September's Counselor Corner
Rachel Franco- Van Raub Elementary
Optimism Builds Resilience! Talk to your kids about our social emotional skill at home...
Optimism lets us see disappointing events as temporary situations that we can get past. It strengthens us to try again rather than give up. It allows us to keep our goals and dreams in play so we can act on the motivation to keep working toward them. Because of this, optimistic people feel more in control of their situations and have higher self-esteem.
Pessimism influences us to take disappointments and rejections personally. It also makes them seem more permanent than they are. A pessimistic outlook exaggerates the negative aspects of a situation so they overshadow anything positive. Pessimistic thinking makes it harder to cope when things don't go as hoped.
Talk to your kids about a time that you struggled and wanted to quit. Tell them how you overcame your obstacles and never gave up! Kids love to hear stories of your past. Pretty soon they will be able to tell you about a time they did the same.
Upcoming Guidance Lessons
These are the grade levels I will be going and teaching a 30 minute lesson on the skill we are focusing on for this nine weeks. Teachers are reinforcing this skill everyday in the classroom with what we call "Morning Meetings"!
Skill: Optimistic Thinking
September 3rd- 6th 3rd grade
September 9th- 13th 2nd grade
September 16th- 20th 1st grade
September 23rd- 27th Kinder
Counselor Lesson Plans
For 3rd-5th grade I read the book "My Fantastic, Elastic Brain". This book discussed how you can stretch your brain by taking risks! It also explains each part of the brain and how they all work together. Then the students broke up into 5 groups and read a short biography on a famous person. They had to present to the class on how that successful person used optimistic thinking to help them become a better person and never give up, even in the face of defeat!
For K-2 I plan on reading the book " The Most Magnificent Thing". This is a book about a girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. "She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right. The students will make the connection of optimistic thinking with the girl's character in the story. They will then get cut- out shapes to create their own "Magnificent Thing".
Small Group Counseling
For the Month of September I will be meeting with our new students here at Van Raub. Your child may have received a letter from me stating when it starts, time, and location.
Starting Sept. 3rd: 1st & 2nd graders will meet from 7:00-7:30 every Tuesday. Please meet me in the front office!
Starting Sept. 5th: 3rd-5th graders will meet from 7:00- 7:30 every Thursday. Please meet me in the front office.
*If you ride the bus just get here when you can! It's a time to get to know other new students, play games, and learn how to make lasting friendships!