Opening Ritual: If you could choose a Superhero to be, who would you be an why?

  Another opening activity that would tie in nicely during the initial phase of an anti-bullying group for fifth-grade students would be playing “Kindness Bingo”. During the initial, forming phase of the group, the students would work on building awareness of one another and of the group’s norms and rules.

  Bingo is a familiar game for this age group and is also mostly an independent game. This activity, however, would help develop group cohesion while the group is in its early stages. Each student would be provided a bingo card with a list of kindness tasks/actions written out inside of each square. Some examples of these tasks would be “give someone a compliment” or “ask someone what their favorite hobby is”. After someone obtains a “bingo” the group would come back together and process the activity. Engaging in this type of activity creates genuine, empathic interactions between group members and the leader can help further foster this role modeling with their co-leader (Corey et al., 2018).

  Processing this activity would look like a group discussion where the group’s leader could ask specific questions to each student in the group. An example of a process question for this activity would be: “What kindness activity did you complete and how did it make you feel”. Another question could be asking “What activity are you most likely to do again and why? The American School Counselors Mindset Standard M 2., which pertains to students having a sense of acceptance, respect, support, and inclusion for self and others in the school environment (ASCA, 2021) is supported by this activity.

  Closing this opening activity may include the leader providing psychoeducation about the impact of kindness and the importance of inclusivity as group members work towards later group phases. The leader can express their gratitude towards them being active participants and encourage them to share what they learned with others. The leader could even encourage them to get a “blackout” although this would not be “homework” or followed up on in a subsequent session as the group is in the earliest stage. The school counselor, by delivering this activity is adhering to their ethical responsibility to provide opportunities for students to develop self-management and social skills (ASCA, 2022).

Closing Ritual:

This question helps with providing space for entertaining stories and helps break the ice before engaging in the group activity. Group members are encouraged to be active participants and they transition to the main activity of the session.

  Another group counseling activity within the scope of practice of a school counselor is called “In My Control”. The topic my group chose was anti-bullying and the age group was fifth-grade elementary students. The name of the group would be called something with a positive connotation, such as the “Lunch Bunch” or another name the group may come up with themselves.

  The “In My Control” activity would fit into a group session as the main or core activity. Students would be provided with cardstock and markers or colored pencils. They would then trace their hand and be asked to write things they feel they have control over within the boundaries of their hand outlines. Then, they would be asked to write those things they do not have control over outside of the boundaries. They would be asked to work on this independently, but a few examples could be provided to help them get started, such as “my reactions to others” or “my sister’s behavior”.

Goals and Process Questions

  The goals of this activity would include providing students with a sense of empowerment by assisting them to name things they can control in social situations that they find challenging. Another goal is to have them consider alternative approaches to situations they may negatively react to. Another goal is to have them consider, if they have been bullied themselves, ways to report or address bullying behaviors they are witness to. Lastly, they may consider their own actions and begin to take some personal stock in their own reactions to situations. These goals align with the American School Counselors Mindset Standard M 2., which pertains to students having a sense of acceptance, respect, support, and inclusion for self and others in the school environment (ASCA, 2021).

  Potential process questions to include with this activity could be asking: What are some positive ways to resolve conflict between you and other students? Another question could be: How can we help those who may be being bullied? Finally, students could be asked: Why is bullying harmful to students? The important part of this activity is to engage the group in a discussion where all participants are engaged and working towards a solution to address bullying together. I would want to ensure students are able to connect with one another and would, after an answer was provided, what other's opinion's and thoughts were to facilitate group members connecting with one another.

Stage and Rationale Why Activity Was Chosen

  The stage where this activity most aligns would be the Working stage, where group members work collaboratively during the discussion portion of the activity to brainstorm ideas to combat negative behaviors or bullying. They are discovering how to deal with conflict in daily situations by understanding and paying attention to how they interact with one another inside of group (Corey et al., 2018). This activity not only aligns with ASCA Mindset M.2. previously mentioned but also supports a school counselor's ethical responsibility to provide opportunities for students to develop self-management and social skills (ASCA, 2022).

Closing Ritual: A closing ritual which aligns with the working stage for this session would be for the students to gather in a circle and share one or two insights or takeaways they feel will stick with them as the leave the group on this day. The facilitator would ensure all members share and remind them that their knowledge can have a significant positive impact on the school culture.

1. Has this activity made you think of bullying differently? How?
2. What could you change about your actions to avoid hurting others?
3. What did you think about this activity?

Thought-provoking question: If you had a superpower, what would it be and why? We will go around the room and share

Thought-provoking questions help stimulate engagement and conversations. Everyone will have to eventually share so this keeps students included in conversation. Also, this helps the group feed off of each other, whether thinking out loud or changing perspective based on a peer's answer.

  Freeze dance is a beneficial and engaging opening activity for our 5th graders. However, this version of freeze dance is focused on our students learning about emotional regulation through the practice of self-control. This would open a session in the initial phase to lighten the mood and get students out of their comfort zone. Corey and Corey (2018) tell us that during the initial stages of a group, members are characterized by anxiety and insecurity regarding the structure of the group. Our students in particular might assume that they are in trouble and the purpose of the group is to punish them for their behavior. We want to relieve this tension from the environment and get our students comfortable and acclimated. Freeze dance would be out of the norm and unexpected, guiding the orientation in the initial stage of students exploring what's socially acceptable in the group. 

  The game of freeze dance emphasizes the control of the body and emotions. The idea is that students will show themselves the great effort they put into controlling their bodies and emotions/expressions while dancing in order to win, it is the same effort they can put into controlling their actions in the classroom and school setting. This correlates with their emotional regulation and how they choose to react to situations. 

  While music is playing, students will be encouraged to exhibit joyful, silly, and happy emotions while dancing as wild as they can. When the music stops, they should freeze and display a quiet and more serious mood. The goal of the back-and-forth contrast between silly and serious is to show them that they can maintain a sense of self-control in both scenarios. To further test the self-control of our students, the tempo of the music could be increased or dramatically slowed with different songs. This addition of stimuli can trigger emotional dysfunction as well as help develop their gross motor skills. An activity with movement and laughter will get the students loosened up and more comfortable engaging with each other. 

  Following the game will come the explanation and learning reasoning behind the activity. The discussion would be focused on their retention of the intended lesson which is self-control and emotional regulation. 

Process questions would include:

How difficult was it to change between happy and serious?

Do you think the motivation to win using self-control can be used in your everyday life at school?

Closing Ritual: See It to Believe It

Going around the circle, students will share scenarios where they think they would find themselves controlling their emotions and behavior. This can be school or non-school-related. The goal of this closing is for students to get in the habit of visualizing themselves in real situations and see how they would apply their knowledge of self-control. This opens the discussion to how confident they might feel in making the right decision or what they might need to work on.

       A final closing activity, conducted during the termination stage, in order to say goodbye to fellow group members, would be an Appreciation and Reflection Activity. For this activity, group members would be seated ideally in a circle. The group leader would then invite each group member to sit in silent reflection while encouraging them to consider all they learned and gained from being part of the group. The group leader could provide prompts to get them to think about either knowledge gained, new connections made or even areas of personal growth. After the time of reflection, the group leader could ask each participant to share their reflections with the entire group. The group leader could encourage them to name 2-3 insights.

  After the time for reflection and sharing, the group leader could pass out paper and pens to each member in order to have them express their gratitude and appreciation for the other members of the group. The group can decide together whether they share what they appreciate about each member or if they would like to do the activity in silence. To deepen this time of gratitude and appreciation the group leader could use a small object to pass around so that each member is given time to express a favorite memory they have of being part of the group.

  In addition, each group member would be given time to express and highlight group achievements and examples of teamwork witnessed throughout their time together. The group leader could bring up prior activities, such as ones conducted in earlier phases, to help prompt their responses.

  Closing Ritual: Finally, the group leader would invite each member to provide one final reflection about the group’s overall journey and process. It is imperative the leader assists with helping group members also explore cultural perspectives on their understandings of "endings"(Corey et al., 2018). It is also crucial the leader helps members realize they can incorporate what they have learned into their daily lives. Fieldsteel (2005) suggests termination is "to appreciate the losses and at the same time recognize the strength implicit in being a person apart, is an important step in achieving true self-awareness and independence." (p.278). The group leader would provide some words to assist with closure of the group, thank each member for their time and commitment, and then end the session with positivity.

1. Have all the participants, including the counselor, sit in a circle.

2. Place a small candle in the center of the circle, and have the counselor light it. Explain that the candle represents the warmth and understanding we will share during the empathy circle.

3. The counselor begins by welcoming everyone and explaining the purpose of the empathy circle. "Welcome to our Empathy Circle. This is a safe space for us to stop bullying by sharing our feelings and understanding one another. In this circle, we will listen and speak from the heart."

4. Together, the group will create a set of simple ground rules for the circle. These might include items such as:

   • We listen when someone else is speaking.

   • We use kind words and gentle voices.

   • We respect each other's feelings and experiences.

   • We keep what is said in the circle confidential.

5. To help everyone relax and focus, The counselor will lead a short guided meditation or deep-breathing exercise. This helps create a calming atmosphere.

Activity

  In this activity, elementary school students sit in a circle, and each student takes turns sharing their feelings and experiences related to bullying. The goal is to foster empathy and understanding among group members and encourage open communication.

Goals

1) Develop Empathy: Encourage students to empathize with each other's experiences, helping them understand the emotional impact of bullying.

2) Promote Open Communication: Create a safe space where students can openly discuss their feelings and experiences related to bullying.

3) Build Trust: Establish trust within the group, which is essential for students to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings.

4) Identity Solutions: Begin to explore possible solutions to bullying behavior, both as victims and bystanders.

Process Questions:

1) How do you feel when someone is mean to you or others?

2) Have you ever witnessed someone being bullied? How did it make you feel?

3) Can you share a personal experience with bullying, either as the victim or a bystander?

4) What do you think are some reasons why people bully others?

5) How do you think we can stop bullying at our school?

6) What can we do to support each other and promote kindness?

Why This Activity?

  I chose "The Empathy Circle" because it is a developmentally appropriate activity for elementary students and aligns with the goals of addressing bullying behavior. Empathy is a crucial skill in reducing bullying, as it helps students understand the pain and suffering caused by their actions or the actions of others. This activity creates a safe and supportive environment for students to share their experiences, feelings, and concerns about bullying. By encouraging open communication and empathy, students can develop a sense of community and solidarity within the group, making it more likely that they will support each other and work together to stop bullying.

Closing Ritual:

1. After the circle discussion is complete, gather back in the circle. Express gratitude for everyone's participation. The counselor might say, "I am grateful for each of you for sharing and listening today."

2. The counselor extinguishes the empathy candle, and you can say something like, "As we blow out this candle, let us carry the warmth and understanding we shared in this circle with us."

3. Give each participant an opportunity to share one thing they learned or one positive aspect of the circle. This promotes reflection and reinforces the value of empathy.

Social-Emotional check-in: Students will choose an emotion to show how they are feeling coming into today's session. This check-in will help students verbalize their feelings and relate to others in the group while also giving the group facilitator and members an understanding of the group dynamic for the day and how others might be affected by our words.

Activity:

  In our group for students who have been identified as showing bullying behaviors, an activity that may be useful during the transition stage, focuses on different types of bullying. In this activity, students will classify different types of bullying behaviors as physical, verbal, or emotional, to increase awareness of their behaviors and prevent further bullying. In a group session, this activity could be used for individual exploration of students’ understanding of behaviors and how they affect others. It may bring to awareness behaviors that students have not considered before as bullying or that they did not realize were hurting others. After identifying different types of bullying, students will discuss these behaviors and how they affect others. Sorting the behaviors into their appropriate categories could also be done as a group rather than individually. Once students have sorted the behaviors, they will share behaviors that they may have engaged in knowingly or unknowingly bullying others. Other members will share if they have also participated in this behavior. By sharing commonalities, students will build trust with their peers over something that they all struggle with.

  This activity would best fit into the transition stage of our group. Identifying bullying behaviors will happen toward the beginning of our group experience before we begin work on changing these behaviors. Members may be anxious about expressing themselves to other group members and reluctant to participate during this stage (Corey, 2018). It will take work on the part of the counselors to establish a culture of trust within the group and to facilitate productive communication between members. From this activity, students will begin to explore their affect on others and how others feel about them and perceive them. This stage may include member difficulties such as defensiveness and reluctance as well as struggles with control, conflict, and confrontation (Corey, 2014). Students may be defensive when presented with their behaviors involved in bullying others and will need to be met with non-judgmental, open-ended responses.

  Processing questions assists in helping members to reflect on their thoughts and responses to the activity, increase their self-awareness, and incorporate the information into their everyday lives (Foss et al., 2008). Intrapersonal questions are aimed at helping students process their feelings and gain personal insight (Foss et al., 2008). Some questions we may use include “How does this group relate to your everyday life?” or “What have you learned about yourself through this activity?”. Interpersonal questions encourage members to think about their relationships with others (Foss et al., 2008). Some interpersonal questions that we might use include “How will today’s activity change your interactions with others?” or “How were your reactions similar to or different from other group members’ reactions?”. Whole group questions help the students to understand the balance between members and their place within the group dynamics (Foss et al., 2008). These questions may include “How did this activity affect our group?” and “What did you notice about our group as we did this activity?”. After sharing, students will be encouraged to relate to other students' responses or describe why they have differing opinions.

Closing Ritual:

Stand up, hand up, pair up- This Kagan strategy is useful for engaging every student in meaningful discussions with their peers and facilitating successful social interactions. Students will stand up, put their hand up, and walk around the room greeting each other until the counselor says "pair up". With their partner, students will take turns listening and responding to what they and their partner are taking from the session that day. When they are finished sharing, students thank each other and the counselor asks students to share out what their pair discussed or paraphrase what their partner expressed.