References
American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf
- Summary: The ASCA mindsets and behaviors supported the school counselor in creating goals for the small group. The ASCA mindsets and behaviors also help the counselor to make connections between the goals and the activities utilized in the lessons. 

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2017). Groups: Process and Practice (10th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781337515719
- Summary: The text used in our class is a wealth of knowledge for how to plan, implement, and create a small group targeted for our students' needs. In this lesson, it is used to help the school counselor set expectations and address confidentiality with the students.

Daniels, N. (2019). Social skills activities for kids: 50 fun expercises for making friends, talking and listening, and understanding social rules. Rockridge Press.
- Summary: This book resources has many activities that support students with understanding their emotions. The activities also help students to build the skills necessary for having empathy for others.

Greater Good in Education. (2022). Check-in circle for community building [Photograph]. Greater Good in Education. https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/check-in-circle-for-community-building/
- Summary: The photo above was used to represent what it looks like for a counselor to work with a small groups of students.

The Helpful Counselor. (2016). Activities for military children: Booklet, lapbook, and craftivity. Teachers Pay Teachers. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Activities-for-Military-Children-Booklet-Lapbook-and-Craftivity-1351382
- Summary: The link above will take you to the Teachers Pay Teachers website. There is a free download of the mini-book that will be used in the first lesson to help students get to know each other better and introduce the military aspects of their families.

Data Collection Plan: Observational notes

Follow-Up Plans: The counselor will work with any students who were absent or need additional support.

References:
American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

David de Lossy, G. & David de Lossy, M. (2022). Young child comforting sad young friend [Photo]. Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-child-comforting-sad-young-friend-royalty-free-image/154687216?adppopup=true
The reference above is the picture used to illustration one friend comforting another.

Harmony. (2022). Healthy relationships start with harmony SEL. Harmony: Social & Emotional Learning. https://www.harmonysel.org/
This website is used in our school for our SEL program and provides the lesson materials I used for this activity. 

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf
- Summary: The ASCA mindsets and behaviors supported the school counselor in creating goals for the small group. The ASCA mindsets and behaviors also help the counselor to make connections between the goals and the activities utilized in the lessons. 

Lam, G. (2018). How to foster empathy in children [Image]. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/10/well/live/how-to-foster-empathy-in-children.html
- Summary: The image pictured above is from a New York Times article about children and empathy. The image reflects being able to see from another person's point of view.

Sanders, J. (2017). You, me, and empathy. UpLoad Publishing.
- Summary: This is a children's book featuring a young character that explains different problems or situations they have faced recently. In each situation the main character expresses empathy for another and thinks about how they can be helpful to their friends and family.  

Small Group Lesson: 7 of 8
Target Audience: Third grade students from military families
Evidence Base: Research-Informed
ASCA Student Standards Targeted:
The ASCA mindsets that will be targeted are:
 "M1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being" (ASCA, 2020).
 
The ASCA behavior standards that will be targeted are:
"Behavior: Self-Management Skills: 7, demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem." (ASCA, 2022). 

Behavior- social skills: create positive and supportive relationships with other students." (ASCA, 2022).
 
Student Learning Objectives:  Student will create worry personifications and describe at least three qualities of “worry monster.” And the students will share their worry monsters with the group.

Materials:

Worry monster printable

Scissors

Glue

Stapler

Markers 

Crayons

Colored pencils

Topic/Focus:  Understanding what worries are and what we can do to subdue those worries by identifying them. 
 

Intro:  Welcome students back to group!  Review group rules.  Give students opportunity to share high/low from previous week.  Allow students to go as they feel comfortable.  Will utilize the “hot potato” opening activity.
 

Communicating the Objective:  School counselor will state, “Sometimes when we have a lot of worries, does anyone know what a worry is?  A worry is something that bothers us or a thought/event that will not go away.  It is something we think of often.  Giving your worry a name makes it seem not so scary.”  Then we will explain that we will be talking about “worry monsters.”  We will tell them, “You might be wondering what a “worry monster” is.  A “worry monster” is a little monster that creeps around in our minds when we are feeling worried about something.  We all feel worried in different ways and about different things, so we each have unique and different worry monsters.  Today we are going to create our own “worry monsters” by coloring and picking out the legs, eyes, arms, and mouth.  We will also name our “worry monster.”  Once they are all done, we will then share with our group what the name of our “worry monster” is and what they do. 

Teach Content:  Students will begin by cutting out their “worry monster” and build it through the different printable.  Each student will name their “worry monster” and write the qualities of their monster.  When the lesson is done, each student will have a chance to hold up their “worry monster” and tell us about them.  There will be an example “worry monster” to share with the students, so that they will have a visual and idea of what we are making.   

Practice Content:  We will say, “Now that we have named our “worry monsters”, and you know when it comes around, you can know when to expect your “worry monster” And now you know how to tell him/her how to get out of here.”  I will then say, “When I feel Franky coming my way, I stop and tell him, “Franky I don’t want your worries right now.  I want to feel happy and calm.  Please leave!”  I will then let them know that they can do that as well.  We will practice different ways we can tell our “worry monster” to go away.  As a group we will brainstorm different things they can say and practice saying it out loud. Once they find the statement that they like best, they can write it down on the last page and say it out loud. 

Summarize/Close:  We will thank students for their willingness and sharing their “worry monster” with everyone. We will say, “Remember what you have shared with our group and DO NOT feel alone in their worry. And we will see you next week at our last session!  It is important to prepare the students the end of our small group.

Data Collection Plan:
 - Number of Students: 6
- Length: 30 - 40 minutes based on the time that it takes to pick up lunches and meet in the Art Room

Follow-Up Plans: When students are absent, the school counselor will find a time to touch base with the student during the week. The school counselor will explain what the student missed and give them any materials that were completed in group. The student will be given the option to work on these at home and bring them to the next session.

References:

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

I utilized American School Counselor Association in order to find the mindsets and behaviors for the worry monster lesson.

Counselor Keri. (2022). Worry Warriors. https://shop.counselorkeri.com/collections/group-counseling-curriculum/products/worry-warriors-group-counseling-program-for-worry-and-anxiety-management

I utilized Counselor Keri website for the worry monster activity. 

Small Group Lesson: 8 of 8
Target Audience: Third grade students from military families
Evidence Base: Research-Informed
ASCA Student Standards Targeted:
The ASCA mindsets that will be targeted are:
 "M1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being.
 

The ASCA behavior standards that will be targeted are:
"Behavior: B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills" (ASCA, 2020). 
Self-Management Skills: 7, "demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem." (ASCA, 2022). 

Behavior- "social skills: create positive and supportive relationships with other students." (ASCA, 2022).

B-SS 2. "positive, respectful, and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them"(ASCA, 2020).

 

B-SS 4. "Empathy" (ASCA, 2020).
 
Student Learning Objectives:  The objective is for students to have an understanding what empathy is, how to describe it, and how to respond correctly to others by being empathetic.  

Materials:

Shoe printable

Responding with empathy sheet

Stapler

Markers 

Crayons

Colored pencils

Topic/Focus:  Learning how to identify empathy and how to respond with empathy correctly. 
 

Intro:  Welcome students back to group!  Review group rules.  Give students opportunity to share high/low from previous week by utilizing the “hot potato” activity.  Allow students to go as they feel comfortable. 
 

Communicating the Objective:  School counselor will state, “Throughout the past eight weeks we have learned how to identify our emotions, how to express our emotions, how to regulate our emotions, how to identify emotions in others, and today we will be wrapping up our group with understanding what empathy is and how to show empathy towards others. Does everyone have a good understanding what empathy is?  Empathy is being able to understand how someone is feeling without them expressing in words what they are feeling.  For instance, if I were to make _____ face- what emotion do you think I am feeling?  

Teach Content:  First, we will read the book; “A little Spot of empathy.”  A story about how a world could use a little more empathy and how easy it is to see things from another person's perspective and show kindness.

As a group we will be going over the “In someone else’s shoes” paper.  We will go through each statement/question together:

·       Showing empathy to others makes them feel:

·       A time I showed empathy to someone else was:

·       Empathy is important because:

·       Empathy means:

Once we are done answering each statement, the students will be able to color in the shoe.  we 

Practice Content:  We will move onto the next sheet; “Responding with empathy.”  This printable has different scenario and as a group we will go one by one to match each situation to the correct feeling and response. Each situation we will stop and discuss how we would handle and respond to the situation.  For example: Scenario- There is a new student in your class and it’s her first day.  We would choose the feeling: nervous and we would respond by talking to her to make her feel comfortable. 

 

Summarize/Close: 

3-2-1 Group Reflection- questions to be asked:

·       How are you feeling about group ending?

·       What are three things that you have learned in group that really stuck to you?

·       What are two things you will do differently now that group is over?

·       What is one way you would like for the group to continue to support you even after we are no longer meeting together?

 

Wrapping up we will thank the students for being a part of the group and remind them that even though this is the ending, we are there to support them in the future. We will also remind the students that they can reach out to fellow group members after group.  And encourage them to utilize the emotional regulation and empathy skills. 

Data Collection Plan:
 - Number of Students: 6
- Length: 30 - 40 minutes based on the time that it takes to pick up lunches and meet in the Art Room

Follow-Up Plans: When students are absent, the school counselor will find a time to touch base with the student during the week. The school counselor will explain what the student missed and give them any materials that were completed in group. The student will be given the option to work on these at home and bring them to the next session.

References:

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success. American School Counselor Association. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

I utilized American School Counselor Association in order to find the mindsets and behaviors for the worry monster lesson.

Teachers Pay Teachers. (2022). Empathy Worksheets. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Empathy-Worksheets-Free-2234454?st=b484b927c1735edd4d496a2aeb8b8e15

I utilized Teachers Pay Teachers for the empathy worksheets for the activity.

 

We will start each session by playing Feelings Hot Potato Game.  We will play some music and when the music stops, whoever has the potato or ball will have their turn in sharing a feeling word they are currently feeling.  

It would be good to be repetitive and utilize the same opening activity which we have chosen Feelings Hot Potato because it helps with getting into the routine.  They will know by starting this game, our session is starting.

2. Go get lunch from cafeteria if they did not bring home lunch. 

3. Once back in the room, we will open the session by our open activity: Feelings Hot Potato

4. Proceed to the main activity and lesson 

5. End the session with our closing activity: Snowstorm.

Students write down what they learned or took away from the session on a piece of scratch paper and wad it up. When we give a signal, they will throw their paper snowballs in the air. Then each student picks up a nearby response and reads it aloud.

It would be good to end each session with the snowstorm activity as it becomes routine.  They will know that when this activity happens, we are nearing the end of our session.