February, the month of LOVE, is home to Valentine’s Day and, personally, my more preferred celebration, Random Acts of Kindness week. This year, RAK week is February 9th-15th. You agree, I’m sure, that RAK should be every day, not just a week-long celebration, but intentionally promoting it during this week…
Category: School Counselor
School Counselor
A LETTER TO MY FAVORITE TEACHER
Dear Mrs. Davis, You were my second grade teacher at Arapaho Elementary School in Richardson, Texas. The year, 1965. I really don’t remember much about what you taught me, outside of the Planets Song, but I remember how you made me feel…Loved. You were old, plump, and wore horn-rimmed glasses. …
School Counselor
THE UMBRELLA PLAN: A Counseling Strategy for Planning Ahead, Just In Case
Have you, like most people, ever taken an umbrella with you just so it wouldn’t rain? You know the old adage about how it won’t rain because you are uncharacteristically prepared for it?! That’s this strategy! When a student seeks you out because of a current significant stressor, grab the…
School Counselor
THE RIPPLE EFFECT: A Strategy for Analyzing Conflicts
rip·ple ef·fect (n.): The continuing and spreading results of an event or action. www.oxforddictionaries.com A simple technique I frequently use with students is the “Ripple Effect” strategy. Often, I work with students who are impulsive in their decisions, resistant to authority, quick to anger, or easily baited by peers to…
School Counselor
YOU SCRATCH MY BACK, I’LL SCRATCH YOURS: The Give and Take in Relationships
With the approach of Valentine’s Day, a very busy day for counselors due to broken or lonely hearts, I thought it would be worthwhile to consider the importance of practicing reciprocity, the ability to give to and receive from others. The ability to give and take in a balanced manner…