Is it really possible to meet with EVERY student in your school? We know it’s important to check in with students to see how they are doing but how could you possibly sit down and talk with every single student? Our guest today, Dr. Heidi MacDonald is a school psychologist who uses “minute meetings” to talk to every student in her school and is sharing how you can implement this in your school as well!

Dr. Heidi MacDonald is in her 25th year of being a school psychologist. She resides in Connecticut but was born and raised in Pennsylvania.  She is a proud graduate of Penn State University's School Psychology Program.  She is married to a school psychologist and they have one daughter, who is a Junior at Penn State.  Heidi loves her job! She enjoys supervising interns from and teaching in the School Psychology Program at the University of Hartford.  In her spare time, Heidi loves working out, thrift shopping, crafting, and batching everything that she can in order to make life more efficient.  She and her family have 4 cats and 1 guinea pig, Marcel, who goes to school with her.

We want to make sure that no student falls through cracks and that every student is getting the services they need. Getting the student’s perspective and input on how things are going not only gives us valuable data but also gives us insight into how we can best support our students. In this episode, Heidi is sharing about her role as a school psychologist, how she implements minute meetings, and what the benefits of implementing these meetings are.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/minute-meetings

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Resources Mentioned:

Join the IMPACT Membership: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/impact 

Check out Heidi's Website: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Sr8SQs4KrLD-Lw1R7_kqImCGEhr_zpF-mEfChr6uHhQ/edit#slide=id.g8a30f011fe_0_0 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

You know I absolutely LOVE using data as a school counselor! But why is having a data driven school counseling program so important? Well, first it allows us to see if what we are doing is actually working and helps us tweak things when needed. Second, it’s an amazing way to advocate for our role as school counselors.

And I know it’s early in the school year and you might be wondering why I’m talking about data already but it’s so important to start using and tracking data right from the start! Plus, there are great ways to use data from the previous year to help your students as soon as possible.

So, this week, I want to focus on how to plan data driven small groups to make the biggest impact on your kiddos! In this episode, I am sharing the 3 types of data we should use in our programs and how we can use data to determine who is in our groups, document the interventions, and measure progress.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/data-driven-small-groups

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Resources Mentioned:

Join the IMPACT Membership: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/impact 

School Counseling Referral Form: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Counseling-Referral-Form-2759148 

School Counseling Data Collection Spreadsheets: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Counseling-Data-Collection-Spreadsheets-Caseload-and-Counseling-Log-7485732 

School Counseling Self-Assessments Super Bundle with Digital Data Tracking Forms: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Counseling-Self-Assessments-Super-Bundle-with-Digital-Data-Tracking-Forms-7615254 

Data Collection Behavior Surveys: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Data-Collection-Behavior-Surveys-School-Counseling-Data-Tracking-Forms-5221301 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

Do you feel overwhelmed when it comes to teaching class lessons? You are not alone! One of the things I hear most often is that school counselors want to feel more prepared and competent when it comes to teaching class lessons. I want to help you to love teaching class lessons so I am sharing how I became obsessed with teaching class lessons!

You may not have any classroom teaching experience before teaching class counseling lessons and that is totally okay! There are some things you can do to make your class lessons amazing, effective, and stress-free! In this episode, I am diving into some of the most common concerns I hear from counselors about class lessons. I am sharing my favorite ways to feel more prepared going into class lessons, how to stop last minute planning, why data is key to recognizing the impact you are making, and how to get teachers on board.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/shift-your-mindset-with-class-lessons

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Resources Mentioned:

Sign up for the FREE Masterclass: 3 Mistakes Counselors Make in the Classroom and What to do Instead: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/mistakes 

Episode 100: How to Teach When You're Not a Teacher!: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/teach-when-not-a-teacher 

Episode 98: How to Teach Counseling Lessons When You Have a Huge Caseload: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/lessons-with-huge-caseload  

Grab Your FREE Class Lesson Cheat Sheet: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/class-lesson-cheat-sheet 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

I made a lot of mistakes when I first began as a school counselor. But, everyone makes mistakes and mistakes are amazing learning opportunities. Obviously, if mistakes can be avoided, we’d all prefer to avoid them, right? So to help you avoid the same mistakes I made, I am sharing four mistakes I made when teaching classroom lessons and what I learned from them.

It’s easy to share all the amazing things we do as school counselors but getting vulnerable and sharing our mistakes can be a bit more challenging but, I know how important it is to share what I’ve learned to help make your job as a school counselor stress-free! In this episode, I am sharing what happened when I stretched myself too thin, what I’ve learned about classroom management, and how I stopped scrambling to plan lessons.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/mistakes-with-class-lessons

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Resources Mentioned:

Sign up for the FREE Masterclass: 3 Mistakes Counselors Make in the Classroom and What to do Instead: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/mistakes 

Episode 100: How to Teach When You're Not a Teacher!: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/teach-when-not-a-teacher 

Episode 98: How to Teach Counseling Lessons When You Have a Huge Caseload: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/lessons-with-huge-caseload  

Grab Your FREE Class Lesson Cheat Sheet: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/class-lesson-cheat-sheet 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

How can you easily gather data during class lessons? We know how important it is to collect data during our small group and individual sessions, but it is also important that we gather data from our class lessons as well. The good news is, collecting data from a whole class doesn’t need to be time consuming or complicated!

An easy way to collect data from your class lessons is by using a ticket out the door. Whether you are teaching young students or older students, a ticket out the door helps you gather data to determine if you need to modify your lesson or provide additional resources on the subject you covered. In this episode, I am sharing the pros and cons of using a ticket out the door, examples of this type of data collection, and how you can use the data you collect.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/ticket-out-the-door

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Resources Mentioned:

Sign up for the FREE Masterclass: 3 Mistakes Counselors Make in the Classroom and What to do Instead: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/mistakes 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

Teaching class lessons can be nerve wracking and stressful if you aren’t confident in your ability to teach a whole class. But, just because you may not have been a teacher before, doesn’t mean that you need to dread teaching classroom lessons! I am sharing my favorite tips for feeling more confident when teaching class lessons.

When you have a better understanding of how to teach classroom lessons, you become more confident in teaching them. I know I struggled with feeling confident at first and I want to help you thrive in your classroom lessons! I am explaining how to establish classroom management strategies, have developmentally appropriate lessons, and know you have great content so you can feel more confident teaching classroom lessons.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/confident-teaching-classroom-lessons

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Resources Mentioned:

Grab your Class Lesson Cheat Sheet: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/class-lesson-cheat-sheet 

Episode 94: Classroom Management Mistakes You May Not Know You're Making with Kindergarten Teacher Kristina Harrill: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/classroom-management-mistakes 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

Have you struggled to keep students engaged during class lessons? Over the years, I have tried out many games, activities, and strategies to keep students engaged. Through this, I have found a framework for creating class lessons that are engaging and are also rich in content!

Creating engaging class lessons for your students doesn’t need to be difficult. The Lesson Builder Framework is a five step framework that takes the guesswork out of how to create a class lesson that keeps your students engaged and learning during your counseling lessons. In this episode, I am breaking down these five steps and giving you practical examples of how to use these steps in your lessons.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/lesson-builder-framework

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Resources Mentioned:

Grab your Class Lesson Cheat Sheet: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/class-lesson-cheat-sheet 

Check out the Discussion Dice Cubes on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OqJGaW 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

How can we possibly meet with every class every month? I get asked this question all the time! Thinking of all the class lessons you need to teach on top of the individual and group lessons can be a bit overwhelming. I totally get it! That is why I am sharing my favorite scheduling tips to help you manage all your lessons this upcoming year.

When it comes to scheduling all your class lessons, individual sessions, and groups, it is so important to do it in an organized way. The good news is that there are simple solutions and strategies you can use to keep your busy schedule organized. In this episode, I am sharing four of my favorite tips and tools for making your scheduling more efficient and effective!

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/teaching-counseling-lessons

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Resources Mentioned:

Grab your Class Lesson Cheat Sheet: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/class-lesson-cheat-sheet 

Enroll in the Stress-Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

I think most of us want to get better at being culturally competent and ensuring that our students feel included, welcome, and safe in our classroom and schools. But it can definitely be a struggle if we aren’t sure how to make this happen. The truth is that we don’t know what we don’t know and when we do know, we do better. I am so excited to have inclusion expert Jocelynn Hubbard joining me today to share how we can get started creating a more inclusive school for our students. 

Jocelynn Hubbard helps teachers spark joy during the learning experience by creating an inclusive and welcoming classroom environment for ALL their students. She is the founder and managing director of Custom Teaching Solutions, LLC and host of The Culture-Centered Classroom podcast. She has 16+ years of experience in education as an educator, speaker, professional development creator and facilitator. Driven by a passion to see the diverse people of our world feel welcomed, affirmed, and celebrated, she provides training on becoming and remaining culturally competent. As a wife and mother of five, her goals include squeezing in time for exercise, finding moments of joy each day, and parenting each of her children as unique individuals.

Jocelynn received a B.S. in Education from Miami University (OH) and an MA in Education from The University of North Carolina – Pembroke. She also has a graduate certificate in Gifted & Talented instruction from The University of North Carolina – Charlotte.

You are going to learn so many amazing and practical tips from Jocelynn to help make your space and school more welcoming and inclusive for all students! In today’s episode, Jocelynn is sharing what cultural competency actually is, strategies for ensuring your content and lessons are culturally inclusive, what small things counselors can do to make a bigger impact at their school, and the importance of connecting with the community and caregivers.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/school-counselors-can-affirm-culture 

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Resources Mentioned:

Join IMPACT in July and get the Stress Free Counseling Course FREE: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/july 

Grab your FREE Welcoming & Culturally Inclusive Checklist: https://customteachingsolutions.com/thechecklist 

5 Strategies for Stress Free Counseling: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/blog/5-strategies-for-stress-free-scheduling 

Enroll in the Stress Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971

One of my absolute favorite tools for scheduling is Google Calendar. There are so many things to keep track of as a busy school counselor and Google Calendar just makes it so easy to keep it simple and organized. Today, I am sharing some of my favorite tech hacks for maximizing your Google Calendar features to simplify your counseling calendar. 

There are so many great features and tools within Google Calendar and I am slightly obsessed with how beneficial they are! Whether you are trying to automate lesson reminders, keep your information organized to help with data, or schedule out recurring lessons with ease, I got you covered! I am sharing 4 of my best hacks for helping you get the most out of Google Calendars.

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Show Notes: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/podcast-episodes/google-calendar-scheduling-hacks

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Resources Mentioned:

Join IMPACT in July and get the Stress Free Counseling Course FREE: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/july 

5 Strategies for Stress Free Counseling: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/blog/5-strategies-for-stress-free-scheduling 

Enroll in the Stress Free School Counseling Course: https://www.stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/enroll

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Connect with Rachel:

Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bright-Futures-Counseling

Blog: https://brightfutures-counseling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturescounseling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2473191466030095

If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/school-counseling-simplified-podcast/id1534494971