Want buy-in from teachers for counseling lessons? Tie in your topics to their curriculum! Find out how I collaborate to blend STEM in counseling.

A perfect activity for encouraging temwork in the STEM lab or a regular classroom. All you need is string and a little imagination!

Test your engineering skills with this easy gumdrop bridge STEM challenge. Gumdrops and toothpicks are great fun for bridge building.

Want buy-in from teachers for counseling lessons? Tie in your topics to their curriculum! Find out how I collaborate to blend STEM in counseling.

The following is a guest post from Dr. Jacie Maslyk . A first grade teacher welcomes her students back to the classroom. She is excited to have a busy space, full of learners talking, working, and playing. Her excitement is balanced with concern as she knows that many students are nervous to re

Science. Technology. Engineering. Mathematics. STEM. These are all subjects that provide children countless opportunities to learn using hands-on activities and you don’t have to break the bank to do it! There are a lot of great STEM activities that you can do with things you have around the house and even from the dollar store …

Ladies and Gentleman... we officially have the first week down in the books!! And what an AMAZING week it was!! #BestFirstWeekEver!! My kiddos are just awesome. We learned a lot and laughed a lot! My own children also had a great week (aside from a quick bout of a stomach bug that kept one home for a day!). My oldest, Drew, started 1st grade. My middle, Quinn, started Kindergarten. And my toddler twins, Addy and Chase, began two-mornings-a-week preschool. Additionally, Mr. Musings from the Middle School (my husband Dennis), started a new school year, too! Phew!! My head is spinning! Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great weekend and recovering from this busy time of year. This post is mainly a pictorial of some of the goings on in my classroom this week. As we settle into our routine, I'll be back with more "meaty" posts (and hopefully some new videos, too!). One of my favorite activities from the week was this Growth Mindset lesson that I adapted from here. Basically, the kids had to create the image on top using just a piece of paper and scissors. It was NOT easy... but that's exactly the point! As the kids worked, I wrote down some of the comments I heard. Things like, "this is impossible," and "I give up!" After I let them struggle for a while, I brought them back together and discussed the activity with them. It was eye-opening to see their words. They all agreed that their attitude was too negative so of course they would never have been successful. Then we read the Growth Mindset posters hanging in our room and discussed what each one meant. I closed with this video from Khan Academy. It was a fun and powerful lesson. One of the BEST purchases I made from TpT for this school year is the Icebreakers that Rock bundle from Cult of Pedagogy. This product contains three PowerPoint activities that allow students to talk to each other in an easy, comfortable way. What is great about these is that you can use them as one, big activity, or you can break them up, showing just a few slides here and there, as "brain breaks" through out the day. That is how I used them. So, on the first day, I did a big "Find Someone Who" activity with them. This allowed all the kids to learn each other's names. Next, I assigned them all their lockers and we practiced opening the combination locks (super-stressful for these first time locker users)! After that, we did a few slides from Icebreakers that Rock. Then, we went over the syllabus. Next, a few more Icebreakers that Rock slides. After that, I handed out and went over all the paperwork that had to go home and be signed (oh, the paperwork!!!). Then, a few more slides right before lunch. And then a few more right after lunch. Next up, a tour of the building. Then a few more slides before trying our lockers again. Finally, another slide right before dismissal. It was the perfect break/filler/attention-getter/distraction to use throughout the day... actually, I used the slides throughout the whole week! Run to TpT and pick this product up today! Totally worth every penny. (Some of the slides can be done silently. I LOVED these slides!!) Of course, we had to number our notebooks to get ready for ELA next week. I always tell kids that this is the easiest, most difficult task that we do all year :) I really the love smell of a Mr. Sketch anchor poster in the morning! This year, I'm starting with Reading Nonfiction: Notice and Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. My thinking is that it will really help with getting started with Article of the Week. Here is one of several of the posters I'll be using to teach these strategies. I'm jumping on the #ObserveMe bandwagon! Read more about it here. I'll keep you updated on how this goes throughout the year! Okay... that is enough for now! The beach is calling my name... nothing beats September here at the Jersey Shore! Hope the back-to-school season is treating you well! I'd love to hear how your school year is going so far. Happy Teaching!!

Self Control Counseling Lesson - This self control classroom counseling lesson plan will help students in grades 1-2 understand what self control is and what self control looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Students learn ways of demonstrating self control and then practice during a yoga movement break and partner turn taking activity. What's included: Detailed, scripted lesson plan (color and BW) Visual aid (color and BW) Whole class sorting activity (color and BW) Individual student fortune teller handout (color and BW, blank and pre-filled) FAQS: Q: Do I need extra materials? A: You'll need your favorite self control read-aloud, like Clark the Shark or What If Everybody Did That? You'll also need scissors, writing utensils, and coloring utensils. Q: How long will this take? A: I did this lesson in a 45-minute block with my first grade students. All students are different. Q: Can I use this in small groups or with an individual student? A: Absolutely! Click here to be the first to know about new resources and updates in my store!

Bucket Towers is an original STEM Challenge for upper elementary classes and it is a student favorite. You will love the easy prep! This is hard to believe, but some of our best STEM Challenges have been created accidentally. The STEM Bucket Tower challenge is one of those! Building boats was another total spur-of-the-moment challenge.

"I can’t do it." "This is too hard." "I’m just not good at math." We are sure you’ve probably heard your students (and other adults) say these things. Perhaps you can even recall saying something similar to yourself at one point in time.

I stumbled across this idea on Pinterest and thought it would be perfect for my third and fourth graders! I often hear complaints from students that although others "allow" them to play games at recess, they often do not "include" them in the game. For example, in football they are on the team but the ball is never passed to them. I used this as a springboard for discussion on what teamwork really looks like. The Cup Stack is a great activity to facilitate teamwork. Some groups are able to complete the task very quickly while other groups must keep trying and trying to complete the task successfully. It's hard not to give up when things get frustrating, and this is a valuable lesson for children to learn in a safe environment. All you need is cups, rubberbands, and string. I decided to put my students into groups of 6, so I tied 6 equally spaced strings (about 1-2 feet long) around a single rubberband. Each group was given this device and 6 cups. The challenge is for the group to build a pyramid out of the paper cups (3 on the bottom, 2 in the middle, 1 on the top - can be adjusted for more cups). Group members cannot touch the cups with their hands or any other part of their bodies, even if a cup falls over or on the floor. Each person holds onto one of the strings that are attached to the rubber band and they use this device to pick up the cups and place them on top of each other (by pulling the rubber band apart and then bringing it back together over the cups). Some groups took 2 minutes to accomplish their goal, some 10 minutes, and some never successfully built their tower. I had groups that finished early watch the remaining groups to add a little "pressure." Afterwards we debriefed with the following discussion questions: Was anyone frustrated at all during the activity? If so how was it handled? What did you learn about yourself or others? Why was teamwork so important for this activity? What is so hard about teamwork? What did you do today to contribute to the teamwork on your team? What are some skills needed to be good at teamwork? Are you every in a situation where you must use teamwork? Is this always easy for you? Why or why not? How can we use what we learned through this experience in situations outside the game? Check out Teamwork: Cup Stack Take 2!

Looking for a fun and meaningful activity for your school counseling worry group? Help your students make a worry monster! Get details here:

The first lessons you teach set the tone for the rest of the year in the classroom! During the first week of school, your schedule should include a mix of teaching procedures and expectations as well as building a strong classroom community. Unfortunately, introducing procedures and practicing the

Try this fun pollination STEM activity for students to make a craft stick model bee then simulate pollination using mac and cheese powder!

This free list of 50 positive affirmations for kids can be used as a coping tool to build resiliency, a growth mindset & self-compassion.

Did you know that STEM activities are a great way to build classroom community and teamwork at the beginning of the year? Unfortunately, STEM challenges can tend to be used as a classroom competition where students and groups are competing against each other. While classroom comp

Help a child challenge negative thinking by teaching them to identify negative thoughts, challenge them, reframe them, and replace them.

Are your LEGO mad brood looking for a new creative challenge to make the most of those LEGO bricks piled everywhere? Are they bored of makin...

Equipping students with the skills to succeed inside and outside the classroom has always been our goal as educators. As we go back to school in the fall or continue with distance learning, it has become increasingly necessary to address social-emotional learning (SEL). Read on for strategies on how

The Bad Seed activity: The Bad Seed is a moving and heartbreaking book that belongs on every single counselor's bookshelf! This post contains ideas for classroom guidance lessons or small group counseling activities using this title to promote kindness and acceptance in every classroom.

Teaching students about respecting personal space (and getting consent) before entering is important - "Personal Space Camp" and practicing the skills is a great way to do it!

20 school-wide kindness initiatives for elementary school counseling. Get students engaged in kindness activities with these fun ideas!

*This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. By clicking on the links and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. 5 Read Alouds and STEM Challenges to Teach Self-Management to Kids Our students arrive at school each day expecting to learn the educati

Kelso is back in ACTION at Lee Elementary! Kelso & His Friend Lily sitting atop my bookshelf Students have been begging for Kelso to come visit their classroom with me and it is finally time! Kelso is our counseling mascot at Lee, helping students solve their problems with his simple wheel of choices: Kelso's Choices is a conflict-management curriculum that teaches children that they can be problem solvers themselves. Students learn to determine small problems they can handle on independently and large problems that require an adult's help. After reintroducing him to our students and having them explain how it works (see previous post here), we were ready to create our own Kelso to help us out. I was inspired by two different bloggers, Mrs. H & The Creative Counselor, and adapted their ideas to "Kelso-ize" them. In first grade, students made their Kelso's with his mouth containing the different choices they can try to resolve conflict: In second grade, students made a problem solving lily pad for Kelso and his choices. The bottom plate had the 9 choices glued onto it and the top plate had a slice cut out for them to spin it around until they found one they wanted to try:

S.T.E.M. and Growth Mindset concepts complement and reinforce each other perfectly, so teaching them together is a perfect match! Here's how I combine them.

Having students color in posters with their names is a great first day activity that provides yearlong decoration for the classroom!

This article offers therapy games that can be played for free. Some are downloadable files that can be printed, some are telehealth games, and some offer both options! This is a must have resource for a beginning counselor.

Here is a perfect challenge to practice using area and perimeter in a design project. Design your Dream House! What a perfect idea this little project is! I still remember designing my dream house when I was a little girl. I filled notebooks with drawings of the rooms and where the furniture would be. I

Design a paper clip stem challenge! Engage your students with this easy to execute paper clip stem activity. Free printables included on the post!

*This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. By clicking on the links and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Top 10 STEM books that Connect with SEL

S.T.E.M. and Growth Mindset concepts complement and reinforce each other perfectly, so teaching them together is a perfect match! Here's how I combine them.

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!

Ways to make sure you are connecting Math and STEM un your projects. Tons of tips and applicable resources are featured in this article.

The first lessons you teach set the tone for the rest of the year in the classroom! During the first week of school, your schedule should include a mix of teaching procedures and expectations as well as building a strong classroom community. Unfortunately, introducing procedures and practicing the

Today, my classes completed the Cup Challenge! We loved it! The point of this was for students to practice their new lab team roles and develop some teamwork guidelines. Each team gets 6 cups, string, and rubber bands. Using just string and rubber bands, students must make a pyramid with the cups. No touching the ... Read more

Kids will love making this easy DIY kaleidoscope. You can also easily turn this homemade craft into a STEM learning activity.

I love flexagons! They are very satisfying for fidgeters and bring the curiosity out of any kid! I hope you enjoy this one. Print it out (2 flexagons per sheet), color it, and then cut it out (click on the image, then right click-->View Image. You should be able to view/print full size). Do something a little different for your Earth Day crafts this year! Fold along the vertical axis and glue the uncolored sides together. Wait for the glue to dry for a few minutes, then crease back and forth along each solid straight line. Fold back 2 triangles at a time to make the earth picture show. Put glue on one of the star flaps and then glue the two stars together. Start flexing! One way I explain how to fold it: “Fold together every other triangle.” After a few flexes it become much easier to do. You can go both “forward” and “backward” making the trees point in or out, and making the earth/flower or having the earth/flower pieces pointed to the outside. For more Earth Day activities, including a life cycle hexaflexagon, please visit my TpT store for my Earth Helpers unit:

Connect with your kids and teach binary coding at the same time in this fun coding bracelets activity for kids! This is one of our favorite technology activities for kids! “What if the other kids

Use a good behavior grid as a part of your classroom management strategies for your middle school classroom to create a positive learning environment.