In this episode Kim and Laura share a few of their favorite school counseling hacks from their ASCA 22 session in Austin, Texas.  

As educators we work with "at-risk" students every day.  In this episode Joe Henershott helps us shift our view of these students from "at-risk" to wounded.  How should we care for wounded people and should it be a different "treatment plan" than for our at-risk students?  This episode explains why these terms aren't necessarily interchangeable, and it may shed some light on why educators are leaving the field in record numbers.  This is an episode to share with all educators!

We know that not everyone is interviewing for a new school counseling job, but we do believe that this episode is full of great reminders for running an effective school counseling program.  And we guarantee that approximately 99% of you will laugh several times throughout the episode.  We also cover the importance of advocating for our role as school counselors especially as  school districts across the nation are eliminating school counseling positions.  

The First 20 Days Course

So many of us are tired of hearing the phrase "self care."  What started out as a great suggestion has become one more task that we feel guilty about not doing.  In this episode Dardi Hendershott offers hope for those of us who feel as though we have fought a huge battle this year.  We believe this episode will inspire you and equip you to help other educators as you start making plans for the upcoming school year.

Have you ever wanted to change up your school counseling program?  Maybe you want to try a different way to engage students.  Maybe you are wanting to add an element of fun.  We believe room transformations could be the answer!  Join us as Amy Hassler, an educator from Indiana, shares some of her favorite room transformations.  She also tells us why they work and how she affords them.  Kim and Laura then discuss how to add the school counseling element to room transformations.  This episode could be the answer to setting your next year apart from every other year!

In this school counseling podcast episode we talk with Leigh and Linda from The Centergy Project.  Find out how they have transformed communities through something they call Student Voice.  Using Conversation Circles they get to the heart of their students' needs.  Then, they partner with agencies who can come in and meet those needs.  Leigh and Linda both believe a former student summed it up best by saying, "No one knows our school better than we do."

Leigh Colburn is a career educator, community leader, and educational consultant. She began her career in elementary school—teaching in all K–5 grades before moving into elementary administration and becoming a principal. Leigh transitioned to high school administration and proudly served as the principal of Marietta High School for ten years until founding the Graduate Marietta Student Success Center on July 1, 2015. Under her leadership, the Graduate Marietta Student Success Center received the 2016 Charter System Innovator of the Year Award for the state of Georgia.

Linda Beggs is a co-founder of The Centergy Project, a Georgia-based education consultancy working with school districts wanting to offer embedded wraparound services. She brings over 30 years of consulting experience focused on organizational development with expertise in culture, change, and team effectiveness. Working with corporate, government, education, and nonprofit organizations has prepared Linda to engage schools to create the high-trust culture essential to implementing wraparound resource centers. Along with her business partner, Leigh Colburn, Linda co-authored The Wraparound Guide, a how-to handbook for helping students overcome barriers to wellness and learning.

The Centergy Project Website

In this episode we're tackling some of the school counseling related questions we get asked the most frequently.  We feel certain that at some point in your career you have asked yourself or a colleague at least one of these questions.  We're talking about vaping, what to do with students who request multiple appointments, 504's, bullying, and even a few other topics mixed in.  Have a burning question?  Email us at [email protected].  We may feature your question on our next FAQ episode!

In this episode we talk to Carey Goldstein, a representative from Cultures of Dignity (which was founded by the author of Queen Bees and Wannabes), about what we have always called "relational aggression." Listen and find out why that term may need to be changed!  Carey shares "Rubber Meets the Road" interventions that you can use with your students to help them resolve conflicts.

Carey can be reached at [email protected]

You can check out Cultures of Dignity on their website: www.culturesofdignity.com

It is the busiest season of the year.  And dare we say NOT the most wonderful time of the year?  In this rubber meets the road episode we are sharing some of our tried and true strategies for staying organized during testing season as well as some of the lessons we have done with students to teach test taking tips.  Both of these things will be huge helps to your administrators and teachers, AND they answer the questions we always ask ourselves: Am I saving time?  Is this positioning me as a leader?  Am I successful?

Test Taking Centers Lesson

Attack the Test- Test Taking Strategies

Shark Bite Game

Bee Ready Bundle

Timbi Talks about Addiction, is the nationally-acclaimed children’s book that has helped thousands of children build resilience by connecting their body’s response to trauma with age-appropriate techniques to help calm the central nervous system.  Timbi is designed to de-stigmatize the conversation about addiction. 

As we say often, necessity is the mother of all invention.  Unfortunately, that's the story behind this resource for children whose family members may be struggling with addiction.  Listen as we talk to co-authors and sisters, Trish Luna and Janet Hellier, as they talk about what prompted them to create this resource.  Find out what their goals are, what skills students learn through this resource, and how you can get involved.

www.timbitalks.com

[email protected]

The book is available on Amazon, and the book as well as the other items in the Timbi program are available on our website. We offer a 30% discount to non-profits.

Refrigerator sheet of techniques and topics:

Timbi loves sharing ways to calm down and let go of difficult feelings.

You can:

Talk to safe adults.

Take some deep breaths to feel calmer.

Remember addiction is a disease, and not your fault.

Learn to listen when your body says,“Something’s not right.”

Play outside in nature.

Feel thankful for people, places and things in your life.

Remember to have fun and be silly sometimes.

Play with your friends

Read books. It helps your brain.

Hug your teddy, blankie, or other lovey.

Always remember that you are good, you are loved, you are strong.