Bringing FUN back into the classroom

So why not make the process FUN? 

Inspired by a conference breakout session on pairing learning with fun, our program has begun a shift towards adding more elements of fun into individual assignments, group projects, and in-class activities. 

Presentations on Behavior Management were the first assignment to undergo this transition. Designed by groups of students in the program, these PowerPoint presentations were initially set to be shared with the class in a traditional presentation-style manner. Instead, the groups were asked to recite the information they had compiled to the tune of a classic nursery rhyme and then perform their creation to the class. Prepare to experience both learning and joy simultaneously as you hear about the elements of Behavior Management to one of your favorite childhood songs. 

Behavior Management in the Elementary School Setting

(To the tune of John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt) 

Learning behavior management

You can do it too

Whenever kids blow out

The teachers always shout

“Counselors come and help me out!”

Da da da da……

Learning behavior management

Here are some skills for you

Use calm down strategies

And consistency

We’ll help get you in your upstairs brai

Da da da da……

Learning behavior management

Clear expectations help

Use positive reinforcement

And give your brain a break

That’s all we have for you!

Da da da da…..

Behavior Management in the Middle School Setting

(To the tune of Old McDonald had a Farm) 

(Chorus)

At our school we have some students 

Every single day 

And these students need our help 

Every single day 

With an absence here 

And a tardy there 

Fail a test 

Start a fight 

Something is not going right 

(Chorus) 

With a write up here 

And some attention there 

Here a glow 

There a grow 

Reinforcement shows we care 

(Chorus) 

With a call out here 

And a call back there 

Hear a rule 

Use a tool 

Knowing rules, at our school 

(Chorus)

With a pride card here 

And a kind word there 

 Here a deed 

There a praise 

Three of these for every glare 

Chorus (final time) 

Behavior Management in the High School Setting

(To the tune of The Itsy Bitsy Spider) 

Behavior management

Is important in our schools

Focus on solutions

Cause we are really cool

We find the roots of problems

And focus on kids strengths

Because praise and encouragement 

can go to any length

The cranky-wanky student

Came into school today

Yelled at the teacher

And then got sent away

Talked to the counselor

And cleared up his brain

Then the not-so cranky student

Went back to class again

Students get distracted

And interrupt the class

Well-timed interventions

Will help them stay on task

Allow them to get up

And praise the proper way

This way students can now focus

And they can learn all day

These are examples of

support that we provide

Counselors, teachers, students

Are all on the same side

We advocate, collaborate, 

and stay consistent, too

So that students are successful

And school is not a zoo

Guidance Lesson Plan: Elementary Education Grades 3,4,5

Decreasing Anxiety and Stress

The following guidance lesson will instruct students in elementary school (grades 3-5) on how to manage stress and develop positive strategies to eradicate their anxiety. Students will be equipped with mechanisms and holistic (mind and body) outlets to handle stress and anxiety. Students will perform skits and role-playing to demonstrate their understanding of lesson plans. Counselors or teachers will be equipped with typical scenarios that students may deal with on a daily basis and reenact them with their class. Some examples of learning techniques will include:
 Affirmation (positive reinforcements)
 Visualization (imagining a peaceful place – happy place)
 Controlled breathing (om)
 Muscle relaxation (verbal direction)
 Calming Glitter (Pinterest activity)

After implementing our guidance lesson we hope students will have a toolbox of strategies they may execute when anxiety or stress arise. These strategies are not confined to any particular stress or anxiety but are practical to any variety of situations.

In order to achieve these goals as counselors we need to provide a suitable environment for students. For example when performing the holistic practices a preferred environment would be open and spacious for students. If practicing in a classroom, creating an open space for students is preferable. The calming glitter activity would be well accepted in a “quiet corner” in order for students to refocus their energy and center themselves.

Counselors can only teach so much, for students to really understand we would have them act out scenarios and role-play the different strategies. This is an opportunity also for students to see each type of technique being performed so they may in the future choose a technique that is suitable for them.

Objectives: 
 Students will understand that stress is universal and comes in a variety of different scenarios 
 Students will be equipped with an array of techniques to manage stressful situations
 Students will have a go-to strategy to use when feelings of stress occur  

Lesson Plan: Decrease Stress

To begin our lesson we will gather children around and discuss what stress and anxiety are. How they are relatable them?

Step 1: Teacher

Comes in disheveled out of place (different shoe on each foot) demonstrate to children stress and anxiety. A visual and physical look to it then discuss the feelings that come with it. A group discussion about what could cause these feelings. For students and teacher. Engage students in describing what anxiety and stress feel like? Ex: yell, throw, cry, anger, sadness, stomach pain, scared

Step 2: Glitter Calmer

Students will be introduced to the glitter bottle first. This technique will be a visually engaging way to keep the momentum going. Students will create their own version of a glitter bottle that will be theirs solely. Counselors will explain the rules of the bottle. Each bottle is a clear soda pop bottle filled with water and glitter. Student who is under pressure or is anxious will shake the bottle. This action is very important as it release physical tension. (Keep bottle sealed very tightly) After shaking bottle student will set it down and calmly watch the glitter fall. The goal of this activity is to have the student focus on the glitter falling while their nerves/emotions settle. It is important that the student retain focus so that they may feel a calming sensation.


Step 3: Stress Management Techniques

Students will learn stress management techniques that they can practically apply to every day situations. Counselors will explain and model each technique and allow students to try them for themselves.

These techniques include:

• Positive Reinforcements: Students will think of a mantra to calm them, such as “I am calm. I am relaxed. I am happy.” They will then write their mantra on a provided note card. They can look at the mantra on their note card or think of it when they become stressed.
• Visualizations: Students will think of a calming place to mentally escape to when they feel stress coming on. This could be anything from walking on a beach to riding on a cloud.
• Controlled Breathing: Students will learn to calm themselves through paying attention to the rate of their breathing.  Students will breathe in as the counselor counts to 4 and breath out on a count of 4.
• Muscle Relaxation: Students will calm themselves through paying attention to muscle tension. Counselors will start by telling students to relax their feet, and then progress to knees, back, shoulders and neck.

Step 4: What did we teach you?

Today we taught you strategies in decreasing stress and anxiety using holistic techniques and glitter calmer.

Step 5: Assess & Measure

After we have gone over in detail the previous steps students can go through in preventing stress and anxiety we will ask the students to act in skits. These skits will be pre thought out as typical stressful situations students may encounter in school or at home. Some examples of skits include: arguments with friends, pre-test anxiety and angry with siblings. We will ask students to act out and portray the techniques they were taught to show deep understanding, first as a class, then in partners. As a class, two volunteers will be asked to act out a skit and afterwards, the counselors will ask the class which technique they would use to calm themselves. In pairs, students will be given scenarios and will act them out. Counselors will walk around and monitor students to ensure they are on-task. Working in pairs will help shyer students to engage with the material.

Step 6: Closing and Follow-up

Students who come to the counseling office feeling stressed will be asked whether they used their chosen technique yet. If they have not, they will then be encouraged to use their technique to distress. If they have, counselors will work with the student to find a new technique that fits them better.

Teachers will have a go-to place for students to deescalate and use their glitter calmers.

Resources: 

http://www.stressfreekids.com/resources-2/children-stress-anxiety/techniques-for-reducing-stress-in-kids 

http://www.giftofcuriosity.com/glittery-calm-down-bottles/#_a5y_p=2566913  

http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/beaches/images/Malibu_Sunset_1.jpg

http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-i-am-awesome.png

http://beherenowyoga108.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kids-yoga-be-here-now-yoga.png

School Counselor of the Year Award

It is always an exciting event when a member of the Gonzaga University School Counseling Program family recieves recognition for their work, whether on a departmental, regional, or national level. Every year the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) honors one school counselor from around the country with the title of "School Counselor of the Year" who ASCA descrbes as being:

"(t)he best of the best- school counselors who are running a top-notch comprehensive school counseling program at either the elementary, middle, or high school level."

Nominees and finalists are judged by a panel on the follwing criteria: creative school counseling innovations, effective counseling programs, leadership skills, and contributions to student enhancement. The winner is selected from up to 10 finalists who travel to Washington, D.C. and participate in celebratory events during National School Counseling Week in February.

On behalf of the Counselor Education Department at Gonzaga University we would like to congratulate our alumnus Cory Notestine on being selected as one of the  2015 ASCA School Counselor of the Year Finalists!

Guidance Lesson: Resilience (9th & 10th grade)

The transition from middle to high school can be overwhelming for many students. Adolescents are entering a particularly stressful time in their social and academic life. This guidance lesson is directed at the social/emotional aspect of student development. Our goal for this lesson is for students to become aware of their own resilience in hopes that they will see themselves as worthy and unique individuals and increase their self-efficacy. Building self-awareness and developing a positive view of self is a crucial aspect of this goal.

The theme of the lesson is that rain (adversity) falls on everyone but we each have umbrellas (resilience traits) that help us stay dry. The PowerPoint has been created to go with this theme: the background looks as if it is raining on it.

By helping students see that they are resilient and that they are viewed by others as resilient, school counselors are helping students develop the following competencies.

PS:A1.1  develop positive attitudes toward self as a unique and worthy person

PS:A1.10 identify personal strengths and assets

PS:A2.3  recognize, accept, respect and appreciate individual differences

PS:B1.4  develop effective coping skills for dealing with problems

PS:C1.10  learn techniques for managing stress and conflict

PS:C1.11 learn coping skills for managing life events

Materials:

·         Construction paper

·         Markers/color crayons/color pencils

·         PowerPoint

“Into every life, some rain must fall.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1842

Presentation:

Resilience is an abstract idea and can be difficult for adolescents to grasp; connecting the definition with a concrete idea – the rain and umbrella analogy – is used to help illustrate resilience. In the PowerPoint, the definition of resilience is presented. Examples of resilience traits are divided into categories; social, emotional, academic, and physical. Having a visual while you explain the analogy goes a long way in helping cement the idea.

When starting the presentation, ask students if anyone knows what resilience is or if they have heard the term before. They might not know, but it is a good way to gauge where the students are. Once the definition is given and you feel that students understand, ask students who believe they are resilient to raise their hands – this question is important for assessing whether or not student have gained personal awareness

Once you begin going through the examples of resilience traits, keep students engaged by asking them for specific examples. Not only will it keep them engaged, but asking them to come up with their own examples will get their minds working for the activity.

Activity:

1.    Students will draw themselves under a large umbrella.  The umbrella should be big enough to write in. They should write their names on the corner of their paper.

2.    Give students a few moments to write down resilience traits (in the umbrella) they have identified within themselves.

3.    When you feel students have had enough time, have them all stand in front of their desks with a writing utensil in their hands. (They leave their drawings on their desks)

4.    Next, students are going to go around the room and write down a resilience trait on each of their classmates’ drawings. (This should have a speed-dating feel to it, with everyone rotating in the same direction at the same time.)

5.    When they return to their original seats, give students a moment to read and reflect on the resiliency others have identified in them as well the traits they identified in others during the activity.

Discussion:

·         What traits did you see? Were there some common ones, did any stand out?

o   Discuss similarities, maybe talk about how some students can be born with a trait versus another student having to learn to develop the trait.

·         What did you notice when looking at the traits you wrote for yourself versus what others wrote for you?

o   Talk about differences, emphasizing that resilience doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.

·         How many of you would say that you are resilient?

o   Here you can comment about the increase in number of hands, and how their awareness has increased

Conclusion:

Remind students that every person is resilient. Resilience can be learned and/or enhanced.