References
American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College-, Career- and Life-Readiness Standards for Every Student. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

Direct Mail: I can send out a postcard to the home address of students across the university. This postcard will have information about the productive path group and how students can sign up for it. 

PTA Meetings: Offer a short presentation on the productive path group during a PTA meeting.

Email: Send out emails to parents that advertise the productive path group, its benefits to students, and how students can sign up. 

 

Social Media: post on social media, making an advertisement for the group

Interactive Workshop: host a one-time workshop on one of the subjects (such as mindfulness and how it can improve focus). Then offer information on the productive path group at the end of the workshop.

In-Class Presentation: Offer a short presentation during class, and provide information on the productivity path group at the end and a signup sheet in which I would contact the student to see if they are a fit for the group. 

Personal Invites: send personal invites to students that may benefit from the productivity path group, the list of students can come from recommendations from teachers or counselors, or students who self-report as struggling with finishing homework.

 

Email Teachers: send an email to teachers across the university with information about the productive path group, and offer to give a short presentation in their classroom. Also, ask if the teachers have any students that may struggle with homework that they would like me to personally reach out to about the group.

Flyers: Create flyers for the teachers to hand out in class and give to their students.

 

Administrative Meeting: attend an administrative meeting to give a presentation on the productive path group, and provide information on the benefits of the group.

Endorsement: Ask the administrators for their endorsement to be able to promote the productive path group on campus (such as on display screens in the hallways, emails, and flyers around campus). 

 

Counseling Meeting: Ask to attend one of the counseling department meetings to provide a presentation on the productive path group.
Flyers/Referral Forms: Ask the counselors if they can provide a flyer of the group in their office, give them referral forms and ask them to let me know if they have any students that are struggling with finishing homework and either I could (or they could) reach out to them about the group. 

Potential student participants who expressed interest or where referred to by a teacher or counselor will be called and emailed to set up an interview consolation. The criteria for the group is that they be a current student at the university and feel that they struggle with completing homework assignments.

Assessing Participants:

The screening process will be done individually. Potential student participants will be interviewed to explore their motivation levels and goals. Questions will include: 

1.    On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most. How often do you feel a lack of motivation to complete homework assignments?

2.    On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most. How much do you feel that you struggle with completing homework assignments?

3.    On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most. How often do you feel stress or anxiety when you think about completing homework?
1.    On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most. Do you feel that participating in a student support group that will teach skills and techniques on how to overcome procrastination would help you?

Before our first session, before we start, each student will fill out and sign a consent form that describes the group, a brief overview of the lesson plan, and the rules of the group, including confidentiality rules. If the student is a minor, then the parent must sign the consent form.

 

The consent form will also include any school policies that may apply to the support group and emphasize the importance of maintaining confidentiality due to the nature of the support group, and that participants are encouraged to share their struggles and personal experiences. The form will clearly state that participants will not share any personal information about other students and what they have shared in group sessions outside of the group. 

The ground rules will be discussed with the group at the beginning of the first session, and be reviewed if there are any violations, as a reminder to the group of the ground rules. 

For the Productivity Support Group I will mostly use a democratic leadership style by asking the group to suggest additional ground rules, and decide on group norms. This will encourage more participation and investment in the group, and it will give the students a feeling of empowerment in shaping the group in the way that will work best for them. It also builds trust with the students and lets them know that their opinions matter. College students respond well to democratic leadership and it is considered the most effective leadership style (Cherry, 2023).

 

However, I will use an authoritarian style when it comes to keeping the group focused on the tasks and discussions at hand, and with confidentiality rules. Confidentiality is vitally important to maintain a feeling of safety for people to open up and share. An authoritarian approach will help to ensure that isn’t compromised. It is also important for the students to stay on track with the activities and discussions because we only have an hour for each session. 

 

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

 

The most important factor is the instillation of hope, which is when participants believe that the treatment will be effective (Yalom, 1995). It is important that the participants feel like they can improve their productivity and that they have support from the group to help them through their journey. Hope can be a powerful motivator towards positive change.

 

Because the program is designed as a support group then universality will be important. Universality according to Yalom, is when the participant doesn’t feel like they are alone in their struggles (Yalom, 1995). Universality helps participates face their challenges with more reassurance that they are supported and understood.

 

Existential factors acknowledge the base aspects of human existence such as feelings of loneliness, facing mortality, and taking responsibility (Yalom, 1995). The Productivity Support Group encourages participants to share and discuss their experiences, which can lead to insights and personal growth on an existential level. 

 

One of the main aspects of the support group is to impart information which is one of Yalom’s factors for group treatment (Yalom, 1995). Each week’s session will focus on learning strategies for overcoming procrastination such as time management, mindfulness, goal setting, understanding procrastination triggers, and overcoming perfectionism. By providing practical strategies and exercises to apply the information, participants will feel equipped to overcome their challenges with homework procrastination more effectively. 

 

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

I believe this guideline is so important to the success of the group because it emphasizes creating a safe and supportive environment where the participants feel like they can express themselves and share their experiences without fear or judgment.

References
Association for Specialists in Group Work. (2021). ASGW Guiding Principles. https://asgw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ASGW-Guiding-Principles-May-2021.pdf

This guideline is import for the Productivity Support Group because informs the participants about what to expect from the group and gives an outline of what the group is about. It also clearly states the group rules and that the group will adhere to all University policies and codes of conduct, and emphasizes the importance of maintaining confidentiality. This gives the participants important information about the group and the rules that they are expected to adhere to, as well as what would happen if those rules are broken. It is a document that makes the rules clear, and builds trust among the group since everyone is expected to abide by the rules.

References
American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA Code of Ethics. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

 

American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA Code of Ethics. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2016). Ethical Standards. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College-, Career- and Life-Readiness Standards for Every Student. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

Association for Specialists in Group Work. (2021). ASGW Guiding Principles. https://asgw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ASGW-Guiding-Principles-May-2021.pdf

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

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