Flying Solo at Your School? You're NOT Alone!

Recognize this lyric "1 is the loneliest number that you'll ever do" (music by Three Dog Night) and boy is it true working solo in a school!   Most but not all elementary schools have just one school counselor.  I've been very fortunate to have an intern for several years so that helps both me and my school tremendously but I have certainly worked solo before. 

Here's some ways to not feel so "alone" as a school counselor:

-Meet with other school counselors in your district monthly or even quarterly to share ideas, best practices or even to vent.  In my district, we are divided by regions and my regional counselor group meets once a month and I so LOVE that time to connect (they are an amazing group)!  

-Use social media to connect:  Lots of us elementary school counselors are on....

 Pinterest:
 
Facebook: Did you know that there are Facebook pages just for school counselors to connect?  Click below to join:
Elementary | Middle | High

Twitter

Instagram 
I'm finally on Instagram:  @ajburston

Use the website tagboard to view ALL social media (FB, Twitter, Instagram) in one place.  Use the hashtags:  #schoolcounselor, #scchat or #escchat 

Yes there are 2 of us at my school but my connection to so many amazing school counselors via social media is endless and the cool part is when I've had the opportunity to meet my social media counselor friends in person, it's so awesome!  I text regularly with Blog Bestie Danielle from the School Counselor Blog and Vanessa from Savvy School Counselor (thanks ladies for being so awesome)!

See you're really not alone!

A couple more tidbits I'd like to share about working solo are:

-Take care of yourself 1st!  That pile of folders will be there tomorrow, those emails will still be in your inbox, and I guarantee that the school will most likely still be standing if you don't work 3 extra hours after school. 

-It's OK to take a mental health day.  Do I?  I sure do!  What better way to absolutely clear your head and have a little break from the hustle and bustle.  Just think, how effective are you being by being overstressed, overworked and overwhelmed?  I feel so much better and more effective after returning from a break.  If you still aren't convinced take a look a blog buddy Susan from Entirely Elementary Blog on The Wasted Day (enough said, Susan I think of this post often, thank you for sharing). 

-Speak up for yourself...being pulled in a million directions by what seems like a million people?  I repeat to myself (and others making demands) "there is ONE of me and I will do my very best to make (fill in the blank) happen but again realize there is  ONE of me".  If by chance those millions of people continue to make more demands, kindly repeat the phrase as needed not raising your voice (it works, eventually they'll get it). 

Even though you are literally alone in your school your really aren't, there are lots of us ready to connect!


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Tips for New Counselors (updated)

Here are a few things that I learned going in (some I learned much later AFTER) my 1st year that I'd like to share with our new counselor friends starting out (and may be helpful to veteran counselors too):

-Get rid of the "G word" and don't refer to yourself as it.  The "G word" is Guidance, ugh, I cringe as I type the word.  You ARE the School Counselor.  Don't fret, people still call me the "G word" and I politely correct them.  I don't use the term Classroom Guidance, I use the term Class Visits.  Any school documents that have the "G word" on them, I update.  I even had the "G word" on my envelope for my school keys, guess what I did...made a new envelope with School Counselor on it.  Baby steps my "school counselor" friends, the more you show that the "G word" is extinct the more likely they'll adjust, if not, just keep correcting them.  My name is often mispronounced (it's ANN-dre-a not ON-dre-a) so I'm used to correcting, so just think as if someone was mispronouncing your name and politely correct them.

-To learn students and staff, see if you can get your hands on a copy of the school's yearbook from the previous year (I did this when I started working at a new school, it helped me tremendously).  When I had to see a new student and I wasn't for sure who they were the yearbook gave me a little idea of what the student looked like (they do change within a year, but you get the idea).

 JYJ yearbook, a great counselor resource.

-Make yourself visible to students so that they know who you are:  great common areas to see students include hallways during arrival, carpool during dismissal, and the cafeteria.

-If you're moving to a new area: Learn more than one route to get to work.  This may also depend on where you live/work.  Some of you may have much shorter commutes.  I don't live in the same area as I work, but I have multiple ways to get to work, just in case I run into traffic, need to stop at the store, etc (my commute is short though, about 15 mins).

-Invest in Get Well Cards:  Without a doubt a someone at school (staff, students or parents) will have an illness during the school year.  Be sure to send a get well card to let them know that you're thinking about them.  This also lets students, staff and parents know that you care and are thinking of them. 

-Invest in Thank You cards:  Without a doubt someone at school (staff, students or parents) will do something very nice for you.  To show your appreciation, take the time to write them a thank you note. I actually made my own note cards.   You can create your own note cards like the ones shown from Vista Print. 

Front view of personalized note cards

Back view of note cards

-Mark your items:  In education, we borrow and loan out all types of things.  I've found that writing your name or labeling things that belong to you increases your chances of them being returned.  What I've found the easiest to do is make labels using easy peel address labels (1" X 2 5/8").  I type either "JYJ Counselor" or my name on them. The labels are super easy to place on all types of items.  I have a label template to share so all you have to do is type in your name, print and stick onto your items.

-Connect with other counselors:  especially if you're the only counselor at your school.  If you have the opportunity to meet with other counselors in your district to connect, share ideas and vent by all means do so.  In my district we have PLT (Professional Learning Team) meetings once a month.  Because I work in a large district our PLT's are divided into smaller regions based on where our schools are located.  I LOVE my PLT group and was so happy that when I switched schools that I got to stay in the same PLT group. 

-There are also other means of connecting with school counselors virtually!  The ASCA SCENE is great to connect with counselors all over the country.  There's a discussion forum section where you can post questions and someone will surely respond.  Using social media sites such as Twitter to follow other counselors is also great.  You can follow and participate in monthly #scchat tweet chats.  Blogs are a another good way to connect and get ideas from other school counselors.  My list of counselor blogs that I follow is on the right hand side of this blog.  You can also can find a list of many other counselor blogs on the SCOPE counselor wiki. 

School Counselor Bloggers at ASCA conference this year.

-Join a professional organization:  Great ones to join are ASCA (of course) and it's also great to join your state's counselor association.  Attending school counselor conferences, workshops professional development is also a good way to network with other counselors and get ideas. 

-Don't reinvent the wheel:  There is a wealth of counselor resources available to us.  Thanks to the wonderful world of social media (#scchat) there is a wealth of school counselor resources.  Some you may have to adjust to your liking but at least you'll have a start.

-Take your time to get comfy with your role:  don't volunteer to head up every committee or project.  Take my advice this is NOT a good choice.  Yes, you certainly will head up several committees and projects just because you're the counselor, but you'll see that in some places it's the same people that head up everything or people assume because you've done so much in the past that "one more little thing" won't hurt (wrong).  A great friend once told me "don't show them all the cards in your hand at once" meaning that you can showcase some of your talents during your 1st year but not ALL of your talents.  Reveal your talents slowly, then you can build up & learn your counseling program. 

Each and every school counselor has had a first year and you are about to embark upon a fun, exciting and sometimes frustrating experience.  You are not alone in this endeavor!  If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.  I'd love to hear about your progress in your 1st year. Pin It

School Counselor On Air: What I Wish I Knew Wednesday

As our week of celebrating National School Counselor Week continues, I had the pleasure of joining blog buddy Danielle Schultz from the School Counselor Blog for What I Wish I Knew Wednesday for the  School Counselor On Air Series.  During our hour chat, we talked about things we both wished we had known starting out as interns and as 1st year school counselors.  Being a new school counselor there's so much to take in, well actually being a counselor period can be a lot to take in as well.  To see our chat, see the video below.




I had a blast participating in this hangout.  Thank you so much Danielle for having me on!

What do you wish that you knew that you as a beginning school counselor?



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2012 NCSCA conference

I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at this year's North Carolina School Counselor Association (NCSCA) conference in Greensboro, NC.  Each year this conference allows me to connect/network with other school counselors, get great ideas from the breakout sessions and come back with fresh ideas to try at my own school.   I have attended this conference each year that I have been a school counselor and this year was hands down the best one that I'd been to.

The opening keynote speaker Dr. Rita Pierson was so funny, insightful and inspiring.  She had the full attention of the audience and was a phenomenal speaker!

Dr. Rita Pierson

I had the pleasure of sharing iPad tips & tricks with a wonderful and excited group of school counselors.  Two of my classmates from the Advanced School Counseling Program at UNC-Greensboro were in the audience and it was so good to see them.  If you're still thinking about the program, there's still time to apply (deadline is 12/01/12).

My classmates from UNC-Greensboro: Gina & April.

Next I attended a session on "A practical guide to elementary book clubs for boys and girls" presented by fabulous counselor pal Angela Poovey, who always has fun and practical ideas.  I certainly got some more ideas to use in my book club and some great book suggestions.

Angela Poovey shares awesome book club suggestions.

I also attended "Creative activities for small group counseling"presented by the amazing Dianne Senn, (whom I'm sure many of us own several of her books).  She shared some great group lessons and activities that I'm sure I'll be using in the near future.

After all the sessions, it was time to let loose!  There was a mixer with food + dancing= fun!  We all know that the Cupid Shuffle, Wobble, or Cha Cha slide will bring the masses to the dance floor.

Cupid Shuffle!

Cha Cha Slide

I was able to meet many of you wonderful NC jyjcounselor blog readers (thank you so much for reading).  I certainly enjoyed meeting you all!

Any type of professional conference is a great way to meet other school counselors and get great ideas.  As I said, I had a blast at this year conference.  I'm looking forward to attending upcoming state conferences in the spring (Kentucky & Arizona counselor peeps, I'll see you in March).  Have you attended or are you planning on attending your state's school counselor conference? Pin It

JYJ Counselor Blog FAQ's

First off, I want to thank you for reading and contacting me.  I LOVE connecting with other school counselors!  In my connecting with you, I've noticed that I get these questions the most, so I'll share my answers with you.

How do you have time to manage a blog?

Well I actually have superhuman powers that allow me to make it off very little sleep... no not really!  Pretty much like any "new" thing that gets added to our counselor plates, we somehow make do.  During my first 3 years of counseling, I felt as though I did every possible school and counselor duty under the sun and didn't have much time to make my own counseling program the way I wanted it.   I would have never dreamed of writing a blog.  When I got a position at my current school, I was in total shock when the principal told me I was hired to be the counselor and nothing else (whoo hoo).  So since I had more freedom to do counselor things, I thought that a blog would be a great outlet to share and connect with other school counselors.  The good thing about blogging is that it's by my choice and it's something that I really enjoy doing.  I've made great connections with counselors all over!  I blog when I have the time, but managing a blog hasn't felt like a burden at all.  Once I got into my groove of how I wanted my blog to flow (it took a while) things kind of fell into place. 

How often do you write on your blog?

Some bloggers write on certain days of the week at certain times of the day, that's not quite me.  I write whenever I have an idea to share.  Now here's the catch, I almost NEVER complete a post in one sitting.  Whenever I get an idea for a blog post, I usually start the post and come back to writing as I feel like it and as the "project" progresses.  Some posts take me a few days, while others take weeks (or longer).  I try to be detailed with pictures and directions in my posts so, that's why it may take me a while.  Some posts are my 1st time trying out something new and I want to make sure I have all my "ducks in a row" (my mother says that). 

Will using an iPad really enhance my counseling program?

Absolutely!  Now I know some people aren't fans of Apple products but that's the beauty of choosing another tablet (there are many other options on the market).  I can speak based on my experience with my iPad and it has been wonderful!  When I got an iPad, I was determined to make it work for me both personally and professionally and it has!  I use my iPad every day I'm at school.  I'm still learning new and innovative ways to incorporate its use into my counseling program.  Stay tuned, I'll be sure to share with you!

I heart using my iPad!

Where do you get your ideas from?

Oh my, I consider myself to be kind of a free spirit so my ideas just come to me.  I could be sitting reading and get an idea to try at school.  I use Pinterest and read other blogs from school counselors to get inspiration also.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments.  I LOVE connecting with other school counselors. Pin It

Expand your counselor office space

As school counselors our counselor office is truly "ours" and is our space to meet with students, staff and parents however, sometimes it's OK to think and work outside our "counselor box".  Although I'm very happy with my office I sometimes like to meet students in my "extended office" space.  This space that I'm talking about is an area outside my office.  I consider myself to be one lucky school counselor because my school has some neat little outdoor areas and connects to a park that can be used to meet with students for a little change of scenery.  I view it this way, we're in a building within four walls most of the day (and my office does not have a window), why not utilize some outdoor space and get some fresh air?  Many students request to go outside to talk or have lunch.  If the weather's nice, I'm always willing to go!  Here are some pictures of my outdoor counselor spaces:

Outdoor lunch area

Outdoor classroom

(Shaded) picnic area

My school connects to a park!

Another outdoor area I like to use.

Do you have an "expanded counselor office" space that you use? 

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Counselor Tech Dilemia: Which should I do, Blog, Website, Wiki, Twitter, Facebook?

Since the summer's here and in full swing, many of us school counselors sit back, relax and think of things to do and improve and try for the next school year.  I've gotten quite a few questions asking about which social media tools to use to start for counselor programs: a blog, creating a website, getting on Twitter, etc.  Let me begin by saying that there's a difference in each type of social media and it totally depends on what works best for you (I know that's NOT the answer you were looking for).  Here's my short version of each type of social media other school counselors use, hopefully it will help you figure out which one(s) will work best for you.

-Blogging:  Having a counselor blog is like having a sort of online diary (if that makes sense).  For a blog you'll need to type a post (diary entry) pretty regularly.  For me, my blog started out as a blog for parents then I changed my format to be geared towards other school counselors.  I'm hooked and LOVE blogging, LOVE connecting with other school counselors & LOVE hearing from you!  I use Blogger as my blog site of choice but many other people use Word Press.  There are also other blog sites to choose from, just Google blogging websites and you'll get a buffet of choices. 
Pros: very easy to set up, you can write about what you want.
Cons: Need to post on your blog regularly.

-Creating a counselor website:  A website will require a lot of time towards the initial part of creating it, but once it's done you only have to update it as needed.  I'll be honest, I worked on my jyjcounselor website all last summer but once it was completed throughout the school year I had to update it as needed (very quick updates like upcoming events, parent reminders, etc).  I used Weebly to create my website.  There's a free version and a pro version ($40).  I opted to go for the paid version after a full year of the free version (which is fine) but I wanted the added features that were included in the paid version.
Pros:  Once created very easy to update
Cons: May take a while to create and set up your web page (but it's very do-able)

-Twitter:  Twitter is an easy way to post news, events, ideas in 140 characters or less.  It takes no time to create an account.  It's great to follow #schoolcounseling news and ideas.  I would also suggest to use Tweetdeck to read your tweets (it's much easier in to understand in tweetdeck and you can schedule your tweets days or months in advance).  Twitter is a great way to get info out to parents and students that have cell phones.  There's an awesome tweet to text feature that allows people to receive your tweets as text messages.  Click here to see a previous post about this great feature.  I'm actually going to do a parent training on this feature at our meet the teacher event (my school will be actively using Twitter this year). Twitter is also another tool to connect with counselors and get resources.  Each month there is a #scchat (school counselor chat) where we talk about various counselor topics.  Be sure to use the tag #scchat in your tweet so that you can easily follow along with us.  Other helpful school counseling tags are #edtech, #asca12 or #edchat. 
Pros: Short messages to your followers, tweet to text feature, wealth of information can be found on Twitter.
Cons: Can be overwhelming with many tweets (use Tweetdeck to make this easier).

-Creating a Counselor Facebook Fan Page: If you're already on Facebook, you can make a fan page and just post counselor info on it.  I'm very new to this concept so I'm can't honestly give my pro's and cons yet (I just created my jyjcounselor fan page & will keep you posted).

There are so many ways to connect with other counselors, parents and students.  Isn't technology just great?  What tech tool(s) are you working on using or are already using in your school counseling program? Pin It

Top 10 Tech List for counselors

I'm often asked what tech things I would describe as my absolute must have tech websites, apps, equipment, etc. for school counselors.  So since David Letterman has a list, here's my jyjcounselor top 10 list (I have other tech tools that I use, but since I can only list 10) here goes:

#10:  an iPad:  Many school counselors are getting their hands on these nifty tablets.  Having my iPad has simplified and enhanced my work as a school counselor.  If your school district offers you one, by all means take and use it! If your school district is unable to provide you with an iPad, I would highly suggest that you treat yourself by getting one (you won't regret it).  Apple sells refurbished iPads at a discount that are Apple certified and come with a warranty.  I actually brought myself and my parents refurbished iPads and have had no problems with either one.

#9:  If you have an iPad, then the VGA adapter is a must too.  This adapter connects to a data projector which means that you can use it for classroom visits, presentations, class demos on a larger scale (as my students say, it's on the "big screen").  You can also buy a refurbished adapter (I bought one). 

#8: (Last iPad thing)...if you have an iPad, please get a case to protect your (or your school's) $$$.  I bought my trusty purple case from Amazon for $21.  I'd love to show a picture of a co-worker's iPad who didn't buy a case (he wouldn't let me take a pic after I told him that his iPad would be on shown as what happens when you don't get a case) just imagine a screen with about 20 pieces of clear tape on the screen from a nasty fall/drop....not pretty! 

#7:  Dropbox:  Just think of your thumb drive available to you to use on any computer (with internet access) anywhere!  You can store documents, videos, pictures and even music on this amazing online storage.  I use Dropbox every day, I don't have to keep up with a usb stick when I visit classes, I just log into dropbox pull up my lesson and roll!  You can even share files with others that have dropbox too.

#6:  Google Docs:  Oh, how I love the use of Google Docs!  Create survey's, documents, spreadsheets, presentations all on the web.  Think of Office through Google.  You can upload already created files into Google Docs too then easily share the link of your docs with others (no more email attachments).  In fact the Slideshow above was created in Google Docs.

#5: Livebinders:  Online "binder" with weblinks, resources, pictures, videos and more.  I replaced a paper binder of parent resources to a livebinder.  To get an idea, here's a livebinder of school counselor resources I created.  

#4:  Stich.it:  Create a slideshow of web links all in one place.  See my previous post on stich.it with directions. 

#3:  Prezi:  Takes presentations to a higher level!  Just think PowerPoint times 20.  Prezi is much more interactive and lets you use a little more creativity in your presentations.  I use this for some of my class visit lessons (there's a free iPad app, Prezi Viewer that lets you view your Prezi presentations). 

#2: YouTube:  Of course I know that you all know what YouTube is but did you know that you can make playlist of videos?  I made a playlist of school counseling related clips that would be great to use in either a class visit or small group.  You will need a YouTube login to create your own playlist.  I even have a music playlist for songs I just can't quite justify buying yet.  I just love the playlist feature.

#1: Pinterest:  I love Pinterest and all it's magic of letting us "pin" great school counseling ideas.  If you're not on Pinterest, I highly recommend it.  I've gotten so many great ideas to implement in my school counseling program.


What tech tools are on your list that are must have's? Pin It

Next stop: Minneapolis, MN ASCA Conference

-Bags packed: check
-Presentation notes ready: check
-Super excited to attend ASCA conference: check

I'm only days away from attending and presenting at my first ASCA conference (click here for information on downloading the conference app). I'm so excited to go (plus I've never been to Minnesota before).  I've heard nothing but great things about attending ASCA conference.  I have a very strong feeling that I'll be coming back with even more ideas for next year.  It's a good thing that I have this summer to plan!  If you'll be in Minneapolis for the conference, please contact me or if you see me at the conference please stop me and say hello (it won't frighten me, I'm from the South so I'm used to it).  I look forward to connecting with other school counselors during this grand event.   Also if you're attending please stop by the Counselor Tech Smackdown Session on Monday, 06/25 from 10:45-12 noon.  I'll be co-presenting with wonderful counselors Russ Sabella, Erin Mason, Danielle Schulz and Julia Taylor.  An upcoming post on my ASCA conference experience will come soon. Pin It

School Counselor=Fulfilling Career

I recently had an opportunity to attend the graduation ceremony at my Alma Mata NC A&T State University (Aggie Pride) where the speaker was none other than our 1st lady Mrs. Michelle Obama!  During her speech she spoke on how we should be fulfilled in what we do and that we have the power to shape and change the world.  She mentioned how she graduated from law school and worked at a large firm making a lot of money, drove a nice car and had a big office.  She said that those were the things that were "expected" of her but she felt a void.  She didn't fill that void until she took a job working at the mayor's office (taking a significant pay cut) but she said that giving back and helping others helped in filling that void.

As she spoke, I couldn't help but feel that I am truly fulfilled in my job as a school counselor.  I could almost describe it as Oprah says "an ah ha moment".  I love what I do and know that I am truly making a difference in the lives of the students, staff and parents that I work with.  Figuring this out takes some time and is a feeling that "you just know".

If you didn't already know, I was a high school teacher prior to becoming a school counselor. I enjoyed being a teacher (and learned a lot from being a teacher) but I felt as though something was missing.  Beginning in my 2nd year of teaching I started working at a new school and was meeting the staff.  I met one of the school counselors and we talked for a while.  She was telling me about herself and how she enjoyed being a school counselor.  She seemed very passionate about her career as we spoke.  As we were ending our conversation, she said to me "you'd really like being a school counselor, it's something that you should consider".  Ah ha!  I hadn't even thought about being a school counselor, I just assumed that I'd always be a teacher.   It was just something about the conversation that sparked my interest in school counseling.  I began to research about school counseling, requirements, job descriptions, etc.  That year, I applied to graduate school and was accepted into a counselor education program.  In a perfect world I'd say "and the rest is history" but that's not totally true.  I needed some time to adjust to my new career as a counselor.  There was the change from working only at a high school to now working in an elementary school, working with a team to working solo, pretty much finding out what works best for me.  It took me several years to figure out what works best for me (and I'm still learning) but I can honestly say now that a simple suggestion from a co-worker (and now friend) lead me to a exciting, fun and fulfilling career as a school counselor.

Message from our PTA, makes you feel so appreciated!

Do you feel fulfilled in your career as a school counselor? I certainly hope so or hope that at least you have an opportunity to find fulfillment.  Sometimes in order to find fulfillment we have to make some changes.  Changing schools, changing districts or just changing up your program a bit can make a huge difference in your "void filling".

How did you get your ah ha moment that being a school counselor was the best fit for you? Pin It

Counselor Blog Shout Out: Counseling by Heart

This month's counselor blog shout out is:

School Counseling by Heart

School Counseling by Heart is a great and thoughtful blog from elementary school counselor Rebecca L. in Vermont.  She is super nice and don't you just love the picture with the heart?  Rebecca gives great tips on what works well in her counseling program such as book suggestions, activities and even strategies on working with students who may have special needs.  I've certainly gotten great ideas from her and this great blog! 

If you know of a great counselor blog or great tech feature to benefit school counselors that deserves a shout out please contact me so that they may be featured in an upcoming post. Pin It

So What's So Great About Elementary Counseling?

I had a great opportunity to participate on a panel with other awesome school counselors (Kevin McGee, Jessica Ricks, Kelsey Felton & Raelene Daley) for a class of students seeking their master's degree in School Counseling from UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Counselor Panel: Jessica Ricks, myself, Kelsey Felton, Raelene Daley (not pictured Kevin McGee)

Prior to the panel discussion I was already warned that many of the counseling students were weary about interning or working in an elementary setting, so I had a hard item to sell.  I too was in their shoes.  I taught high school, interned at a high school and thought of course that I'd always work on the high school level.  While interning, I talked with one of the counselors who told me that the elementary level would be a great fit for me.  I thought he was totally wrong, but where was the only place that I got a job offer????  Yep that's right, elementary! 

I absolutely LOVE working on the elementary level, it was an adjustment at first working with younger students, but their energy and excitement is contagious and I feel their great energy too!  There are always pro's and cons at any job but your counseling job is what you make out of it and I choose to make it as awesome as possible!

Here's a few pro's and con's (this list is not complete, just off the top of my head for this post):
Pro's:  The students, working alone, being able to make my own counselor schedule, no school scheduling, total creative control over the counselor program.
Con's: Working alone,  possibility of being test coordinator (I'm not test coordinator now, but was at a previous school), being a specialist (on a scheduled rotation like music, art, PE).

Notice that I have "working alone" as both a pro and con.  Working alone can be great because you get to call the shots, but when you have a lot on your plate, it can be overwhelming at times (thank goodness that I've had an intern to work with).

After giving our "speeches" on what's so great about elementary counseling several students came up to me with more questions about my experiences on the elementary level.  You should work where you feel is the best fit for you.  We encouraged the students to spend a day on a different school level to get a feel for it (elementary's the best by the way!)

What makes working on your school level so great? Pin It

ASCA conference app

Are you going to the ASCA conference this year in Minneapolis, MN?  I'll be there and I'm very excited about attending for the very first time!  In my excitement, I have already downloaded my free ASCA conference app (click here to download from iTunes, click here to download on your Android device).

This app is soooo cool and so much easier to keep track of than a paper program.  It's easy to use and fully functional.  You can take notes, search presenters, rate sessions, find maps of the convention center and plan and review your own conference schedule plan.  Here's a screen shot of the app from my iPad to give you an idea (click on the picture to view larger).

Dashboard screen shot, look to the left to see all the cool features!

 
Please consider attending the Web 2.0 & Technology Smackdown session on Monday, June 25 from 10:45 am-12:00 pm where I will be presenting with fellow counselors Erin Mason,  Russ Sabella, Danielle Schultz & Julia Taylor.

Don't forget to attend the Web 2.0 Smackdown!

I look forward to meeting those of you that will be in Minnesota and will be sure to share  about my ASCA conference experience in an upcoming post.  See you there!

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New Feature: JYJ Blog & Tech Shout Out

There are so many great counselor blogs and great tech tips that have helped me in my school counselor journey.  I want to share the wealth, with you!  So each month I plan to give a counselor blog or great tech feature a "shout out". 

The school counselor blog shout out is:

Savvy School Counselor

 I am a huge fan of the Savvy School Counselor Blog.  This blog has great and very creative ideas on elementary lessons, activities, creative crafts & book suggestions to use in your school counseling program.  She also gives tips on understanding and planning for National Board Certification if that's a direction that you're interested in working towards.  Vanessa is a school counselor in my school district, who has fantastic ideas.  I think that she's so awesome and I think you will too!

The tech feature shout out is:



Secrets for iPad (Lite)

Now that many of us have or plan to have an iPad, Secrets for iPad app (free, my favorite price) will help you get started with the basics of using your iPad. It's very simple to read and understand and the pictures and graphics are crystal clear!  I consider myself fairly competent with using the iPad but this app gave me several great pointers. 

If you know of some other great counselor blogs or awesome tech features that would benefit counselors, please feel free to contact me so that I can continue to share. Pin It

iPads for school counselor wiki

I can tell that many of you wonderful school counselors have an huge interest in using your iPads in your school counseling programs (that's fantastic!)  I can tell this because of the number of emails, pins and views on my post on my Top 10 iPad Counselor Apps.  I have another counselor iPad resource to share:  I created a wiki called ipads4schcounselors just for us counselors on iPad basics, accessories and of course apps.  I update the site regularly and love when counselors contact me to share great apps to add to the list.  Since summer is just around the corner, I'll have more time to add even more resources and tips.  Please feel to contact me if you have questions about how to fuse the iPad into your school counseling program. Pin It

Help, I may need a pinterest intervention!

I'm was little late to the Pinterest game, (I actually had an account for several months before I used it) but I'm now a full fledged "pinaholic" (is that a word)?   If you're not familiar with Pinterest, it's an online "pin board" of websites, pictures, blogs, etc of things that you have an interest in.  Click here for a Pinterest overview.  I've gotten so many awesome school counseling tips and ideas that I'm super excited to try them out.  It's totally free (my favorite price), simple and easy to use.

Pinterest has given me confidence to try out not just new school counselor ideas but new recipes and home projects that I certainly couldn't have even imagined before.  It's definitely something that I recommend to school counselors.  I will warn you that it's very addicting and in the past I've found myself "pinning" away, missing my bedtime and losing track of time.  If you're on Pinterest, here are some great boards to follow about school counseling stuff:

-My boards: I have several school counseling boards (it's easier to navigate through that way).  Also if you're into cooking and home projects, I have boards for that too!

-Vanessa A.: actually is a great counselor friend and blogger of the Savvy School Counselor Blog.  We're always repinning each others pins. 

-School Counselor Blogger Danielle S.

-And here's a search of "school counselor" boards:  Warning, there are LOTS of great ideas, you'll be so excited! 

Happy pinning! Pin It

Top 10 iPad counselor apps

Many of us are now getting and using iPads in our schools.  They certainly make a great addition to our programs!  I now find that I use mine fairly regularly (some days more than others, it just depends on the day).  I'm often asked about which apps that I recommend to school counselors and how they are used.  So here's my list (in no particular order).  Most of these apps are free, however,  for the few apps that I bought, I used an iTunes gift card (put that on your school wish list for next year). 

-Scribble Press (free): Story creating app that students really enjoy!  The stories are pre-made and the students can fill in the blanks with their info.  Can be used as a getting to know you activity in both individual and group settings (in a group setting this would be great to use for those of you that have school sets of iPod touches).

-Puppet Pals HD (free but there's a paid $2.99 version): My students LOVE this app, another story creation app where students can take pictures of themselves from the iPad camera roll and insert themselves into a story.  There was so much interest from the students in this app that I purchased the $2.99 version.  It was well worth it. 

-Dragon Dictation (free): Need a break from typing on the smaller (and sometimes difficult) iPad keyboard?  Just speak and dragon will transfer your voice into written text.  I know of counselors that record notes and reminders for themselves using Dragon. You can edit, save & email those notes.  When I taught computer applications classes, we did a unit on using Dragon and it has come a LONG way, it's so much better now.

-iReward lite (free but there's a paid $3.99 version): I've used a sticker chart during my groups to keep track of behaviors of students and offered a reward once they earned a certain number of stars.  Well just imagine that being kept track on the iPad.  You can take their picture, set up each student and easily keep track of their stars.  This also is great to use for groups using iPod touches, because the iReward app can be synched on several devices.

-CloudOn (free):  Awesome app that allows you to open, edit, create and save Microsoft office documents.  CloudOn also synches with Dropbox so you can easily access your files.

-Pulse (free):  This is one of my favorite apps!  Read all your favorite news feeds, tweets  and blogs in one spot.  I use Pulse to read all of my counselor blogs that I follow.  I can't say enough about this app.   
-Dropbox (free):  If you already have a Dropbox account, another way to access your files.  For those of you not familiar with Dropbox, it's free online storage for pictures, files, documents.  I use Dropbox every day.

-Blogger (free): Many us are blogging (or are planning to blog).  This is the app to do so.  I'll admit that I don't actually type my blog posts on my iPad (I like the keyboard of my laptop) but when I take pictures I usually use my iPad and I can easily upload the pic to the blog using this app.  There's also an app for those of you that use WordPress.

-TeacherPal (free):  This is great to organize groups and keep track of who's in which group.

-Breathe2Relax (free): Neat calm app that helps students inhale and exhale with their breathing to relax or calm down.

-You can handle them all ($1.99):  Great tips on how to handle children's inappropriate behaviors.  This app is so popular/helpful that all the school psychologists in my district have iPads and this app is on each one!  

For more apps and info on using the iPad check out the school counselor iPad wiki. Pin It

Getting Counselor Blogs

Before I became "the JYJ Counselor" blogger, I was and am still an avid blog reader.   Blogs are great ways to find resources, news, tips, recipes, decorating tips, etc, ok maybe that's MY blog reader, but you get the idea of where I'm going.  It took me a while to get the courage to actually start blogging, after one attempt earlier last year with not many people following (don't worry about the number of followers by the way), I revamped my blog and just type what's going on at my school and in my little counselor world.  I'm often asked by school counselors on which blogs I follow, what I use to read blogs and the most popular question (which I love by the way)...How can I start my own school counselor blog?

To answer those questions:

School Counselor Blogs that I follow and recommend:

-SCOPE (School Counselor Online Professional Exchange) well this actually is a wiki that has a fantastic blog roll of school counselor blogs!

Blog Readers:

The easiest and simplest way for me to read blogs is to read them on my iPad on my Pulse reader app.  I wrote a post about how it is one of my favorite apps!

Starting a blog:

There are various (free) blog sites that you can make your blog on.  I use Blogger because it's through Google and I like the ease of using it (plus there's a blogger app so that I can blog on my iPad although I'm not really a fan of the small keyboard).  Other popular blog sites are Word Press, Blog.com, thoughts.com & Edublog.  You should choose the blog that is easiest for you to use and understand, what works for me may not always work for you.  

Blogging is a fun, fantastic and not to mention easy way to share ideas, thoughts and just general FYI with others.  I've gotten so many school counseling ideas from the various blogs that I read.  Happy Blogging!  

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