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The group topic will be over organizational skills. Students will learn how to best identify, develop, and implement organizational skills into their lives. I will be working with 7th grade students aged 13 based on a needs assessment from teachers.

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- B-SMS 1. Demonstrate ability to assume responsibility
- B-SMS 5. Demonstrate perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals
- B-SMS 8. Demonstrate the ability to balance school, home and
community activities
- B-LS 3. Use time-management,
organizational and study skills
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Information for this group will be shared with 7th grade teachers, coaches, and parents of those students involved via email. Flyers will be made to advertise the small group which will be hung throughout the hallways. Although most students for this group will chosen based on the needs assessment, students who are interested in it can be involved in the small group as well.

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Teachers who filled out the needs assessment and identified certain students who struggled the most with organization will be screened individually by me to ensure their needs do not extend far beyond the classroom, they express interest in the topic, and seem willing to make changes in their lives. Once confirmed, the 7th grade students will begin their small group counseling. I will ensure that all members of the group will get along and represent different backgrounds.

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Once the 7th grade students have been identified via the needs assessment and teacher recommendations, an informed consent/assent form will be sent out to parents and students regarding the purpose of the small group, goals, and responsibility to confidentiality. The form will look like the one found below.

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Imitate Behaviors
Students will be imitating behaviors (organizational strategies) they see in our lessons. By imitating these behaviors, they will practice quality organizational strategies in order to see for themselves the benefits of an organized lifestyle.

Instillation of Hope
Many students who struggle with organization can feel lost and hopeless (McWhirter et al., 2014). By working in this small group, we can work together to form better habits and use organizational strategies which will instill hope.

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The below document outlines a list of rules that have established rules for small groups, but allows for opportunities to develop additional group rules. Working together to fill out the ground rules will allow everyone to participate and have a voice, therefore, making it inclusive and comfortable for each individual.

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Slide 10: Legal and Ethical Requirements

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Slide 10: Legal and Ethical Requirements

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Part 1:
The ASCA (2016) states that school counselors must "explain the limits of confidentiality in developmentally
appropriate terms through multiple methods" (p. 2). This group's informed consent, and active discussions of confidentiality will adhere to the ASCA standards.

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Stage 1
In order to ensure safety and security among the members of the group, we will review the rules and norms within our small group. Working together to develop and add more norms, we can ensure we all understand how to best communicate and support one another. Confidentiality will also be addressed prior to the first meeting and during the first session in which students will be reminded of the form they signed. The form holds them accountable to keep the conversations in our sessions private, but are aware of the limits of confidentiality.

Stage 2
As we move forward in our sessions, we will continually work together through discussions and reflections about our progress. Many of the discussions require students to speak with one another, so they can offer advice, ask questions, and reflect upon their use of organizational strategies. Although the outcomes are primarily focused on the individual, the process of getting there is by learning through their peers.

Stage 3
When it is time for the small group to come to a closure, it is vital to have a quality ending. Therefore, I will be giving students their post assessment which we can compare to their pre assessment. Hopefully, we will see growth. We will also discuss what accountability means and how to hold one another accountable moving forward because even though we won't continue meeting, we can still work together and remind one another to use our organizational strategies through active check-ins. The hope is that by now they will feel comfortable with one another and have built close relationships with one another so that checking in with each other will be something they look forward to doing. I will also remind students that despite our small group ending, our sessions must still remain confidential.

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I believe taking on a transformational leadership style will be best for this small group. Transformational leadership can best best described as "inspiring and motivating, helping others to meet higher performance targets" (Almas et al., 2020). Transformational leaders typically serve as agents of change, and this is exactly what my small group is trying to do. They are trying to adopt small organizational strategies to their lives in order to make a needed change which can positively impact their academics and time management, as well as reduce stress.

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Slide 11: Legal and Ethical Requirements

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Slide 11: Legal and Ethical Requirements

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Part 2:
School counselors must also use "data to determine needed interventions, which are then delivered to help close the information, attainment, achievement and opportunity gaps" (ASCA, 2016, p. 3). Through the needs assessment and data submitted from teachers to form this group, it will help close the achievement gap amongst students academically.

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Almas, S., Chacón-Fuertes, F., & Pérez-Muñoz, A. (2020). Direct and indirect effects of transformational leadership on volunteers’ intention to remain at non-profit organizations. Psychosocial Intervention, 29(3), 125–132. https://doi-org/10.5093/pi2020a17

American School Counselor Association. (2014). Mindsets and
Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and CareerReadiness Standards for Every Student. Alexandria, VA.

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA Ethical
Standards for School Counselors.
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/Ethi
calStandards2016.pdf

McWhirter, P., Nelson, J., & Waldo, M. (2014). Positive psychology and curative community groups: Life satisfaction, depression, and group therapeutic factors. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 39(4), 366–380. https://doi-org/10.1080/01933922.2014.955384

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.