Looking for meaningful and fun Fall counseling activities? Your students will love these fall themed activities in classroom guidance or small groups!
Quick, fun, no-prep SEL lesson activities that are perfect for before and after breaks or any time you need an extra fun guidance lesson
Looking for an introductory First Grade Self Control Activity? Your students will love this fun story and craft for practice!
Could your students use help with perseverance? These perseverance activities will help your students learn 9 strategies they can use when they feel like giving up. This resource works great for individual, small group, or classroom school counseling lessons! This resource is part of an executive functioning bundle. Click here to save 20%! ****************************************************************************************************************** What's Included: "Perseverance Strategies" Poster "Perseverance Strategies" Cards "Perseverance Strategies" Puzzle 4 Perseverance Worksheets "Perseverance Strategies" Spinner Perseverance Strategies Task Card Activity "Perseverance Points" Cards 4 "Perseverance Points" Data Sheets All materials come in color and black and white! For more information, please see the preview! ****************************************************************************************************************** Ideas For Use: Perseverance lessons or small groups Growth mindset lessons or small groups With students who give up easily With students who could benefit from learning and applying perseverance strategies Classroom, small group or individual lessons ****************************************************************************************************************** What People Are Saying About This Resource: Tracy said "I have this hanging in the front of my room and refer to it often. Perfect!" Tania said "Great resource with clear ideas to use in class. Thanks" ****************************************************************************************************************** If you are satisfied with this resource, please leave feedback. If there is something I can improve upon, please e-mail me at [email protected] and I will do my best to accommodate you. Please remember to leave feedback and check out my other products you are sure to love: Executive Functioning Lessons Growth Mindset Game - Winter Themed For updates on new products: Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers! Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Instagram! To read the terms of use and copyright information for this resource, please click here.
two fun games to use in classroom guidance lessons or small group counseling to teach and practice self control strategies -Counselor Keri
4 meet the counselor activities and lessons that are sure to make you and your counseling program known to students and staff
Kindness demonstration to give students a visual representation of how kind acts create a ripple effect in the school community!
Looking for Kindergarten career activities for your elementary school counseling lessons? You'll love these hands-on center activities!
Help your students refocus on their goals and identify the strengths they have that will help them persevere and finish the school year strong with this fun perseverance activity!
One of my biggest strengths (and weaknesses) is that I’m outspoken. There’s not much in the realm of school counseling that I don’t have a strong opinion about. That means there’s some things that are commonplace among other counselors that I don’t do – because they just aren’t in the best interest of my students. […]
I had 30 minutes with each class to do an intro lesson to school counseling. Here's what I did with each level: K-1: Object Lesson Materials Needed: Rainbow Fish book Finding Nemo ("just keep swimming") Dumbo (great listener) puzzle pieces (help put the pieces together) heart (care about all of the students) Frozen characters ("Let it go!") Star (reach for the stars and achieve goals) angry birds (anger management) happy face (help you be happy to be at school) tissue (dry up tears when you're sad) Bandaid (help when you're hurting) Funny glasses (think about things from a different perspective) eraser (cant change your past mistakes, but I can help you make better decisions next time) lock (I keep your secret, unless the secret will hurt you or someone else) Intro: After going over rules and expectations, I told students I was going to read them one of my favorite books of all time, Rainbow Fish. I asked that when I was reading, think about who in the story helps rainbow fish learn how to be happy (The Wise Octopus). After reading the story, I explained that I am like the Octopus at this school because I help kids when they have problems. Activity: I explained ways in which I can help students by letting each student pull one object from my bag. As a student pulled an object from the bag, I let them explain to the class what the object is, and take a guess about what it could represent about my job as the school counselor. (Originally I was just going to explain to the students what each object meant, but I LOVED to hear their ideas!) After each object was pulled from the bag, I placed the item on the board for the class to see. Conclusion: Once all of the objects were discussed, I gave the students a coloring worksheet that had a summary of the symbols that we talked about around an octopus. We talked about how to get help if they need to talk to me. Before I left, I gave each student a "shiny scale" (a.k.a. metallic star sticker) for them to remember Rainbow Fish. 2-3 Grade: Object Lesson In second and third grade, I adapted the same lesson as K-1 to be slightly more advanced. We did not read Rainbow Fish, but instead spent longer discussing what each of the symbols meant. I let more students guess what the symbols could mean, and for the most part, everything that they said was even more profound than what I had planned to say! As the conclusion to the lesson, I gave the students a matching worksheet where they line up the symbol to what it means. This was a great assessment and review to make sure the students had learned the information that I gave them! Before I left, I gave each student a heart sticky note that said "Your School Counselor cares about you!" and a shiny star sticker to remind them to "reach for the stars". 4-6: Rocks and String Activity Materials: Small and large rocks student volunteer 3-4 foot string for each student Rocks: At the beginning of the class, I asked for one volunteer to be my helper. I had the class brainstorm things that would be considered "small problems" (small rocks) and things that would be considered "big problems" (big rocks). I explained that with many of the small problems, I can teach them ways to handle their own problems responsibly. If it was a BIG problem, I could help them figure out what to do. When discussing the "big problems", I made sure to mention confidentiality, and that I can not keep their secret if it means that someone might get hurt. For each of the problems, big or small, I would place a stone into the hands of the volunteer student. Once the volunteer's hands are completely full, I told the volunteer that I needed him to take a quick test for me, and immediately handed him a test and a pencil. Of course, he could not take the test because he was holding on to so many problems! I explained that although I can't make most of their problems disappear, I can help them with their problems so that they can do their best at school. From here, I explained how to get in touch with me if they need to talk, and where to find me. I told them about small groups, classroom lessons, and other fun programs that I would be having this school year. String: I gave each person a piece of string. I told them that the object was to tie a knot in the middle of the string. The rules are that once they pick up the string, their fingers become "superglued" to the ends of the string- they can't switch fingers. There can NOT already be a knot in the string when picking it up, they can NOT cut the string, and the knot can NOT be on the outside of the string (tying the ends together). I then quickly added that "it's okay to ask for help, BUT it is possible to do. It CAN be done." I let the students struggle with it for a while, repeated the instructions several times, and waited for the first person to ask me for help. Once they asked for help, I motioned for them to follow me to a hidden area of the class, and explained the trick to them. (Cross your arms into a "knot" so that one hand pops up through the hole in your arms. Grab each end of the string while arms are crossed. Uncross arms, and you should have a knot.) Make sure you try this first before doing it with kids so you know how!! I explained to three of the students, before others started to catch on. From this point, I let those I had helped teach others in the class how to do it. 7-12: Advanced Rocks and String Activity Materials: index cards Small, medium, large rocks student volunteer (class nominated to be the strongest) 3-4 foot string for each student Introduction: I handed out index cards to each student, and had them write down their name, grade, what they think I do as their school counselor, and any questions that they might have about me or about school counseling. Rocks: I asked the class to nominate one person in the class who is the strongest, and that person came to the front to help me with the next activity. I asked what it means to be "strong" (Physically, emotionally, academically, and spiritually, etc) I explained that even the strongest people need help sometimes, as I dumped a pile of rocks on a desk in front of the class and smiled at my volunteer. The rocks represent the problems that teens deal with on a normal basis. Some are just small problems or annoyances; others are big problems that consume much of your daily thoughts. I asked everyone to brainstorm what types of problems teens might have to deal with. As they named things, I had each one come to the front, choose a rock to represent the problem, and hand it to the volunteer. I also added a few to keep it going and give them more ideas. Once the volunteer’s hands were at capacity, I gave him a SUPER easy test and a pencil. (I printed off a one digit addition test.), and said he had 10 seconds to finish. After a few seconds, I started “yelling” at him saying things like, ”This should be easy! Why have you not started? You should be done by now!” After the point was made, I asked the volunteer how he felt right then (frustrated/ agitated, etc). I asked the class why he was struggling to take such an easy test, and what would make it easier? I then explained that it’s nearly impossible to do well at school when you are holding onto so many rocks. The school counselor (me!) can help them handle all of their rocks. I told them again that even the strongest people will need help at times. From here, I transitioned to the specific services offered to students (Groups, classroom, individual, school programs, etc), and how to get in touch with me if they did need to talk about something. I also used this time to discuss any questions that we had not already covered from their index cards. String: I gave each person a piece of string. I told them that the object was to tie a knot in the middle of the string. The rules are that once they pick up the string, their fingers become "superglued" to the ends of the string- they can't switch fingers. There can NOT already be a knot in the string when picking it up, they can NOT cut the string, and the knot can NOT be on the outside of the string (tying the ends together). I then quickly added that "it's okay to ask for help, BUT it is possible to do. It CAN be done." I let the students struggle with it for a while, repeated the instructions several times, and waited for the first person to ask me for help. Once they asked for help, I motioned for them to follow me to a hidden area of the class, and explained the trick to them. (Cross your arms into a "knot" so that one hand pops up through the hole in your arms. Grab each end of the string while arms are crossed. Uncross arms, and you should have a knot.) Make sure you try this first before doing it with kids so you know how!! I explained to a handful of the students, before others started to catch on. From this point, I let those I had helped teach others in the class how to do it. I told the class that the point of the exercise is that it's okay to ask for help! Even the strongest people... (will need help at times!) (Purchase the lesson plan and worksheets from my TPT store!)
Last year, I found a great idea for introducing myself to my students. It worked so well that I decided to do it again this year! The original idea came from Wanda P., a school counselor on the ASCAScene web forum. (If you aren't a member of ASCA, I recommend it just for the discussion forum alone. It's been a lifesaver at times.) I use Mrs. Potato Head to introduce the various parts of my job as Elementary School Counselor. I bring her in a bag to each class and have the kids help me put her back together again. As I take out each part, we talk about how that part helps me do my job. I created a handout that outlines what we go over in class and serves as a coloring page that students can give their parents to let them know who I am and what I do, too! Click here to download a copy of the Mrs. Potato Head handout and lesson plan. NEW!!! Click here to download a copy of Mr. Potato Head handout and lesson plan. The kids love Mrs. Potato Head and I leave her up all year in my office to remind the students what we talked about in class. It's a great way to start the new school year!
Already a fan of The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig? Here's my Invisible Boy Lesson Plan to use it with your upper elementary kiddos.
It's hard to talk to students without making it a lecture. Empower students while you teach them about respect using hands on activities
When I first started as a school counselor, I had no experience teaching. Zero. I didn’t even have internship experience because most of my internships had been in school-based therapy positions and one I did while actually employed in my first position. Delivering classroom lessons was TERRIFYING and overwhelming. I saw so much value in […]
Running a self control group counseling program? Your students will love these 10 games to teach kids self control skills!
Are you looking for activities on fairness to get your young learners thinking and talking about fairness? Being able to recognize that it is hurtful to be unfair will develop the foundations for developing empathy. When our young learners say, “That’s not fair,” it’s often because they don’t like the outcome. ⭐️ Did you know you could save money with a Fairness Activities | BUNDLE? ⭐️ If you have any questions about this product, please send me an email at: [email protected] Preview Video:
Making paper chains in counseling is a great way to talk to students connections. It could be the connections between their actions and consequences or the connections between friends. These hands-on activities can help abstract concepts become more concrete. Perfect for individual counseling or small group counseling at the elementary and middle school level.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to counselors searching for free games and tools for virtual counseling sessions. Although the pandemic has led to many challenges, one positive aspect is that counselors have been expanding their skillsets as they learn to navigate the virtual counseling world. Whether you are a school counselor meeting with children through
Need Wonder activities for your classroom or home school Wonder teaching resources? We have Wonder lesson plans, Wonder worksheets, and more ideas for book projects, kindness activities for middle school, and diversity lessons to make a great study unit for students using both the novel by RJ Palacio and teaching with movies (including the popular precepts project!).
No-Prep Self-Control Guidance Lesson: Students will be able to define self-control, identify strategies to stay in control, and apply this information at school and home. This lesson is completely editable and a great way to get students critically thinking about self-control! This resource includes an editable PowerPoint and Google Slides version. **** Save 20% and have a lesson for every situation with my Guidance Lesson Super Bundle*** Resource Includes: ↠ EDITABLE PowerPoint & Google Slides versions ↠ Sharing Activity ↠ Conversation Starters ↠ Self-Control Video Link ↠ Discussion Questions The editable aspect of this resource makes it easy to modify across different grade levels and settings. Take what you need! Guidance lessons are a great resource to use alongside your character education program and are an essential tool for Tier 1 RTI practices. Benefiting Students Self-Control is a critical skill for students' success in school and at home. At a minimum, students will learn new self-control strategies that they can practice throughout the day. Saving Time This lesson is ready to use and designed to be no-prep. Who is this Lesson Designed For? This lesson is designed for students grades 1-5 but the PowerPoints are completely editable and can be changed to fit a wide variety of student needs. RELATED SELF-CONTROL RESOURCES: * Guidance Lesson Super Bundle * Self-Control Activity Pack- Self-ConTROLLS * Self-Control Mega Bundle * Self-Regulation Counseling Group - Ready to Regulate Visit Bright Futures School Counseling Blog and subscribe to my email list to gain access to my Class Lesson Cheat Sheet. You will also receive a weekly email with my latest school counseling tips, research, and freebies! Follow me on social media to be the first to learn about sales and new resources! School Counseling Simplified Podcast Bright Futures Counseling INSTAGRAM Bright Futures Counseling FACEBOOK
This circle of control activity teaches students the difference between what is inside their control and what is outside of their control.
Example for teachers of how to do a picture dictation activity.
Chutes And Ladders is a classic game that your students will love. These tips will give you ways to incorporate this fun game into your school counseling lessons focused on anger management, growth mindset, self control and honesty! The ideas are perfect for using Chutes and Ladders in your individu
Put peacemaking skills at your students��� fingertips with Conflict Cubes they make themselves. This resource encourages collaborative efforts to develop creative and meaningful solutions to common conflicts. Includes directions and a reproducible.
Resilience is one of my favorite topics to teach and one of my favorite small groups to run. I always include goal setting, identifying problems, coping skills, healthy habits, and positive relationships as components to being resilient. Here are 6 tools for teaching resilience that help bring those components and your resiliency lessons to life.
Simple, yet effective social responsibility strategies you can try today to teach kids to be more responsible, make good choices and set attainable goals.
Just a quick post to share a school counseling documentation form I created to accompany a referral packet to the special education department. It's the week after conferences and spring break, so I'm a bit short on time. There is more I would like to share about documentation and how that plays into organizing and running an elementary counseling program with 1,700+ students and just little ol'me. (Okay, I'm not that little...but I'm getting off the subject.) For the sake of time management, I leave you with a free download of my counseling services documentation form for now. I will
Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast :
Engaging 'Meet the Counselor' lessons, and activities to introduce the roles of school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists to various grade levels.
Delve into the world of Fortnite with our vast list of lesson plans, printables, and info, categorized by subject. Find both free resources and premium options to enhance learning. Visit now!
Meet the Counselor: Meet your counselor co-pilot! Your students will love learning about the counselor's role in this fun, flight-themed activity. This classroom guidance lesson introduces students to the role of the school counselor - including what the counselor does and does not do. Students play a fun game in which they answer true/false questions about the counselor's role and then play a movement-based game. What's included: Detailed, scripted lesson plan (objective, outline, materials list, ASCA standards alignment, suggested data collection, and interactive notebook elements) Pre-test/post-test Introductory PowerPoint 30 true/false cards about the counselor's role with blanks included (color and black/white) Student bookmarks (color and black/white Interactive notebook printable Bundle Up: This lesson is included in the Comprehensive Classroom Guidance Lesson Unit with Interactive Notebook. Click here to be the first to know about new resources and updates in my store! Terms Copyright © Counselor Keri, Keri Powers Pye. All rights reserved by author. This product is to be used by the original downloader only. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Clipart and elements found in this PDF are copyrighted and cannot be extracted and used outside of this file without permission or license. Intended for classroom and personal use ONLY. See product file for clip-art and font credits.
Find ideas for K-12 school counseling SEL class lessons and guidance lessons. Includes free resources, videos, and activity ideas.
Starting off the year (or even just the quarter!) with your curriculum already mapped out? Huge time saver! This FREEBIE is a yearlong counseling curriculum map for K-5th grade with 16 social-emotional learning lesson ideas listed for each grade level. Love this but want it EDITABLE? Find that here: School Counseling Curriculum Maps EDITABLE […]
Disney movies have some very deep lessons to teach kids. Zootopia lesson plans are perfect for teaching kids about bias vs. sterotypes.
