First Chapter Small Group by Marisa Miller https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s en-us 2023-09-16 19:10:08 UTC 2023-09-17 15:41:21 UTC hello@padlet.com Small Group Action Plan mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2706996579 Group Description: 
First Chapter is a closed counseling group meant for 6th-grade students who are new to Story Elementary School; so it is their 'first chapter' at Story. The group focus will be to help create new, healthy relationships with peers and staff and become better acclimated to the school while learning how to cope with the change of moving to a new school.]]> 2023-09-16 19:18:56 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2706996579 ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707001291 The First Chapter small group will focus on the following ASCA mindset standards:
o Standard M 2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment 
o Standard M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed
(ASCA, 2021, p. 2) 

The First Chapter small group will focus on the following ASCA behavior standards:
o Standard B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them
o Standard B-SS 3. Positive relationships with adults to support success
o Standard B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation 
o Standard B-SMS 10. Ability to manage transitions and adapt to change
(ASCA, 2021, p. 2) 

]]> 2023-09-16 19:30:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707001291 Publicity mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707003863 Since this will be a closed group, the group will not receive school-wide publicity. Invites will and publicity items will only be sent to the seven new 6th-grade students and their teachers and parents.

Teacher communication: An email will be sent out to the teachers of the students being invited to join the First Chapter group to explain the purpose and logistics of the group. The email will be sent two weeks prior to group start date.

Student communication: A paper invitation will be sent to each student to explain the purpose and schedule of the group. The paper invitation can be formatted in the style of a flyer with visually appealing graphics. This flyer will be given to the students one week prior to the group start date.

Parent communication: A copy of the paper invitation will be sent via email to all parents along with a parent consent form. This will be sent on the same day as the student communication.

All involved parties will receive a paper schedule of the group meeting days and times during our first group session.

]]> 2023-09-16 19:36:37 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707003863 Pre-Group Interview/Screening mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707006150 Students for this closed group will be chosen solely based on whether this is their first year at Story Elementary. Therefore, no additional interview or screening will be necessary to determine any additional participants.

However, the school counselor will meet with all of the seven new 6th-grade students in a group setting to discuss the purpose of the group and personally hand them their invite one week prior to the date of the first session. Students will also complete an 'exit ticket' to express their interest in the group at this meeting, and students who do not express initial interest in the group will be pulled for individual meetings with the school counselor to discuss their hesitations; this is discussed further in Slide 5.]]> 2023-09-16 19:42:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707006150 Informed Consent mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707009596 Student Assent:
During the invite meeting that will happen one week prior to the group start date, students will hear about the group's purpose, logistics, and be given a paper invitation/flyer. They will also fill out an 'exit ticket' as they leave the room that asks to check one of the following boxes:
-Yes, I would like to be a part of First Chapter
-Maybe, I would like more information on First Chapter
-No, I am not currently interested in this group.
The school counselor will pull any maybe and no responses to further discuss their hesitations, but will ultimately refer to parents consent forms.

Parent Consent:
Once students receive paper invitations/flyers, parents will receive an email with the same digital invite/flyer with an explanation of the group's purpose and logistics. The email will also have an informed consent document that parents will need to fill out in order for their student to participate in the group. The informed consent document is attached at the top of this slide and will be edited to include a description of First Chapter and specific dates and times that the group will meet.]]> 2023-09-16 19:50:51 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707009596 Ground Rules mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707011710 The above rules and guidelines sheet from the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program will be used during our first session with the First Chapter small group. During this first session, we will utilize this document to ultimately create our own set of group guidelines and rules that will be recorded on chart paper and placed in the classroom for every subsequent group session.]]> 2023-09-16 19:56:31 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707011710 Stages of Group Dynamics mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707013982 Stage 1: During our first session, the school counselor will go over the group's purpose and logistics again. We will work together to come up with group guidelines and rules that will be posted during every session to establish group norms. We will also do an icebreaker game to help students get to know each other better, start to form connections and begin to create trust within the group. Our first session activities will include:
-Opening – The counselor will present a PowerPoint to discuss the group’s purpose, logistics, confidentiality guidelines, and goals. We will then work together to create a list of guidelines and rules on chart paper that will be posted at all sessions.
-Activity - Students will answer three questions provided by the counselor on a notecard and then write down two truths and one lie about themselves on the back of the notecard. We will play two truths and a lie activity first where the students will introduce themselves, read their two truths and one lie, and the rest of the group will have to try to guess the lie.
-Closing – Students will be given the opportunity to share their answers to the three questions provided by the counselor that they previously wrote on notecards. The questions will be:
1. Do you feel like you have positive relationships at school? 2. What is something about school that makes you feel nervous?
3. What is something about school that makes you feel excited? 

Stage 2: Group sessions two through five will include activities where the students have to work on together as a group to help further support collaboration and establish trust. Each activity, which is detailed in the action plan, will include a piece of working together to achieve some sort of common goal. Some of the activities include:
-Brainstorming and creating group posters
-Partner Bingo games that include school and teacher trivia questions
-Partner scavenger hunts around the school to find key staff members/locations in the school and share information with other groups
-Two more casual group meetings at lunchtime to allow for discussions and building connections with other group members
These activities will help establish "cohesiveness and productivity" (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 7). 

Stage 3: During our closure stage, students will reflect on what they have learned in the group through revisiting artifacts created during sessions one through three. Students will also be given time to discuss the changes that they made in the original artifacts, which will help the counselor evaluate the group's effectiveness. Since "closure is attained by reflecting on individual and group accomplishments" (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 7), students should be able to leave the group feeling more confident in the relationships they have established and their ability to adapt to being in a new school. The counselor will also pull all group members for individual check-in meetings within two weeks of group closure.]]> 2023-09-16 20:02:40 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707013982 Leadership Style mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014199 Participative Leadership/Democratic:
I will run this group as a participative leader where I "offer guidance to group members, but... also participate in the group and allow input from other group members" (Cherry, 2023). Studies have shown this is a very effective form of leadership and I plan on utilizing this style to help students feel more comfortable with me and feel as if they are an important part of the group and can impact many aspects of the group. I plan on achieving this by participating in the activities and using group members to contribute to other activities such as:
-I fill in a notecard for the two truths, one lie notecard about myself
-I join in all of the casual lunch sessions and try to share information about myself
-I will revisit my notecards during our closing activity along with the students
-All group members will help contribute in creating our group and guidelines poster
-All group members will help contribute in creating our poster on ways to cope with change

]]> 2023-09-16 20:03:20 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014199 Yalom's Therapeutic Factors mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014316 The following three therapeutic factors may be present in our small group:

Universality:
This group will allow students to see that they are not alone in their struggles in adapting to a new school. Students will hopefully find common ground with each other within the first session icebreaker activity.

Development of socializing techniques:
This group will serve to help build positive social relationships through healthy social interactions. Socialization techniques will be specifically focused on during the two lunch sessions of our small group.

Direct advice:
Most of our group sessions will include some sort of opening activity where the counselor shares information on the staff or school to help familiarize the students with the school. During our coping with change lesson, the counselor will present direct strategies on how to handle change, but will also allow students to give suggestions for handling these problems.

(Yalom, 1995)]]> 2023-09-16 20:03:44 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014316 Legal & Ethical Requirements mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014507 The Texas Administrative Code has many standards that apply to small-group counseling, such as the following:

Standard II of §239.15 states that the certified school counselor must "counsel individuals and small groups using appropriate counseling theories and techniques in response to students' needs" and "demonstrate proficiency in teaching small and large groups by actively engaging students in the learning process" (Tex. Admin. Code §239.15).

The First Chapter small group was established in order to meet the students' needs as determined by a campus wide needs assessment. All of the planned small group activities are meant to be active and engaging and should exhibit the school counselor's ability to effectively create and deliver lessons that follow standards outlined in the Texas Administrative Code.]]> 2023-09-16 20:04:15 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014507 Legal & Ethical Requirements mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014522 The ethical standards outlined by the American School Counseling Association provide numerous ethical requirements that should be present in all small-group counseling, such as the following:

Standard A.7 Group Work:

School counselors "offer culturally sustaining small-group counseling services based on individual student, school and community needs; student data; a referral process; and/or other relevant data" (ASCA, 2022, p. 4) The First Chapter small group was established based on a school need that became apparent after a school-wide needs assessment was performed. 

School counselors "inform parents/guardians of student participation in and the purpose of the small group (ASCA, 2022, p. 4). Parents will be informed through the paper invitation flyer, an emailed version of the paper invitation flyer along with a written explanation of the group's purpose and logistics, and the parent informed consent form.

School counselors "communicate the aspiration of confidentiality as a group norm, while recognizing and working from the protective posture that confidentiality for students in small groups cannot be guaranteed" (ASCA, 2022, p. 4). Confidentiality will be addressed in the first session of our small-group meetings through a PowerPoint presentation given by the counselor. We will discuss the importance of maintaining and keeping trust in the group and upholding confidentiality. ]]> 2023-09-16 20:04:19 UTC https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014522 References mmiller671 https://padlet.com/mmiller671/mf12kl6o3k6s2l8s/wish/2707014670 American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA
ethical standards for school counselors.  https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba013a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf


American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA mindsets and behaviors for student success: K-12 College-, career-, and life-readiness standards for every student.https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

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

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. Retrieved from https://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgroup/SmallGroupCounseling.pdf

Standards Required for the School Counselor Certificate, 19. Tex. Admin. Code § 239.15

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