1st grade

Lesson 1, Counselor Introduction: During the months of August and September I visit each child's classroom to introduce myself to new students and review my role as the school counselor. Students learned the process for seeking my assistance when they have a concern to discuss or a problem they need help solving.
- Using Mrs. Potato Head, I introduce the role of a School Counselor to students. It is a very easy for beginning first grade to relate with the various pieces and how their school counselor is like Mrs. Potato Head. Students then color a Mr. or Mrs. Potato head parent letter from the counselor.
Lesson 2, Friendship Skills/Bullying Prevention: 1^st grade students read the story Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud to learn that they can be bucket fillers by showing kindness to others. We discuss how when we engage in unkind actions we can hurt other people's feelings and be bucket dippers, which we want to avoid. Then students illustrate their own picture of them filling a friend's bucket by showing kindness
Lesson 3, School Readiness Skills, Listening: First grade students learn about why it is important to listen to peers and adults. Students watch the animated book, Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen, and answer discussion questions about the story. Then students learn a new song about listening skills and complete a coloring page which focuses on strategies to use to be a good listener.

Lesson 4, Understanding Feelings: During this lesson students continue to expand their feelings vocabulary and practice identifying what they feel when faced with different situations. As a class we read the story In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek to learn about many of the different feelings people can experience. Discussion questions include why people have so many different feelings and why it is important for people to be able to recognize how they are feeling. Students then create their own "feeling hearts" where they identify a time when they have had a certain feeling.

Lesson 5, Managing Emotions: First grade students talk about how everyone feels sad and grumpy sometimes, but the good news is there are things we can do to help ourselves feel better again. Students watch a StoryBots video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akTRWJZMks0 2:08-6:20) and complete an activity to help them learn they can talk to an adult, get a drink of water, hug a stuffed animal, take a break alone, take a walk or play with a friend to help themselves feel better when they are sad.

Lesson 6, Review & Assessment: The last few weeks of the school year are spent with students in grade K-5, reviewing their learning by creating posters as a class to show others concepts they covered through school counseling classroom lessons throughout the school year. Students also engage in age appropriate games and/or interactive assessments to determine how well they have learned concepts taught to them over the past year.