😃 It’s Thoughtful Thursday and it’s time to thank parents/caregivers! When was the last time you thanked a parent/caregiver for signing up their child for counseling? Parents/caregivers entrust you to help their child learn and grow. It’s not easy seeking help, and let’s be honest; mental health services are 100% voluntary in the school setting! Don’t under appreciate the opportunities you get to support exceptional children daily. Call, text and/or email at least 1️⃣ parent today to thank them for their partnership. Last Thursday, I started with just 5 calls and they immediately deepened my relationship with each parent. You can make these calls for both your highest performing and struggling learners. The purpose of the call is simply to thank parents/caregivers for taking a chance on your services ❤️ Try these openers: ⭐️”I just wanted to call today to thank you for signing up your child for counseling this year. It’s been wonderful getting to know him/her. Here’s what s/he has learned so far…” ⭐️ ”I’m calling today to thank you for giving me the chance to work with your student this year. S/he adds so much _______ to their small group.” ⭐️ ”I just wanted to thank you for giving school counseling a chance this year. Your student is learning a lot.”

I teach students that self-esteem is a continuum, which grows and dips overtime through positive and negative experiences, practice, strategies, etc. When I start a self-esteem unit, I always give students a pre-survey to assess their self-esteem prior to interventions. After 6-8 weeks, I conduct the same survey as a post-test, which helps students measure their growth and/or decline with interventions. This tool has helped me measure outcomes for students K-8, and can also be used in high school. Simply score the survey by adding the numbers assigned to each answer choice. A perfect score is 34/34, but we all know that nobody's perfect. I tell students the realistic goal is 80% or more by the end of the quarter or year, depending on their needs. This gives everyone 20% to continue growing and developing their self-esteem, without judgement or fear of making mistakes or having bad days.

Name 1 thing you love about your counseling space and 1 thing you want to change. Attach photos of what’s working to spark inspo 🤩🤩🤩

So many people disregard the work of school counselors, assuming that we play all day. Flex Friday is your time to flex a lil, by sharing positive data from your school counseling sessions and/or interventions. I make sure I drop in my principal’s office with students or data that have improved. It might be a simple “look who was early all week” at their doorway, but I never miss a moment to flex and celebrate progress. Remember, out of sight, out of mind! Make sure they see your impact!

Stay on top of your students’ academics! I hold myself accountable by asking students to bring chromebooks or notebooks to sessions. They quickly share 1 assignment they’re proud of and 1 they can improve. Then, we transition to our lesson/activity for the day. In the next session, I ask them to give progress updates, which helps develop a growth mindset.