Teachers Can Beat Stress
Here is a podcast - Listen as you drive to work or get a quiet moment. Learn to recharge.
Use this podcast to
* help a teacher
* get ideas to help others with stress
* learn more about causes, symptoms and ways to relieve stress
* share with others in your community, school, or practice
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Use this one tip to help your students get organized
Use this one game to teach students
the importance of being organized.
So many of our students struggle to get organized. Some of them get
organized with their supplies, pencils, papers, and then find they have
to get organized all over again in about a week. Why is this? One
reason is because getting organized is often thought of as a waste of time.
Why should I spend an hour organizing my stuff, book bag, locker,
papers, etc when it will get all messy again. I could be doing the work
that really matters like writing that essay or completing my project
due next Tuesday.
The key is to teach students that getting organized and keeping things
organized will actually same time! We can get them to see that they
will not only save time but they could even have time left over to do
other things!
Everyone loves games because they are visual, auditory, and hands-on.
This concept can easily be taught with a game - Perfection! by Hasbro. I
use this in small groups and in individual counseling. You will see a
BIG AHAA moment on the faces of your students. This happens over and
over when you use the technique described in the video clip below.
The game has a timer and depending on the version of the game, there are
9, 16 or 25 pieces to fit in slots of the same size and shape within a
short period of time.
I have used all the different versions of this game with students.
Teach students the importance of organization with a game.
In this video, an eighth grade student is playing the 9 piece game for
the first time. I reduced the time by half because I want to bring home
the point - that you will save time by being organized. If you
organize yourself and supplies before a project or homework you will
actually spend less time on the actual project or homework and get it
done in less time. You will see in this video clip that when the timer
goes off, this student jumps out of her skin and scares me half
to death! We left this in the video because it was a genuine and
spontaneous response. This is exactly how my students feel and react
when they play the game to learn the concept of organization.
Get the Ah-haa moment with your students.
Play this game to teach this concept to your students.
It is creative, engaging and fun!
I have used this techniques with all ages including adults! Help your
parents to see that getting organized is not a waste of time. When you
help your parents, you help your students.
Creative Play Therapy for School
Use play therapy techniques to teach counseling strategies: anger
control, stress management, study and organizational skills, making
friends, deflating bullies, making decisions and more. Use everyday,
familiar games. No worksheets to reproduce. It is auditory, visual,
and hands-on!
 |
| Think, think, think...they are starting to get it! |
 | |
| Help! I was not organized this morning and now I am late for the bus! |
 |
| Everyone loves games. |
Use this one tip to get kids organized
Use this one game to teach students
the importance of being organized.
So many of our students struggle to get organized. Some of them get organized with their supplies, pencils, papers, and then find they have to get organized all over again in about a week. Why is this? One reason is because getting organized is often thought of as a waste of time. Why should I spend an hour organizing my stuff, book bag, locker, papers, etc when it will get all messy again. I could be doing the work that really matters like writing that essay or completing my project due next Tuesday.
The key is to teach students that getting organized and keeping things organized will actually same time! We can get them to see that they will not only save time but they could even have time left over to do other things!
Everyone loves games because they are visual, auditory, and hands-on.
This concept can easily be taught with a game - Perfection! by Hasbro. I use this in small groups and in individual counseling. You will see a BIG AHAA moment on the faces of your students. This happens over and over when you use the technique described in the video clip below.
The game has a timer and depending on the version of the game, there are 9, 16 or 25 pieces to fit in slots of the same size and shape within a short period of time.
I have used all the different versions of this game with students.
Teach students the importance of organization with a game.
In this video, an eighth grade student is playing the 9 piece game for the first time. I reduced the time by half because I want to bring home the point - that you will save time by being organized. If you organize yourself and supplies before a project or homework you will actually spend less time on the actual project or homework and get it done in less time. You will see in this video clip that when the timer goes off, this student jumps out of her skin and scares me half to death! We left this in the video because it was a genuine and spontaneous response. This is exactly how my students feel and react when they play the game to learn the concept of organization.
Get the Ah-haa moment with your students.
Play this game to teach this concept to your students.
It is creative, engaging and fun!
I have used this techniques with all ages including adults! Help your parents to see that getting organized is not a waste of time. When you help your parents, you help your students.
Creative Play Therapy for School
Use play therapy techniques to teach counseling strategies: anger control, stress management, study and organizational skills, making friends, deflating bullies, making decisions and more. Use everyday, familiar games. No worksheets to reproduce. It is auditory, visual, and hands-on!
|
| Think, think, think...they are starting to get it! |
| |
| Help! I was not organized this morning and now I am late for the bus! |
| |||
| Everyone loves games. |
Monday, November 9, 2015
Simple Stress Test for Kids
This stress test is a simple activity to help students understand stressors and how they add up and impact us. Everyone has stress. The effects of stress come and go.
You can copy and print this activity for your students, however, this activity works best and nicely when shared with other activities and self-assessments from the Stress Busting Workbook for students.
Stress
Test
Let’s work on a
self-assessment activity to see what stressors we are experiencing today. Follow the directions for the Stress Test:
1) What was the date six months ago? Write the date here:
Six months ago the date
was __________________.
We are going to rate
the amount of stress we are experiencing with a special test. Many years ago
two social scientists, Dr. Holmes and Dr. Rahe created a way to count stress
points on a scale of 1 - 100. They believed
all life events created stress and caused stress points from death in our
family, moving to a new house, or working on a school project. These events would have a lot of stress
points because they are very stressful meaning they caused disruption in or normal
routines. Having homework, going on a
vacation, or even the last day of school causes stress, but they have fewer
stress points.
2) Look at the list of events on the Stress
Test. Underline the events you have
experienced only within the last six months from the date you wrote down in
#1. If the event happened before that
date, do not include it. This test is
based on a scale of 1-5.
Stress Test
Events
|
Scale
of Impact
|
Death
of a spouse
|
5
|
Divorce
|
4
|
Marital separation
|
4
|
Break-up with
boy/girlfriend
|
4
|
Jail term
|
4
|
Death of close family
member
|
4
|
Personal illness or
injury
|
3
|
Personal illness or
injury
|
3
|
Health problem of
family member
|
3
|
Gain of a family
member
|
2
|
Change in financial
state
|
2
|
Death of a close
friend
|
2
|
Change to a different
line of work
|
2
|
Many arguments at
home
|
2
|
Mortgage
|
2
|
Foreclosure on a
mortgage
|
2
|
Changes in
responsibilities at work
|
2
|
Outstanding personal achievement
|
2
|
Spouse begins or
stops work
|
2
|
Begin or end school
|
2
|
Change in living
conditions
|
2
|
Change in residence
|
2
|
Change in schools
|
2
|
Change in recreation
|
1
|
Change in church
activities
|
1
|
Change in social
activities
|
1
|
Change in sleeping habits
|
1
|
Vacation
|
1
|
Christmas holidays
|
1
|
Minor violation of
the law
|
1
|
3) Now add up your stress points. My total is ______________.
4) Use your total to check out your range of
stress.
Use your total to find out what your stress score might mean:
0-3
– Are you being truthful? Remember,
everyone has stress. It is a normal part
of life. Many times, students with
strong family support systems will report few stressors. If this is true for
you, you probably have parents who protect you from problems and they probably
do not share their personal problems with you, for example, when their mortgage
payment is late. You can be thankful for
a strong support system that your family has created.
3 – 8
– This is a normal range of stress points.
9
– 15
- Stress is affecting your quality of life and may cause you to have stress
related symptoms and illnesses. Do two
stress busters a day.
16
or more - People with many stressors can have nervous
breakdowns and high probability of serious illnesses. Stress can take a toll on your body. Consider talking to your parents or your
counselor about your stress score.
Sometimes students do not consider boundaries so their score is high; do
not add stress points that belong to your parents or other people. Your school counselor can explain this to
you.
Don't leave your students hanging! Next activity - share ways to relieve stress. Explain boundaries if their stress scores are too high. Refer out to mental health therapists in your area if more help is needed. Be responsible.
The Stress Test is one activity is a series to help students understand stress. The activities include understanding of causes, symptoms, ways to relieve stress, and stress with family, friends, and school. Brain chemicals are briefly introduced. Stress Busting is a self-assessment workbook for students in grades 4 - 12. It is an introduction to stress management. The booklet can be used for individual counseling or in small groups or classroom settings.
Take the booklet a step further and create an informational workshop for your parents or people in your community. People tend to feel the effects of stress more in November and December. It is the most stressful time of the year. We have used this booklets with parents and other adults and they love it because it is easy to understand. Stress Busting is reproducible, so make as many copies as you need!
 |
| Stress Busting |
Grace Wilhelm is a National Board Certified Counselor with experience in mental health and school counseling. She enthusiastically presents to counselors, teachers, youth workers, and parents on anger, stress, crises intervention, communication, data, counseling programs, play sessions, and more.
Mrs. Wilhelm has been awarded ASCA National School Counselor of the Year Semifinalist, RAMP, and FLDOE Parent Involvement Award. She has written student workbooks on anger control and stress management. She has completed two DVDs on Games and Play to Enhance Counseling and Teaching Strategies: Creative Ways to Engage Students in Small Groups, Classrooms or Individual Counseling Sessions.
Speaking engagements have taken Grace as far away as Papua New Guinea. She currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Mark and three children. She enjoys traveling, genealogy and playing the violin.
Need help? Have questions? Voice a concern?
Contact info @counselorgames.com
Contact Grace at grace @counselorgames.com
Get more here:
Teach Stress Management with everyday games using play therapy techniques.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
10 Favorite School Counselor Resources by Angela
Angela Poovey is a school counselor in North Carolina and she wrote a great post for the beginning of the school year. Check out some of her TOP 10 School Counselor Resources in her post which is re-posted here with her blessings.
You can find out more about Angela on her blog: Life on the Fly...A School Counselor Blog
Make an Investment: TOP 10 School Counselor Resources
by Angela Poovey
1. Kimochis. Love this doll for talking to kids, especially young ones, about feelings and situations that are causing those feelings. I used to have this one, but now it is not easily available in full size so I switched things up. Meet "Lovey Dovey"....kids love putting the feelings under his wing.
2. Wooden dollhouse. Another great "must-have" for talking with younger kids, but I must say ALL ages at my schools have loved to look at it. I have noticed that if you ask kids to "organize" the furniture while you are talking to them, they are much more relaxed. This new version is smaller than my old one and was pretty reasonable here.
3. Kinetic sand. You may remember all my STEM projects over the past two years. After using kinetic sand with those activities, I decided that I loved using it in individual counseling, too. The kids would agree. It is probably the number 1 item kids love to look at while we are meeting. This year I added a sand tray so kids could play with it more easily without a mess. Note: You can use a 40% or 50% off coupon and get it for a great price at Michael's.
4. Butcher paper and markers. This old-school standby has been a "go to" since DAY ONE of my counseling career. Cheap, easy, replaceable, and totally open to kids' (and your) creativity. Cover your table today!
5. Mirror decals. My new addition to the office is becoming a big hit. So far it has mainly been a conversation piece during new student lunches, but I added some positive thought decals above and below the rectangles for future use with replacing negative thoughts.
6. Number line scale. If you use solution-focused counseling as a main theory, as I do, having a visual where kids can clip their number is a must-have. Mine was created by a PTA volunteer years ago and probably should be updated. However, if it's not broken, don't fix it (or something like that)!
8. Problem solving card (picture coming). I use this card when I work with students on friendship problems or conflict resolution EVERY WEEK. It is a great laminated "take away" resource for kids to have and helps them transfer problem solving skills to other areas when they aren't with me. Here is a very early version I used for K-2. I will take a current pic ASAP!
9. I didn't want to list every bibliotherapy book that I LOVE because then my entire blog post would be purely about books (maybe a later post?!). However, here are a few top books that I love for behavior, academics, and social skills (All are available on Amazon and a few have lessons on my TPT that correspond).
10. Balloons. I wrote about balloons in my Found Objects post, and I am
still using them today. Whether using them as an icebreaker or in a
celebration moment with "Balloon Balloon", illustrating anger
management, or practicing specific skills such as coping strategies or
friendship skills, balloons come in handy. They are inexpensive, don't
take up a lot of space, and are a fun,concrete visual.
So, there you have it! Write a grant, ask your PTA for money, or beg your principal so you can get some of these fun resources. What are your faves?! I'd love to hear!
Happy Counseling! ~ Angela
Thank you for sharing with us, Angela.
You can find out more about Angela and her work as a school counselor on her blog: Life on the Fly...A School Counselor Blog
Let's not forget about business partners. Let them know what you are doing and how it will impact the community and your students. They may be willing to support your program.
Please share your ideas below in the comments:
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