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This group is for seven- and eight-year-old second grade female students who are having trouble making and sustaining friendships.

The focus for this group is developing effective friendship skills.

RTI Tier 2 Behavior Teacher Input Forms indicated second grade students are having a difficult time getting along with others in class and at recess. These students are struggling to make friends and interact appropriately with their peers which determined a need for this group.

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The #FriendshipGoals small group will be advertised to teachers and staff members via campus team meetings and school email.

An informational flyer and referral form will be placed in all faculty and staff work mailboxes. The group information and referral form will be shared in faculty meetings, as well.

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Students will be selected to participate in the #FriendshipGoals small group based on teacher referrals and data collection. Data collection includes teacher input forms, the school counselor log, conduct codes, and student self-assessment forms.

After receiving the teacher and staff referral forms, the counselor will meet with the referred students individually to interview the students and discuss the purpose of the small group. The interviews will be conducted with students individually.

The counselor will explain the topic, group expectations, and goals. The counselor will directly ask each referred student individually if they are willing to participate and follow the expectations in the small group. The counselor will assess the student's willingness to participate during this discussion based on the student's verbal responses, facial expressions, and body language. The counselor will ask the students to rate their interest in the group on a 1-10 rating scale (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

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A parent consent form will be sent home once the group members have been selected (no more than 6 students). The group's informational flyer and a letter to the parent will go home with the consent form. Parent consent will be obtained prior to the group’s initial meeting.

The students will complete a consent form during the initial group meeting.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

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This group is made of second grade students struggling to make friends and interact appropriately with peers. Each stage will be essential for these students developing positive relationships with peers.

The focus of Stage 1 is to develop positive relationships and build trust between group members and the counselor. During the initial meeting, group members will discuss group norms, expectations, and ground rules for confidentiality. Group members will also play "Getting to Know You" Jenga to begin the process of relationship building.

Group norms will be established by group members. Group norms must be created and maintained for group effectiveness, so student willingness to follow these norms is essential.
When the counselor addresses the meaning and importance of confidentiality with the group, the limits of confidentiality, will also be discussed. Students are expected to not discuss what other group members share outside of group.

During Stage 2, group members will participate in feelings check-ins, group collaboration, and partner activities to keep the second grade students working together effectively toward the group's learning outcomes. Exit tickets and reflection time will be utilized to check in with group members to gauge progress throughout the group.

In Stage 3 group closure will occur through the use of a friendship skills review game. The counselor will allow time for group members to share their feelings about the group ending through a feelings check-in time. Before students return to class, each group member will receive a #FriendshipGoals Certificate of Completion. The certificate will celebrate what they learned, and the progress the students made during group. The counselor will also include a reminder to students to continue to honor the group's confidentiality agreement even though the group is closing (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

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The counselor will utilize this resource to set ground rules and expectations for the group during the initial meeting. The counselor and students will work through this resource together. The students will give examples of what each ground rule looks like or sounds like during group time.

After reviewing this resource, the counselor will ask the group if there are any ground rules they would like to add to the group's expectations.

The following ground rules will be established during the initial meeting:
1. Confidentiality
2. Group members will interact with each other in a safe and respectful manner.
3. Group Members are encouraged to actively participate, but have the right to pass when needed.

Rules about confidentiality, safety, and respect are predetermined by the counselor. Additional rules may be determined by group consensus (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

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The therapeutic factors that might be present during this group are development of socializing techniques, imitative behavior, direct advice, and universality.

Development of socializing techniques may be present because the purpose of the group is to develop effective friendship skills, which are interpersonal skills.  Students will engage in social learning during group time.

Imitative behavior may be a presenting factor as the group works together collaboratively and builds trust, students could potentially begin functioning similarly to other group members who are effectively progressing in the group skills.

Direct Advice may be present in group through the discussions and activities in each lesson. Students will interact with each other in a safe and positive environment to give and receive strategies for working through difficulties in daily life.

Group members may also experience universality as they realize they are not the only students struggling to make friends or interact respectfully with their peers (Yalom, 1995).

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The following legal requirement pertains to group counseling:

Sec. 33.005. Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.
(b)  The school counselor shall design the program to include: (2) a responsive services component to intervene on behalf of any student whose immediate personal concerns or problems put the student's continued educational, career, personal, or social development at risk (2 Texas Education Code § 33).

This code supports the school counselor role in providing a friendship skills small group. The #FriendshipGoals group is a responsive service for students whose education and social development is at risk. The school counselor will intervene by implementing a small group for friendship skills to help students progress in interpersonal skills. This will support the student's success academically and socially.

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ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors that will be met through participation with this group:

M 2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment

B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions

B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills

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 4. Empathy

B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills

B-SS 7. Leadership and teamwork skills to work effectively in diverse groups

B-SS 9. Social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment

(American School Counselor Association, 2021).

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American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA student standards: Mindsets and behaviors for student success.

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

American School Counselor Association (2019). ASCA school counselor professional standards & competencies. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a8d59c2c-51de-4ec3-a565-a3235f3b93c3/SC-Competencies.pdf

Cherry, K. (2022, May 23). Leadership styles and frameworks you should know. Verywell Mind. 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. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Tillman, K. S., & Prazak, M. (2019). Friendship Club: Development and implementation of a 12‐week social skills group curriculum.

Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 19(2), 158–166. https://doi-org.easydb.angelo.edu/10.1002/capr.12213

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

2 Texas Education Code § 33

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A leadership style refers to a leader's characteristic behaviors when directing, motivating, guiding, and managing groups of people. Great leaders can inspire political movements and social change. They can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate.

As you start to consider some of the people who you think of as great leaders, you can immediately see that there are often vast differences in how each person leads. Fortunately, researchers have developed different theories and frameworks that allow us to better identify and understand these different leadership styles.

What Are Leadership Styles?

Lewin's Leadership Styles

In 1939, a group of researchers led by psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify different styles of leadership.﻿﻿ While further research has identified more distinct types of leadership, this early study was very influential and established three major leadership styles that have provided a springboard for more defined leadership theories.

In Lewin's study, schoolchildren were assigned to one of three groups with an authoritarian, democratic, or laissez-faire leader. The children were then led in an arts and crafts project while researchers observed the behavior of children in response to the different styles of leadership. The researchers found that democratic leadership tended to be the most effective at inspiring followers to perform well.

Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic)

Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. This style of leadership is strongly focused on both command by the leader and control of the followers. There is also a clear division between the leader and the members. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently, with little or no input from the rest of the group.

Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership.﻿﻿ Lewin also concluded that it is harder to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this method is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.

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Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. The autocratic approach can be a good one when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive actions. However, it tends to create dysfunctional and even hostile environments, often pitting followers against the domineering leader.

Participative Leadership (Democratic)

Lewin's study found that participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is typically the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin's study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a higher quality.

Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say in the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Democratic leaders tend to make followers feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group.

Delegative Leadership (Laissez-Faire)

Lewin found that children under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-faire leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The children in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation, and were unable to work independently.

Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave the decision-making up to group members. While this style can be useful in situations involving highly qualified experts, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.

Lewin noted that laissez-faire leadership tended to result in groups that lacked direction and members who blamed each other for mistakes, refused to accept personal responsibility, made less progress, and produced less work.

Observations About Lewin's Leadership Styles

In their book, The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications, Bass and Bass note that authoritarian leadership is often presented solely in negative, often disapproving, terms. Authoritarian leaders are often described as controlling and close-minded, yet this overlooks the potential positives of stressing rules, expecting obedience, and taking responsibility.

While authoritarian leadership certainly is not the best choice for every situation, it can be effective and beneficial in cases where followers need a great deal of direction and where rules and standards must be followed to the letter. Another often overlooked benefit of the authoritarian style is the ability to maintain a sense of order.

Bass and Bass note that democratic leadership tends to be centered on the followers and is an effective approach when trying to maintain relationships with others. People who work under such leaders tend to get along well, support one another, and consult other members of the group when making decisions.

Additional Leadership Styles and Models

In addition to the three styles identified by Lewin and his colleagues, researchers have described numerous other characteristic patterns of leadership. A few of the best-known include:

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Transformational leaders are able to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive changes in groups.

These leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential.

Research shows that this style of leadership results in higher performance and more improved group satisfaction than other leadership styles. One study also found that transformational leadership led to improved well-being among group members.

Transactional Leadership

The transactional leadership style views the leader-follower relationship as a transaction. By accepting a position as a member of the group, the individual has agreed to obey the leader. In most situations, this involves the employer-employee relationship, and the transaction focuses on the follower completing required tasks in exchange for monetary compensation.

One of the main advantages of this leadership style is that it creates clearly defined roles. People know what they are required to do and what they will be receiving in exchange. This style allows leaders to offer a great deal of supervision and direction, if needed.

Group members may also be motivated to perform well to receive rewards. One of the biggest downsides is that the transactional style tends to stifle creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Situational Leadership

Situational theories of leadership stress the significant influence of the environment and the situation on leadership. Hersey and Blanchard's leadership stylesis one of the best-known situational theories. First published in 1969, this model describes four primary styles of leadership, including:

1. Telling: Telling people what to do

2. Selling: Convincing followers to buy into their ideas and messages

3. Participating: Allowing group members to take a more active role in the decision-making process

4. Delegating: Taking a hands-off approach to leadership and allowing group members to make the majority of decisions

Later, Blanchard expanded upon the original Hersey and Blanchard model to emphasize how the developmental and skill level of learners influences the style that should be used by leaders. Blanchard's SLII leadership styles model also described four different leading styles:

1. Directing: Giving orders and expecting obedience, but offering little guidance and assistance

2. Coaching: Giving lots of orders, but also lots of support

3. Supporting: Offering plenty of help, but very little direction

4. Delegating: Offering little direction or support

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What Are Prominent Leadership Styles and Frameworks You Should Know?

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A leadership style refers to a leader's characteristic behaviors when directing, motivating, guiding, and managing groups of people. Great leaders can inspire political movements and social change. They can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate.

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The counselor will use the participative leadership style when working with this group.

The participative leadership style will work best with this specific population because the counselor will offer guidance to the group members and the group members will provide their own input during the lessons.

The group members will need to have a high level of participation and be engaged when learning effective friendship skills.

The counselor will encourage group members to be motivated to learn and achieve the learner outcomes for the group (Cherry, 2022, May 23).

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The following professional foundation standard is from the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies:

B-SS 3. b. Provide support for students, including individual and small group counseling, during times of transition, heightened stress, critical change or other situations impeding student success (American School Counselor Association, 2019).

This ethical requirement supports my role as a school counselor conducting small group sessions. The school counselor will provide short-term small group counseling to support students when a situation hinders student success.

The lack of effective interpersonal skills is a hinderance to the success of these second grade students. The short-term small group counseling focused on improving friendship skills is a beneficial way to improve the success of these students in school.