My Most Downloaded Resources of 2019
As we embark on a new year, I wanted to take a look back of my most popular resources of 2019 to share them with you! Hopefully you can find just what you need to rock 2020 as a school counselor!
1.Self-Regulation Coping Strategies Journal
This journal helps students use self-regulation to manage their emotions. Students will learn which feelings and actions are associated with each color and self-regulation strategies to help regulate their emotions. This journal would be perfect for an individual student to work on over a few sessions or for a self-regulation small group. It is great to use for data collection and progress monitoring! The daily, weekly, and monthly increments provide a useful tool to spot trends and problem areas with students who might otherwise be overlooked.
“I used this with a student who needed extensive support regulating her emotions and exhibiting expected behavior. This was very well laid-out and reflective. My student was taking extensive breaks throughout the day, and so we needed a way to deter her breaks while providing a means of making the breaks productive. I like how students can observe daily, weekly, and monthly trends. It was a perfect positive support that we shared with parents of how we are using positive reinforcements and incorporating the Zones of Regulation that she is already familiar with.” - Counselor Review
Why I created this: I wanted to create a journal that was similar to a bullet journal where students would have opportunities to color and write in their thoughts in a creative way. My goal was to make a journal visually appealing so students wanted to use it while also being a concise way for counselors and teachers to track student trends and monitor progress.
2. Ready to Regulate Self-Regulation Group
Ready to Regulate is an elementary school counseling self-regulation group that teaches students self-regulation coping strategies through engaging and fun activities! Students will learn which feelings and actions are associated with each color and self-regulation strategies to help regulate their emotions. They will learn how to identify the size of their problems, appropriate reactions, and how to solve them. Students will also identify their support system, triggers, and the connection between their emotions and the physical body.
“One of the best resources I've ever found for working on self-regulation skills right along with the Zones! Thank you so much for making my counseling life so much easier with this!” - Counselor Review
How I use it: I use this group curriculum in a counseling small group, but I also take parts of it and repurpose them for classroom guidance lessons. It is a great way to introduce the Zones to students!
3. Wiggle Worms Self-Control Group
Wiggle Worms is a K-2 school counseling self-control group that teaches students self-control through engaging and fun activities! It is perfect for younger students who struggle with impulse control. Students will learn to identify self-control strategies and how to apply them in their everyday lives.
“Perfect lessons/materials for my kindergarten groups this school year! I will definitely continue to use it. Kids were engaged & there was minimal prep for me!” - Counselor Review
Why I love it: My favorite part of this resource are the icebreaker activities. They are movement-based and fun! We can’t expect kids who are learning self-control skills to sit still and do worksheets during a counseling group.
4. Morning Meeting Discussion Cards
These discussion starters help create a classroom culture of kindness during your morning meeting and allow you to check in on how your students are feeling. The included feelings check poster will help students identify their feelings and better express them to their classmates. Topics cover empathy, cooperation, following directions, and more!
“I will no longer be at a loss for coming up with discussions for our morning meetings. I like how these will help to build kindness which I feel students have a hard time showing sometimes. Thank you!” - Teacher Review
Why I created these: As a counselor, I am constantly using discussion cards and feelings checks. Teachers I’ve worked with have expressed a need for and desire to implement more social-emotional learning opportunities in their classrooms. My goal was to make easy to use discussion cards to help teachers foster a class culture of kindness at the start of each day.
5. Meet the Counselor Game Show
This elementary school counseling digital game show is a fun, interactive way for students to learn the role of the school counselor. The game is available in PowerPoint and is completely editable so you change the questions to fit your school's population and needs. Advocating for our position as a school counselor is so important, and what better way to do it than with a fun game to introduce yourself to the entire school!
“Was such a fun and great way to get kids involved and thinking about what the role of a school counselor is. Was a great start to changing the culture in our school about school counseling in a positive way.” - Counselor Review
How I use it: I use this game at the start of a new school year in August to introduce myself. It is so much fun! The kids love it. I am a K-12 counselor and I was able to edit the questions to use it with everyone from 1st graders to seniors! The best part about it is that it’s super low-prep.
Teach students important social skills and how to respond appropriately in a variety of social situations with this fun game. Topics include using a social filter, assessing if a behavior is expected or unexpected, and how to recover from a social mishap. This game can be used with a small group, individual, or the entire class!
“I used this in a social skills lunch bunch and it was fabulous! Thank you!” - Counselor Review
How I use it: I primarily use this board game with individuals and small groups, but sometimes I will project it on the board so an entire class can play. My students can really relate to the scenarios!
7. Mission: Meet the Counselor
This Meet the Counselor Guidance Lesson is extremely interactive and fun! Students divide into groups and must work as a team as they move around the room to solve all 5 missions. It is similar to a scavenger hunt or escape room!
“I can't recommend this activity enough! If you're on the fence about purchasing, please do! It is so fun. It gets crazy and the kids are all over the place, but the whole class was engaged. I worried they would try to rush through the drawing activity to "win" but it was the opposite, I was rushing them because we were running out of time! It was heartwarming and sweet to watch students act out and draw what they see us do on a daily basis and I could see that they actually understand the role of a school counselor. Great lesson!” - Counselor Review
Why I love it: This lesson is so much fun! It gets the kids up and moving and they feel like detectives as they try to crack each code to figure out the counselor’s role. I also like differentiating for different learning styles, so I love the writing, drawing, and acting portion.
8. Size of Problem Pumpkin Flip Book and Activity Pack
This fall-themed size of the problem flip book and activity pack helps students identify the size of their problems, appropriate reactions, and solutions. It is perfect for fall and Halloween school counseling or special education curriculum. The worksheet component helps students apply the information to their daily life by reflecting on recent situations.
“Used this as a second grade guidance lesson to discuss size of the problem/size of the reaction. The students loved the twist as it was done right before Halloween.” - Counselor Review
Why I created this: Size of the problem often gets lumped in with teaching the Zones in general so I wanted to create a resource to really specify how to determine the problem size and appropriate reactions. The flip book portion is portable so kids can keep it in their backpack or binder to reflect on it at home too. As for the theme, who doesn’t love fall y’all?
9. Self-Regulation Mega Bundle
This self-regulation mega bundle contains everything you need to implement a full self-regulation curriculum. With in-depth groups, quick lessons, and easy to use games you will have something available for every situation.
“Everything you need to teach and reinforce self-regulation. The visual supports are fantastic!” - Educator Review
Why I created this: I like to bundle up similar resources so buyers can save money and find everything they need in one place! My goal was to equip educators with everything they need to implement a full self-regulation curriculum.
Practice the Cactus is a fun counseling game that can be used to teach students important social skills such as personal space and boundaries. By “practicing the cactus" students will be able to define personal space and boundaries and will learn examples of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. The idea is just like a cactus can hurt you if you get too close, standing too close to others can make them feel uncomfortable.
“I’ve been looking for a fun way to teach personal space and I love that this resource is a game that students can play and uses a common phrase/visual to help in promoting personal space!” - Counselor Review
Why I love it: The visuals are so fun and really make sense to kids. An arm’s length distance seems too far and touching is way too close, so there needed to be a halfway point. I especially love watching the kids pose like a cactus around campus!
Which of these resources could be a game-changer with your students this year?
