Paws for Guidance
The "Bones" on Second Grade Classroom Guidance
Let me introduce myself...
I'm Gwen Sitsch and it is a pleasure to be your child's school counselor. I work with Lake Murray Elementary students in kindergarten, first, second, and fourth grades. Classroom guidance is one component of the total school guidance and counseling program. While there are many things I love about being a school counselor, classroom guidance ranks at the top because it's where I get to know students and build relationships with them. I teach in each class approximately one time per month. Guidance lessons in second grade this year will focus on teaching students skills to build positive relationships with their peers.
Featured In Our First Two Lessons
Ruthie Bell Washington
You've probably heard about her.
Ruthie is my friend who accompanies me to all classroom guidance lessons.
You WILL Be My Friend! by Peter Brown
This year in guidance we will evaluate Lucy's strategies and learn effective strategies for friendship.
What We've Learned
- Friendship takes time. You can't expect to be someone's friend immediately just because you want someone to like you.
- Sometimes people do things that give us the wrong opinion of them. We need to give people a second or third (or tenth!) chance to be a friend.
PLAY THE EMPATHY GAME
FACE IT
Name a feeling. Ask your child to make his/her face and then whole body show that feeling without making a noise. Then ask him/her to show you a different way to show that same emotion. Discuss how feelings can look different on different people.
READ ME
Teach your child to "read" people's feelings by showing pictures and asking "How do you think she's feeling?" Have your child defend their answer with facts like, "I think she's lonely because her eyes are down, she's not smiling, and there's no one around her." Take this a step further by asking your child, "Is there anything you can think of that you could do if you saw this person feeling this way?"
HOW DO YOU THINK SHE FEELS?
Show your child pictures in books, magazines, or pre-selected pictures on your computer that show people in situations that may have more than one point of view. For example, you may show a picture of a mom with two children who are arguing. Have your child take turns being each person in the picture. Allow him/her to tell you his/her point of view. Then say, "How do you feel as that person?" Emphasize that people in the same situation can and do have different feelings.
Contact Mrs. Sitsch
Email: gsitsch@lexrich5.org
Website: http://www.lexrich5.org/webpages/gsitsch/
Phone: (803) 467-4605