Lesson 1, Counselor Introduction: During the months of August and September I visit each child's classroom to introduce myself to new students and review my role as the school counselor. Students learn the process for seeking my assistance when they have a concern to discuss or a problem they need help solving. In first grade classrooms I read the bookGlad Monster, Sad Monster, A Book about Feelingsby Ed Emberley and Anne Miranda. After reading this story, we review how my job is to help students learn healthy ways to deal with their feelings and students create their very own monster feeling faces.
Lesson 2, Friendship Skills/Bullying Prevention: 1stgrade students learn about ways to be a good friend and show kindness to others. We read the bookHow to Lose All Your Friendsby Nancy Carlson and then write our own story about how to keep all of your friends.
Lesson 3, School Readiness Skills, Listening: First grade students learn about why it is important to listen to peers and adults. Students watch the animated book, Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen, and answer discussion questions about the story. Then students complete a coloring page which focuses on strategies to use to be a good listener.
Lesson 4, Understanding Feelings: During this lesson students continue to expand their feelings vocabulary and practice identifying what they feel when faced with different situations. As a class we read the story In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek to learn about many of the different feelings people can experience. Discussion questions include why people have so many different feelings and why it is important for people to be able to recognize how they are feeling. Students then create their own "feeling hearts" where they identify a time when they have had a certain feeling.
Lesson 5, Managing Emotions: First grade students talk about how everyone feels sad sometimes, but the good news is there are things we can do to help ourselves feel better again. Students watch a StoryBots video and complete an activity to help them learn they can talk to an adult, get a drink of water, hug a stuffed animal, take a break alone, take a walk or play with a friend to help themselves feel better when they are sad.
Lesson 6, Review & Assessment: The last few weeks of the school year are spent with students in grade K-6, reviewing their learning by creating posters as a class to show others concepts they covered through school counseling classroom lessons throughout the school year. Students also engage in age appropriate games and/or interactive assessments to determine how well they have learned concepts taught to them over the past year.