RECIPE FOR SUCCESS- 5 INGREDIENTS 4 WAYS = 20 CLASSROOM GUIDANCE LESSONS PRESENTED BY BETTY WHITE, LPC,CSC

WHY CLASSROOM GUIDANCE??? Authors investigated the effects of classroom guidance on children's classroom behavior, attitudes toward school, and achievement in language arts and mathematics. The study involved 896 children (grades 4 and 5) from 18 different schools in North Carolina. The children and represented varying economic, social, and cultural environments. Results showed the treatment group (n = 453) improving and the control group (n = 443) declining on two measures of classroom behavior and on a single measure of attitude toward school. The differences in score changes between the groups on all these measures were statistically significant (p<.001). Treatment group’s language scores also improved.. GERLER, E. R. and ANDERSON, R. F. (1986)

WHY CLASSROOM GUIDANCE ??? A meta-analysis of school counseling outcome research (117 studies, 153 school counseling interventions, and16,296 students) found an overall effect size of.30. Students who participated in the interventions improved almost a third of a standard deviation more than their peers who did not receive the interventions. In other words, school counseling interventions have a larger effect size than aspirin for preventing heart attacks (ES of.06) and an equivalent effect size to sertroline (“Zoloft”) compared to placebo, for treating major depressive disorder (ES of.31). Whiston & Quinby (2009). Review of school counseling outcome research. Psychology in the Schools, 46(3), Schatzberg & Nemeroff (2009). Textbook of Psychopharmacology. Arlington, VA: The American Psychiatric Publisher

CHALLENGES FOR COUNSELORS  Limited budgets  Limited time for presentation  Conflicting responsibilities  Large groups/classes  Limited resources  Fear of developing lessons

SOLUTIONS  Use materials you have on hand  Look at things with an eye to transformation (“Chopped” for counselors)  Look in unusual places for lesson ideas-Science books, Sunday School lesson books, Vacation Bible School materials, Children’s Camp Materials  Be FEARLESS!!  BE LARCENOUS!!

PLAN FOR TODAY Today, we will use 5 ingredients for our “recipes” 1.Animals-inexpensive stuffed animals of various sizes-can be purchased at retailers, thrift stores, etc. 2.Balloons-simple party balloons available at any retail store 3.Cards-both index cards and playing cards 4.Dots-mailing dots, available in several color combinations, from most office supply and big box stores 5.Eggs-both plastic and real-stock up at Easter

TRANSFORMATION IS KEY We must think of these things differently:

A IS FOR ANIMAL 1.Stress Toss-use a variety of small animals in this group activity to demonstrate the effects of stress on our ability to cope with things 2.Question Toss-use animals to indicate who is to answer a question-this spices up any activity and can be incorporated directly into a lesson (if you catch the chicken, tell something you should do, even if you are “chicken”, if you catch the duck, tell something you should “duck”, or avoid doing 3.Puppets-use stuffed animals purchased at thrift stores to manufactures your own puppets and use them in a variety of ways in lessons and individual sessions with students 4.Rubber Duck-use a rubber duck and a washcloth to talk about letting things “roll off” instead of “soaking them up”.

B IS FOR BALLOON 1.“POP” the Question-place questions inside balloons and incorporate popping the balloon into you lesson 2.Balloon Press- activity using a balloon held between two individuals as they try to accomplish an assigned task-the task can vary with your lesson objective 3.Ballooning Anger-two different lessons using balloons to reinforce anger management techniques 4.Coping Skills –use a balloon to show how using coping skills in a situation can help you to survive without “exploding”

C IS FOR CARDS 1.Study Skills Rummy-students use cards marked with positive study skill to form sets of things that will help them be more successful 2.Impossible-Possible-counselor demonstration using an index card to show that what you might think it impossible is possible IF you know the secret 3.Alphabet Decision Making-students play a card game to try to assemble a series that shows the steps to making a good decision 4.House of Cards-students use cards in a team building activity

D IS FOR DOTS 1.Don’t Leave Me Out-a powerful activity with mailing dots that emphasizes the importance of inclusion 2.Red Dot-Green Dot-Yellow Dot- uses mailing dots to highlight positive and negative activities, actions, words, etc. 3.Feelings Dots-labeling dots with feelings-(Yellow-scared, Blue-sad, Red-Angry, Green-Happy) and use on checkers in a game, or use to label situations, activities, words, etc. 4.Goal Setting-mailing dots can be used in a powerful goal setting/encouragement activity

E IS FOR EGGS 1.“Eggstra” Special Games- plastic Easter eggs form the base for a series of games 2.Words CAN Hurt- The hard outer shell of an egg is removed to show the power of being in a caustic environment with hurtful words 3.Egg Float-a simple but powerful activity where students “raise” and egg throug h positive actions 4.Egg Support-a demonstration of the power of sticking together

FULL LESSONS You can download the full lessons from this presentation at: