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The purpose of Inside Out is to guide students to be able to manage their emotions and behaviors in accordance with situational demands to direct their behavior towards a goal. The purpose is to teach students skills necessary to calm themselves down when they get upset, how to be flexible to a change in expectations, and handle frustration to hopefully reduce behavior problems present on campus. A small group setting enhances student learning by providing a safe environment where students can address personal needs through collaboration, cooperation, and communication.

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The following ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors will be mastered upon completing this group:

B-SMS 2. Demonstrate self-discipline and self-control (American School Counselor Association, 2014).

B-SMS 7. Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem (American School Counselor Association, 2014).

B-SS 3. Create relationships with adults
that support success (American School Counselor Association, 2014).

B-SS 9. Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriately to the situation and environment (American School Counselor Association, 2014).

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ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success

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The following predetermined rules will be reviewed at the beginning of each session and set by the counselor:
1. The counselor and participants will maintain confidentiality (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015).
2. Be an active listener (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015).
3. Everyone will be given opportunities to share and participate (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015).
4. Be positive (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015).
5. Be respectful of each other (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015).

The attached guidelines/ground rules will be utilized. To enhance involvement, students will create additional ground rules.

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Inside Out is a structured, homogenous, closed counseling small group (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015) designed to support Social Emotional Learning knowledge, skills, and techniques relating to self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision making skills, and relationship skills to increase social, emotional, personal, behavioral and academic development. The group meets once a week for 30 minutes for a total of 6 weeks. Group information will be provided to students during classroom guidance lessons. Students may notify their teacher or the counselor if they are interested in participation. The counselor will collect necessary student data, such as a student behavior form from teachers and parents/guardians, to wholly meet the needs of the students. The counselor will confer with the third grade teachers and other necessary staff, such as admin and specialists, to identify possible candidates and identify appropriate days/times to meet. This ensures that the students are not neglected from essential academic instruction or other received services. The counselor will also review behavioral referrals to effectively gain data to select candidates for the group. Participating students and their teachers will be notified with the group information and meeting time.

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When implementing the small group, the counselor will hold a small session with each of the four members to inform the student the purpose of group and to assess the student’s level of interest. During the pre-group screening, the counselor will ensure selected individuals will contribute to open interaction among participants and work towards the group goal (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015). The “TAP-In” process will be utilized to tell students about the group, ask students about his or her level of interest/commitment to expectations of group, and pick participants (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

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Plano ISD retrieves a consent from each student at the beginning of the year. Before the start of the group, the counselor will obtain the signed form. Further contact will be made with the participants' parents/guardians to obtain consent for the student participate. The counselor will also get assent from each student.

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The counselor will facilitate group progress from stage to stage, while understanding the importance of each stage of group development. The counselor will protect group members’ safety, privacy, trust, and needs to further students’ growth (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015).

Stage 1 - The counselor will set the tone for trust and safety to be established. Trust is essential between the group members and between the group members and the counselor. The counselor will develop a safe environment through relationship building strategies and techniques. The counselor will help develop the group norms by establishing commonality, cooperation, and support.

Stage 2 - Through self-connection activities, discussions, and guidance, group members will collaboratively work together to accomplish individual and group goals. Valuing themselves and others, the group will maintain belief in the group. The students will understand collaboration and productivity are essential to tackle their similar situations The counselor will ensure trust is still maintained and that relationships continue to develop.

Stage 3 - Through self-connection activities, discussions, and guidance, students have seen how using calming techniques when they are upset, being flexible to change in expectations, and handling frustration to reduce behavior problems can help them in a variety of ways. Students in the group will reflect on individual and group accomplishments relating to emotional regulation strategies. The counselor informs the group of a follow-up session to leave members feeling confident.

The counselor will continue to work with teachers and other necessary staff to monitor student progress.

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According to the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies (2019), counselors:

B-SS 6. Collaborate with families, teachers, administrators, other school staff and education stakeholders for student achievement and success (American School Counselor Association, 2019).

The counselor must collaborate with students' parents/guardians, teachers, and other necessary staff to determine appropriate small group participants that will highly benefit.

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The Texas Education Code, states a school counselor must design a program that establishes a responsive services component to intervene on behalf of any student whose immediate personal concerns or problems impede the student's educational, career, personal, or social development (TEC § 33.005)

Rose Haggar's conducted needs assessments to students, teachers, administration, and parents, concluded students lacked minimal Social Emotional Learning knowledge relating to self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision making skills, and relationship skills, thus impacting academic and social development.

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EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 33. SERVICE PROGRAMS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

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EDUCATION CODE TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION SUBTITLE F. CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES CHAPTER 33. SERVICE PROGRAMS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SUBCHAPTER A. SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND COUNSELING PROGRAMS Sec. 33.002. CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR. (a) From funds appropriated for the purpose or other funds that may be used for the purpose, the commissioner shall distribute funds for programs under this subchapter.

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Participative Leadership will be the most useful and beneficial when working with this small group. The counselor is there to guide and ensure all members are collaborative and guaranteed input (Cherry, 2020). The group members establish high value of each other leading to encouragement, active growth, and achievement of the group goals (Cherry, 2020). When students feel valued and worthy, participation and high quality contributions will take place.

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Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors Universality, Development of socializing techniques, Installation of Hope, and Direct Advice (1995) could be used during the small group sessions.

Universality - Participants will notice they are not alone and they struggle with similar self-regulation situations through self-connection based lesson activities and discussions.

Development of socializing techniques - Through lesson activities and discussions, students will work on their social development and  realize how their actions impact others' perceptions.

Installation of Hope - As the group progresses, students will see how their improved self-regulation skills can improve their academic, social, emotional, personal, and behavioral development through activities and discussions.

Direct Advice - The counselor will teach self-regulation strategies relating to self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision making skills, and relationship skills to increase their social, emotional, personal, behavioral and academic development.