ice breaker

I was supposed to present my ice breaker on Tuesday but we did not have class due to the weather.  I wanted to go ahead and post my ice breaker.

Scattergories

This ice breaker is called scattergories.  It is a good way to get people up and moving and interacting so they can learn more about each other.

The facilitator calls out two choices to a question.  Participants then divide themselves by joining with everyone who shared their choice.  You continue to ask as many interesting questions as you like in this fashion.

I have often used this in guidance classes when doing lessons on peer pressure.  I might call out two choices to a question, such as “Do you like Justin Bieber or not?”  Students then walk to the designated side of the room with everyone who shared their choice.  It is very interesting to see how students watch others before they make their choice.  This then leads to a discussion about how we can be influenced by others.

Magic Wand

If I had a magic wand, I would love to be able to change our students’ home environment.  The family environment plays a huge role in children’s performance at school. I can see a tremendous difference in the home lives of our students just since I began my career in education.   I can’t imagine how much easier this would make a counselors job.  This is a huge undertaking but I think we have to be willing to try different things.   I think I could help influence the change at my school by hosting more family nights with various parenting strategies, tips on early literacy, etc.  The topics could be endless.

Week 9 Classroom Guidance Lesson

Lesson on Peer Pressure

Over View of Activity

This is a lesson on peer pressure.  I have used it for several years in classroom guidance lessons.  The story and ideas for the lesson come from a book I have entitled:  Lively Lessons For Classroom Sessions.

Purpose

The purpose of the lesson is for students to be aware of how they can be influenced by their peers and to have an understanding that not all peer pressure is negative.

Intervention Level

Prevention

Age Group/Grade

9-10 years old/4^th grade

Materials Needed

Book:  Lively Lessons For Classroom Sessions, 1 orange card and 1 yellow card for each student, notecards with types of peer pressure

Introduction:  (10 Min.)

I give each student an orange and a yellow card.  I read some alternatives and the students choose between 2 things by holding up the designated colored card.  We then discuss if anyone felt pressure to make the same choice as the majority of the class.  I then define peer pressure (Peer pressure has to do with kids who are around your age-your peers-talking you into doing things you don’t think you should do.)

Story:  (15 Min.)

I read:  The Park Street 10.  It is a story about a group of friends who do things together in the neighborhood during the summer.  One day, a boy suggests that they ride bikes by the railroad tracks.  One girl decides not to go because it is dangerous.  She feels sure she has lost her friends but then the entire group decides not to ride bikes by the railroad tracks.

Discussion Questions:  (5 Min.)

Follow –Up Activities:  (15 Min.)

I define for the students 4 types of peer pressure

1.        Obvious positive:  Kids pressure other kids to do the right thing.

2.       Obvious negative:  Kids are pressuring other kids to do things they know are wrong or dangerous.

3.       Subtle positive:  No one actually comes out and ask anyone to do something positive, but a person wants to do the positive thing because everyone else is doing it.

4.       Subtle negative:  No one is actually telling you to do the wrong thing but because the person wants to be like the rest of the crowd, they go along with the action.

Group Activity: 

Divide the class into 4 groups.  Each group draws a card with a type of peer pressure.  Each group of students role-play to demonstrate a real-life example of the type of peer pressure named on the group’s card.  They act it out for the rest of the class.

Conclusion

We discuss how there is no magic way to fight negative peer pressure.  We talk about standing up and doing the right thing.

Week 7

I received good feedback from tape 1.  I would like to continue working on giving more purposeful homework and directions for the students between sessions.  I hope to continue to improve by reviewing different counseling theories.  I still have my book from Advanced Theories and I would like to review some of those theories before conducting my next individual counseling session.  Several times I have recorded sessions and have not been happy with how they turned out. I think we can be very critical of ourselves so it was very helpful to me to get positive feedback from my tape 1.  It helps me in class to listen to others share and it is extremely helpful to listen to others when they play their recorded counseling sessions.  I have been impressed with how my classmates listen and reflect on feeling and meaning during their sessions.

5 goals

1.  I would like to become more comfortable working with middle school and high school age students.  Almost all of my counseling experiences have been with elementary age children.

2.  I would like to FINALLY complete my Rank I.

3.  I would like to use small groups more.  They are very powerful but over the years I have tended to focus more on classroom guidance lessons and individual counseling.

4.  I would like to become more consistent with keeping case notes on students.  This practicum has been good for me in that regard.

5.  I would love to be able to redefine the role of elementary counselors in my district.  The elementary counselors are often asked to do many administrative duties because there is no assisstant principal. 

2 movies

One movie I would recommend would be Soul Surfer.  It teaches students to persevere no matter what their circumstances.  I think counselors would like it because it's just sooo inspirational.  I used clips from this movie during guidance class one year and the kids loved it.  You can't help but be inspired when you see her try to learn and surf again with just one arm.  The little girls especially enjoyed this and the little boys were drawn in by the SHARK!



I figured this was one movie (Freedom Writers) that lots of people would have on their favorites list but I still had to put it on mine because I have always loved this movie.  I also read the Freedom Writers Diary that inspired the movie.  It covers so many issues but one of the things I loved most about the movie was the since of home and community that was developed in their classroom.  I think the atmosphere in the classroom demonstrated the core conditions that we talk about so much in counseling.  In the students' classroom they felt acceptance, respect, warmth, and caring.  Please take the time to watch it if you haven't seen it already and I'm definitely going to watch it again because I haven't seen it in a while.

Top 20

Top 20 reasons why my school needs a counselor.  Not necessarily in any order.

20.  To teach classroom guidance lessons.
19.  Help students develop better peer relationships and social skills.
18.  Help children learn to set goals and make decisions.
17.  To chair ARC meetings and 504.
16.  To help teachers analyze assessment data
15.  To console kindergarten students on the first day of school.
14.  To teach students what it means to be a "Bucket Filler"
13.  To be on bus duty in the afternoon since I don't have a homeroom!
12.  To set up testing schedules and make sure all walls are clear before accountability testing. Fun!
11.  To help students resolve conflicts.
10.  To help students learn to resolve conflicts without adult assisstance.
9.  To provide small group counseling.
8.  Provide individual counseling.
7.  To teach:  The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey
6.  To be an extra chaperone on field trips.  This is actually one of the best times to watch children interact with each other.
5.  To provide a comfortable chair in the counselor's office for teachers and staff who just need a minute to sit.
4.  To provide early identification and intervention for children who have personal/social or academic needs.
3.  To help the child, family, and school work together.
2.  To collaborate with parents, teachers, and administrators.
1. To contribute to the academic success of all students.