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The following Mindset standards for students will be met through participation in this group.

M1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being.

M2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support, and inclusion for self and others in school environment.

The following Behavior standards for students will be met through participation in this group.

B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar and different from them.

B-SS 4. Empathy

B-SS 10. Cultural awareness, sensitivity, and responsiveness.

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To advertise for this group, I will put flyers in the teacher's boxes requesting them to suggest students that would benefit from the program.  There will be a brief description to explain the program and a date for when I need the form returned.  I will e-mail teachers to let them know it is in their boxes and the date I need it back.  I will follow up to help them remember to submit the forms.

If there is not enough students nominated I will send out flyers in grades 3-6 to recruit more students. I will also make an announcement during the morning announcements to recruit more students. If there are not any responses I can go into the classrooms to discuss the program and recruit more students.

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Excellent Eagles Anti-bullying small group counseling

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Excellent Eagles Anti-bullying small group counseling

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This group is intended to work with upper elementary students who have shown signs of bullying against other students.  There has been an increase of bullying cases this year and this will help to create a sense of understanding of how bullying can affect other students.  This program will also encourage students to develop counter behaviors and help them to look inside themselves and understand where these behaviors stem from.

Through a needs assessment given to the staff of De Zavala Elementary it was determined that there has been a dramatic increase in bullying cases this spring. These actions are affecting the students and their classroom experiences. This course was designed to help the "bully" in these scenarios to understand why they are exhibiting these behaviors and how they can make different choices to have a better experience at school.

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Students for this program will first be nominated by teachers.  With an increase in bullying, teachers are the first-hand resource for knowing who needs help understanding how they are affecting other student's lives.  These referral students will be the first selected in the groups.

If there is not enough students selected by teachers to participate, then then there will be a volunteer letter sent into the classrooms.  The students will be interviewed and after the counselor will speak to the teachers to make sure they are a good fit.

In order to be a good fit for the class the students cannot be a victim of one of the other students in the group.  This will allow for more open exchange of ideas and feelings.

Students will be screened before the group begins to help them understand what the purpose of the group will be and if they would be a "good fit." This will allow the counselor to make sure there will not be any victims and bullies in the same group, so everyone will feel safe. This will also allow the counselor to gage the level of interest in the participants selected.

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Once the students have been nominated or selected, they will receive a form to take home and sign and have signed by their parents.  This will allow parents to be informed of the purpose of the group and when and where the group will take place.  The group will be no larger than 6 students to help keep the focus on the topic.

On day one, the form will be gone over with the students to make sure they understand the rules of the group. They will be reminded of the times and dates connected with the small group.

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The Texas Administrative Code sets the standards required for a certified professional counselor to follow throughout the school year.

Standard II. Learner-Centered Skills of section 239.15 of the code states that the certified school counselor applies the knowledge base to promote the educational, personal, social, and career development of the learner as outlined in The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.  It also states in section 3, that the school counselor must counsel individuals and small groups using appropriate counseling theories and techniques in response to student needs. In section 9 it states that a counselor should use counseling-related research techniques and evidence-based practices to address student needs.

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Excellent Eagles rules for small group.

These rules will be established with the students and displayed in the classroom for everyone to see and remember each week.

1. We will treat everyone in this room with kindness and respect.
2. Confidentiality - What we say in this room will not be used against anyone outside the classroom.
3. This is a SAFE place and what I say will not be used against me.  We are here to learn from each other and be better.
4. These lessons are more fun when everyone participates, but we are not required to participate if we are not ready to share yet.
5. My best effort is always what I give in everything I do.

If the students want to add any rules during the lessons, we will stop and add it to the poster to make sure they understand their ideas matter and are important. When we go over the rules, they will sign the informed consent with all the rules attached to keep in their file.

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This group will be composed of students who have engaged in bullying activities.  The goal is to help the students to learn replacement behaviors so the school experience can be more enjoyable for them and the students they attend school with.

Stage 1.  Getting acquainted/setting norms/building trust.  This stage will focus on developing a relationship and a sense of trust among the students and the counselor.  The first sessions will develop an understanding of what bullying is and how it changes the school environment.  The lessons will use "get to know you" activities to develop relationships and trust with each other.   The counselor will explain the goals of each lesson and how the students are expected to behave in the group at the beginning.

Stage 2. Working together to accomplish individual and group goals.  The students will work together to develop relationships and complete lessons designed to enhance their abilities to develop appropriate relationships in school.

Stage 3. Ending the group. Students will finish with lessons on kindness and how to help other students instead of tear other students down. The students will have a lesson on what they learned and how it can be applied in the classroom setting. The student will be reminded by the leader that they can always come to their office and "vent" before they reach a point of reacting in anger or treating someone else without respect.

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The leadership style that will fit this small group the best is Participative Leadership. The counselor would play this role and offer guidance to the group and keep the conversations on task. This leadership style encourages the group members to participate, but the counselor still controls the flow of the lesson. The counselor can play a supportive role as the students participate in the lessons and encourage dialogue throughout so the students benefit from each other.

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Through this group, these are Yalom's Therapeutic Factors that will be present.

1. Instillation of Hope- faith that the treatment mode can and will be effective.
2. Universality - Demonstration that we are not alone in our misery or our "problems."
3. Development of socializing techniques - social learning or development of interpersonal skills.

In this group, the goal is to help the students to understand how bullying can affect everyone that is involved. The students will develop skills to relate to the students they have been in a bullying situation with so both students can have a successful school year. The instillation of hope will be used to help them understand that if they use the strategies being taught they can turn around the school year and will see more success. In universality, the students will see that the other students in the group are experiencing some of the same life experiences, so they can relate to each other and help each other work through difficulties. With the strategy of development of socializing techniques the students will understand how their social actions can be changed to develop better strategies for interacting with their fellow classmates.

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According to the ASGW Best Practices guidelines, under section B.3. Group Plan Adaptation, group workers should apply and modify knowledge, skills and techniques appropriate to group type and stage, and to the unique needs of various cultural and ethnic needs.

A counselor needs to adapt their lessons to match the needs of their students. This small group lesson helps to meet the needs of the school by addressing how the behaviors are affecting the learning environment and how the students can change their behaviors to be successful.

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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., Pender, D. (2008). Association for specialists in group work: Best practice guidelines for 2007 revisions. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/01933920801971184

19 Tex. Admin. Code §239.15

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

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According to the ASGW Best Practices guidelines, under section B.3. Group Plan Adaptation, group workers should monitor the group's progress toward the group goals and plan.

During the course of the six week sessions, the counselor should check to see if the sessions are making a difference in the classroom. They can do this by checking in with teachers and monitoring classroom behaviors throughout the week between sessions. If the students are not making progress then the counselor can adjust the lessons to address the issues being seen.