BLOG

5 Tips for Becoming a More Effective School Counselor

This post contains affiliate marketing. I only recommend products I have found to be of great value and are worth reading or using. If you buy something through one of the links below, I may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. (Legit. I went through my own Amazon list to make this…

The Ultimate Elementary School Counseling Toy

I’ve had a lot of favorite school counseling toys over the years, but there’s one that stands above the crowd. If you want to learn how children interact with their parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends, you need to invest in some dollhouse dolls. Through these dolls, you’ll discover how the child you’re working with sees…

Ten Must-Have Books for Your Elementary School Counseling Office

We’ve talked about the games, fidgets, and decor you’ll need for your counseling office, but have we talked about all the books you’ll need? Someday soon, I’ll write about the books you’ll need to enhance your craft, but for now, let’s go over some basic social/emotional books together. I’ve included books that explore anger, anxiety,…

How to Get Professional Designs Without Spending a Fortune

When I was a high school counselor, we had a tight budget, so I took on a senior intern whose sole job was to create all the media I needed to support the school counseling program–flyers, social media posts, infographics, brochures, and so much more. My intern was lovely and kind, yet I had to…

The Best Books for New Counselors, Teachers, & Parents

Sometimes I think the only way I can learn is through the struggle of figuring it out myself, but let’s save you a decade and get you to some of the best books if you’re just starting in the counseling field, teaching profession, or you’re about to bring home your first little bundle of joy. …

Elementary School Counseling Lesson Plan Standards Match

When I started as an elementary school counselor, all I wanted was some sort of clue as to what the heck was going on. Seriously. I didn’t have a mentor or any materials or guidance from the previous counselor, so I had to learn everything the hard way. I observed a few classes and then…

15 Must-Have School Counseling Items on a $100 Budget

Budgets are tight, but we still have a job to do. I’m going to give you the best school counseling must-haves-list for under $100. These are items that I have personally bought and find myself using again and again. The entire list of my favorite things is less than $100!  And yes, I work with…

How Can You Protect Kids on Youtube?

It’s possible that everyone already knows this and I’m just late to the party. But friends, did you know that you can share a YouTube link with students that’s free from ads and external clutter?  It’s true! There are so many incredible clips available on YouTube. I regularly use videos to teach social cues and…

How To Become a School Counselor: 7 Things You Need to Know

How Do I Become a School Counselor? Since I started working as a school counselor many years ago, my mother has told me countless times that her “school counselor didn’t do that.” And she’s not wrong; mine didn’t do “that” either. This job has changed a lot over the years. School counselors do a lot…

Advice for Teaching Online & In-Person

Let’s be clear, there is no magic bullet to teaching both in-person and online, but I do have some experience with this effort now and can give some feedback on what has and has not worked. Let’s start with the dumpster fires areas for improvement, and then we’ll move on to the good stuff.  Let’s…

4 Personal Body Safety Books You Need to Add Your Shelf Today

I don’t recall ever being explicitly taught as a child that I could tell an adult “no” if I was uncomfortable with their touch. Chatting with a friend recently, she shared how she was tickled until it hurt, and her family all thought it was hysterically funny. Many of us have experienced tickles and hugs…

School Counseling Climate Survey

Have you ever walked into a school building and immediately felt welcomed and invited? How about the opposite?  The schools’ culture permeates throughout the building, but it’s often nebulous; you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you feel it, and you usually know within minutes if it has good or bad vibes.  What…

You’ve Never Found an Easier Way to Schedule Appointments

I have gone through every type of calendar possible to schedule my meetings, and I have to tell you that I think I have finally found the needle in the proverbial haystack. I tried using google docs, sign up sheets, sign-in bar codes, calendar invites, and still spent an excessive amount of time and energy…

Tools to Counsel and Teach ESL Students

I have found myself in so many classes this year with students who speak zero English. I desperately want to teach and work with these kids, and I’ve been practicing my Spanish using Pimsleur. However, I’m still not proficient enough to communicate any of my lesson material, not to mention that many speak a language…

Get to Know Your Students Activity

Getting to know your students can be tricky–especially when your caseloads are out of proportion to recommended ratios, and you’re teaching virtually. But we all know that building relationships with your students is critical for us to become their “people” when they need us. However, we don’t always know what kind of vibes we’re putting…

How Do You Adapt Lessons for ESL Students?

I attended a training a few years ago where the speaker gave us a math worksheet in Chinese and then instructed the group (all native English speakers) in Chinese to complete the worksheet. Friends, I am a grown woman who has solid coping skills, and I was incredibly frustrated and overwhelmed. I could see why…

These are the Tech Tips That Will Change Everything

I’m surprised by the folx out there who still say that “TikTok is for kids.” If you still think that, I’m about to change your mind with this little post about implementing tech tips I learned from TikTok into my school counseling practice. It has been transformational! I’ve learned quick hacks to speed up my…

Teaching in a Pandemic: Your Mental Health

I got a text the week before school started asking, “Do school counselors also counsel teachers?” No, no, we don’t, but that doesn’t mean your mental health doesn’t matter to me. I’m more worried about teachers right now than ever before. The amount of stress and ambiguity they are under is enough to send a…

New School Counselor Must-Haves

Congrats on your new gig! If you’re just getting started, this will give you the basics of what you’ll need to get started. I went through my own Amazon list to share my favorites. (Update! Our accountant told me that I had money that I had to spend or I would lose it. (What a problem to…

Expert Advice: Teach Young Kids How to Read in 100 Days

Our children who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are less likely to graduate from high school, which reduces their likelihood of attending post-secondary education, which reduces their earning potential over their lifetime. That’s a lot riding on one skill.

25 Ways to Help Your Students Become More Confident

The Polk Mentoring Alliance has created an exceptional list of 25 confidence-building activities. Many of these activities can be done individually or in small or large group formats. Most of the ideas are low to no cost and often don’t require many supplies. I have outlined 7 of my favorites below. Positively imagining the future…

Boost Staff Morale: Letters from the School Counselor

Many school counselors are struggling with what to say to their staff during this difficult time. I know that many of us are the “feelings” person in our school for students and staff alike. This was the message that I sent to our staff with the hope of connecting and giving them resources to improve…

Virtual School Counseling SEL Lessons for K-4 Students

Teaching an emotional vocabulary is the first step to helping children learn to manage their emotions. The Emotional ABC’s program has recently made their accounts to FREE to teachers and counselors. The online program provides a format for counselors to allow their students to access online lessons from home. Through the Emotional ABC’s program, students…

Loading…

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

About

Elishia Basner, M.S., is a school counselor, speaker, writer, and parenting coach. She has taught people of all ages and backgrounds the principles and practices of emotional healing for 13 years. Elishia helps people develop attitudes, behaviors, and habits that promote a life full of growth and self-discovery.

Subscribe to My Blog

Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.