Classroom Guidance
As a School Counselor, it is my job to facilitate social/emotional lessons to each classroom. I visit each classroom multiple times throughout the school year and have the opportunity to interact with every student during these lessons. Lessons typically last 30 minutes in length and cover topics such as school readiness skills, understanding feelings of self and others, problem solving skills, friendship skills, and academic success.
Sources of Strength
Sources of Strength Elementary is a Tier 1 universal curriculum for all students grades K-6. Lessons are designed to be approximately 30 minutes in length and delivered once a week. Every lesson incorporates a Talking Circle where students are invited to think, share, and practice building healthy relationships and listening skills as we learn from diverse perspectives. Lessons are interactive with games, emotional regulation practice, and creative expression designed to:
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Increase student and adult connections with one another
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Invite students to identify the Strengths (protective factors) they have in their lives that help them through life’s ups and downs (see Wheel image below)
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Develop understanding of how our brain and body communicate to help us regulate
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Increase emotional vocabulary
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Identify and practice a variety of healthy emotional regulation strategies
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Understand the importance of seeking help for oneself, as well as how we can connect others to help in times of need.
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Empower students and staff alike to be agents of healthy culture change
Second Step
Second Step is a program rooted in social-emotional learning (SEL) that helps transform schools into supportive, successful learning environments uniquely equipped to encourage children to thrive.
More than just a classroom curriculum, Second Step’s holistic approach helps create a more empathetic society by providing education professionals, families, and the larger community with tools to enable them to take an active role in the social-emotional growth and safety of today’s children.
Second Step's SEL program focuses on Skills for Learning, Empathy, Emotion Management, and Problem Solving. Please refer to the Scope and Sequence document to see what your student will be learning this year!
A Little SPOT of Emotions and Feelings
A Little SPOT of Emotions and Feelings is an SEL curriculum that adheres to Common Core standards and CASEL: Effective Social-Emotional Learning Programs. It was developed to be a fun and creative resource to teach FEELINGS & EMOTIONS to elementary school students.
A Little SPOT of Emotions and Feelings contains thought provoking lessons, discussions, and activities to help children identify emotions and feelings. Children will learn how to handle overwhelming feelings, develop a positive self-image, and learn how to improve social and emotional skills need to show empathy, compassion, and kindness.
