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American School Counselor Association (2019). Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Every Student. Alexandria, VA: Author.

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Individually packaged candy that we'll be using for the icebreaker activity

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Activity: Candy Icebreaker
After allowing the group leader and members to introduce themselves, the group will participate in an icebreaker activity. Each member will answer 1-2 simple, yet fun questions about themselves during this activity.

Supplies:

Assortment of individually wrapped candies (bag of m&m's, skittles, etc.). Make sure there is enough for each group member.

Basket or container to put candy.

Small slips of paper or sticky notes to attach to each candy wrapper. (group leader will write 1-2 fun questions for group members to answer on each slip/sticky note)

Directions:

Place all candy with their attached questions in the basket/container.

Either choose members or ask volunteers to come up and pick out their candy.

Once the group member picks a candy bag out of the container, they must read and answer the question(s) on the slip attached to the wrapper.

Go around the group until all members have answered a question and received their candy.

Considerations:
The group leader may want to address when the students can eat the candy they receive.  Allowing the members to eat the candy during the Icebreaker may cause distractions in the group.

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Breaux, R. P., Langberg, J. M., Molitor, S. J., Dvorsky, M. R., Bourchtein, E., Smith, Z. R., & Green, C. D. (2019). Predictors and Trajectories of Response to the Homework, Organization, and Planning Skills (HOPS) Intervention for Adolescents With ADHD. Behavior Therapy, 50(1), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2018.04.001.

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Christina Lovette-Wilson, Amy Orange & Antonio Corrales (2022) Factors influencing student transition from elementary to middle school, Educational Studies, 48(3), 424-441, DOI: 10.1080/03055698.2020.1767039

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Corey, M. S., & Corey, G. (2018). Groups: Process and practice. Cengage Learning.

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DeRosa, R., Habib, M, Pelcovitz, D., Rathus, J., Ford, J., Sonnenklar, J., Sunday, S., Layne, C., Saltzman, W., Turnbull, A., & Labruna, V. Kaplan, S.  (2006).  Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS):  A Trauma-focused Guide for Groups.  North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY.

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Enterprise by Design. (2015, December 16). Mark Twain on eating frogs. [Photograph]. Enterprise By Design. http://enterprisebydesign.com.au/mark-twain-on-eating-frogs/.

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Hill, D. C., & Coulson-Brown, D. (2007). Developmental considerations for group therapy with youth. In R. W. Christner, J. L. Stewart, & A. Freeman (Eds.), Handbook of cognitive-behavior group therapy with children and adolescents: Specific settings and presenting problems (pp. 39–63). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

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Kane, B. (2020, October). Eat the Frog. Todoist. https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/eat-the-frog.

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Rosenfeld, L. B., & Richman, J. M. (1998). Supportive Communication and School Outcomes for Academically `At-Risk’ and Other Low Income.. Communication Education, 47(4), 309. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634529809379138

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Begin with Opening ritual

Activity: Triangle breathing

Everybody gets anxious or upset sometimes and without knowing how to handle it, it can get overwhelming. Research has shown that breathing is connected to how a person is feeling. For example, breathing is faster and more shallow when angry or upset and slow and deep when happy. By changing your breathing patterns when angry, you can calm down and begin to think more rationally. (Seppala et. al., 2020).

Have group breathe by following triangle.

Objective: The goal of this activity is to provide students with a way of calming down when over-stimulated or full of emotions. By doing this deep breathing exercise, students will be able to understand and experience how the body reacts to certain breathing rhythms.

Processing questions:

1. What was it like emotionally to breathe based on the triangle intervals?

2. What thoughts were you having while doing this?

3. What did you feel inside your body while doing this activity?

Closing ritual

Considerations: It is important to consider the age of this population. Middle school students may not want to participate in this activity for fear of embarrassment or ridicule. It is okay for the student to not participate, but it will be highly encouraged.

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Seppala, E., Bradley, C., Goldstein, M. (September 29, 2020). Research: Why breathing is so effective at reducing stress. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2020/09/research-why-breathing-is-so-effective-at-reducing-stress

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Sink, C. A., Edwards, C., & Eppler, C. (2012). School based group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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Opening ritual

Emotional regulation is important when it comes to being successful in peer relationships. Transitioning into a new, often larger, school can be a lot to handle and emotions can come across as something that we are not always feeling. Anxiety and nervousness can come out as anger and sadness can often be expressed as anger as well. In order to regulate our emotions, we need to understand them.

Activity: Understanding emotions

Have each child make a list of emotions that they experience. Then have them draw a picture or make a collage of a representation of these emotions. Prompts can include “when you feel angry, what does that look like?”, “how does it feel when you are happy?”. Students can be as creative as possible and use any materials they want. When finished, they share them with the group (Your Therapy Source, 2022)

Goal of the activity: The goal of this activity is to understand and identify emotions. By understanding an emotion, the student can identify how they are feeling and make the necessary steps to regulate that emotion.

Processing questions:

1. What was this activity like for you?

2. Was it difficult to represent any particular emotion?

3. Is there anything you would add or change to your representation of any emotion?

Closing ritual

Considerations: Something to be considered is the time of this activity. It can be decreased to each student choosing one emotion to focus on and given only a few options of the materials they can use to complete the activity.

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Your Therapy Source. (May 3, 2022). 10 emotional regulation activities for kids. Retrieved from https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2022/05/03/10-emotional-regulation-activities-for-kids/

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Topic Selection, Rationale, and Relevance 

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Topic Selection, Rationale, and Relevance 

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This group is composed of ten students. The students will meet weekly to participate in activities and discussions relating to transitioning from elementary school to middle school. Transitioning from elementary school to middle school often presents a unique set of obstacles and challenges for students, especially those students considered to be marginalized or vulnerable. Young adolescents who are starting middle school are often dealing with a new school building and new teachers. However, these young adolescents are also navigating mental and physical changes that are often associated with puberty (Sint et al., 2012). Considering the developmental level of the students is important to providing the highest quality of service and achieving positive outcomes. The group setting allows these young adolescents to experience prosocial influences through the use of positive peer and adult models (Hill & Coulson-Brown, 2017). For each individual member of the group it is vital that the facilitator recognizes the influences of socioeconomic status, genetics, cognition, and culture on the student’s developmental level (Hill & Coulson-Brown, 2017).

The group is intended to support students as they adjust to this potentially difficult transition from elementary school to middle school. Over the course of meeting, the group will take time to build rapport with other members and the facilitator of the group. During this time, they will determine group norms and learn how to maintain confidentiality. As the group progresses, members will practice mindfulness, emotional regulation, and coping skills. Members of the group will identify and discuss personal and social changes that take places during this transition. In addition, members will focus on the components of this change that they can control and what they do not have control over. As the group begins to close, members will reevaluate their feelings towards starting middle school and recognize the new strategies they have attained.

Social emotional development and academics are the domains that are relevant to this group. Below are the objectives and relevant ASCA Mindset or Behavior (ASCA, 2019).

Communicate effectively with teachers and other adults regarding academic and social emotional needs. (B-SS 3. Positive relationships with adults to support success.)

Practice and employ organizational skills to facilitate academic achievement. (B-LS 3. Time-management, organizational and study skills.)

Foster an ability to recognize times of stress/anxiety and utilize coping strategies. (B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills.)

Increased understanding of positive/healthy peer interactions and relationships. (B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them.)

Other ASCA Mindset and Behaviors present;

B-SMS 10. Ability to manage transitions and adapt to change.

M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed.

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Begin with opening ritual

Activity: "Eat The Frog"
For this activity, students will be given a brief introduction to Mark Twain's saying regarding eating the frog in the morning, a method used to organize priorities and avoid procrastination (Kane, 2020). They will then be given 5 cut-out paper frogs of various sizes, none being the same size as the others. Students will be instructed to think about what they have to do this week, be it a project, a homework assignment, a task at home, or something they have to get done for an extracurricular. They will identify the top five most important tasks to get done, with consideration to deadlines, impact on grades, at-home responsibilities, etc. They will write the tasks on their five frogs, the largest frog being reserved for their most pressing responsibility, the second largest for their next most important, and so on. Once students have prioritized their tasks of the week, they will each share 1-2 of their frogs with the group, why they prioritized the frog in the way they did, and what about the task(s), if anything, makes them feel overwhelmed or incapable completing it. If any of the students' largest frogs are too big to "eat in one bite" or complete from start to finish in one dedicated time frame, they will be invited to share how they can break this frog into multiple smaller frogs to make the task more manageable.

Goal of the activity:
The objective of this activity is to equip students with a tool that helps them prioritize their daily and weekly tasks in order to stay more organized in their studies. By identifying their "frogs" or biggest projects/tasks of the week, they are able to create a mindset of organizing their time efficiently so they are able to maintain responsibilities without the stress that often accompanies procrastination.

End with closing ritual

Considerations
One consideration to keep in mind throughout this session is the possibility of a student with an ADHD diagnosis. Individuals with ADHD often experience significant academic impairment, which can include missing assignments, remembering assigned homework, and planning, as well as material organization (bookbags, notebooks, folders, etc) (Breaux et. al, 2019). Remaining mindful of the particular difficulties ADHD students face is important when talking about prioritization and organization. Students may also experience feelings of comparison if another group member's frogs seem more daunting or important than their own. Keeping an open dialogue throughout the activity and allowing students to explore those struggles with comparison can allow for a deeper, more productive conversation about prioritization and comparing your own responsibilities to those of others.

Closing Rituals

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Begin with Opening Ritual

Activity:

After meeting with students in the first group session about group norms and expectations, the activity in Week 2 will provide students with a chance to get to know one another. It will also give students a chance to interact with one another comfortably without the hassle of worksheets or written responses.

Objective:

The end goal is to learn communication skills, such as active listening, to reduce the anxiety of transitioning by learning to communicate and listen openly and clearly with peers. According to Rosenfeld & Richman (1998), “Active listening may increase feelings of control by providing the recipient with an opportunity to vent her or his feelings, which reduces stress and provides an opportunity to explore alternatives with a caring and concerned support provider”.

Considerations:

Interventions that direct members to gain awareness of what they are experiencing in the here and now tend to intensify the emotional quality of interactions (Corey & Corey, 2018). While working in groups on communication skills it is important to focus on the here and now which gives students a chance to clearly communicate what they are experiencing in the present as a middle school student.

Directions:

1. Print and laminate Chit Chat Cards. You will need a few sets for whole class work.

2. Partner students randomly and pass out Chit Chat cards.

3. Allow them time to read through and discuss the Chit Chat cards.

4. Have them discuss as few or as many as time allows.

5. Bring the group back together for a whole class discussion.

6. Allow students to listen, share, and discuss their thoughts.

End with Closing Ritual

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Opening Rituals

Activity: The Web

Following our opening rituals, members will take part in the “web” activity. In this activity, members will hold a ball of yarn. One person starts by holding one end and then passing it to another group member. In this scenario, the group facilitator should go first to model the expectations for participation. The person passing the ball of yarn will tell the person they are passing it to how they have impacted them positively throughout the group process. That member then loops the yarn around their finger and passes the ball to someone else. The activity will continue until each person has both given and received feedback from every person, including the facilitator. To complete the activity, each person will use a pair of scissors to cut the web that has spun around them. These cut pieces of yarn will serve as a tangible reminder of all the positive ways in which they impacted others and were impacted (Terry, 2011).

Activity: Letter to Future Me

The last activity of the closing group session will allow members the opportunity to focus on themselves. Members of the group will utilize https://www.futureme.org/ to write themselves letters that they will read at the end of their first year of middle school. Using this service, the students will select the last day of the school year to receive their letters. This serves as an opportunity for students to provide themselves with their own encouragement and insight regarding their first year of middle school.

Objective:
The objective of these activities is to provide members with closure regarding the group process, as well as confidence moving forward through the rest of the school year. The facilitator should include resources for members following the termination of the group, as well as their availability for further assistance regarding future issues. For the closing group the members will participate in two different and very impactful activities.

Closing Rituals

Considerations:

Working within the group setting for several weeks can leave members feeling mixed emotions during the termination stage. The group facilitator and group members should be aware of their feelings towards the termination of the group. Members of the group may express feelings of loss and grief during this time. It is important that the closing session of the group takes time to slow down and provide a platform for students and the facilitator to share feedback, say goodbye, and appreciate the work they have done. This session should maintain a meaningful focus on the group in its entirety. During the closing session, the facilitator should not ask processing questions or present activities that will cause deep issues or new ideas to arise.

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Our opening and closing ritual for each group session will consist of a mindfulness and feelings check that each member will self-assess. This S.O.S. system worksheet has been adapted from a trauma-focused guide to group therapy called Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS) (DeRosa et al., 2006). During the first session, the counselor will lead each student through this exercise, narrating each step and their instructions. After the first session, every group member will be able to lead the group through an opening or closing. S.O.S. ritual. There are a few implications for implementing this system as our opening and closing ritual:
1. As students come into each session, this will serve as a way to assess how each member feels before we start.
2. Group leaders and students will be able to observe how the group session has affected each member. Observing this positive change may also help to improve each member's stake in participating in the group.
3. It allows students to learn a skill in a very practical way over an extended period; hopefully, the continued use of this ritual will provide students with a tool to use when in times of distress well after group sessions are over.

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Opening Rituals

Activity: Grafitti Wall
In this activity there will be a large roll of paper on the wall with question prompts for students to answer. Each student will be given a different color marker and go around to answer each question. Once each student has written an answer for each question on the wall the group will go through to discuss and process the answers that the students gave. Questions prompts will include: What is something that you miss from your old school (elementary)? Name a new change that you have been trying to adjust to. How is the structure of middle school different from elementary school? What is something positive that you have experienced in the transition from elementary school to middle school?

Goal for Activity
The transition into middle school from elementary school is full of new changes that bring challenges for students. They may struggle with the transition from elementary school to middle school and feel that they are alone in these struggles. This activity is meant to bring attention to the fact that others may be having troubles adjusting to changes too and invite an open conversation about these issues. Students will be able to process what they are struggling with and have opportunities to discuss and develop coping strategies to implement.

Processing Questions
1. What was it like to see that other peers have struggles similar to your own?
2. How did it feel when you needed to write down what your struggles were?
3. When we are faced with changes and challenges, what is a strategy that could be implemented to help ease feelings of anxiety?

Closing Rituals

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Opening Ritual

Activity: What I can control vs What I can’t control
During this activity students will each be given a large piece of paper with a circle printed on it. Inside the circle the students will write all the things that are within their control. On the outside of the circle, they will write all of the things that are outside of their control. For example, a student may not be able to control how others treat them but they can control how they respond to the way others treat them. After they have had enough time fill the paper with their answers, the group will go around and share some of the things that they wrote down. The members will be able to discuss what they wrote, how it makes them feel, and discover similarities between them and their peers regarding perspectives of control.

Goal for Activity
When dealing with the change and transition from elementary school, students can feel overwhelmed. There are many changes that are out of the students control that may cause them to feel stress and anxiety. This activity will help to bring focus to the things that are within their control and to let go of the things that are out of their control. The group will discuss ways in which holding on to out of control elements can cause them more stress and anxiety, learning ways to recognize what things are in their control and how to cope with those out of their control.

Processing Questions
1. What are some of the things that are outside of your control that has been adding stress to your life?
2. How can we recognize things that are in our control vs out of control? And what are different ways that we can respond to elements out of our control?
3. How does it feel to identify the elements that are outside of your control? How does it feel identifying what is within your control?
4. What are some things that are within your control that you hadn’t considered before?

Closing Ritual

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Building Group Norms and Expectations

We will create a social contract to build group accountability and student agency in how they expect to interact with one another in a small group setting. Students will be given 3-4 minutes to independently reflect on how they would like to be treated and their expectations for other group members. After their brainstorming, members of the group will share out. Creating this contract will double as a community-building activity that allows students to share in a low-stakes environment. It will also allow the leader to connect students with similar ideas of how they’d like to be treated. After each member shares, the group will collectively agree on 5-8 norms based on their responses. The group will engage in a shared writing activity to visually represent the agreed-upon norms. Each group member will have an opportunity to sign the contract to show their understanding of it and their agreement to adhere to the norms.

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Reviewing Expectations and Limitations of Confidentiality
While confidentiality will likely be a major standard set forth by the group norms and expectations, it is important to review the importance of confidentiality within the group setting. It will also be important for the group leader to review the limits of confidentiality.

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Students will be given a pre-assessment worksheet to complete. This pre-assessment will give the group leader a good opportunity to gain some insight into each group member and their experience in the school so far. This pre-assessment will also give the group leader the opportunity to understand what each member is seeking to learn throughout these group sessions.

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Explanation of the Opening and Closing Rituals

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Explanation of the Opening and Closing Rituals

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Before the close of the first session, the group leader will discuss the opening and closing rituals with the group. The group leader will narrate the SOS system worksheet as they lead the group members through the exercise for the first time. It will be important to do this first closing ritual slowly and deliberately to fully explain the process and the expectations moving forward in future sessions.

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Ending Group: "Victory is ours"

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Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life Ending HD

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Terry, L. (2011, April 1). Semi-structured termination exercises. The Group Psychologist. https://www.apadivisions.org/division-49/publications/newsletter/group-psychologist/2011/04/termination-exercises