Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! Today we are going behind the scenes to talk about how to create engaging class lessons that keep students interested and make your counseling program run smoothly all year long.

1. How to Map Out Lessons for the Year Start by looking at your school calendar and noting upcoming dates, themes, and holidays. For example, October is Bullying Prevention Month, which is a great time to plan related lessons. Review your referral data and needs assessment responses to identify key areas of focus. Check what curriculum your school already uses, such as Second Step, and build from there. You can also base lessons around books to make topics more engaging.

Planning tip: Repurpose content across multiple grade levels to save time and stay consistent.

2. How to Create Lessons Using a Simple Framework Use this five-step framework for 20–30 minute lessons:

• Icebreaker (5 minutes): Start with a fun, short activity to grab attention.

• Lesson (10 minutes): Teach the main concept or skill.

• Discussion (5 minutes): Have students talk in pairs, groups, or as a class.

• Reflect/Review: Leave time for students to write, draw, or journal about what they learned.

• Data Collection: Use quick self-assessments to measure understanding.

Planning tip: Repurpose small group or individual activities by slightly modifying them for classroom use.

3. How to Get Creative Make lessons interactive by incorporating elements such as Scoot Games, Escape Rooms, Digital Game Shows, Breakout Groups, or PowerPoint and Google Slides presentations. These activities help reinforce learning and keep students engaged.

4. How to Engage Students with Movement Movement keeps students focused and helps with participation. Add movement to your icebreakers, activities, and discussions with ideas like:

• Sides of the room

• Simon Says

• Stand up and sit down

• Role play

• Charades

• Beach ball toss or jumbo discussion die

By intentionally planning, getting creative, and incorporating movement, you can design classroom lessons that are fun, effective, and memorable.

Tune in to this episode to hear how I use these strategies step-by-step to make classroom lessons engaging and stress-free!

Resources Mentioned:

• Join IMPACT

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More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!