My Professional Artifacts
Below are some of the papers, proposals, projects, and programs I worked on throughout my practicum and internship experiences.
To jump straight to a specific area of counseling services, simply click one of the links below.
To jump straight to a specific area of counseling services, simply click one of the links below.
My Beliefs
I believe that ALL students have the ability and desire to achieve success in school and in life. Even students who may struggle with self-motivation want to be seen as competent and successful learners.
I believe that all students deserve the basic level of training related to academic, career, and personal/social skills provided by school counselors, but I also believe that some students need more. School counselors ensure equity, not equality. I believe that parents (and guardians) are valuable partners in ensuring their student's school success. Parents are the true experts on their individual child and should feel welcomed and included in their student's education and development. As a professional school counselor, I am a leader in my school, an advocate for every student, and a team member who collaborates with all stakeholders (e.g., teachers, parents, administrators, community members, and the students themselves) to ensure students' success in school. I maintain accountability through the use of data to drive my decisions, thus ensuring that my interventions are effective and truly helping my students improve and master skills. |
Vision and Mission Statements
As a professional school counselor, I will ensure that each of my students possess high-level academic, career, and social/emotional skills that will prepare them for post-secondary success. Through a comprehensive and data-driven school counseling program, every student will receive equitable access to rigorous coursework and opportunities for personal growth and development. It is my hope and intention that each of my students will become life-long learners, problem solvers, and successful members of our community.
The purpose of my future school counseling program will be to provide every student with opportunities for academic, career, and social/emotional growth in order for all students to become successful learners and problem solvers. This comprehensive school counseling program will engage students in developmentally appropriate activities that are shown to be successful based on data. The program will follow a systemic approach that promotes school-wide positive change through individual and group counseling, as well as core curriculum lessons in the classroom and whole-school campaigns. My goal of helping my students become outstanding citizens will be obtained through the partnership of myself, teachers, administrators, parents, family members, students, and our entire community.
The purpose of my future school counseling program will be to provide every student with opportunities for academic, career, and social/emotional growth in order for all students to become successful learners and problem solvers. This comprehensive school counseling program will engage students in developmentally appropriate activities that are shown to be successful based on data. The program will follow a systemic approach that promotes school-wide positive change through individual and group counseling, as well as core curriculum lessons in the classroom and whole-school campaigns. My goal of helping my students become outstanding citizens will be obtained through the partnership of myself, teachers, administrators, parents, family members, students, and our entire community.
Graduate Papers & Projects
I wrote the following paper after completing my first semester of the school counseling graduate program at Ball State. Looking back on this paper now, in the last semester of the program, I am amazed all the great things I have accomplished. Something that particularly stood out to me is how far I have come in my relationships with teachers and other key stakeholders, who now see me as a partner and a true professional. I am also pleased to say that I still have that same (if not greater!) fire and passion about being a school counselor and finding new ways to share my sparkle and help ALL students succeed!
Professional school counselors use data to identify student needs and drive decisions in which interventions will best satisfy these needs (Hatch, 2014). Using data from the Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE) Compass website, I created the following evidence-based intervention plan during the first semester our my graduate program. This plan includes various components of a comprehensive school counseling program, including a school data analysis, school counseling program goals, the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) student standards, needs assessments, a small group counseling plan, and a school counseling core curriculum lesson plan.
During the summer prior to beginning my internship, I prepared for this awesome experience by once again using the IDOE Compass site to gather data on the specific needs of students at Noblesville High School (NHS). I also used specific school resources including media publications and the school improvement plan to understand the school demographics, strengths, needs, and goals. The following paper outlines this data, which I disaggregated for various student populations, my analysis of the findings, as well as suggestions and strategies to satisfy school needs and close gaps. Looking back at this paper now towards the end of my internship, although I may not have targeted the specific groups I mentioned in this paper, I have followed a similar plan for addressing other more immediate student needs at NHS.
Program assessments are critical tools that professional school counselors use to examine and evaluate the strengths of the school counseling program, as well as potential areas for growth. The analysis of program assessments tell us how students are different as a result of what school counselors do (ASCA, 2012). At the beginning of my internship at NHS, I completed the following school counseling program assessment and set goals for what I would like to accomplish throughout the school year.
My Academic Intervention Project was the major initiative that I worked on throughout my year of internship. This project encapsulated all of the essential school counseling skills that I have developed throughout this graduate program. Through this project, I have displayed and enhanced my skills in disaggregating data, reporting on findings, designing interventions for students based on those findings, and conducting outcome research to measure the impact of my interventions. The focus of my project was underachievement and lack of motivation among male students. I examined the literature on these issues and used evidenced-based practices to develop a plan to close this achievement gap. Below you will find my proposal for implementing this counseling intervention, along with my final poster presenting the results of the intervention.
Session Activities
These are a few of the resources I used in individual counseling sessions with elementary students during practicum.
(*You can click each image for a larger version to download and use with your own students!)
These are a few of the resources I used in individual counseling sessions with elementary students during practicum.
(*You can click each image for a larger version to download and use with your own students!)
Feelings are Fantastic board game - I created this game to help a first grade student increase his emotional awareness and understanding. We played the game a few different ways over multiple sessions. First, when his playing piece landed on a colored square, he identified the name of that colored feeling face and made his face match it (e.g. blue = sad = frown). Later, I asked him to tell me about a time when he or someone else might feel that way. As his emotional understanding became more advanced, we drew pictures of those situations in the color that matched each feeling (e.g. he colored a picture of a time when he had trouble climbing the monkey bars with a red crayon because he was angry when he fell down).
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1-2-3 Turtle - When researching tools to help students learn to manage their feelings of anger and frustration, I came across a relaxation technique called 1-2-3-Turtle. I utilized this strategy to assist a fifth grade student in improving her anger management skills. I also adapted this technique with pictures for use with a kindergarten student who needed some help with self-management and impulsivity.
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Julia Cook books - I used many of Julia Cook's books throughout practicum to help individual students enhance their self-management and social skills. I found great success reading It's Hard to be a Verb! with a kindergarten student struggling with impulsivity. After working through this book together, his teacher saw significant improvements in his classroom behavior and self-management. I also found My Mouth is a Volcano! to be an effective tool in reducing a first grade student's tendency to interrupt in class. You can find similar books related to school counseling topics on Julia Cook's website.
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Online Resources
Below are some online resources to use during individual counseling with elementary, middle, and high school students. The videos on Virtual Nerd have helped one of my students build his algebra skills and increase his grade to passing. I also used My Next Move with my 9th grade motivation and study skills group to get them thinking about their futures.
*Academic: Math help (www.virtualnerd.com), Help in all subjects (www.kahnacademy.org), Cornell note-taking strategy (https://youtu.be/Y4uzQEWj0X8), Free printable math and reading worksheets (www.k5learning.com)
*Career: College and Career exploration and planning (www.mynextmove.org)
*Personal/Social: TONS of behavioral, RTI, and academic interventions (www.interventioncentral.org)
Below are some online resources to use during individual counseling with elementary, middle, and high school students. The videos on Virtual Nerd have helped one of my students build his algebra skills and increase his grade to passing. I also used My Next Move with my 9th grade motivation and study skills group to get them thinking about their futures.
*Academic: Math help (www.virtualnerd.com), Help in all subjects (www.kahnacademy.org), Cornell note-taking strategy (https://youtu.be/Y4uzQEWj0X8), Free printable math and reading worksheets (www.k5learning.com)
*Career: College and Career exploration and planning (www.mynextmove.org)
*Personal/Social: TONS of behavioral, RTI, and academic interventions (www.interventioncentral.org)
New Student Group
The purpose of this on-going group is to make new students feel welcomed and get acquainted with our school. I shared some information about our school and empowered students to work together to overcome various concerns, such as where to find their classes, how the bus rounds work, and how to navigate their iPads (which can be difficult for students who haven't been to a 1:1 school before). We also engaged in various ice breaker and team building activities in order to help the students get to know each other. Being able to leave group knowing the name of just one more person helped these students feel less isolated in the stressful process of adjusting to a new school.
The purpose of this on-going group is to make new students feel welcomed and get acquainted with our school. I shared some information about our school and empowered students to work together to overcome various concerns, such as where to find their classes, how the bus rounds work, and how to navigate their iPads (which can be difficult for students who haven't been to a 1:1 school before). We also engaged in various ice breaker and team building activities in order to help the students get to know each other. Being able to leave group knowing the name of just one more person helped these students feel less isolated in the stressful process of adjusting to a new school.
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Grief Group
As with any counseling group, but especially in grief group, confidentiality and respect should be stressed in each session due to the vulnerable nature of discussion topics. School counselors should remind students that grief group in the school setting is a SUPPORT group, not a therapy group. The focus of this group was to educate students on the grieving process and help students build a support system with their fellow peers who have experienced loss. The group also provides students an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. The handout below provides a description of the seven stages of grief. School counselors should remind students that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve. Grief is a fluid process and not everyone will go through all seven stages at the same time in the same order. In addition, the picture at right is a "Tree of Hope" that I created with my students. Each student wrote something on a leaf that reminded them of good times with their loved one or something that gave them hope for the future.
As with any counseling group, but especially in grief group, confidentiality and respect should be stressed in each session due to the vulnerable nature of discussion topics. School counselors should remind students that grief group in the school setting is a SUPPORT group, not a therapy group. The focus of this group was to educate students on the grieving process and help students build a support system with their fellow peers who have experienced loss. The group also provides students an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. The handout below provides a description of the seven stages of grief. School counselors should remind students that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve. Grief is a fluid process and not everyone will go through all seven stages at the same time in the same order. In addition, the picture at right is a "Tree of Hope" that I created with my students. Each student wrote something on a leaf that reminded them of good times with their loved one or something that gave them hope for the future.
Motivation & Study Skills Group (Academic Intervention Project)
The focus of this group was to foster motivation and study skills development for 11th grade underachieving male students. I began each session with a study skills activity/"game", then delivered the lesson content through another hands-on activity, and finally returned to the beginning activity and applied what we did in the study skills game to the students' own lives. To learn more about the background and theory behind this group, as well as the results, see my proposal and poster on this page under Graduate Papers & Projects. After seeing positive results from this group, I gained support in expanding this concept to a 9th grade group and a 10th grade group. Here are some of the activities and resources I used in these groups:
The focus of this group was to foster motivation and study skills development for 11th grade underachieving male students. I began each session with a study skills activity/"game", then delivered the lesson content through another hands-on activity, and finally returned to the beginning activity and applied what we did in the study skills game to the students' own lives. To learn more about the background and theory behind this group, as well as the results, see my proposal and poster on this page under Graduate Papers & Projects. After seeing positive results from this group, I gained support in expanding this concept to a 9th grade group and a 10th grade group. Here are some of the activities and resources I used in these groups:
Wait, what happened to "Classroom Guidance"??
Historically, the terms classroom guidance or guidance curriculum have been used to describe the instructional program that school counselors deliver to ALL students in ALL grade levels (Hatch, 2014). But following the late-1960s position shift from guidance counselor to school counselor (see my Role of the School Counselor page to read more on this important issue!) the third edition of the ASCA National Model renamed guidance curriculum as school counseling core curriculum (ASCA, 2012). Although many educators (and even many school counselors) continue to refer to these classroom lessons as guidance, I practice my role as an advocate, change agent, and leader by using these new, more accurate terms.
Historically, the terms classroom guidance or guidance curriculum have been used to describe the instructional program that school counselors deliver to ALL students in ALL grade levels (Hatch, 2014). But following the late-1960s position shift from guidance counselor to school counselor (see my Role of the School Counselor page to read more on this important issue!) the third edition of the ASCA National Model renamed guidance curriculum as school counseling core curriculum (ASCA, 2012). Although many educators (and even many school counselors) continue to refer to these classroom lessons as guidance, I practice my role as an advocate, change agent, and leader by using these new, more accurate terms.
Elementary Classroom Lessons
During practicum I had many opportunities to develop and deliver core curriculum lessons to classrooms of students from kindergarten to 5th grade. I have attached a few of the resources I used in those lessons. (*Hover over each image for the lesson topic, then click on the image to download and view the resource.) Developing core curriculum lessons at the elementary level allowed me to learn how to adapt lessons to be developmentally appropriate for students in each grade. I also found great enjoyment in delivering these lessons because I had the opportunity to join students in their own classrooms and we could all work together (practicing teamwork!) to master the lesson topics and specific academic, career, and personal/social skills.
During practicum I had many opportunities to develop and deliver core curriculum lessons to classrooms of students from kindergarten to 5th grade. I have attached a few of the resources I used in those lessons. (*Hover over each image for the lesson topic, then click on the image to download and view the resource.) Developing core curriculum lessons at the elementary level allowed me to learn how to adapt lessons to be developmentally appropriate for students in each grade. I also found great enjoyment in delivering these lessons because I had the opportunity to join students in their own classrooms and we could all work together (practicing teamwork!) to master the lesson topics and specific academic, career, and personal/social skills.
Handling Stress With Ease
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This year the school counselors at NHS have been seeing an influx of students struggling with school-related anxiety and stress. During the freshman career fair, my co-intern and I delivered a presentation to help students learn ways to cope with this growing problem, focusing on the term "academic stress" to avoid confusion with the clinical diagnosis of "anxiety". Our presentation featured an interactive portion during which students could utilize technology to report their own healthy strategies for handling stress. We followed this group discussion with a relaxation activity which not only allowed the students to practice a specific skill, but also calmed the group chatter and regained their focus before moving on to the next session. Results of the pre/post-test showed positive impacts of the students' knowledge of academic stress, beliefs on procrastination, and confidence in their ability to lower their own stress.
I also gained many personal and professional benefits from this experience. Being able to maintain the attention and interest of 200 to 250 freshman students during four, back-to-back presentations greatly enhanced my classroom/large group management skills. Our school-wide "soft-skill" for that month was flexibility, and I demonstrated this skill very effectively in calmly dealing with technology setbacks and adapting the presentation appropriately. Another strength of the presentation was my choice of the content and examples to include, as well as my delivery of this content. The students appeared genuinely interested in the information and the teachers reported that the students gained valuable knowledge that they later applied in the classroom.
I also gained many personal and professional benefits from this experience. Being able to maintain the attention and interest of 200 to 250 freshman students during four, back-to-back presentations greatly enhanced my classroom/large group management skills. Our school-wide "soft-skill" for that month was flexibility, and I demonstrated this skill very effectively in calmly dealing with technology setbacks and adapting the presentation appropriately. Another strength of the presentation was my choice of the content and examples to include, as well as my delivery of this content. The students appeared genuinely interested in the information and the teachers reported that the students gained valuable knowledge that they later applied in the classroom.
College GO! Week 2015
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The school counselors at NHS went all out for College GO! Week 2015! We came up with the following schedule of events (*roll over each day below to see what we did!), and we worked hard to utilize technology and encourage student involvement. We were blessed with amazing donations from colleges and local businesses and gave away hundreds of college t-shirts, lanyards, gift cards, and more as prizes for student participation. Some key things I worked on included the QR codes and College and Career Night 2015. I also worked with my co-intern to apply for the College GO! Week Grant through Learn More Indiana. We showcased our efforts this year in hopes of receiving funding to support even bigger and better events next year!
ALL WEEK:
• Morning Trivia - Trivia questions on teachers' alma maters as well as general college facts were shared during the morning announcements. Students who could answer the trivia questions first won a prize.
• QR Codes - QR codes were attached to every lunch table and students could use their phones or iPads to scan the codes, which took students to one of 30 different websites promoting college awareness, exploration, and planning.
• College GO! Week Student Contest - Students were encouraged to enter for a chance to win $529 in a 529 Savings Plan by describing how college will be important for reaching their career goals and what they will do in high school to help them get into the type of college they will need.
• Morning Trivia - Trivia questions on teachers' alma maters as well as general college facts were shared during the morning announcements. Students who could answer the trivia questions first won a prize.
• QR Codes - QR codes were attached to every lunch table and students could use their phones or iPads to scan the codes, which took students to one of 30 different websites promoting college awareness, exploration, and planning.
• College GO! Week Student Contest - Students were encouraged to enter for a chance to win $529 in a 529 Savings Plan by describing how college will be important for reaching their career goals and what they will do in high school to help them get into the type of college they will need.
National School Counseling Week 2016
National School Counseling Week is not only a time for school counselors to relax and feel appreciated for all our hard work in helping our students succeed. It is also a prime opportunity to advocate for our profession and share with others what we really do as PROFESSIONAL school counselors. I encouraged all the school counselors at NHS to participate in ASCA's #NSCW16 Photo Challenge by posting I "heart" being a school counselor because... signs outside their doors all week. Then, I created a wordle to highlight all the reasons for loving school counseling that we had in common. I also shared my Role of the School Counselor page during our staff meeting this week in hopes to solidify our roles as school counselors.
National School Counseling Week is not only a time for school counselors to relax and feel appreciated for all our hard work in helping our students succeed. It is also a prime opportunity to advocate for our profession and share with others what we really do as PROFESSIONAL school counselors. I encouraged all the school counselors at NHS to participate in ASCA's #NSCW16 Photo Challenge by posting I "heart" being a school counselor because... signs outside their doors all week. Then, I created a wordle to highlight all the reasons for loving school counseling that we had in common. I also shared my Role of the School Counselor page during our staff meeting this week in hopes to solidify our roles as school counselors.
References:
American School Counselor Association. (2012). The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.
Hatch, T. (2014). The use of data in school counseling: Hatching results for students, programs, and the profession. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
American School Counselor Association. (2012). The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.
Hatch, T. (2014). The use of data in school counseling: Hatching results for students, programs, and the profession. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.