This week on Counselor Chat, I’m zooming out.

Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about college exploration, career research, brackets, and future possibilities. But in this episode I wanted to step back and ask a bigger question — one I ask my upper elementary and middle school students every year:

How long is a lifetime?

To explore that question, I use a simple visual with jellybeans, where each one represents a day of life. When students see them all laid out it feels like forever… until we start sorting them into things like sleeping, working, and everyday routines.

That’s when perspective shifts.

When we do the math together, students realize the average person may spend about 43 years working before retirement. And that leads to one of my favorite questions to ask them:

Instead of focusing only on what job they want someday, students begin thinking about the kind of life they want to build — and how the effort and skills they build now create opportunities later.

• The jellybean lifetime visual and why it resonates with students

• How I help students see the value of their time and future choices

• Why asking students how they want life to feel changes the conversation

• The connection between effort today and opportunities later

• The transferable skills that prepare students for any career path

Sometimes the most powerful lessons aren’t about choosing a career yet.

They’re about helping students understand that their time matters.

Because when you see your life represented by jellybeans, it becomes real.

Future Plans Lesson (How Long Is A Lifetime?)

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
• Counseling Essentials Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

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154. March Madness and School Counseling

March Madness already brings energy into our school buildings.

Students are talking about brackets.

There’s excitement.

Competition.

Predictions about who will win.

In this episode, I share how I take that same excitement and turn it into a college and career exploration experience that students find engaging and meaningful.

Because if there’s one thing I want students to feel about their futures, it’s this:

I want their future to feel exciting, not overwhelming.

So instead of basketball teams…

I create a Future Bracket Challenge.

As I tell my students during this lesson:

What if colleges competed for you?

What if careers battled it out?

And what if you got to decide what makes it to your Final Four?

• How to turn March Madness energy into meaningful college and career exploration

• The College Research Pennant Project and how it makes research feel celebratory instead of overwhelming

• The Career Research Pennant Project that helps students connect education pathways to real careers

• A Career Cluster Bracket Challenge that encourages critical thinking and reflection

• A Sweet 16 Skills Bracket that explores essential future workplace skills

• Reflection questions that help students identify what matters most in their future

These activities help students begin to see their future not as something distant or intimidating…

But something they can start exploring right now.

Career Research Pennant Project

College Research Pennant Project

These ready-to-use templates include structured research sections and resource links, so students can focus on exploration rather than teachers building materials from scratch.

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
• Counseling Essentials Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

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153. Shamrocks, Rainbows, and Gold: St. Patrick’s Day SEL That Actually Works

March in an elementary school often comes with a little extra magic.

Leprechaun footprints.

Construction paper rainbows.

Gold coins hidden in classrooms.

But seasonal fun doesn’t have to mean fluffy lessons.

In this episode, I'm sharing creative ways to turn St. Patrick’s Day excitement into meaningful social-emotional learning experiences that students will actually remember.

You’ll hear simple strategies you can use right away to teach growth mindset, resilience, goal setting, impulse control, and emotional regulation — all while leaning into the fun of the season.

As I remind students during one of these lessons:

• A Luck vs Effort growth mindset lesson students love

• How to use rainbows to teach goal setting

• Turning leprechaun traps into problem-solving activities

• A character traits treasure hunt with gold coins

• A gratitude shift from “I’m lucky because…” to “I worked hard for…”

• A playful impulse control lesson: Leprechaun Trick or Think

• Rainbow Regulation coping strategies for younger students

These activities help students understand that success isn’t about luck.

It’s about effort, perseverance, and learning along the way.

Seasonal lessons can absolutely be fun.

But when you add purpose, reflection, and conversation, they become something much more powerful.

Because when students are laughing, engaged, and thinking…

That’s when the learning sticks.

And that might just be the real pot of gold.

Luck vs Effort Lesson

Lucky Day Icebreakers

Being Golden with your Cyber Smarts

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
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• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

Behavior concerns often land squarely on the school counselor’s shoulders, leaving counselors feeling overwhelmed, reactive, and stretched thin.

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I'm breaking down MTSS for Behavior (MTSSB) in a clear, practical way that centers teamwork, intentional decision-making, and counselor sustainability.

This conversation moves away from compliance and paperwork and toward systems that actually work for students and the adults who support them.

1. What MTSSB really means and why it matters
2. The difference between reacting to behavior and responding intentionally
3. Why behavior decisions should always be team-based
4. How to think about Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports without overwhelm
5. What data-informed decisions look like in real school settings
6. How a clear intervention menu reduces emotional decision-making and burnout

1. Who is currently making Tier 2 behavior decisions in your building?
2. What data are you actually using, and is it useful?
3. Do you have a clear intervention menu, or are you reinventing the wheel each time?

MTSS Behavior Toolkit

Behavior Choice Survey Bundle

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
• Counseling Essentials Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

Episode 151: The Words Matter: Small Language Shifts That Make a Big Difference

The words we use as school counselors matter more than we sometimes realize.

In this practical episode, I talk about everyday phrases we often say automatically and how small shifts in language can create more safety, validation, and trust for students, parents, staff, and ourselves.

This isn’t about doing things wrong. It’s about becoming more intentional with our words, especially when we’re tired, rushed, or navigating emotional situations.

In this episode, we explore:

1. Why phrases like “It’s going to be okay” or “At least…” don’t always land as intended
2. Language shifts that validate emotions without escalating them
3. How curiosity-based phrasing changes the tone of conversations
4. Ways to reduce defensiveness when working with parents and teachers
5. Why scripts are a helpful support during high-emotion moments
6. How the language we use with ourselves impacts burnout and longevity

As you move through your week, I invite you to notice your language without judging it. Just notice where a small shift might help someone feel more seen, heard, and supported.

You don’t need to change everything. One intentional change can make a real difference.

Thank you for the heart you bring to this work every single day.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Episode 150: Not Every Week Is a Highlight Reel

Not every National School Counseling Week looks like a highlight reel, and that’s okay.

In this reflective episode, I share a personal experience from my own school where carefully made plans for National School Counseling Week were replaced by grief, crisis response, and the need to simply be present for students and staff.

This episode is for counselors who felt exhausted, unseen, or overwhelmed, and for anyone who needed permission to let something go.

In this episode, I cover:

1. Why National School Counseling Week can feel complicated and emotional
2. How unexpected events can shift even the best-laid plans
3. What it means to truly “do enough” as a school counselor
4. Why quiet work still matters, even when it isn’t celebrated

A moment from the episode that I hope stays with you:

If National School Counseling Week didn’t look the way you hoped, if you stayed quiet, or if you focused on crisis instead of celebration, I want you to know this: you didn’t fail. You’re human. And the work you do every day still makes a difference.

Thank you for being here and for all you give to this profession.

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

In this episode, I’m joined by Steve Sharp (a middle school counselor in Pennsylvania) and Dr. Perri Rosen (a nationally certified school psychologist and former special educator) to talk about their new book, Lives Worth Living: Applying the Zero Suicide Approach in Schools.

We have an honest, practical conversation about how suicide prevention in schools has often been treated as “crisis response only”—and why the work we do before a crisis (SEL, belonging, school climate, connection) is a critical part of prevention too.

1. Why suicide prevention is often seen as “its own box” in schools—and how to broaden that mindset
2. What the Zero Suicide framework is and why it can be adapted for school systems
3. How SEL, belonging, and school climate function as real protective factors
4. What school counselors may need to unlearn about suicide prevention
5. Why “refer out and hope it resolves” isn’t the full picture—and how schools still play a role in recovery
6. Why re-entry and connection matter so much after a suicide-related crisis
7. How data and continuous improvement can strengthen a school-wide prevention system over time

Suicide prevention isn’t just a training or a risk assessment—it’s the systems we build, the connections we create, and the culture of belonging we protect, so students can truly live lives worth living.

If this episode encouraged you, I’d love for you to follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps other school counselors find support, resources, and reminders that they’re not alone in this work.

Resources Mentioned:

Lives Worth Living

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

In this episode of Counselor Chat, I celebrate the powerful connection between National School Counseling Week and World Read Aloud Day, and why stories play such a meaningful role in student success.

I share how read-alouds create emotional safety, help students name their feelings, and open doors for conversations that might otherwise feel too hard to start. I also read an excerpt from my children’s book, Sammy’s Sad Day, and walked through simple, practical ways counselors can use storytelling as a Tier 1 support in classrooms, small groups, and beyond.

This episode is a reminder that success isn’t just measured in data — it’s felt in connection.

1. Why student success starts with emotional safety, not just academics
2. How stories create shared emotional language for students
3. Why read-alouds work so well as low-pressure counseling tools
4. Using books as Tier 1 support for whole-class and school-wide impact
5. Simple reflection questions that build emotional literacy
6. How connection changes behavior and learning outcomes

“You amplify student success when a student feels seen, a teacher uses language you modeled, and a child realizes they’re not alone.

Links Mentioned

Sammy's Sad Day

Perks National School Counseling Week Free Month Deal

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In this episode, I’m sharing a realistic, no-pressure approach to doing a midyear data check, without the guilt, the overwhelm, or the unrealistic expectation of having “perfect” charts and reports. This conversation is all about using what you already have to guide meaningful next steps for your students, instead of stressing over what you didn’t collect.

1. Why “real data” doesn’t always live in spreadsheets and graphs
2. What actually counts as meaningful data in a real school setting
3. Simple reflection questions I use to spot trends and changing needs
4. How I know when it’s time to adjust groups, lessons, or interventions
5. Why January is more about course correction than evaluation
6. How my own energy and workload often point to important patterns

1. What feels heavier than it did in the fall?
2. What feels lighter?
3. Who am I seeing more often—and who am I seeing less?
4. What has surprised me so far this year?

Midyear data isn’t about proving everything worked—it’s about asking one powerful question:

What do students need now?

If this episode encouraged you, I’d love for you to follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps other counselors find support, ideas, and practical strategies too.

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
• Counseling Essentials Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

January is often when attendance challenges start to feel impossible (for students and for counselors). In this episode, I break down why attendance dips during the winter months, how to reframe attendance as a support issue rather than a compliance issue, and what counselors can realistically do to help students re-engage with school.

This episode focuses on compassion, collaboration, and practical strategies that honor what students are really experiencing.

1. Common reasons attendance declines in January (illness, anxiety, routine changes, weather, and more)
2. Why framing attendance as a symptom changes how students respond
3. Language counselors can use to talk about attendance without blame
4. Layered counseling supports for students with chronic absences
5. How small wins (fewer tardies, staying longer, asking for help) matter more than perfect data
6. Engagement strategies that increase motivation and belonging

“Students don’t avoid school because they don’t care. They avoid school because something feels really hard.”

Attendance Small Group

Middle School Attendance Lesson (grades 6-7)

Barriers To Attendance Lesson (grades K-1)

Academic Success Attendance Lesson (grades 2-3)

Barriers to Attendance (grades 4-5)

Chronic Attendance Intervention Lesson (grade 8)

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
• Counseling Essentials Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership