Once the pre-screening is complete, all students who have agreed to the expectations will become a confirmed group member, pending parent consent. The counselor will reach out to the parents and guardians of the students who did not agree to expectations or were hesitant to participate. Based upon these discussions, the counselor may choose to revisit the discussion with students or choose a new potential participant.

(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

            ("Group therapy," 2019)

Although this is a comprehensive list, most of these factors would be extremely beneficial when working with the small test-taking strategies group. For this particular task, one factor that may not be useful is existential factors.

This stage is also referred to as the storming/norming stage.

Establishing and building trust within the group is very important and the main task of the beginning phase of group counseling (Corey & Corey, 2014).

To build trust among the group members, the first session will include an icebreaker activity to allow the group members to make connections with one another. The goal is to make the students feel comfortable and get them to enjoy attending the group. The counselor will create a safe space for students to share information; however, they should be aware that students may not participate or share until they feel more comfortable.

Counselors should encourage students to contribute to promoting their investment in the group. Expected behaviors will be modeled. Redirection will be used as necessary.  

ASCA (2016) Ethical Standard A.7.e emphasizes that confidentiality within the group should always be the norm. Counselors will discuss confidentiality and guidelines for maintaining discretion within the group. Counselors will review the rules that were previously discussed when students agreed to participate in the group.

Unfortunately, it is understood that students will not always adhere to confidentiality in a group setting. 

In this stage, group members may be hesitant to disclose information because they are fearful of someone outside of the group finding out personal information.  The counselor should establish that what goes on in group meetings stays in meetings, prior to sharing sessions. Once cleared, students may feel more comfortable sharing more about themselves and their experiences.

Stage 2:
Working Together to Accomplish individual and Group Goals

This stage is also called the performing stage. The students will be given specific assignments that will help them stay on task. Students should begin feeling more comfortable with each other during this stage and should be more willing to open up and also support one another. The lessons will be structured to allow opportunities for students to gain confidence in themselves. Each activity will have a checks and balances system in which the students self-reflect and rely on other group members to encourage participation. The counselor should serve as a facilitator and guide the group, but the members' participation will determine the success of each session. This stage provides an opportunity for the members to take on more responsibility.

Stage 3:
Ending the Group

When the time comes to end the group, the counselor should be aware of each student's feelings regarding the conclusion of the group. This stage is often referred to as the mourning stage. Counselors must keep in mind that bonds between members of the group have been formed, and students may genuinely feel sad, anxious, or alone because the group is ending. Students will be given an opportunity to share their feelings or concerns about the group's termination. The counselor should also reiterate confidentiality and the importance of keeping group conversations and dynamics private.

The group will reflect on accomplishments and focus on ways to continue utilizing the learned strategies. Counselors will stress the importance of members continuing to communicate with one another.

A follow-up session will be set up to offer support and provide all students the opportunity to reconvene and discuss how effective their initial small groups were.