Metal Board

One of my favorite and most useful tools in my office is this board that I made out of sheet metal.  I bought 2 sheets from Home Depot and put them on the wall side by side to make one large board.  I simply used a hammer and 4 nails to attach each sheet to the wall.  The boarder is a wide ribbon from Hobby Lobby that is stapled to the wall. 

The whiteboards attached are regular whiteboards with magnets on the back.  The same is true for the containers holding the markers.  I use the business card sized magnets that are sold at Office Max.  They hold up really well, and the magnets are easy to cut with scissors. 

 

As you can see, I have been busy talking with the kiddos about getting along with peers, as well as classroom behavior.  By having these questions posted it helps to open up conversation.  The post-it notes are used by the students to write their answers/thoughts down, so we can discuss and identify problems.  The answer to these questions are usually conflicting, which makes for great conversation!  On a side note, the answers to the question, "How do others see you?" are usually pretty interesting.  When the students read "others" they usually make the assumption that "others" is their friends.  After they answer, I explain that "others" includes everyone...parents, teachers, ALL peers, siblings, etc.  Another great opportunity for good and honest conversation!

Red Ribbon Week

It's October!  Fall is in the air,  football is in full swing, and Red Ribbon Week is quickly approaching.  I wanted to create a freebie for Red Ribbon Week to offer to both my teacher followers and counselor followers.  The packet is somewhat generic, so each individual page is versatile depending on grade level and focus of the lesson or activity.  This packet can be downloaded for free from my TpT store.

This packet includes:
~Title and Info Page
~A list of Red Ribbon themes
~A drug free self portrait page
~A template to compare a life with drugs to a life without drugs
~2 pages with frame and writing lines to illustrate and write about a drug free future and career
~A list to create the top 10 reasons to be drug free
~3 posters/coloring pages
~Credits Page

What's on your walls???

If you have read my office page, then you know that I just moved offices and positions over the summer. In my office I have a big closet. The bare closet doors have bothered me since I moved in, but I was not sure what I wanted to put on them. What is middle school appropriate? I was so afraid of putting something up that was too babyish...coming from an elementary school and all. However, after the first two weeks I found myself saying the same things that I had said the previous four years as an elementary school counselor. Even though the conversation was more mature, I noticed the students did not have basic problem solving skills, were confused on what bullying really was, and did not know the difference between reporting a problem and tattling. They were having difficulty identifying how they felt and coming up with ways to calm down when angry or upset. In response to my student's needs, I decided to cover my closet doors with posters addressing these issues.

The posters that I used were from several of the packets that I have in my TpT store.  You can do the same thing by making your own posters. Just think about the issues that come up most often with your students. So far I have been amazed at how many students have looked at and commented on the posters. I have even had students come in angry, and as I give them time to calm down I can see them studying the posters. Students have even referenced them in conversation. Teachers, what do you have on your walls? Make it relevant, because I promise the students read, study, and look at what is posted.

If you want to make your own posters, then make them pleasing to the student's eye. Some hints are:
~Use fun fonts, but make sure they are easy to read
~Use colors that are eye catching, but not so crazy that the message is overpowered
~Use attractive clip art and pictures to support written messages
~Deliver your info clearly and concisely

The posters that I used are from the following packets:
~Counselor's Office Rules - For the Counselor's Office packet
~How to Solve a Problem, Small Problems vs. Big Problems, Reporting vs. Tattling, Bullying or Not - Problem Solving packet
~Anger Rules and Ways to Calm Down - The Anger Hub packet
~Boys & Girls How Are You Feeling Posters - The Emotions Hub packet