjectives as they can that describe the kiwi.  I recommend having students pair up to do this part with one student recording the words at a time.  After ...