Category Archives: Small Groups

Aug 10 2012

The “Anger” Games

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As I continue to prepare for a new year of school counseling, I’ve been on the look out for games to use with my anger management groups.  I want to share a couple I have found with you.

The m&m® Anger game is a fun and TASTY way for your group members to share their feelings about anger.  I found this game board by Lori Kotarba in an old PIC (Practical Ideas for Counselors) Newsletter. 

You’ll need to create your game boards, color them, and laminate them.  Give each student a fun size pack of m&m’s®.  If you have one large bag, give each child 10-15 of them making sure they have at least one of every color.  The students will then sort their m&m’s® on the game board.  Students will take turns sharing their answers for each color.  If a student has two orange m&m’s®, he or she will share two things that make him or her angry.  (This is according to my sample.  Your color order can be however you choose.)  As the students share they may eat their m&m’s®.

Another popular idea comes from Diane Senn’s latest book called Guidance Mini-Lessons.  She calls it Beach Ball Buzz.  Her book gives suggested statements for an anger management beach ball.  She includes a couple of silly directions to add fun to the game as well.

This beach ball has the following statements from the book:

  • Show us how to take three deep breaths when you are angry.
  • Name one thing that happens to your body when you are getting angry.
  • Share a time when you got angry.
  • Name one thing that helps you calm down when you are angry.
  • Sing the “ABC” song out loud.
  • Pretend you are a bird and fly around the room.
Beach Ball Buzz is only one of many great mini-lessons in this book.

 

Be sure to check out my Teachers pay Teachers store for an Anger Management Activity Pack which includes a foldable, 8 anger management strategy posters, and an I-Messages Activity- all for only $3.00.

AngerFoldable

OT:  The PIC article suggested creating m&m® game boards for whatever topics you choose.  So, I created two others to share with you.  One can be used in a  self-esteem group and the other is for a  getting to know you session with new students.

Stick around!  You can follow Savvy School Counselor with free email updates.  As always, I’d love to hear from you.  What are some anger management games or activities you have used?

 

Jul 20 2012

Using Thinking Maps in School Counseling: Careers

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Thinking maps are great tools that can be applied to all content areas including school counseling.  They assist students with thinking more in depth about a topic.  School counselors can use them in many ways to enhance the impact of classroom guidance lessons or small groups.  Today, I want to share how you can use these eight thinking maps when teaching about careers.

The eight thinking maps are the circle map, tree map, bubble map, double bubble map, flow map, multi-flow map, brace map, and bridge map.  In this post, I will show how to use each of these thinking maps when teaching students about career awareness.

The circle map is used for defining in context.  This example shows medical careers.

The bubble map is used to describe using adjectives.  This example shows the desired characteristics of a nurse.

The tree map is used for classifying or grouping.  This example shows three career areas.  Under each area are examples of jobs in those careers.

The flow map is used to show sequence and order.  This example shows the steps it might take to obtain a job.  I say might because people starting their own businesses could follow a completely different path.

The multi-flow map is used to show causes and effects.  This example shows what it takes to go to college and how college will in turn lead to knowledge, a degree, and a job.

The bridge map is used for seeing analogies.  This example shows that a chiropractor is a type of doctor just as a professor is a type of teacher.

You can use the double bubble map to compare and contrast two jobs.  It is similar to a Venn diagram.  The three bubbles down the center show similarities, while the bubbles on either side will only show attributes of the bubble they are connected to.

The brace map is used for analyzing whole objects and parts.  Students can chose one job, list three parts of that job, and then further analyze the three parts.

If you haven’t already used thinking maps in your school counseling program, just know they are a great tool to use in order to help students become better learners.

Stick around!  You can follow Savvy School Counselor with free email updates.  As always, I’d love to hear from you.   Do you use thinking maps in your school counseling program?

 

Jul 9 2012

Teaching Children About Self-Expression

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I recently found an adorable book about self-expression called Unique Monique written by Maria Rousaki.  I’m sure you have an idea of why Monique is unique just by looking at the cover.  However, her large, red glasses are not her only way of expressing herself!

Monique attends a school where everyone wears a uniform.  Everyday she must wear her blue top and brown skirt. She wants to be different, so each day she looks for a way to express her uniqueness from painting her nails to carrying a big fancy bag.  Sadly, all of her ideas are prohibited by the school principal.

Interestingly enough, every idea Monique comes up with is quickly embraced by her school mates.  They always return to school the next day repeating the same actions as Monique had done the day before.

It finally ends with Monique displaying her uniqueness in a way her principal could do nothing about!  You’ll have to read the story to find out how!

This book can be used to lead into a discussion about how we are all special and have unique qualities.  Shy or withdrawn students can benefit from a discussion like this as they work to develop positive attitudes toward themselves as unique and worthy people. Monique expressed herself in a variety of ways.  Like Monique, we all have gifts inside to share with others.

I looked in one of my favorite resources, Turn the Page for Play Therapy Activities, for an activity to tie into this discussion.  In order to assist shy or withdrawn students with “coming out of their shells,” it is important to help them realize the strengths that lie within them.  This great resource, by Dr. Michele Neace Page and Dr. Joy Wilson, has an activity called “What’s the Prize Inside?”   This would be a great small group activity.  Each student is given 5-6 plastic eggs, drawing paper, and a small basket.  You can make paper baskets out of paper bags or find some at the dollar tree.

The students will place “prizes” in each of their eggs.  The “prizes” are examples of their own special qualities.  They can cut pictures from magazines or draw their own pictures to illustrate their special qualities.  Each picture will go inside of an egg.  The students can then decide which “prize” they want to share with the group.

I love that this great resource is aligned with the ASCA standards.  Each activity lists the specific standards that are addressed.  It also comes with a CD which includes all of the reproducible pages from the book.

Of course if you don’t have any plastic eggs on hand, you can always have your students make foldables! (I love a foldable!)

I made this foldable with four flaps.  Since the “prizes inside” are like their special gifts to others, your students can decorate the outside of each flap to look like a gift.  Inside each flap, they can glue pictures from magazines or draw the pictures of each gift.  You can create a school counselor sample to share with students.  Behind one flap, glue a picture of an ear because one of your gifts to your students is to be a good listener.  Another flap can have a bandage because your job is to help children heal.

No matter how you choose to use Unique Monique, it will be a hit with your students.  This book also lends itself to a discussion about being who you are- even within a group.  You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing just to fit in.  Be yourself!

Stick around!  You can follow Savvy School Counselor with free email updates.  As always, I’d love to hear from you!  Tell me about books you use to teach self-expression.

Jun 14 2012

12 Ways to Manage Anger

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A common issue I deal with in my school counseling program is assisting students with anger management difficulties.  I discuss this issue with all students, Kindergarten through fifth grade.  I know you have all heard different anger management tips and have shared them with your students.  As I prepare for my anger management groups for next year, I wanted to also think about an activity I can do with individuals who are referred to me out of the blue.

I made a puzzle using our schools VariQuest cutout maker which can cut just about any shape you can imagine.  As I was looking through some of the cutout options one afternoon, I came across a puzzle template and cut it out. Since there were twelve puzzle pieces, I decided to put an anger management strategy on each piece.  I didn’t want the puzzle to be difficult, so it is not hard to figure out by any means.  I only want it to be a tool to share with individuals or small groups to spark discussion.

 

 After we discuss the strategies on each puzzle piece while putting the puzzle together, I will have the student(s) make this anger management flip book foldable.  Once completed, the student(s) will have strategies to refer to that work for them.  The flip book only requires five strategies.  Every tip doesn’t work for everybody, so the students will be able to choose the five strategies they feel will work best for them.

To make this flip book, I took two sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper and cut them in half.  I used three of the four halves.  I layered the three sheets.  I picked the sheets up and folded the top half over until I had six flaps. This foldable can be stapled at the top once or twice to keep it together.

 

 

 

 

I will have the students write a strategy at the bottom of each flap (except for the top flap where they will write the title).  Above each strategy (but under the flap) they will describe and/or illustrate the strategy.  This will depend on what the strategy is.  The “I-Message” strategy would need to have a sample I-message written, while walking away can be illustrated.

I used the book How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger to assist me with most of the tips. However, many of these tips are universal from one anger management book to another.

The 12 anger management strategies are:

  • Count backwards from 10.
  • Take 3 deep breaths.
  • Exercise or play to let off some steam/energy.
  • Find a quiet place.
  • Vent!  Talk to someone!
  • Tell yourself calming statements. (It’s okay.  Keep calm.  Relax.)
  • Lie down and relax.
  • Tense your body- then relax it. (Repeat)
  • Use an I-Message. (I feel angry when you ___.  I want you to ___.)
  • Think peaceful thoughts. (relaxing by the pool, holding your pet, hugging a parent)
  • Walk away.
  • Avoid anger triggers.

What activities do you have on stand-by for that student who comes to you before having time to calm down?

Be sure to check out my Teachers pay Teachers store for an Anger Management Activity Pack which includes a foldable, 8 anger management strategy posters, and an I-Messages Activity- all for only $3.00.

AngerFoldable

Stick around!  You can follow Savvy School Counselor with free email updates. Also, be sure to enter the Character Readers and CD Giveaway which ends at 11:59 P.M. EST on Friday, June 15.  You may leave any comments here or visit my contact page to email me directly.  As always, I’d love to hear from you.   Connect with me!

May 26 2012

Great iPad App for School Counselors

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Our school recently received a grant which gave us 180 iPads!  So, I have been on the lookout for iPad apps to use for my school counseling program. I came across an iPad app today that can be used for classroom guidance, small groups, or individual counseling sessions. It’s called “Feel Electric” and is an Electric Company app created by Sesame Street.  I really like the fact that this app is all about feelings.  There are four areas of play:  My Life, My Games, My Stuff, and What’s the Word.

To start, users are able to choose three feeling words for the “Today I feel…” section.  There are several feeling words to choose from.  If you don’t know what the word means, you can tap the word and the definition is read aloud for you.  The definition is accompanied by a picture of Danny or Jessica showing the feeling face.  You can choose three words to describe how you are feeling today.

 

 

 

 

My Life

The My Life section features “Mood Dude” whose arms, eyebrows, eyes, and mouth can be changed to illustrate your mood.  It’s a very cute feature.

Also featured are Mood Tales.  Here, you select various words to complete a mood story.  If you’ve ever done a Mad Libs story, this is very similar.  After choosing all of the words, the story is read aloud for you using the words you chose.

 

 

 

 

 

Clicking “Moodosphere” will show your mood on the map.  After choosing feelings associated with anger, my mood map showed lightening bolts.  Clicking edit allows you to choose new feeling words.  The “weather outlook” changes on my map after choosing the feelings cheerful, brave, and proud.

 

 

 

 

 

My Games

There are three games included:  Pets vs. Monsters, Prankster Madness, and Hey You Guys…Catch!  Each one involves matching a feeling word to the feeling face by either hitting it with a bat, catching it while riding a skateboard, or launching it across a field to hit the matching target.

 My Stuff

My stuff includes pictures, music, and videos.  Students can take pictures and add them to the device.  They can decorate the picture with stickers that say how the picture makes them feel.  There are several pictures of different Electric Company scenes to use.  Mood dude pictures also show up in the My Stuff section as well.

The music and video sections includes a few Electric Company songs and videos.  You can also add you own songs and videos to the device.

 

 

 

 

What’s the Word?

On the bottom right side of the screen is “What’s the Word?”  If you tap it, all of the feeling words and faces will come up.  You can tap the feeling word you want to hear the definition of.

To encourage users to keep learning new words, the app gives points for just about every action you do while playing.  This includes five points every time you listen to the definition of a word in the “What’s the Word?” section.

There you have it!  I look forward to using this app with students at my school.  Students are able to look (visual), listen (auditory), and do something (kinesthetic) thus meeting the needs of the three learning styles.  As of today, this app is FREE!

How do you use iPads in your school counseling program?

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