Lessons

Counseling lessons are taught twice per month, sometimes more. The subjects chosen are based off of needs assessment that was given to the Lincoln teachers and parents. If a teacher has noticed another issue arise in students or in the classroom (ex: students have been tattling), the curriculum is adjusted to meet the classroom need. Below is a general instruction map. 

August

In August, the focus is on establishing classroom rules and orienting students to their new classes. With that in mind, the August counseling focus is introducing myself to students and orienting students to the role of a school counselor. We read fun stories and/or play fun games that help with the introductory process.

September

This month, the focus is on respect. We discuss what respect looks like, why it is important, and how we can show respect to teachers, classmates, and our community.

October

We will be talking about empathy all month. We want our students to be able to see from the perspective of others. We will also be continuing the discussion on bullying and how we should respond if we see bullying happening to someone else.

November

We will be talking about ways to manage our feelings. We will identify where we feel anger in our bodies, and ways to effectively manage our feelings. We will address anger, anxiety/worry, and other emotional needs based on requests of classroom teachers.

December

Responsibility is a trait that not only helps us in the classrooms, but helps us be successful in all aspects in our life. We discuss the meaning of responsibility and students identify ways that they can be responsible in their classrooms and at home.

January

Mrs. Smith's FAVORITE! We have a lot of fun this month. We not only learn about kindness but we also practice it! This month is also The Great Kindness Challenge-where we see how many acts of kindness we can complete in one week. It's a great time, and it is truly a month that positively impacts the climate of our school.

February

What makes a good friend? What makes a safe friend? How do we make friends and how do we keep them? All of these things are discussed this month. We also learn about how to resolve a conflict appropriately and express our feelings without hurting others. We also make sure that we have a refresher on bullying behaviors and how to report them if we notice it happening.

March

Practicing self control is HARD, even as an adult. This month we work on impulse control, thinking though decisions, and the benefit of using self control in our lives.

April

We want our kids to know that they have something to offer our school and our world. We want them to celebrate their uniqueness and understand that having differences is not a bad thing. We work on recognizing things that we like about ourselves and using positive self-talk.

May

YAY! We have learned so much this year. It's time to review and have FUN!