Angry Arlene, The Grumpy Red Jellybean

Well now that we have been in school for about a week now, it is time to get some new groups started up! One group that I am starting for some of my Prep and Kindergarten students is an Anger Management group.

We are using this great curriculum that I picked up at the ISCA State Conference this year, it is called Jellybean Jamboree! I knew this curriculum would be fun when I saw that each unit features a different jellybean. The anger management unit jellybean is called Angry Arlene, The Grumpy Red Jellybean! I have made a Angry Arlene puppet out of cone of the puppet templates for the unit. I am thinking about letting the students make Angry Arlene puppets as well to take home.

The first group lesson is about finding a quiet place to calm down. Our Prep teacher has a teepee in her room, so we may even take a "field trip" to her room to practice calming down in the teepee! After practicing going to a quiet place to calm down, we will come back to the guidance to work on the worksheets included in the curriculum. One is a connect-the-dot of Angry Arlene, and in another they will draw a picture of their quiet place. The curriculum is for PreK-2, and it is right on their level. I love how there is an emphasis on colors, letters, and rhyming.

I am keeping this group very small, right now I have three boys in the group but could open it to four. Because of the anger issues and social development of the students I have chosen, I want to keep this group as small as possible. I feel confident thought that I have picked a great group of boys, and I am looking forward to starting our group!

Adios, Anxiety!

Another small group intervention that I have been using with a group of 4th grade students at my school focuses on managing anxiety. As students begin to move into upper elementary and to middle school, many students begin to feel the pressure of keeping grades up, staying on top of homework assignments, and of course dealing with the new social world that comes along with growing up. To address this issue, I began a small guidance group that addresses managing anxiety.

Since I couldn't find a small group curriculum that addresses anxiety, I have been adapting activities from the What Works When with Children and Adolescents book by Ann Vernon to create small group guidance activities for the group. The What Works When book is a wonderful help in individual counseling activities too, especially with upper elementary students. The author addresses almost any and all things you may tackle in individual counseling as a school counselor. This is the book that I grab when I have an issue with a student and am not exactly sure what to say or which direction to go! It has worked wonderfully for this small group as well.

Today we did an activity where the group members had to say "adios" to anxiety. Each member of the group made a list of the thoughts they have concerning whatever they feel anxious about. On the floor I used masking tape to make a hopscotch board. As I read off each anxious thought, the student identified something they could tell themselves to make them feel less anxious. When they reach the top of the board, each group member said "Adios, anxiety!" Afterwords we talked about positive self talk as a way of coping with anxiety, and how when we feel anxious we often assume the worst, which at times can be a lot different than reality.

The group was great, we got to move around, play some hopscotch, and have some fun while we said adios to anxiety!

S.E.A.L.S. Group

One of my small guidance groups in 5th grade guidance focuses on helping students at school with low motivation. To create an intervention for students who have trouble staying motivated to complete homework or to do their best in school, I started the S.E.A.L.S. (Self Esteem and Life Skills) group. In the SEALS group, we are using activities from the S.E.A.L.S. + Plus by Korb-Khalsa, Azok, and Leutenberg.

In the SEALS book, our group has been working on the activities that focus on Goal Setting. Today we are working on conquering the "Sofa Spud Syndrome" - letting homework, reports, deadlines, and household chores pile up by spending too much time with the t.v., video games, or even just sitting on the couch staring into space! Our district is focusing on vocabulary instruction this year, so we will also learn about what the word "lethargy" means.

After learning about the "Sofa Spud Syndrome", the group members will focus on making one short term goal - one they can achieve before the next meeting. We will celebrate at our next group meeting any progress made towards these goal - big or small! My goal as the counselor this week is to get the students to take at least one step in the right direction.

Dr. Charles Fay of the Love and Logic Institute has some tips for parents who battle with their children over homework. To help children at home get their work done, instead of begging, pleading, bribing and lecturing, he suggests the following:

• Set aside a time and place for your child to learn
• Tell you child that they can either do their work or learn by thinking about it
• Say that you will help them only as long as you don't start arguing
• Tell your child that you will help only as long as they work harder than you do
• Allowing your child to take total responsibility for their homework

Most importantly, Dr. Fay emphasizes that parents transfer their energy used fighting with their child into making sure the child is respectful, does their chores, and know that they are loved regardless of the grades they earn. If you are interested in more information, you can sign up for Dr. Fay's weekly Love and Logic emails on the Love and Logic Institute website.