Guidance Curriculum

Proudly Introducing the Second Step Curriculum
https://www.secondstep.org/

Guidance curriculum is taught through classroom instruction by the school counselor as a preventative or remedial measure that focuses on the developmental needs of students. School counselors use the American School Counselor Association National Model to adapt their program to their school’s needs. This model provides competencies and desired learning outcomes that play a key role in accountability. Examples of guidance units may include academic support (test-taking skills for instance), goal setting, career awareness, peer relationships, communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, diversity awareness, etc.

This Years Second Step Lessons

11/01/19-12/30/19

Kindergarten

Self-Talk

I presented to our kindergarten classes the skill of "Self Talk." This skill assist the students in being able to focus on the task being asked, and use self talk as a way to remind themselves of what they need to do. The student practiced the skill during a game and then the skill was reinforced by using a song where they had to listen to the words of the song then place their hands on their eyes like binoculars when they heard the word "focus" and hands cupping their ears when they heard the word "listen."

Multi step instructions can be difficult for children at this age. Using Self Talk is a great strategy that the students can practice. Plus, this skill can be used at school as well as at home when given instructions!

2/4/20

Recognizing How Our Face and Body Shows Emotions

This week I presented to our kindergarten classes the topic of "Feelings." This lesson introduced to the students how our faces and our bodies show feelings. We began by partnering up and showing our partners our happy, sad, and mad faces. Boy those mad faces can be scary! We then talked about how our bodies show our feelings by the way we stand, where our arms are, and how they feel inside. This included feeling butterflies when we are anxious, tightening our hands and arms when we are mad, or feeling warm or red when we are upset.

The students practiced this new skill with each other as well as identifying how others feel with the use of pictures. We then related caring for one another by asking a person how they are feeling if they look sad or upset.

We finished our lesson by listening to the "Feelings" song and showed our faces of emotion when the song said, "happy, sad, mad, scared."

Parents can follow up with their students at home by playing a game of name that feeling by using their faces and bodies to represent an emotion.

First Grade

Self-Talk

Like my kindergarten presentation, I presented to our first grade classes the skill of "Self Talk." This skill assist the students in being able to focus on the task being asked, and use self talk as a way to remind themselves of what they need to do. The student practiced the skill during a game and then the skill was reinforced by using a song where they had to listen to the words of the song then place their hands on their eyes like binoculars when they heard the word "focus" and hands cupping their ears when they heard the word "listen."

An addition to this presentation from our kinder friends is that I also implemented distractions and how distractions can make us lose our focus. During the game, I had their peers make noises to see if they could keep their focus. When they struggled with remaining focused, we discussed using self talk as a way to remind us to focus on the teacher's instruction.

1/22/20

Managing Strong Emotions

For first grade, I introduced ways to recognize and manage strong feelings. We began by discussing the different emotions and normalized that feeling emotions occurs for everything.

Then we discussed what the emotions feels like within our bodies and how to identify the cues that our bodies are giving us that match the emotion. For example, pounding heart, warm face, tightening muscles, butterflies in our stomachs.

We then discussed the need to calm ourselves down by using coping skills to match the emotion. Some coping skills we discussed were counting numbers, taking deep breaths, walking away for a break.

I used scenarios to help with understanding the lesson and to practice the appropriate ways to help themselves calm down when they are having a strong emotion.

Second Grade

Self-Talk

Like my kindergarten and first grade presentation, I presented to our second grade classes the skill of "Self Talk." This skill assist the students in being able to focus on the task being asked, and use self talk as a way to remind themselves of what they need to do. The student practiced the skill during a game and then the skill was reinforced by using a song where they had to listen to the words of the song then place their hands on their eyes like binoculars when they heard the word "focus" and hands cupping their ears when they heard the word "listen."

01/29/20

Managing Anger

This month I worked with our 2nd grade classes on recognizing the emotion of anger by paying attention to the feeling of anger, the cues that our body gives us (tightening muscles, sweaty palms, pounding heart), and coping skills that you can use to help yourself calm down.

* Deep breathing

* Counting

* Positive Self Talk

* Taking a break

This is a hard skill to implement for kids and takes practice to use while they are calm so that they can use it when they are feeling emotional.

This Years Second Step Lessons

Third Grade

Emotion Management

Our third grade classes were introduced to emotion management. Together we reviewed common emotions that everyone feels and how our body sends us cues that our emotion is strong. This includes feeling warm in our face, heart pounding, sweaty palms, etc.

I introduced some coping skills for our students to try when they become upset. I introduced the skill of deep breathing, taking a break, and counting. I also discussed using positive self talk to help them rid themselves of the negative thought that is fueling the strong emotion.

We practiced using deep breathing by inhaling for 7 seconds, holding it for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.

Students need to practice this technique when they are calm so that it becomes more natural for them to use it when they have a strong emotion!

2/13/20

Focusing, Ignoring Distractions, Using Self Talk

This month, I worked with our third grade classes on the academic skill of focusing and self talk. The students participated in three different games to reiterate the techniques while allowing the students time to practice the skill.

To begin the lesson, the students and I discussed how a person knows when someone is actively listening to them. Students were able to identify that eyes would be on the person and ears would be listening. We also acknowledged that a person's body would be facing towards the speaker.

Next, the students played a game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who would be partner A and who would be partner B. Students then played a game of listening to the speaker while trying to memorize information on partner A's favorite animal.

Upon finishing, students were then asked to state what their partner said and to identify how they were able to remember the information. Students were able to identify that they used self-talk to help them memorize the information by repeating the information to themselves over and over in their head.

During the lesson, we discussed how a good listener will use their eyes, ears, and bodies to show active listening. We also discussed how we should not talk over one another and the consequences of becoming distracted which included loss of information and lower grades.

Students played another game that showed how being distracted by peers and noises would not allow them to retain the information that was being taught.

The last interactive activity that we did was having a peer sing the ABC song to the class as if he/she was teaching the song to the class. The student was asked to look around the room as he/she was teaching the song and to identify what kinds of activities caused him/her to become distracted from their own lesson. The students were able to identify how if feels to loose their train of thought because of a distraction.

Next, the students and I discussed how their teacher, parents, and friends feel when they are not focused and actively listening to them. We discussed others feeling disrespected, sad, frustrated, and angry when we are not being heard.

Parents can follow up with their student by encouraging them to use self-talk at home when giving multi-step directions to their child. Encourage your child to repeat the expectation over and over again so that they can memorize all of the tasks that are being asked of them.

Fourth Grade

Emotional Management

Our fourth grades learned about managing their emotions! They all watched a video that introduced them to the amygdala which is the emotion section within our brains.

Students learned the importance of needing to calm down prior to making a decision on how to respond to their emotion. When people have a strong emotion, which is normal to have, their decision on what to do with the emotion can get them in trouble because they are not thinking logically about the consequences that can follow.

Student participated in a dance where they learned the steps for calming down.

1) Stop

2) Name your feeling

3) Calm down

The dance emphasized using belly breaths, positive self talk, and positive self talk as a way to calm down.

Handling Put Downs

In fourth grade this week, we discussed what put downs are and how to handle put downs. Put downs were described as a comment that is made that is hurtful and is not a joke.

Students watched a video and then discussed what occurred in the video. Students then used empathy to put themselves in "other people's shoes" by stating how the boy in the video must have felt when his peer gave him a put down.

Students learned the difference between being assertive and aggressive and some volunteers came up to act out the differences. They always impress me with their acting abilities!

Additional Classroom Lessons

Fifth Grade

Gossiping and Rumors

The fifth grade classes were taken through a lesson on gossiping and spreading rumors. First we identified what gossip and rumors are and how this act can hurt others as well as the people spreading the rumors and gossip. We watched a video on a scenario where spreading rumors really affected a kid and how he decided to handle the situation.

The students were asked to problem solve the situation prior to watching the end of the video. We discussed the difference of being assertive and being aggressive. I used my silliness to give examples of the two and then asked the students which one they felt would give me the most respect back.

Next, we discussed problem solving steps using the acronym of S.T.E.P.

S ay the problem

T hink of a possible solution

E xplore the consequence

P ick the best solution.

Third Grade - Mrs. Johnston's Class

01/29/20

Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook

This is a hilarious story that helps students recognize the differences between tattling and reporting. Through the missteps of Josh, we learn when we should speak up and when we can handle the problem on our own.

This story introduces us to the Tattle Prince who goes through the 4 rules for tattling These rules are posted for students to use and be proactive about solving their conflicts:

1) Be a Danger Ranger - If a person or animal is in danger, you must warn someone!

2) Be a Problem Solver - If the problem involves you directly, take charge and try hard to solve it yourself first.

3) No or Later - Is the problem a "Now" problem or a "Not Now" problem? Can your problem be solved at a later time?

4) MYOB (Mind Your Own Beeswax!) If the problem is not dangerous and it does not involve you...Do Not Tattle!

Students demonstrate their knowledge of the difference between when to report and when it would be tattling by reading potential scenarios and categorizing them appropriately.

As a fun activity, students made their own "Josh the Tattler" with tattle tongue and all!