The Extraordinary School Counselor: Self-Injury & Self-Harm

If you have not found The Extraordinary School Counselor yet, this is a GREAT time to check out this amazing blog!  

The most  recent blog post is an excellent resource with information about self-injury and self-harm.  Check out the blog:  The Extraordinary School Counselor

Liebster Award

The Middle School Counselor is one of my favorite blogs.  If you do not know Carol Miller, she has an AMAZING internet presence.  She blogs, tweets, creates SMores, pins, and started my favorite Facebook group, Caught in the Middle School Counselors.  She does more than that...AND she is a fantastic school counselor with fabulous ideas!  I have learned so much from her this year!!!  Today, she notified me that she nominated me for the Liebster Award.

What an incredible honor!  Thank you so much Carol Miller!

So, what is the Liebster award?  It is an award that honors new bloggers who have 200 or less followers.  The award promotes the nominee's blog while informing blog readers about the blogger.

Here are the rules associated with the award:

1.  Link back to the blog that nominated you.
2.  Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
3.  Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator.
4.  Create 11 questions for your nominees.
5.  Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them.

Thank you again Carol Miller!  I truly do feel honored!

Following directions, I will now answer the 11 questions:

1.  What are your favorite blogs?  This is a tough one!  My favorites are:

• The Middle School Counselor
• JYJ Counselor Blog
• School Counselor Space
• The Helpful Counselor

2.  Why did you decide to begin blogging?  I started blogging because I wanted to journal my first year as a school counselor.  I know too well how time can pass by and my memory does not always serve me as well as a journal would.  :)  I was especially inspired by others who have such amazing blogs.  I wanted to be able to educate others like they did me.

3.  Who do you follow on Pinterest?  I follow some of my friends to get ideas for dinner and such, but most of my Pinterest time is spent on school counseling ideas.  I follow The Helpful Counselor, Franciene Sabens, School Counselor Central, Becca Lenger, Lena Sheets (Becca and Lena are good friends and grad school classmates), Julia V. Taylor, Danielle Schulz, and Carol Miller.

4.  Do you have a favorite counseling lesson?  I think my favorite lesson is one on anger management.  I have the students think about their anger when it is out of control.  Then, I give them a balloon and we equate uncontrolled anger to a balloon out of control.  I have the students blow up the balloon and hold it (don't tie it shut).  Then, I have them predict where they think the balloon will go.  Next, they release the balloon and try to recreate the movement of the balloon.  Finally, they discuss with a partner what happened when the balloon was realeased and how that is similar to anger that is out of control.  It really helps them visualize how unpredictable their anger can be and how it affects others.

5.  How do you connect with other counselors?  I am blessed to work in a counseling office with two other counselors:  a school counselor and an outreach counselor.  As a new counselor, I consult with them daily.  I work in a rather large school district.  The middle school counselors get together every other month for a breakfast meeting.  It is a great way for us to stay informed.  I also use facebook, twitter, and blogging sites to stay connected with counselors all around the globe.  :)

6.    What technology/apps would make your job more      
difficult if you had to do without?  Our school information system allows us to look up various information on our students.  I don't know what I would do without it!  

7.    What is your favorite thing about being a counselor?  I get to connect with so many different people!  I support students, parents, and other staff members on a daily basis! There is never a dull moment.  :)  After teaching for 19 years, I find it refreshing that I can leave my office at the end of the day and enjoy my family!!  :)

8.    What are 3 things about you most of us don't know?  1--My parents had 3 foreign exchange students from Spain (just for summers), 2--When I was 8 my parents were foster parents to two other children:  Dawn & Danny, 3--I once won a costume contest for dressing up as Carrie from the movie with the same title.

9.    What is your favorite ice cream flavor?  Butter pecan

10.  What do you do in your free time?  Watch my son's lacrosse games!  :)

11.  What is your best piece of advice for a student?  Concentrate on the things you can change.

Now...here are the questions I have for the nominees:

1.  How long have you been in your profession?
2.  What sparked your interest in your current career?
3.  Who was your favorite teacher and why was he/she your favorite?
4.  What inspires you?
5.  What is your favorite social media and what makes it your favorite?
6.  What was the last conference you attended?
7.  If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
8.  How do you practice self care?
9.  Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
10. What is your favorite book?
11. Describe yourself in one word.

In turn, my nominations for the Liebster award are:

• The School Counselor's Chronicle
• School Counselor Companion
• Stuck in the Middle & Loving It!
• Scrapbook of a School Counselor
• Schoolcounselor.com Must See Videos

Congratulations Bloggers!  I look forward to reading your responses!  :)

Transition Activities

I just participated in my 2nd twitter chat, sponsored by #scchat.  The topic was transitions and how school counselors help students and parents with those important transitions.

This is our week for transition activities.  Last night, our incoming 6th graders and theire families were invited to "Get Aquainted Night" at Lange Middle School.  We had a good crowd!  The night started out with an introduction by our principal, who then introduced the staff.  From there, our 8th grade Leadership Class took over.  About 15 students stood on the stage, in front of maybe 150 students and families and introduced each of the 6th grade teachers by telling what each one teaches, what his/her room # is, his/her class expectations and then...for a little humor how each teacher responded to the question, "What does a fox say?"

What Does the Fox Say?

Once this presentation was finished, students were given a scavenger hunt and a time limit.  We asked that all return to the cafeteria by a certain time.  In the cafeteria (for fun) we had the video "What does a fox say" running.  At the given time, students and families returned to the cafeteria for door prizes and a big thank you for coming.  It was a GREAT night!  :)

As a counselor new to this building, I enjoyed meeting the families back in the cafeteria and just getting to know them a little.  Since we divide our counseling load by alphabet, I was able to introduce myself as the school counselor for last names A-K.  I LOVED how excited the students were who could say, "That's me!  You are my counselor."  :)  Sometimes it is just that simple introduction that eases their fears and offers them someone to turn to.  Oh!  How I LOVE my job!  :)

If I could attach the scavenger hunt to this blog, I would.  I can tell you that I attached it as a file on the "Caught In the Middle School Counselors" Facebook Group.  Feel free to use it!  :)

Middle School has transitions happening at both ends!  How does your school handle transition? 

Dealing with grief

Today I was shocked to find out that a boy whose mom is dying of cancer (mom is not expected to make it to 2015) has told some of his teachers that mom already passed away. I am a new counselor. Was wondering if any of you have seen this before? I think he is just trying to cope with losing mom and is testing out the waters. Other ideas?

How about resources to help both him and his family through this tough time?  His step mom was looking for a book that would be helpful.

Let me know your ideas!  

Cyberbullying Stats

Tonight I found a very informative article on cyberbullying.  Check it out:  Cyberbullying

It's Not About The Nail

I LOVE this video and find it very pertinent to counseling.  Sometimes the people we work with are not ready to work on their problems...they need time to think, talk it out, and process.  :)

Daily Lessons...Integrity

This beautiful piece of carrot cake was part of a recent facebook post written by a friend of mine.  She had gone to a country ma and pa restaurant and ordered this delicious cake for dessert.  The owner told her that it was his mamma's recipe.

Well, based on the replies by other fb friends (one who worked at said restaurant for several years), this cake came on a frozen delivery truck.

Wow.

As amazing as that cake looks, having a waiter share a false personal story, makes me want to send the cake back to the truck from which it came!  :)

Seriously, WHY tell such a personal, moving story like that IF IT IS NOT TRUE?!!!

It is interesting how quickly integrity (or lack thereof) can cause one to make a judgement.

This is an especially important lesson for our middle school students.  They are in a developmental BOOM where often their bodies are mature before their brains are.  They are learning to take on more and more responsibility as we hold them more accountable as they get older.

I notice that this age group is quick to deny responsibility for wrong choices or mistakes.  "What?  Why are you looking at me?  I didn't do anything!" are common responses I hear.  Yes...this is part of growing up, but at a time when they LOOK older than they are, integrity holds even more weight.  Adults often judge students by how they SHOULD act, not how they DO act.  Like the carrot cake example above, once a judgement is made, it is very hard to reverse the damage.

So, how do we, as school counselors, educate our students on the importance of integrity?

Here is where I am so thankful for the our k-12 comprehensive guidance and counseling program!  I am grateful for the school counselors, parents, teachers, and other staff members who have been teaching integrity all along.  Students should already have a firm foundation, right?

So, how do you incorporate the lesson of integrity in the middle school?  Advisory lessons?  Teachable moments?  Classroom lessons?  Small groups?  All of the above?

Here is where I see the value in a SYSTEM.  When I walk by a classroom and hear a teacher using current events to reinforce integrity or I listen to my daughter tell how astounded she was that a girl just copied a paragraph directly out of a book and turned it in as her own work, I have faith in our system.

At my school, we have two school counselors, but we are definitely not enough to conquer all these important lessons alone!  We rely on teachers, administrators, custodians, cooks, and even students to help us reinforce the lessons that hopefully started at home.  And...if they didn't start at home...we have system support to teach them along the way.

Thoughts?  I would LOVE to hear from you!!!  :)  Leave a comment or write on my Facebook Page:  MS Counseling (https://www.facebook.com/counselorcarey).  I cannot wait to hear from you!!!!  :)