Counselor Keri

Counselor Keri Are you ready to spark student growth?! Let’s do it together through interactive, hands-on group counseling and classroom guidance learning opportunities!

School counseling resources to spark student growth!

09/15/2026

4 questions I ask before I start reaching for activities or handouts:

1️⃣ What exactly is the student struggling to DO?

“Anxiety,” “behavior,” “organization,” or “friendship problems” might describe the concern, but they don’t necessarily tell me what skill needs to be built.

2️⃣ Is this a skill deficit, a performance deficit, an environmental issue, or some combination?

Does the student not know how to do something? Do they have the skill but struggle to use it consistently? Or is something in the environment making it harder?

3️⃣ What would I expect to SEE if this intervention were working?

Before I start, I want to define what progress will actually look like in observable, measurable terms.

4️⃣ How will I know when the student no longer needs me?

I don’t want “we’ve met for 8 weeks already” to be the reason an intervention ends. I want to know what evidence will tell me the student is ready to use the skill with less support.

Once I have a grasp on these, choosing what to actually do with the student gets a whole lot easier. 🙌 comment “PD” if you want the link to join the Counseling Data for MTSS PD Intensive! It’s 13+ hours of self-paced content to support your data collection and decisions at all tiers.

09/13/2026

I also ordered groceries, but I did it too late and can’t get them today 😆 win some lose some. Definitely doing these though:

1. Pick out my outfits for the week: One less decision to make on busy mornings, and I can make sure everything I actually want to wear is clean and ready.

2. Prep an easy breakfast for the week: Something I can grab without thinking so Monday morning doesn’t begin with me staring into the fridge hoping breakfast materializes.

3. Get my nails done for the first time in a year. A little dedicated time to sit still, do something just for me, and start the week feeling a little more put together.

4. Take walks with my family. Get outside, move my body, talk, and have some family time that isn’t centered around getting somewhere or accomplishing something.

5. Do a quick Sunday reset. Tidy the spaces that tend to stress me out, pack what I need for Monday, check the week ahead, and then stop. The goal is to make Monday easier, not turn Sunday into an unpaid workday.

What’s on your weekend refresh list?!

09/12/2026

12 sessions for navigating social drama! Comment “group” if you want the link to the curriculum. Sessions cover:

👉🏼What peer drama is and how it shows up in social situations
👉🏼How to identify emotions and body signals during social stress
👉🏼How to recognize what they can and cannot control
👉🏼How to identify thinking traps and use more balanced thinking
👉🏼How to use calming strategies before responding to peer conflict
👉🏼How to identify and use different communication styles, including assertive communication
👉🏼How to set and communicate clear personal boundaries
👉🏼How to avoid engaging in gossip, rumors, and drama
👉🏼How to understand different perspectives without excusing harmful behavior
👉🏼How to evaluate choices and predict outcomes in social situations
👉🏼How to make decisions that align with their values and protect their wellbeing
👉🏼How to recognize when adult support is needed and ask for help effectively

09/09/2026

In honor of a new football season: football feelings sliders! These are always a hit, whether we do them in class or if I just have them available in my room for groups and individuals. Comment “slide” if you want the link to these 🏈🫶🏻

09/07/2026

This was requested from a fellow counselor on TikTok! I did a webinar on teaching kids accountability with empathy last fall that covers a ton of strategies for this. Comment “watch” if you want the link to the replay and I’ll DM it to you!

When I’m teaching kids to break big or long term tasks into smaller parts, I teach them the sandwich method. Identify th...
09/05/2026

When I’m teaching kids to break big or long term tasks into smaller parts, I teach them the sandwich method. Identify the final step, identify the first step, and then fill in the ingredients/middle steps from there. Estimate how long each step will take, and assign mini deadlines for each (working backwards from the final deadline). Comment “sandwich” if you want the link to the instructional materials I use!

Comment “help” if you want the link to the lessons/materials I use! 👉🏼 When a student tells me, “I’m bad at time manage...
09/03/2026

Comment “help” if you want the link to the lessons/materials I use! 👉🏼 When a student tells me, “I’m bad at time management,” I don’t immediately hand them a planner because time management isn’t really one skill. It’s a whole collection of executive functioning skills working together.

A student who is chronically running out of time might actually be struggling to estimate how long something will take. A student who waits until the night before a project is due might need help breaking a big task into manageable steps and creating mini deadlines. A student with a packed afternoon might need to learn how to prioritize competing responsibilities. And sometimes the issue isn’t managing time at all. It’s organization, task initiation, distraction, planning, or simply having more on their plate than can realistically fit into the hours available.

That’s why when I work on time management with students, we start by figuring out where the breakdown is happening. We identify their personal time wasters and time savers, look at the strategies they’re already using, and reflect on what’s working and what isn’t. Then we actually practice the skills they need.

⏱️ Estimate how long a task will take, then time it and compare
📝 Separate “have to do” tasks from “want to do” tasks
⭐ Prioritize what needs to happen first
🧩 Break long-term assignments into smaller, manageable steps
📅 Give those steps their own mini deadlines
🎒 Identify materials and supports they’ll need before they start
⚖️ Account for homework, sports, activities, chores, downtime, and other competing responsibilities
🔕 Identify distractions and build systems that make getting started and staying on task easier

And one of my favorite pieces is having students estimate → do → compare → adjust.

If you thought your science assignment would take 20 minutes and it actually took 45, that is new information your brain can use the next time you plan your afternoon.

Comment “help” if you want the link to the lessons/materials I use! When a student tells me, “I’m bad at time management...
09/03/2026

Comment “help” if you want the link to the lessons/materials I use!

When a student tells me, “I’m bad at time management,” I don’t immediately hand them a planner because time management isn’t really one skill. It’s a whole collection of executive functioning skills working together.

A student who is chronically running out of time might actually be struggling to estimate how long something will take. A student who waits until the night before a project is due might need help breaking a big task into manageable steps and creating mini deadlines. A student with a packed afternoon might need to learn how to prioritize competing responsibilities. And sometimes the issue isn’t managing time at all. It’s organization, task initiation, distraction, planning, or simply having more on their plate than can realistically fit into the hours available.

That’s why when I work on time management with students, we start by figuring out where the breakdown is happening. We identify their personal time wasters and time savers, look at the strategies they’re already using, and reflect on what’s working and what isn’t. Then we actually practice the skills they need.

⏱️ Estimate how long a task will take, then time it and compare
📝 Separate “have to do” tasks from “want to do” tasks
⭐ Prioritize what needs to happen first
🧩 Break long-term assignments into smaller, manageable steps
📅 Give those steps their own mini deadlines
🎒 Identify materials and supports they’ll need before they start
⚖️ Account for homework, sports, activities, chores, downtime, and other competing responsibilities
🔕 Identify distractions and build systems that make getting started and staying on task easier

And one of my favorite pieces is having students estimate → do → compare → adjust.

If you thought your science assignment would take 20 minutes and it actually took 45, that is new information your brain can use the next time you plan your afternoon.

08/29/2026

Here’s the answer for those who asked what happens when I submit student contact points in my Google form. This is just for my notes! Simple to submit and easy to track and look back over time. If you’re wondering what’s on the form, I shared on a video a few posts back.

08/28/2026

I have a free handout for this on my blog. Comment “trap” if you want the link!

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