The Passionate School Counselor: Classroom Guidance

Be Brave, Be Bold, A Teacher Must Be Told

This lesson focuses on bullying and gives students a catchy little way to remember what to do if and when they are bullied.

Materials:

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies animated ebook (wedolisten.org)

Person Foldable

Steps:

1. I asked students to tell me the definition of a bully.

2. I told students that they were going to watch an ebook and that I wanted them to look for ways that Howard B. Wigglebottom showed that he was brave and bold in the story.

Be Brave Be Bold

3. I showed the students the animated story Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies and had them listen to the rap.

4. Students then completed the tree map identifying ways that Howard B. Wigglebottom was brave and bold.

Examples:

Be Brave Be Bold

Ignore- wore a cape to pretend he was invisible Use humor- Howard put on a funny hat.

Walk Away - wore his fast shoes so that he

could get away

5. Students created a foldable with pictures to help them remember the steps of dealing with a bully.

This was completed by a 2nd grader.

How do you teach stranger safety t0 5 year olds?

I teach stranger safety with these three little tips.

1. Say "No!"

2. Scream for Help

3. Go a safe place.

4. Tell your parent or guardian.

I then have students create a police officer to help them remember the steps. There are a number of books that can help with this topic.

Once Upon a Dragon by Jean Pendziwol

Scoop by Julia Cook

Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers

Check out what the students made. They loved making this craft. The next week a kindergartner had to return to school because his guardians were not at the bus stop. The student returned to school and stated and demonstrated all of the steps that we talked about in class. This was such a great feeling that he was ready to use the strategies if necessary!!

Police Officer Stranger Danger

Career Awareness

In first grade I introduce students to the career paths (business, creative, health, helping, fixing, and nature). I have students cut out pictures and create a tree map in order to categorize the various careers. In second grade, students have the option of creating a foldable or a book based on the career paths. Below are some student samples.

1st grade

Front

Inside

2nd grade

Anger in the Classroom

When teachers send students to my office for being angry, I have a few tools that I use to help them self regulate. I have a calming area in my office with some special tools.

I purchased a tool box from Wal-Mart and filled it with cool stress balls, light up stress balls, stampers, a plastic hammer, sunglasses, and other cool items. In addition, students have access to several Ipad apps. Calm Counter which has a social story on anger and a countdown for breathing. I also created a social story in which students can use to help relax.

Academic Support Lessons

As a former classroom teacher I always think about how I can make my guidance lessons more meaningful. In the beginning of the school year I always focus on goals in each grade level. Below are some ways that I have taught goal setting in the classroom.

Second Grade
I read How Grinner Became a Winner by Robert Bowman and John Chanaca and had students create a school goal and wrote about two things that they could do to reach their goal.