News — school counselor

Friendship Skills Lessons and Activities for the Primary Classroom

Friendship Skills Lessons and Activities for the Primary Classroom

It was a sunny September day, years ago, and I had just kicked off the second week of my second...

Back to School Activities Round Up for Social Emotional Learning

Back to School Activities Round Up for Social Emotional Learning

Let’s take the BS out of BTS with my favorite Back to School resources for K-3. These tools will be...

Summer Countdown SEL Activities Round-Up

Summer Countdown SEL Activities Round-Up

Hello, is it peace you’re looking for? Since we all have such different end dates, but such similar #feels during...

Why Gratitude is Important & Engaging Gratitude Activities for Kids

Why Gratitude is Important & Engaging Gratitude Activities for Kids

Why Gratitude in the Classroom? Gratitude- she's not in our curriculum and we only seem to put her on a...

The Benefits of Teaching Mindfulness in The Classroom and Activities You Can Implement Today

The Benefits of Teaching Mindfulness in The Classroom and Activities You Can Implement Today

Picture this: a classroom buzzing with excitement, where students are not only absorbing information but also thriving in a space...

Creative Anti-Bullying Activities, Unity Day and Pink Shirt Ideas for Elementary Students

Creative Anti-Bullying Activities, Unity Day and Pink Shirt Ideas for Elementary Students

If you teach or support primary students, you may have noticed a distinct pattern when you mention the word bully. It...

The Benefits of Using Collaborative Mural Posters and Art Projects in the Classroom

The Benefits of Using Collaborative Mural Posters and Art Projects in the Classroom

Hold the phones...  Have you tried collaborative posters with your class, lunch bunch or small counseling group yet?  Collaborative murals...

How to Teach and Help Kids Cope with Effective and Healthy Coping Strategies

How to Teach and Help Kids Cope with Effective and Healthy Coping Strategies

Long before singing ABCs and counting 123s, we marvel at the magical world of emotions. Teaching our kids coping strategies at a...

How to Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills to Kindergarten Students

How to Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills to Kindergarten Students

Teaching social emotional learning skills can come naturally to a Kindergarten teacher who has ample periods and invitations to observe...

Fun Seasonal SEL Bulletin Boards Ideas for Teachers and Elementary Counselors

Fun Seasonal SEL Bulletin Boards Ideas for Teachers and Elementary Counselors

If the idea of frequently assembling bulletin board displays gives you hives, and you'll only dabble if you can change...

Benefits of Mindful Coloring for Kids and Counseling Groups

Benefits of Mindful Coloring for Kids and Counseling Groups

I used to think that making it rain coloring pages was a cop out- a lazy, uninspired way of filling gaps...

Why Teaching Your Kids and Students Gratitude is So Important

Why Teaching Your Kids and Students Gratitude is So Important

Gratitude, or expressing thankfulness, is the secret sauce to fulfilled days at home and in the classroom. Although still not perfect,...

Creative Elementary School Bulletin Board Ideas for your Counseling Office

Creative Elementary School Bulletin Board Ideas for your Counseling Office

Bulletin boards- you either hate them or you love 'em. I remember the days of covering my face and running...

Creative Random Acts of Kindness Activities for Teachers and Counselors in the Classroom

Creative Random Acts of Kindness Activities for Teachers and Counselors in the Classroom

Whether we’re seeing frequent conflicts, a general lack of enthusiasm for learning, or a lapse in social etiquette, I’ve got...

October Craft Ideas and Activities for Social Emotional Learning

October Craft Ideas and Activities for Social Emotional Learning

If it smells like children and you’re feeling like you put the hag in haggard lately, you might be ready...

How to Manage Blurting and Talking Out in the Classroom

How to Manage Blurting and Talking Out in the Classroom

Unsolicited yammering. Intentional interrupting. Blurt blasting. You’re tired, you’re disheartened, you’re a teacher who is ready to crack the code...

The Best YouTube Mindful Breathing Exercises to Calm Anxious Kids

The Best YouTube Mindful Breathing Exercises to Calm Anxious Kids

Making room for pockets of mindfulness in your primary program is a no-brainer. One second- I'm pausing this blog post to...

How To Set Up a Calm Corner in Your Classroom or Home

How To Set Up a Calm Corner in Your Classroom or Home

In this blog post, we'll talk about why we have calm corners and how we can set one up to...

Mindfulness Picture Books and Read Alouds for Kids

Mindfulness Picture Books and Read Alouds for Kids

Picture Books to Encourage Mindful Kids  Most of us are just trying to stay afloat in a society that praises hustle...

Best Staff Morale Booster Ideas for Teacher Appreciation

Best Staff Morale Booster Ideas for Teacher Appreciation

What do we want? ∙ To be humanized! ∙ To be respected, not penalized, for boundary-setting! ∙ Equity! ∙ Less...

Social Emotional Learning April Activities for the Primary Classroom

Social Emotional Learning April Activities for the Primary Classroom

  Spring is here! And by that I mean dull, dreary weather and a reveal of ghastly little treasures that...

Our Current Top 10 Children's Books for Self-Esteem

Our Current Top 10 Children's Books for Self-Esteem

So you want your child to feel more self-assured. Unfortunately for our quick fix-it minds and weary hearts, higher-order self-confidence comes...

Activities to Teach Kids Conflict Resolution Skills

Activities to Teach Kids Conflict Resolution Skills

Practical Activities to Teach Kids Problem-Solving Skills Picture this: You’ve been having a great day. Debbie didn’t spray her egg salad...

March Activities for Students for Social Emotional Learning in the Primary Classroom

March Activities for Students for Social Emotional Learning in the Primary Classroom

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the only reason why we might be feeling a little lucky come March. With spring break...

Social Emotional Learning Games for your Counseling Groups or Lunch Bunch

Social Emotional Learning Games for your Counseling Groups or Lunch Bunch

When it comes to your small counseling or Lunch Bunch groups, social emotional learning games are a phenomenal way of...

Infusing SEL into your STEM Programming

Infusing SEL into your STEM Programming

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and S.E.L (social-emotional learning) go harmoniously like PB and J. By using the two to...

February Round Up: The Best of Social-Emotional Learning Tools

February Round Up: The Best of Social-Emotional Learning Tools

  Ah, February. The grueling grind that January brought has finally subsided, leaving you to identify as one of two...

Reinforcing Rules in your Primary Classroom Back from Winter Break

Reinforcing Rules in your Primary Classroom Back from Winter Break

  And just like that, another winter holiday break has come and gone. The majority of us educators have successfully avoided our...

January Round-Up: The Best of Social-Emotional Learning Tools for Primary Students and Counseling Groups

January Round-Up: The Best of Social-Emotional Learning Tools for Primary Students and Counseling Groups

  [In a jazzy Michael Bublé croon] It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new year for...

December Activity and Craft Ideas for Social Emotional Learning

December Activity and Craft Ideas for Social Emotional Learning

All may not be calm & bright, and they may only be silent at night, but we can do our...

How to Prevent and Handle Tantrums Through Conscious Parenting and Teaching

How to Prevent and Handle Tantrums Through Conscious Parenting and Teaching

Read until the end for your sensory break freebie!  Loud, wildly unpredictable, comes at the absolute worst time and has the...

How to Raise and Teach Confident Kids

How to Raise and Teach Confident Kids

What do growth mindset, positive relationship-building and academic success all have in common? They are all powered by a strong...