Isn't this an awesome quote? I read it in the DOE Teacher's Edition Newsletter.  I decided to have it printed and hang it up in my cubicle to remind me that I am still helping kids, just in a different way now. By the way, more on cubicle decorating soon! I am waiting for this crazy cold to pass before I drag more stuff to the office.

Pssst.... how did I make the adorable picture? Here at recitethis. Love it!

I can't believe that I have never written in depth about something that I believe so strongly about- Academic Achievement Groups. I have written about selecting students, learning styles, and goal setting on my old blog here.  I have even written about the academic achievement groups for the ASCA School Counselor Magazine.  
But, it's high time for me to share the whole shebang here!

After the goal is set, we rate how they are doing on the goal weekly. I also check with the teacher to see how they think the student is doing and then discuss any discrepancies with the student. This is a hugely important skill for every kid- to reflect on their learning and make goals for improvement.

Sandwiched in between the icebreaker and the goal reflection, each session has a study skill/test prep based topic. We discuss learning styles, study skill tips, review the report cards, organization, stress relief, and test anxiety. One of my favorite activities is to create an organizational rubric and then take a "field trip" to each student's desk to discuss and reflect on how their organization is holding up in the classroom. 

I've pulled it all together, upped the creativity level of handouts, and put it all on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. To celebrate, the whole thing is 20% off until Friday, February 20th. Check it out!  You can also download the "Goaling" page for free here!

In honor of my new job, I have a guest from Robert Parmer, a student at Boise State University and a freelance writer. He's here today to discuss the different paths possible in a counseling career and choosing the right one for you. 

I’m very excited to do a guest post for Counselor Up, and to go over the great career choices in counseling that are out there. Looking for a job you’ll love to be invested in? Look no further. The world of counseling is a rewarding career choice that can take many directions. Regardless of the exact path you take, one thing is for sure: you’ll be helping make a difference in people’s lives on the daily.

Mental Health Counseling helps those with a wide scope of mental illnesses ranging from depression to anxiety to schizophrenia. They help treat people with any degree of mental illness and set goals to help achieve stability and recovery. Mental health counselors often work in conjunction with psychiatrists and psychologists. Substance abuse, anger management, and relationship counseling can often tie into mental health counseling.  
School/Educational Counseling encompasses everything from elementary to high school students and beyond. Students are developing mentally and emotionally at a high right during their first decade of education and school counselors are able to offer support and advice along the way. Counselors can profoundly impact a student’s life by improving their overall outlook on life. School counselors are visionary in order to always be on top of ever-changing social behaviors of students. A great example of this is how adjustments have been made as recent rise and issue of cyber bullying.
Marriage/Family Counseling is important in recognizing and mending issues related to couples and family structures. Marriage counselors help to assess and sort out problems within relationships. These types of counselors take dysfunctional behaviors and correct them, which helps get people back on the right track. Marriage and family counseling rebuilds relationships that may have never repaired themselves without this aid.
Substance Abuse Counselors are responsible for restoring people’s lives. Addiction affects millions of people all over the world, so the need to provide help is real. Treatment helps addicts start from scratch and make progress towards a better life. Substance abuse counselors help people struggling with alcohol and drug problems, as well as gambling and all other forms of addiction. Addiction can be a lifelong struggle so these types of counselors can have long term patients and are very influential to their success.
Career Counselors stimulate and inspires individuals and help them discover what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Everyone is striving to land the job that truly makes them happy and proud to enter the workplace every day. When a person is searching for the career they’ll love, career counselors can help pave the way. They offer foundational support and help people feel empowered and motivated. 

One very common question associated with career choices is what the day-to-day job duties look like. The following infographic highlights some main responsibilities different types of counselors encounter on the daily.

I had grand plans for a post on school counseling week and staff development but this is the last week at my school and I'm packing and transitioning and feeling all the feelings. So in the meantime, I thought I would share Just a Little Thing. When I meet with a kid for a long period of time, I like to end with a closure activity. One of the things I love to do is give them a encouragement card. Honestly, I have no idea where I got these cards but some quick googling tells me you can get something similar here.

I pick a card that really matches their area of need and write a little note on it in Sharpie. They are always awed that they get to keep the cards and sometimes kids will come back months later to show me their battle-weary card that they've carried in their backpack or on their bulletin board at home. I'm giving a lot of cards out right now as I am transitioning out of my school and into my next journey. And, you know, feeling all the feelings.

Happy School Counselor Week Y'all! Here are some fun Memes to celebrate. Hope you know how much you are appreciated!