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K-2 It’s Cool to be Kind!

In this group we will be discussing how to have positive interactions with other students. Those positive interactions will consists of having face to face (eye contact) conversations, positive phrases, and keeping your hands and feet to yourself. Students will learn the difference between positive phrases and ‘bad’ words, how to advocate for themselves if they need to take a break, and sitting with focus and intent.

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B-LS 1. Critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions

B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions

B-SMS 2. Self-discipline and self-control

B-SS 1. Effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills

B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them

B-SS 3. Positive relationships with adults to support success

B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills
(ASCA, 2021)

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I plan to have an informational slideshow in the beginning of the year to inform all staff of what to look for in a potential small group candidate and how to refer a student for individual counseling or for small groups.

Counseling and small group referral forms will be located in a blue folder hanging by the door of my office.

Once the school year has begun, I will send a note or email to teachers to notify which students I will need for each small group that works on specific skills. Teachers will conduct a pre-assessment that I give them at this time in order to assess the overall effectiveness of the small group sessions. I will add each session on Google Calendar so teachers will get a reminder and be able to anticipate when a student might need to leave.

A Parent Permission form will go home with each child for parents to sign and return.

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I will meet with students before our first initial small group. I will inform them of the purpose, expectations, goals, and gain verbal consent.

I will screen students individually to gain their perspective and input on starting a school counseling small group. This will be a good time to interview each student individually to gain insight on if they feel like their school day is successful or not.

Students who appear to be unsuccessful in their school day according to themselves and their teachers will be selected to participate in the small group in order to learn more social/emotional and communication skills.

Follow: TAP
Tell student about the group.
Ask student about his or her level of interest/commitment to expectations of group,
Pick participants.

(Missouri Career Education, 2015)

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This provides a helpful guideline to what boundaries and expectations I can set for the group as a school counselor.
I am working with a younger group of students. Because of this, I would only set 5 or 6 rules maximum as to not overload students.
1. Respect others in the group.
2. Use kind words.
3. Keep hands and feet to yourself.
4. Always to your best.
5.
Small group will help me to decide the 5th and final rule.
(Missouri Career Education, 2015)

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Title 19 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 239(f)(2) states that a school counselor must 2) use knowledge of group dynamics and productive group interaction; as well as  (8) work effectively as a team member to promote positive change for individuals, groups, and the school community. I believe both of these ethical requirements for school counselors will be beneficial in my small group instruction. It is important for students to feel understood, respected, and safe in order for them to feel willing to learn.
(TEA, 2021)

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According to my school district and campus, all students must give, at minimum, verbal consent when meeting with administration. Parents must also give written consent if their child is receiving additional services on campus.
(Missouri Career Education, 2015)

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I believe I would take a Participative Leadership (Democratic)leadership style during my small group (Cherry, 2021).
This approach involves the leader offering guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members (Cherry, 2021).
I think this approach would work best because it involves working as a team rather than me (the leader) creating all of the decisions and not allowing for any student input in their learning process.

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American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA
Student Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author

Cherry, K. (2021, August 11). What are prominent leadership styles and frameworks you should know? Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312.

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups. http://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgroup/SmallGroupCounseling.pdf

The Texas Education Agency enforces the law at the administrative level. There are various administrative requirements relevant to your role as a school counselor. Title 19 Chapter 239 discusses the State Board for Educator Certificate requirements for the school counselor certificate.

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). Basic Books.

2014 code of Ethics - American Counseling Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf.

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As stated in the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics, A.9.b. Protecting Clients: in a group setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect clients from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma.
This is very important to remember when working with a group of students and keeping each individually safe. Through our implementation of new vocabulary to use in communication with peers as well as the practice of kind words and self advocating, it is my goal to make sure no students feels uncomfortable or unsafe in that situation. If one student is being negative or inappropriate towards another then it needs to be quickly addressed in order to avoid emotional or psychological consequences.

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This small group will have a group between 4-6 students. Students will be homogeneous in nature because of their similar needs/problems.
Stage 1: I plan to build relationships with my students by making our lessons fun and interactive. I also hope to ask students more personal questions to find out what they are interested in so I can build connections with them.

Stage 2: In order to work together as a group, I will remind students of our rules/expectations before each session or as needed. Each student will have a chance to practice a new skill we discussed before they leave the session.

Stage 3: At our closing session, I will conduct final interviews and a post assessment to track growth and feelings towards the small group counseling session. We will also discuss how to maintain contact afterwards... even after the group ends.

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Students in my small group will be developing their social techniques which will involve the social learning or development of interpersonal skills (Yalom, 1995) as well as interpersonal learning which involves receiving feedback from others and experimenting with new ways of relating.
I also believe that students will gain an instillation of hope (Yalom, 1995) in that they are able to learn new skills and learn the practices necessary to communicate effectively and kindly with others in order to make friends.