Curriculum

BRIEF SUMMARY

School counseling core curriculum consists of structured lessons designed to help students attain the desired competencies and to provide all students with the knowledge, attitudes and skills appropriate for their developmental level.  The school counseling core curriculum is delivered throughout the school’s overall curriculum and is systematically presented by school counselors in collaboration with other professional educators in K-12 classroom and group activities. (American School Counselor Association)

KEY POINTS

• All students receive instruction from the school counseling program.
• The school-wide core counseling curriculum plan should be similar to a teacher’s curriculum scope and sequence.

SHARED WISDOM

• Second Step Feedback (from Counselor Talk, March 2019)
  • When the staff is engaged, the students are more engaged.  Most of our staff buys in, but we do have a few who think it is stupid, and therefore, their classes don’t get as much out of it.  It is actually a really good program, but some of the videos are sometimes “too young” for the group of kids.  It covers a lot of really necessary info that when presented appropriately, is effective.  It is really user friendly if you get the online license.  Anyone could walk in, pull it up, and run it with no prep at all.  Super simple!
  • I have used it for the last 4 or 5 years with 7th graders in a rotation class.  I love it.  It covers a variety of topics.  It is very easy to use.  The kids seemed to like it.
  • Very easy to use.  Lessons are about 15-20 minutes.   Some of the video’s are hokey, but the content is appropriate.  Our 7th graders are more engaged than our 8th and it makes a HUGE difference whether the teacher teaching it buys into it and is not just going through the steps.  We are doing it school wide for the first time this year and it has been a learning curve.   A few tips would be:
    Front load with your staff by actually doing some of the lessons with them before they need to do it w/ students
    Keep student groups small 10-12
    Have students keep journals (we use composition notebooks) to record when their are personal reflections
    Have a plan of counselor or admin substitutes for when teachers are out or when teacher need support modeling
    When the lesson calls for a group discussion, always start with personal reflection, then go to small group, then have each small group pick 1 item to share to the larger group (otherwise you get your resistant students derailing it and making it not a safe place to share for the others).
    Have each group create ground rules that they revisit for each lesson
    Revisit the conversation with faculty during the year to continually improve strategies.
• Social Skills group recommendations?
  • This might serve as a source of topics and discussion starters:https://www.amazon.com/Social-Rules-Kids-Kids-Succeed/dp/1934575844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534430949&sr=8-1&keywords=social+rules+for+kids-the+top+100+social+rules+kids+need+to+succeed&dpID=515DKjN7M4L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
  •  I have used Michelle Garcia Winner’s materials on social thinking as well as Superflex to help with groups such as these.
•  Q: Recommendations for a first year Counselor in a K – 6 building looking for curriculum?
  • A: I highly recommend Second Steps.
  • A: Any books by Julia Cook are great for classroom lessons or individual work.
  • A: Incredible Flexible You–K; Hunter And HIs Amazing Remote Control–2nd or 3rd grade; Zones of Regulation–3rd or 4th grade; Mindset Matters–any
  • A: Leader in Me; Social Thinking
  • A: At this link, you will find the best evidence-based curricula in one place, to help you select what works for you. https://casel.org/preschool-and-elementary-edition-casel-guide/
  • A: I am having great success with MindUp and I also use a lot of lessons from Too Good for Violence.
  • A: I have used Lion Quest this past year and the kids and I have really enjoyed it.
  • I use skillstreaming.  I really like it!  It’s a lot of modeling and role play which I like because it’s keeps students engaged and moving!

RESOURCES

• Required Instruction for Students (Indiana)
• ASCA alignment document for the Second Step curriculum
• GCY_ Proposal a small group curriculum for teaching emotional regulation to middle school boys
• Self Esteem Girls Group a small group curriculum for teaching self confidence to middle school girls
• Social skills group – Storm Chasers
• Positive Self-Talk Small group
• Free animated versions of Howard K. Wigglebottom books are available here: https://wedolisten.org/Books-and-Lessons
• Elementary Counselor Bibliography Bibliography
• Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: Programs for Children
• Sanford Harmony – free, online Social-Emotional Learning PK-6 curriculum

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This post was created by ABCD ContentManager on April 19, 2018.