post of choice

On my post of my choice I am thinking about a quote that we have probably heard before from Albert Einstein, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

I do believe that every human being will face challenges and sometimes those challenges are difficult to work through but when people can find what works for them they will have a more solid foundation for accomplishing what matters most to them.  I think that counseling is all about empowerment and helping clients find their self. I think counseling is just one of the avenues that can help others muddle through this roller coaster of life.  Sometimes I think counselors are like a GPS for clients, counselors can help clients see the goal or destination that the client wants to reach, but the client still has to do the work to get it. I will close by using another one of my favorite quotes form Shel Silverstein, “Listen to the mustn’ts child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossible, and the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me…anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”  

Semester Reflection

During the past sixteen weeks of my practicum for my master’s counseling program, I have learned several things. From my experience I learned that there usually are not enough hours in the day to get accomplished everything that you wake up in the morning needing to get finished during your work day! I have been responsible for my full time job as a fourth grade teacher as well as completing practicum requirements. At the beginning of my practicum I would bring home hours of work, I soon learned that I had to come up with a method that would work for me to accomplish what had to be done without bogging myself down every evening. That is when I learned to use every minute as efficiently as possible to take on the dual role that I found myself in at the time. From my practicum experience I also learned that most people in my building have no real idea about what a counselor’s job description really is. I learned that most people think a counselor is someone who comes to their class teachers a lesson about character and lets that particular homeroom teacher have break for an hour. If something happens that demands a counselor’s immediate attention and the counselor can’t make the guidance lesson for reasons beyond their control, the counselor gets frowned upon by the teacher who didn’t get her break for that day.  This is probably the most frustrating thing that I encountered while in my practicum. I still count this experience as valuable because I learned how to deal with colleagues who did not understand a counselor’s foremost duties and responsibilities. I think that because of this experience early on, I will be equipped to deal with future situations in a manner that will help colleagues see that counselors are not simply ‘break givers’.

I also learned some things about myself that I wasn’t fully aware of.  I learned that I have a higher tolerance for people than I thought I did originally. I know I have patience, but having my patience tried a few times, I learned to become even more patient! I learned that kids are more resilient than what most people give them credit for and usually they react to situations the best way that they know how to. Problems seem to occur the most when kids don’t know the appropriate way to respond to situations, and that is because their experience is still developing and they are encountering a lot of first time issues and don’t have the skills to help them make the best choices. This is where counselors can help educate kids about the situations that will arise that may not be part of their academic education, but is no less of importance.

I do believe that I have grown as a counselor because I learn best from experience and experience is what my practicum has provided me with. I have learned to how to build a counseling relationship with kids that is different from the relationship between a teacher and student. That was hard for me because I have been a classroom teacher for so long. I had to learn to not talk as ‘teachery’ to the kids I was working with in my practicum.

The blogging experience through this class was not as bad as I thought it would be. I was not a blogger before this experience and to be honest I probably would have never become a blogger without having to do it for my practicum. I will continue to use my blog after this practicum is over. I think it will be a good way to keep in contact with others from this class and help gain insight and perspective to counseling from my peers. With communicating on Blackboard, it seems that when the class is over, that is it, you have lost contact with other members of the class too. Sometimes I found relief in reading other people’s blogs because they were experiencing some of the same successes and frustrations that I was going through and it was interesting to read about how other people were facing and dealing with similar situations.

Advice for future students would be is to work out a time schedule for your practicum quickly. In the beginning of the semester you think you have plenty of time to get everything in and to make sure you have all your hours, however, remember that time flies because you find yourself so busy and it seems like you turn around and a month is already over and before you know it the semester is quickly winding down. This is not a class for procrastinators!  Nevertheless, I have learned things in this class that I don’t think I could have learned from a scholarly text book. It is very much like my student teaching experience, you have to get in there hands-on and learn while you are doing. It is important to realize your scope of knowledge and lack of experience as well, and ask for help from your clinical supervisor.

Growth

As a counselor it is important that I continue to grow. I shared with my field supervising counselor that although I have completed the requirements for my master’s counseling degree, I still didn’t know it all. My counselor laughed and said you know how you had to grow and develop professionally as a teacher; now you have to go through the same processes as a counselor to grow and develop. This made sense to me. I want to continue to stay current and up to date on the information that I will need as a counselor. I will have to continue my growth on a personal level because there won’t always be professional developments for me to go to and depend on.

Personally I will continue to grow and work to becoming a better and better counselor. I cannot be afraid to talk to other more seasoned counselors and listen to their words. I have to always consider what is ethical and legal and work within my scope. I want to empower and help others work toward solutions that will benefit them in their life. I think my awareness of others will help me become a more caring and compassionate person toward people and I will try to understand positions that people are in that I am not familiar with myself.

Week 16

During this course I have used the blog as a means of communication between myself and classmates. I have responded to the blog through a variety of questions. The questions have made me think about my position as a counselor in the making and my perception to counseling thus far. One of the things that stood out to me was the honesty of my classmates. I felt like my classmates could truly say what the felt and what was on their mind and I did enjoy that aspect.

There was a feeling of excitement waiting to see what my classmates had responded to the blog, or if they had responded at all.

As I read over some of the other classmates’ blogs I did have a change in thinking a few times. It is always interesting to think in a different perspective and I think that makes individuals grow.

I cannot really see in any way that the blog changed my values.  I am an open minded person and I didn’t feel like the blog made me change my sense of self in any way.

The blog did help my reflection because any time I have to respond and reflect I have to rethink about my actions and I think about what I could have done better. I do think the blog helped enhance reflection strategies for myself.

The most challenging thing about the blog was learning how to use it and the step up process. I have to give a big thank you to my professor who walked me through this process. I would have never blogged without her guidance!!

For future bloggers I would suggest setting a time period aside each week to maintain and update your blog. Keep on top of assignments; it is easier to do that in the long run.

Counseling Free-Write

Throught this practicum experience I have come to fully realize just how much responsibility school counselors truly have. I have also come to understand how people who are not counselors understand so little about the job description yet think the know ~everything~. For instance, a couple weeks ago a situation came up where immediate actions had to be taken and authorities became involved. It is impossible to bring people in our school without the whole school community becoming in the know at what is ging on, or at lest what they think might be going on. People that I rarely see came up talking about what happened and had their story and was trying to explain what they thought should have been done to handle the situation. I made absolutely no response to their conversation and in my mind I cracked up at just how much people think they know compared to what they really know about a situation. In a way I was aggravated too. We deal with people from young to old, but nonetheless, people. I was aggitated to think how quickly some people dismiss that idea that people are people regardless. 

I have also had peole come up tp me and want to know when I will become a school counselor. I just reply to them that I don't know and will have to wait and see. Then the response I get is "well I hope you learned how to put a video in and let the class watch it, since that all you will have to do around here..." Again, I chuckle in my mind because statements like this come from the people who have no idea what a school counselor truly does.

So the metaphor in counseling for me, I link it back to my background of growing up on a farm, Counselors are cultivators. You work through challenges sometimes slowly and always with purpose and the outcome will be more productive, stronger, and able to stand on it's own.

Ice Breaker

Just a quick note about an effective ice breaker that can get a group engaged in conversation:
Fact or Fib

This ice breaker game is also commonly known as "two truths and a lie." Have everyone in the group sit in a small circle facing each other. Players then take turns telling the rest of the group three facts about themselves, including two truths, or facts, and one lie, or fib. Begin with yourself to give an example. Try to come up with two true facts that might seem unrealistic, such as "I have swum with sharks" or "I was an extra in a movie." Add a third fib, such as "I have three brothers." See if the group can guess which fact is a fib. Then continue the game, with each player reciting three facts, and the group guessing which fact is the fib.

Read more: Ice Breaker Games for Small Groups | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6079729_ice-breaker-games-small-groups.html#ixzz2BJCv6lni

 

This is an ice breaker that doesn't recquire a lot of props or anything special that you would need to purchase!

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying

Cyber bullying is an issue that school counselors have to deal with on a daily basis it seems. Cyber bullying is a real problem that cannot be taken lightly. Cyber bullying has also changed how a school counselor has to think about bullying in general. School counselors have to educate students what cyber bullying is and what can happen legally as a result of cyber bullying. I don’t think that most students (or their parents for that matter) are aware of the implications that can come from cyber bullying. If I was given the task of addressing cyberbullying to my school I would start in the beginning of the year and work to educate teachers what examples of cyber bullying are and to make them aware of what could be happening online. Next, I would work with each grade level of students and design age appropriate activities and lessons that would let kids know about cyberbullying and the signs and what to do if a situation occurs. I think that the older students need to have a clear understanding of what can happen if they are the cyber bully as well. This may mean having to include a visit from a student resource officer or state police. Cyber bullying cannot be depicted as an unimportant idea that happens in other places and not here or led to be a cartoonish idea. There needs to be a clear understanding of online etiquette, and a foundation of knowledge of what can happen to cyber bullies and victims, and a route to report instances of cyberbullying.

Continued Learning as a Professional

Once this practicum course has ending I will continue to learn as a professional. Learning as a professional to me means that I will work to gain more knowledge and insight to school c counseling. Ways that I can gain more knowledge is to utilize the resources that I currently have. I have gotten to know some of the other counselors in my district and their experience is much greater than mine and I know that I still have a lot to learn from my professional peers. I think that it is important for me to belong to professional organizations like Kentucky School Counselors Association and the American Counseling Association. These organizations will serve as a reliable resource to new studies and research and current information. I will also need to seek out Professional Development as well. Professional developments will provide me with opportunities to meet knowledgeable peers in the field and provide interactions with other counselors that I might not otherwise have. As a lifelong learner I will also work independently to stay up to date on research, studies, and information that will benefit me in the counseling line of work. I have to maintain a vigilance to learn on my own and not solely depend on organizations and pd’s for my continued learning.

Guidance Lesson: "Fishing for Feelings"

For K-2 students

Overview of the Activity “Fishing for Feelings.”

This activity is designed to help students acquire attitudes, knowledge, and skills that will contribute to effective learning in school and throughout the students’ lives. This activity will also help students understand the relationship of academics to the world of work, life at home, and within the community. Fishing for Feelings activity will also help students gain understanding with interpersonal skills and respecting themselves and others. A major outcome of this lesson is to identify and express feelings.

MATERIALS/RESOURCES: (prep time 15 minutes)

The book, A to Z Do You Ever Feel Like Me? By Bonnie Hausman and Sandi Fellman. (You could do this lesson without the book.)

Envelope or glass fish bowl.

Pre cut cards with one feeling word on each card.

ACTIVITY: (20-25 minutes)

If you use the book, each page has a letter of the alphabet with a story. At the end of each story it says I feel so __________. Students guess

the word that fits in the blank. There is a picture that expresses the feeling word. If you don’t have the book, use pictures from magazines, draw them or use patterns from the internet. The A to Z words are in the back of the book, but the following is a feeling word for each letter of the alphabet. The feeling words: angry, brave, confused, delighted, embarrassed, friendly, greedy, happy, impatient, jealous, kind, lonely, mischievous, nervous, overwhelmed, proud, queasy, rambunctious, scared, terrific, upset, vain, worried, exhausted, yucky, and zany.

Next, using a fish bowl or envelope with cards or cards shaped like fish. Have each student pick one word. Have students work in pairs to make their own story using a personal situation about one or more of the feeling words they drew. They may draw the story, write or do both. Have students volunteer to share their words and stories with the whole class.

Information/Comments/Follow- To extend vocabulary have students think, write and say other words that begin with each letter of the alphabet

 If things don’t go as well as planned: School counselor may need to further engage students in a role playing activity if the students are unable to connect with the initial lesson. Sometimes students do have a difficult time identifying the word with an expressed feeling. Relate the feelings to things that have happened in the child’s life. Acting out the emotions could be a way to engage and connect those kinesthetic learners.

Follow up activities for the class: Have students to cut out pictures of people’s faces that show an emotion and make a collage of faces with identified emotions. *old magazines/newspapers would be needed for this portion*

Magic Wand

If I had a magic wand and could change only one thing in/for my school I wish that each child had responsible and competent parents. If the kids in my school had good role models at home, I think that a lot of behavior problems could be alleviated but there are such a large number of students who have no positive example of what exemplary should look like from anyone but school staff. We also have a great amount of kids being raised by grandparents, and grandparents have a difficult time it seems filling in the role of parent. In most instances that grandparents are raising their grandkids is because the moms and dads are in jail or not allowed to have custody because of a variety of reasons, most usually relating back to drugs or DUI’s, and even some domestic violence charges.  If each child did have a positive home life, there would be more literate students coming to school, students would be engaged in appropriate settings and surroundings at home, and not be as aware of sex, drugs, and other things that fifth grade students and under should not know about yet. If I could wave my magic wand I would be able to increase the likelihood that students could have a fighting chance without struggle from where they come from to succeed in life.

First Tape Review

The first peer review assignment that I completed was a classroom guidance lesson about bullying. I did feel fairly confident in my lesson because from a ‘teacher’ standpoint I thought this would be the type of counseling situation that I would be the most familiar with. I do feel confident in my abilities to guide and lead a classroom of kids to talk and learn about specific issues.

I know that I need to continue to work on my questioning styles, I sometimes like to over talk things as I had mentioned in a previous blog. I am consciously aware and trying to be careful in that manner.

I will know that my counseling abilities have improved when I am able to validate my efforts against a well seasoned counselor and when I reflect about my progress I will be able to monitor where I have grown and recognize where I still need growth.

I will continue to work to improve my counseling skills by adding to my experience and seeking knowledge that will be beneficial to me. I will also work with my supervising counselor at my school to gain insight on techniques and applications that will be useful to me.

While we are in class it helps me to hear about what has worked for my classmates and just as much what some may have tried and it did not work. I do like to hear examples as well as non-examples, sometimes hearing what wasn’t successful helps me gain more of an insight and perspective about situations.

5 Goals for Me as a Counselor

The five goals that I would like to accomplish by the time class is over are:

1.       To become more proficient at using technology in counseling.

2.       To become more confident in my ability as a counselor.

3.       To not talk as much during my counseling sessions.

4.       To become a stronger advocate for students in need (help find more resources for students and families).

5.       To gather more counseling strategies and tools for counseling.

I am working hard toward all of these goals and sometimes I feel like my head is about to explode.  I had felt comfortable utilizing technology until now and I have been about to drive myself nuts lately. I invested in a digital camera recorder to help ensure that I get my videos and tapings for this class (praying that it works now…).   Every time that I sit down with a child to begin a session I get sweaty palms and become nervous, but with experience this feeling of anxiety is lessening more and more. I feel more confident when I watch my supervisor counselor and think “oh, I knew to use that strategy or technique”, it helps me feel validated somewhat.  Sometimes I think I talk too much, especially in guidance lessons. I am aware of this and I have become conscious of how much I talk and I try to make my comments more powerful but less ‘talky’. Just as a new teacher yearns for more effective teaching strategies, I have a desire for more counseling techniques that I can use.  I research and watch with open eyes of what other counselors and classmates do. I am like a sponge when someone shares something that has been useful to them.   I do believe that I can come closer to achieving my goals by the end of the semester.  In order for me to come closer to achieving my goals I need feedback from my instructor and peers. I listen with ears wide open to praises and to criticisms. I want to be good at what I do and I too need guidance on how to reach my full potential as a counselor. Thank you to all who in anyway offer insight and feedback to me, I do hear you and try to make improvements on what I am doing!

Why My School Needs a Counselor

These are twenty reason that my school needs a counselor. This is not an exclusive list but a list of necessity!
20. to help others face challenges
19. to teach us acceptable behavior
18. help deal with high stakes testing
17. communicate with parents concerning their student
16. academic skill support
15. career planning
14. buliding peer relationships
13.substance abuse awareness
12. diversity/multicultural awareness
11. problem solving skills
10. goal setting
9. crisis management
8. at-risk studnet identification
7. improvements and notes involving school climate
6. data sharing
5. behavior management plans
4. teaching kids how to stay safe at school and home
3. educating how to understand one's self
2. just a safe ear to hear our hopes, fears, dreams, beliefs, and frustrations
1. we all have MELTDOWNS and need someone to scoop us back up and help us face reality!

Great Idea for Home Connection with parents/Guardians

The following link will direct you a webpage from Clark County schools.

http://www.ccsd.net/departments/guidance-counseling/parents-make-a-difference-monthly-newsletter

 This webpage contains information about Guidance for students and involves parents as well. There are tabs for academic development, college and career readiness, personal social development, and tips for parents.  I really like how the design of this website is directed for parents and guardians and is easy to navigate through. This website is also friendly for Spanish speaking families. Perhaps if more schools would go above and beyond to extend to families, there would be a closer bond between the school and home front that would benefit the needs of students more. As i grow and emerge as a more proficient school counselor this is an idea that i would like to implement to reach into the homes of our students.

Useful websites for School Counselors

Here are a couple of websites that are useful to school counselors.

www.brainpop.com is a website that has short clip movies/videos from a humorous robot (Moby) and his pal, Tim. The videos range from bullying, to hygiene, loss, and more. There is a 5 day free trial period so you can see if this website would accommodate your needs as a counselor. There is a brainpop for grades 3-6 and a brainpop jr. that is grade appropriate for k-2. This website would be useful to classroom teachers as well as counselors and can be purchased individually or for the whole building.

Another website that I have found that I really like is http://www.elementaryschoolcounseling.org

This website is full of useful ideas for teaching guidance to a classroom of students. There are items for character education, bullying, career readiness, and there is even a blog from the creator of the website, Marissa Rex. I really like how easy it is to navigate the website and find useful tidbits.

Weekly Roundup of Sept 3-7

This past week has been a busy week. As I have been watching and learning the ins and outs of what a school counselor really does I realize that a counselor wears many hats! This past week was our first Family Night of the year and the principal asked our counselor to head the Family Night because he had to attend a meeting. Without much warning and heads-up my counselor takes on the challenge and I got to help her set-up the activities and schedule for the evening. I was able to set up stations with the bridges Family Resource Center, PTA, and Library for some of the stations for parents and their student to visit. The turnout was a little lower than I had expected with about 150 people. 

This has been a busy week for conflict as well. As I shadowed my school counselor I was surprised of how many calls she received for bullying, aggression, and other conflicts among students. I have seen first-hand of how difficult it can be to follow a daily schedule with various interruptions as instances surfaced that needed immediate attention. Flexibility is a must in being a school counselor.

My school counselor reminded me that a counselor’s obligation is to the students benefit, and sometimes other adults will become frustrated when they think that the counselor is just ‘hiding out’ in their office. Sometimes a school counselor hears staff gossiping about how they think the counselor is slacking and be able to extinguish those conversations when they are over heard in a professional manner.

What does it mean to be a counselor? I believe that a counselor is a helping professional who chooses a counseling career path that should empower other individuals. Tome a counselor is someone who guides others to find opportunities that maybe others didn't know about or see was there for the taking.  Counselors are an important component of my area (rural Eastern KY) for different reasons. In our elementary schools, students need a safe neutral place to let go of their anxieties and fears that occur within their lives. Counselors in the school systems in my area deal with a wide arrangement of helping high school students find scholarships for college, to working with social services and educating families of how to provide a better life for children, and even helping people deal with disaster within the community. I have chosen to embark on the career path of counseling for different reasons. I do enjoy watching how people grow and change in a positive light. Self-reliance has always been important to me and I have seen that a lot of people do not know how to be self-reliant, and I want to help others see that they can’t always control what happens in their lives but they can control how they react and adapt to what happens in their lives and still lead a productive and accomplishing life.

Welcome Friends and Colleagues!