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PathFinders is a group offered to fourth and fifth grade students who struggle with problem solving. These students may receive referrals to the principal and/or have had three days of lunch detention.

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Students who participate in this group will master the following American School Counselor Association Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success.

Mindsets:

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

M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.

Learning Strategies:

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

B-LS 9. Decision-making informed by gathering evidence, getting others' perspectives and recognizing personal bias

Self-Management Skills

B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions

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

B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome barriers

Social 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.

(American School Counselor Association, 2014)

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In order to reach students who would benefit from this group, the counselor on campus will reach out to administrators and teachers to gather data on students who have had office referrals and/or three or more days of lunch detention. The counselor will send out an e-mail to all teachers who teach 4th and 5th grade students to notify the small group opportunity. She will also place a flyer in each of the teacher boxes with what the small group will entail, and the criteria students must meet in order to attend. A meeting with administrators will be set up to attain data on office referrals.

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In order to select students who will contribute to the group positively and benefit from the group, the counselor will screen students who are suggested by 4th and 5th grade teachers and/or students identified by the principal for having office referrals. First, the counselor will organize a meeting for all identified 4th and 5th grade students, to describe what the group is for and what individuals will get out of participating in the group. While at the meeting, the counselor will gauge student interests by observing body language and verbal expressions about the group. A survey will also be given to the students towards the end of the meeting to all students interested in the group. This survey will ask students on a Likert scale how willing they are to participate, follow expectations and ground rules, as well as rate their individual interest in participating in the group. Counselor observations and results on the survey will identify students who exhibit qualities that indicate they are ready to participate in PathFinders.

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According to Crane ISD's parental consent policy, school counselors are required to obtain parental consent in the form of a document that has specific information about the content of the counseling program and types of activities that students will participate in. With that being said, the school counselor will send home a consent form to each student participating in PathFinders. Students who do not return the consent form will not be able to participate in the group.

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This resource will be utilized on the first group counseling session. The counselor will use this as a tool when guiding group members in creating rules and expectations whole group. She will coach members into creating ground rules such as these, and use the idea of this resource of having members fully grasp the concepts by discussing what the rule look and sound like. If group members decide on different ground rules than these, then the counselor will still utilize the "looks like"/"sounds like" columns.

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Stage 1: In the first meeting, the school counselor will lead ice breakers, such as 2 truths and 1 lie with group members. Ice breakers such as this will help build relationships within the group. In order to build trust within the group, the school counselor will guide students in building rules and expectations, around respect, active listening, and empathy, as a group, and then have members sign a social contract. The school counselor will also express the importance of confidentiality, stating that what is said in the group, stays in the group unless someone is hurt. She will tell members that nothing talked about in our group should be repeated by another student, but that if someone is hurt then Mrs. Gonzales will have to talk about it. Consequences for breaking confidentiality will be enforced, including calling parents.

Stage 2: Keeping the meetings structured and organized will be important in keeping members working cohesively and productively. The school counselor will keep lessons flowing and on task towards the student learning outcomes . In order to check in with group members to gauge progress, the school counselor will provide debriefing times at the end of each session and give surveys on what is being learned.

Stage 3: As the group comes to an end, students will celebrate the completion of the group, receive a certificate along with a personal note from the school counselor to ensure students feel that yes this is the end of our group, but the school counselor is still present and there for support. Students will review what they learned and take a post-test to assess learning. As a reminder of our group meetings and what we learn, students will create a tree craft. The counselor will remind students that confidentiality remains, even though the group has come to an end, and to let the craft be a reminder to keep confidentiality.

(Missouri Comprehensive guidance & Counseling Programs, 2015)

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When working with PathFinders, the school counselor will use transformational leadership. She will inspire members by having enthusiasm for learning problem solving skills. She will model high standards for building trust and respect. The school counselor will foster critical thinking and provide personalized support to help each member reach potential. This leadership will work wonderfully with 4th and 5th graders who are needing extra support in conflict resolution skills. The personalized support will help students who are used to getting in trouble feel valued. The enthusiasm will help give hope in learning how to solve problems, that tend to keep students in trouble.

(Cherry, 2023)

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Therapeutic Factors that students may experience in PathFinders:

Instillation of Hope - Students may see other students make progress in problem-solving, which can inspire hope in students.

Universality - Students will see that they are not alone in struggling to make good choices when a problem arises, which helps reduce feelings of isolation and gives a sense of belonging.

Interpersonal Learning - Students can practice communication and collaboration skills through interacting with peers.

Altruism - Students can feel valuable and gain self-esteem by helping others in the group or by offering advice.

(Yolam, 1995)

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According to ASCA Ethical Standards A.7.c. school counselors need to make sure that student's individual needs are appropriate for participating in the given small group.

This supports counselors in choosing students for small group counseling sessions in the screening process.

(American School Counselor Association, 2022)

According to ACA Code of Ethics A.9.a school counselors screen members of a group that have needs and goals that are suitable with the goals of the given small group and will not disrupt the flow of the group, and whose well-being will not be in harm by the given group experience.

This supports school counselors in the screening process. They take precautions in who is accepted in the small group, taking in account what is best for all students.

According to ACA Code of Ethics A.9.b school counselors must protect the overall safety of students, including physical, emotional, or psychological trauma, in group settings.

This supports school counselors in assessing each potential participant's suitability for a given small group by considering needs, goals, and compatibility with the group's goals.

(American Counseling Association,2014)

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According to ASCA Ethical Standard A.5.a: Counselors are required to protect the confidentiality of all group counseling participants. Counselors need to ensure that members in the group understand the importance of confidentiality and its limits. Students need to understand that while information needs to be kept confidential, there are exceptions, such as when disclosure is required to prevent harm or comply with legal obligations.

This standard helps the counselor establish and maintain trust within a group by stressing the need for confidentiality and explaining its limits. This helps create a safe environment where participants feel comfortable sharing out.

(American School Counselor Association, 2022)

According to American Counseling Association Code of Ethics B.1.c&d: Counselors need to protect student information. However at times counselors might disclose information to prevent harm or as required by law. The counselor must explain the limits of confidentiality to students.

These sections support counselors by giving when and how they can disclose confidential information which helps keep a trusting environment that encourages participation.

(American Counseling Association, 2014)

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American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-thics.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA student standards: Mindsets and behaviors for student success. http://www.schoolcounselor.org

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. http://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f9cd51-85da-4a74-a43f-02dc915f8c35/Ethical-Standards.pdf

Cherry, K. (2023). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2015). Missouri comprehensive guidance and counseling program: Responsive services small group counseling module. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015

Texas Association of School Boards. (2023). FFEA(LEAGAL): Counseling and mental health: Counseling. Policy Online. https://pol.tasb.org/PolicyOnline/PolicyDetails?key=350&code=FFEA#legalTabContent

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