The Counseling Teacher
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I am a middle school counselor in Germantown, TN, a suburb of Memphis (home of the blues and barbecue.) I have three fabulous kids and an amazing husband. Currently, we have 3 cats, two dogs, 2 llamas, 9 chickens and 2 ducks. In this blog you will find adventures of a middle school counselor.
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
As educators, we often put our needs aside in order to take care of everyone else. It's in our nature. As we head back to school this year, try to put a focus on avoiding burnout and thriving instead of merely surviving. Use the following 20 quotes that inspire self care to take care of yourself this school year. Download the free signs here.
1. "When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life. " – Jean ShinodaBolen
2.“When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
Notifications seem to be the new addiction these days. Adults, teens, and kids are finding themselves becoming dependent on technology. The cell phone habit has become epidemic. It's an easy way to escape from reality. We need to start educating our students on how to become aware of their addictions and how to ask for help. If you don't want to get caught in this trap, follow these simple rules to escape becoming a digital zombie.
A Dozen Ways to Avoid Technology Addiction
Set time limits on your usage.
Create "digital free" days or weekends.
Be honest about your usage ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
After five years of tweaking, I have finally finished another revision of the editable school counseling planner that I make each year. I want to share with you some tips for setting up your planner.
Planner Set up & CustomizationSetting up your planner is easy. You just open the editable file in powerpoint, choose the pages you want and delete the others. You can also move pages around and copy and paste as many pages as you need, in the order that you want. Once you have it the way you want it, save it as a pdf file. Next, either take the file to a local ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
Teasing can be a term of endearment or a form a bullying. Students do not always know the rules of teasing and how it can be hurtful. I like to use the sloth acronym when teaching these teasing rules to students. (Mostly because sloths are fun and I am obsessed with them.)
When teasing, consider the S-L-O-T-H.
S=Sarcastic
If used correctly, sarcasm can be funny. However, some people aren't as good at recognizing sarcasm as others, especially if they are younger. So use this sparingly and only with people you know well enough to know they can handle it.
L=Language is offensive ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
How you do end the school year? The end of the year is hectic and often filled with unexpected interruptions. I like to have calming, yet engaging activities ready to pull out for those surprise moments when the students need a moment to calm down and refocus. I use the 4 M's to bring my students back to me when the rush starts to take over. Mindful coloring, music/lighting, memory journaling, and making summer goals are my favorite ways to close out any school year.
Mindful Coloring
Coloring is considered a "mindful" activity because it allows us to focus on the prese ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
How do you keep your classroom climate warm and friendly? Do students bring drama into the classroom? These amazing quotes about friendship can be used to help guide students along their path to forming healthy relationships. Classroom teachers can pick a "quote of the week" to spark conversation and set the tone each week. If you are a school counselor, use these in your friendship lessons. I have printed these out and have them hanging in my office. You can download a printable copy here.
Friendship Quotes to Live By
"Don't walk beh ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
Educators are teaching growth mindset in the classroom because it works. When students change their attitudes, change the words that they say to themselves, and change the way they look at life, they begin to change their outcome. One of the easiest ways to teach growth mindset is to discuss famous quotes about it. These are my favorites.
Top 40 Life Changing Quotes Every problem is a gift. Without them we wouldn’t grow.
~Tony Robbins
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
~Albert Einstein
It does not matter how ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
Educators are beginning to tap into the powerful effects of mindfulness in the classroom. In a world full of digital distractions and access to immediate endless amounts of information, being able to sit back and meditate has become most important. Students must be taught how to unplug from the racing thoughts in their minds and plug into the peace found in the simple moments in life. Multi-tasking has it's purpose, but being able to focus on one simple moment at a time is the best medicine for the soul.
3 Easy Mindfulness Activities for Students
The Body Scan (Progressive Muscl ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
Mindfulness is one of the most overlooked powerful tools in our lives. Maybe it's the perceived simplicity of the concept that makes people dismiss it's value. However, research shows that practicing simple mindful behaviors daily can result in long term mental and physical benefits. Even better, your students can improve their concentration, memory, and overall happiness.
Mindfulness is simply being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the current moment and accepting your reality for what it is without judgement.
50 Mindfulness Quotes (Sprinkled with mindfulness a ..read more
The Counseling Teacher
3y ago
“We can do hard things.”
This quote echoes through our home pretty often, and it’s one that I have to say to myself a lot, too. (7am faculty meetings, anyone?!)
The truth is that life is tough. And the students in whom we are so heavily invested are also navigating their own share of hard things. From bullying and friendship struggles to family problems and exposure to drugs, our students are facing lots of decisions that make life complicated and difficult.
One of the most significant ways we can empower our students to face hard things in life is by equipping them with a growth mindset ..read more