I often hear, “Why aren’t kids learning life skills at school?” The reality is complex, as some schools can impart these skills while others struggle due to limited resources and insufficient staffing. School counselors teach life skills as part of their curriculum; however, despite the American School Counseling Association’s (ASCA) recommended student-to-school-counselor ratio of 1:250, the actual ratios often remain high, with one school counselor for every 408 students, leaving many students underserved. Having devoted a decade to school counseling, I understand the challenges of aligning ..read more

On the podcast “What in the Shibal?!” with Soogia and Ed Choi, Choi shared a fascinating childhood story about his mother’s ingenious methods to prevent him from watching television while she was working. The rule was simple: no TV when his mother wasn’t home.  Choi would push the limits, watching until the very last moment before her return. His mother, however, had devised clever ways to catch him, from positioning the remote to logging volume and channel changes. When she finally cut the cord to the TV in frustration, he secretly bought a replacement cord from the hardware st ..read more

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more information. Teaching kindergartners as a school counselor for the first time was like stepping into a whirlwind of surprises. Little did I know, a seemingly innocent choice of words would turn my well-intentioned lesson into hilarious chaos. Instead of asking, “What questions do you have about this lesson?” as I should have, I innocently asked, “What questions do you have?” I was immediately barraged with a torrent of unrelated inquiries. Yet, amidst the hilarious storm, one question reigned supreme: “Where do babie ..read more

A great list of books that deal with friendship skills and embracing who you are! This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more information. My daughter came home from school one day last year and shared that one of her friends had kept another friend’s secret, so she knew she was a good and trustworthy friend. I was stunned into silence. When had I learned that was a good friendship skill? My twenties, maybe? Recognizing the qualities of a good friend isn’t always easy if you haven’t been taught. I know I suffered through my fair share of unkind and unhealthy f ..read more

I only recommend products I have found to be of great value and are worth reading or using. If you buy something through one of the links below, I may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. When is the right time to teach body safety? I don’t recall ever being explicitly taught as a child that I could tell an adult ‘no’ if I was uncomfortable with their touch. Many of us have experienced tickles and hugs that we would have preferred not to have had growing up, but our ‘No’s’ were not respected – forced hugs with grandma and sitting on Santa’s lap. We didn’t know we could say ‘no.’ As ..read more

This post contains affiliate marketing. I only recommend products I have found to be of great value and are worth reading or using. If you buy something through one of the links below, I may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. (Legit. I went through my own Amazon list to make this for you and not to flex, but I have great taste.)  School counseling is an incredibly rewarding and challenging profession that can have a lasting, positive impact on students’ lives. To succeed in this field, you’ve got to be dedicated to hard work, have a strong commitment to learning, and be will ..read more

I’ve had a lot of favorite school counseling toys over the years, but there’s one that stands above the crowd. If you want to learn how children interact with their parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends, you need to invest in some dollhouse dolls. Through these dolls, you’ll discover how the child you’re working with sees and interacts with the world. (I really don’t think I’m overstating anything here.) “Play is a child’s natural medium for self-expression.” Virginia Axline While playing the role of mother, a child once told me that they would “call the cops on me” if I didn’t behave ..read more

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more information. We’ve talked about the games, fidgets, and decor you’ll need for your counseling office, but have we talked about all the books you’ll need? Someday soon, I’ll write about the books you’ll need to enhance your craft, but for now, let’s go over some basic social/emotional books together. I’ve included books that explore anger, anxiety, perfectionism, responsibility, diversity, bullying, friendship, and consent. If you’re budget minded, these would be the books I’d start with to begin my school counseling ..read more

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more information. When I was a high school counselor, we had a tight budget, so I took on a senior intern whose sole job was to create all the media I needed to support the school counseling program–flyers, social media posts, infographics, brochures, and so much more. My intern was lovely and kind, yet I had to change nearly everything they’d created. Misunderstandings in vision, last-minute changes to the plan, and lack of resources made it almost impossible to use the intern to their fullest potential. Ultimately, I fo ..read more

Sometimes I think the only way I can learn is through the struggle of figuring it out myself, but let’s save you a decade and get you to some of the best books if you’re just starting in the counseling field, teaching profession, or you’re about to bring home your first little bundle of joy.  None of these books have “parent,” “teacher,” or “school counselor” in the title, and yet, they’re all so incredibly relevant; each book helped me be better in all three areas. #1 Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Gui ..read more