“I don’t know how!” “I can’t!” “I don’t want to!” “I don’t care!” Working in public education for 20+ years has afforded me the opportunity to observe some consistently true dynamics. One such interaction is the interplay between attitude, effort, and ability among students. In recent years there has been…
Tag: school psychologist
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 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…
School Counselor
A NEW TAKE ON AN OLD SONG–A Counseling Strategy
“If you want to be happy and you know it, clap your hands!” Clap. Clap. “If you want to be happy and you know it, clap your hands!” Clap. Clap. “If you want to be happy and you know it then make sure your face will show it, If you…