Every student has unique abilities, and the potential to learn. When students are fostered into a growth mindset, they believe their abilities can develop. Failure is less of a worry, as mistakes are a chance to learn. Helping students activate their strengths, empowers them to perform better. When students have a positive perception about themselves and the world, it impacts their achievement in a positive way.

Vision Statement

All students will be empowered to enhance and develop their abilities for academic, social/emotional, and college/career success. Students will be inspired to celebrate their success, enabling them to contribute to society with pride and compassion, today and in the future.

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

There are many competencies that school counselors should possess. I found that I am able to accomplish objectives by demonstrating that I have the ability to plan and organize, while advocating and collaborating for systemic change. I believe all students have the ability to achieve, making it easier to serve as a leader and promote student success. Collaborating with stakeholders, parents, and the community, is something that is crucial for effective school counseling programs. Competencies around the ASCA National Model include knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are vital in forming responsibilities. School counseling programs using these competencies as benchmarks, will ensure student dispositions needed for the development of school counseling programs.

Strengths/Improvement

Overall, I found my strengths are in responsive services, knowledge of interventions, and empathic intelligence. In my understanding of theories and techniques, I will be able to apply my knowledge in a crisis response. I will have the ability to understand student struggles, while building a relationship that provides trust and empathy. By demonstrating my ability to organize and plan, I can advocate and collaborate for systemic change. An area that needs improvement is basic research and the use of data to evaluate program needs. I realized I need to have the ability to analyze data from reports in a timely fashion, to determine if a program’s components and the student’s needs match. This is very important in identifying student needs, and seeing hose a student’s behavior may be affected.

Reflection

After completing the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies Assessment, I have a clearer understanding of the areas in which I need to develop in. The results showed me how data analysis is used, and that I can build on creative ideas on how to use the data. This reflection has allowed me to change and develop, helping me understand my knowledge and assumptions. It showed me how to identify my behavior patterns, so I can improve my decision-making skills and apply them to the future.

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

Goals of the Lesson

 The goal of the lesson plan, is to help students understand their emotions and thoughts, while developing empathy for others. Students will become more self-aware and develop self-control, so they can make responsibly decisions now and I the future.

Challenges in Implementing Lesson

Implementing this lesson to 2^nd graders, does not come without challenges. There may not be enough time to learn social-emotional skills with some students, as this population processes information at several different speeds. Some students may not be able to process social-emotional learning yet, making it beyond their ability. Students may already have social-emotional challenges, that make it difficult to interact and understand communication.

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

The purpose of annual results reports, are to ensure school counseling programs are effective and make decision on how to improve the program. Classroom and closing-the-gap results reports are analyzed, to address the needs of students and effective interventions. The purpose is to determine the change in student learning, and use the data to promote systemic change throughout the school.

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

The selected lesson plan was used to review school discipline data and referrals related to the behavior of 2^nd graders. The lesson is stated evidence-based, being the highest level of evidence, with a unit of classroom lessons 1 of 10.

Mindset/Behaviors and Lesson Topic:

M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being.

B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them

Additional Mindset/Behaviors:

B-SS 9. Social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment

Emotions are the guide to behavior. Students who understand their emotions, can control impulses better and build better relationships. All aspects of social behaviors come from understanding our own emotions, as well as others.

Pre/Post Assessment Alignment with Mindsets/Behaviors:

The ASCA Student Standards pre- and post-assessment items, align with the belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being. It describes the knowledge and skills that students should be able to demonstrate. It does relate to students’ social attitudes and academic work, while promoting acceptable behaviors that improve social interactions.

Lesson Materials and Mindset/Behaviors:

The lesson content and materials delivered an effective way of exploring emotions and feelings, with the belief in development of whole self and well-being. Students who understand emotions develop a sense of awareness, esteem, and confidence. Being aware of emotions can help students understand how others feel, leading to stronger relationships and communication that is effective. It was the backbone of the lesson with engaging content for effective learning.

Timing:

The planned length for lessons was 30 minutes, with the participation of 20 2^nd grade students. This impacts the result of a lesson, as engagement and skills could be limited. The frequency of lessons also impacts results; the more a student is introduced to a topic, the more likely they will use and develop it. It’s important to continue to develop and reinforce the topic, to make a bigger impact on disciplinary referrals.

Modifying The Lesson

One thing I would modify in the lesson, is to make sure that students are processing the lesson questions. I would have done a role play lesson in empathy, having the kids act out different roles. This aids in understanding the emotions of others and how they feel, rather than using questions. One of the biggest challenges for 2^nd graders is reading and understanding what is being read. If the instructions are not meeting their needs, it impacts how they comprehend and learn.

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association