Music City Counselor

Are you struggling with planning your programming topics and focus areas for the school year? You're not alone - it can feel super overwhelming! 😵‍💫🫠

🩷 Good news - your besties at mapped out 4 suggested topics for each month for you! Choose 1 or 2 that best fit the needs of your school community.

🔗 Please comment LINKED below if you'd like us to message you our Year at a Glance (page 2 in our monthly curriculum map) to jump-start your planning process!

Happy birthday, ! We turned ✨FIVE✨ today! 🎂🩷

🤯 What started as a little dream over Facebook Messenger turned into a comprehensive elementary and middle school curriculum trusted by thousands of counselors in all 50 states and dozens of countries around the world. 🥹

🥂 We are so grateful for our growth (thanks to y'all!) and can't wait to see what the next 5 years have in store for us! Cheers!

📣✨ CURRICULUM MAP UPDATE! ✨📣

🩷 Our members asked if we could add links to our curriculum map to take any "searching" out of the equation for them. So, of course we got right on it! Anything we can do to save counselors' precious time is of utmost importance to us!

🔗 Friends, our Elementary Monthly Curriculum Map is now LINKED to our Searchable Gallery Page. So, if you click on a lesson title on the map, it will take you DIRECTLY to that lesson to download it! 🙌👏

💬 Please comment LINKED below if you'd like us to message you our FREE curriculum map!

Okay...so how did I go almost 20 years in this field without ever reading this book? 📚🤯

🩷 It's SO entertaining and memorable for the first day of school! 👏🏻

🏫 "First Day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg tells the story of a girl named Sarah who does NOT want to go to her first day at a new school. She refuses to get out of bed. Assumes the worst things are going to happen. Complains of a headache. Sarah tries every trick in the book to convince her dad to let her stay home. Relatable, right?!

😮 Well, the VERY unexpected twist happens at the end of the book. Sarah's dad drives her to school and her new principal greets her at the car. The principal then walks her to class and on the last page we find out that Sarah is NOT a new student. She is actually the TEACHER! 😂

🤗 I LOVE how this book normalizes the jittery, reluctant, feelings and fears about starting school for all of us - young and old! And does so in such a funny way! My son's 1st grade teacher read it aloud and then served the kiddos "Jitter Juice" - Hawaiian Punch mixed with Sprite. So cute and fun!

💬 Have you used this book with your students? How did they react to the last page? Let me know in the comments below!

Hey School Counselors! 🩷👋

⭐️ Stop wasting your time searching TpT, Pinterest, Google, and blogs.

🤍 And no…you don’t have to use that boring big box curriculum collecting dust in your closet!

👯‍♀️ Join Laura & Ashley, Counselor Collab® Curriculum!

🧡 Get unlimited access to 1,000+ PreK - 8 research-based, ASCA-aligned lessons, groups, activities, and templates. All in one place! 🙌🏻🤯

🔗 Comment COLLAB below and we’ll message you the link to sign up and a 50% off promo code!

📣✨ NEW RESOURCE! ✨📣

🩷 Y'all asked me for a small group counseling data and planning tracker, so here you go!

🖥️ This digital for Google Sheets™ resource keeps your group counseling plans and data organized, accessible, and easy to review any time you need it!

✨ It helps you document your group information, goals, ASCA alignment, participants' information and data, pretest/posttest data, attendance, session plans, and more!

♥️ Share this spreadsheet with your administrator to showcase your value and how your services are data-driven, relevant, and effective!

🔗 Please comment TRACKER below if you'd like to use it in your program and I'll message you the link!

Do you have a Calm Corner in your counseling space or classroom? They are truly a game-changer when it comes to teaching kiddos self-regulation skills! 🫶🤍

🖤 To set up a Calm Corner, grab a comfy rug, a bean bag chair, a basket of fidgets, and my set of visuals! Try to make the space as welcoming, peaceful, and comfortable as possible. 🩷

💬 Please comment CALM below if you’d like me to message you the link to my poster set to get you started!

Starting a new school year can bring BIG feelings, especially for kiddos who struggle with separation anxiety. 🏫🩷

🤗 Here are 6 tips to make the transition back to school easier for everyone:

▫️ Keep goodbyes short & positive. Use a quick, confident goodbye routine. Long goodbyes can make separation harder.
▫️ Create a predictable routine. Knowing what happens each morning helps kids feel safe and prepared.
▫️ Use a comforting reminder of home. A small family photo, note, bracelet, or other approved comfort item can provide reassurance during the transition.
▫️ Validate their feelings. Let children know it’s okay to miss home while reminding them they are safe and cared for at school.
▫️ Give them a job to do. Ask them to unpack, choose a morning activity, deliver something, or help with a classroom task to redirect their attention.
▫️ Celebrate small successes. Notice progress such as walking into class independently, calming down more quickly, or completing a full morning. Positive reinforcement builds confidence!

💬 Which of these tips is most helpful to you and your students? Let me know in the comments below!