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The Superheroes group is going to work on a Strengths-Based Approach. The age group is ten years old who are fifth graders. This group will be implemented to work with a group of students that data shows the need for growth in this area in their academic and personal lives. The main goal is to focus on their internal strengths and resourcefulness. This is meant to help them focus more on their strengths than their weaknesses, problems at home, failures in the classroom and on the STAAR test, and shortcomings. The purpose is for students to understand what a strengths-based approach is and what we can do to focus more on the positives in their life that can help them strengthen their knowledge to prepare for academics in the classroom and the STAAR test without anxiety.

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Action Plan Template School counseling techniques Module 4(2)

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M2. Having respect for others and for oneself

M3. Positive attitude toward work and learning.

M4. Self-confidence in the ability to succeed

(American School Counselor Association, 2021)

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For this group, an email will be sent from the counselor explaining the details of the group and for the parents to be on the lookout for a personal invitation that will be sent home in their child's daily folder along with the consent form that must be signed and returned by the end of the week. Personal invitations will be sent out to the parents and children through the teacher. The teacher will have the invitations hand-delivered to make sure the invitation is sent out in a timely manner.

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Students will be informed of the group by being pulled one by one to the counselor's office. At this point, we will discuss the purpose of the group and how it can benefit them if they are willing to participate. The counselor will observe the student's body language and actions to see if they seem to feel comfortable with the idea and listen to what they have to say about the group.
Screening students individually is the best option, so students are not trying to compare assessments and they will answer truly how they feel.
Students will be chosen in regard to teachers' concerns and what information they have collected about them so far in the school year. It will also be based on what was recorded by teachers in previous years. The screening will discuss issues that students are having with self-control in the classroom and the strengths and weaknesses they see in themselves. At that time learners will have the chance to ask questions and discuss the screening more in-depth.

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Once the group members have been selected (no more than 8 participants) the informed consent forms will be sent to the parents to sign and send back to give permission for the students to participate. There will also be an informational flyer sent home from the counselor to inform the parents/Guardians of the details of the group that their child will be participating in. The students will sign their assent forms once the parents have returned their consent forms.

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Rules
1. Be respectful to one another.
2. One person speaks at a time.
3. Have an open mind.
4. You have the choice rather you would like to share information with the group or not.
The information on the participant guidelines form is clear and to the point. I will go over the rules with the students one by one to make sure they understand the seriousness of each rule. Respectfulness is something that all students should learn about not just in group settings but at all times. This is a tool that can be referred back to when students forget how they are supposed to act and treat others. Most rules should be made by the counselor but they should be discussed with the students so they can understand the meaning behind each rule. The students should however be allowed to implement more rules if they are equivalent to the other rules and line up with the safety guidelines of the group.
Group rules template retrieved from Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators (2015).

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This group is centered around a group of 5th-grade students who are having trouble with self-control therefore they are becoming distracted to the point that it is hindering their academic achievements.
Stage 1 will be all about building a repour with the students so they can earn my trust and know that I am there to help guide them through these struggles, based on their strengths. I feel that getting to know these students during lunch breaks, passing in the halls, and during downtimes will help to create a relationship so they will trust me as their counselor and someone they can have confidence in. The group norm will be established by going over rules and what is expected of the students. The rules also are part of confidentiality which will need to be discussed in depth, so the students understand how important a person's privacy is. Expressing the importance of confidentiality and giving reasons behind why we respect each other are ways to enforce confidentiality.
Stage 2 will involve acting out scenarios and activities that will build strengths to keep students engaged and participating. I will gauge progress by checking in with group members, taking notes, and watching how they are reacting during our group sessions.
Stage 3 will conclude with an activity to make sure the students are fully grasping what we have been working towards the last six weeks. We will then talk about how my door is always open if they need me. This is not goodbye but an opportunity to prove what they have learned. We will end with a small celebration of a certificate that will say something to the effect of "I have gained the knowledge and power of self-control through a strengths-based approach." Then we will end with a small celebration party.

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The Superheroes group will benefit the most from a participative leadership style. Although they will be guided, they will also have the chance to interact with the counselor during the group sessions while allowing members to interact during this time together. This will work best with these students because we are digging deep to discover the inner strength to gain self-control in their life. Being able to openly discuss struggles and things that can be done to improve shows other students that they are not alone in this battle.

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During this group, many of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors will be seen. Universality will be demonstrated by the students being able to see that they are not alone in this battle of losing self-control. These group sessions will bring this group closer together so they will realize that they can work together to defeat their weaknesses.
Another factor that will be portrayed is Interpersonal Learning where the learner will give feedback to each other, and they will learn how to experiment with new ways of learning. The hope is that students will learn from one another through activities and communication with each other.

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The Texas Administrative Code defines the school counselor certificate standards. The standards serve as continuing education and a foundation for professional growth.
Standard 2 of section 239.15 states that the certified school counselor will promote academic success for all learners. They promote academic success by respecting, acknowledging, and responding to diverse situations. This is done by building on similarities. The certified school counselor will take a positive, strength-based approach that builds on commonalities versus differences in every learner (19 TAC § 239.15.).

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American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA mindsets and behaviors for student success: K-12 College-, career-, and life-readiness standards for every student. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

Educators’ Code of Ethics, 19 Tex. Admin. Code § 239.15.

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. http://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgroup/SmallGroupCounseling.pdf

Thomas, R. and Pender, D. (2008). Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best Practice Guidelines 2007 Revisions.

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The Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) supports the practice of ethical and effective group work through the publication of guiding principles in the planning, performing, and processing of group work.

A.4 Group Workers concisely state in writing the purpose and goals of the group. Group Workers also identify the role of the group members in influencing or determining the group goals (Thomas, R. and Pender, D. 2008).

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Association for Specialists in Group Work