Sunday, November 29, 2015

Teachers and Stress Podcast

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 


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. 
 
http://www.counselorgames.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=63
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. 

 


http://www.counselorgames.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=63
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

In my last post, I mentioned that I was in the process of buying new resources for my new school. One of the good things about starting fresh somewhere is that you get rid of clutter and can really focus in on your most essential "go to" items that work no matter what your school population, demographic, or location.  After three schools in three different counties, here are my top 10 "investment" items for a school counselor (FYI- I have no affiliations with any of these products; I just love them all!)

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)!

7. Check-in feeling sheet.  Nothing helps kids zero in on the main issue at hand faster than this check-in sheet. It is laminated so students can put feeling faces with a dry erase marker or make faces with play-doh.  Easy breezy!

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:

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Red Ribbon Week: How Did it Start?




How did Red Ribbon Week start?  It started with a true life story about a federal agent named Kiki Camarena.  He had a passion to end substance abuse and crime in the USA.  Read his story here.  Copy and paste and share this story with your students during Red Ribbon Week as long as you give credit to the author.   The questions at the end of the story help teachers to tie this into multiple subject areas.  



The Meaning of Red Ribbon Week


                When Kiki Camarena was young, he decided to join the Marines.  After serving his country as a Marine, he joined the police force.  His career brought him further when he next joined the Drug Enforcement Agency as an agent for the government of the United States.  He felt this was the best thing to do because he truly cared about helping people and stopping drugs.  His mother was very concerned about Kiki’s career path and the dangers of his job.  She tried to talk him out of it.  Kiki told his mother that in his heart he could not quit his work.  He said, “I’m only one person, but I want to make a difference.” 
            In 1985, the DEA sent Kiki to work undercover in Mexico.  For weeks he lived among the drug cartel and gathered information and evidence.  He was ready to wrap up his assignment when the drug dealers figured out what he was up to.  They discovered his identity.  He was kidnapped and tortured to death. 
            People that knew Kiki felt sorrow when they learned of his death.  To honor his memory, friends and neighbors wore red badges of satin.  They wanted to continue Kiki’s work against illegal drugs.  Parents who worked together in local coalitions to fight against the drug problem made Kiki their model.  They embraced his belief that one person could make a difference.  They adopted the symbol of the red ribbon as their own. 
            From this grass roots beginning grew Red Ribbon Week.  This is held the last week of October nationwide.  In Jacksonville, Florida we campaign against drugs and work hard to warn children and students in school about the dangers and effects of drug use.  When you see red ribbons around Jacksonville and our country, we hope you will remember the story of Kiki and others like him who work hard to “Say No to Drugs.” 

By Grace Wilhelm
counselorgames.com





  1.  What is the DEA?
  2. How and why was Kiki murdered?
  3. What did Kiki tell his mother about why he wanted to work against drugs?
  4. What does working undercover mean in the second paragraph? 
  5. What does the phrase “wrap up his assignment” mean in the second paragraph?
  6. Write two sentences to describe the career path of Kiki Camarena.  Tell what jobs he held after high school and why he chose those jobs. 
  7. What is a coalition?  (in the third paragraph)
  8. What will you now think of when you see a red ribbon?
  9. Do you think it is important to say “no” to drugs?  Tell why or why not. 
  10. Where is Mexico?
  11. What are some ill effects of drugs on your body? 




The Meaning of Red Ribbon Week
Answer Key


Language Arts
1.      Abbreviations – Drug Enforcement Agency
2.      Recall – Kiki was kidnapped and tortured because drug dealer discovered he was working for the police
3.      Recall – Kiki told his mother he wanted to make a difference
4.      Idiom – in secret, using a different identity
5.      Idiom – to finish it
6.      Sequence - Marines – to serve his country, Police Force, and DEA – to help people and to stop drugs
7.      Vocabulary – special groups that work together for a reason
8.      Inference – different student responses
Blood that Kiki shed, the story of Kiki, to say no to drugs
9.       Opinion – different written responses with a reason
Geography
10.   Mexico is our neighbor on the southern border of the United States.
Science
11.  Headaches, loss of esteem, loss of weight, diseases, cancer, blood problems, stomach aches, sweating, loss of memory, inability to concentrate, loss of sleep or cannot wake up, coma, death


 


             Grace Wilhelm, M.A. 
             counselorgames.com