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Stop Planning and Start Playing: Learning Stations for School Counselors

6/5/2017

15 Comments

 
Do you teach a lot of classes? In my area, more and more elementary counselors are asked to increase the number of lessons that they teach in order to find coverage for planning time. While I love teaching classroom lessons, there are many reasons why being locked into a rotation is less than ideal. In reality, it happens. How can you create meaningful activities for students without taking time away from your other services for planning?
Do you teach a lot of classes? In my area, more and more elementary counselors are asked to increase the number of lessons that they teach in order to find coverage for planning time. While I love teaching classroom lessons, there are many reasons why being locked into a rotation is less than ideal. In reality, it happens. How can you create meaningful activities for students without taking time away from your other services for planning?

One of my colleagues, Jaime Bierwagen, created an awesome video sharing how she used centers​ in her counseling lessons so she could stop planning and start playing. I loved it so much, I asked her if I could share it here with you! 
If you aren't able to watch the video right now, let me recap some of the major points:
  • Whole Group mini-lesson for 10-20 minutes and then transition to learning stations
  • Create routines for entering the classroom and transitioning into mini-lesson
  • Keep it simple with K-2 lessons and 3-5 lessons
  • Create routines for transitioning into centers
  • List the centers visually along with a maximum number of students per station
  • Leave time for cleaning up and lining up
  • Create stations tubs or baskets ready with all the materials you need
  • Use a bell to stop the class and maximize teachable moments
  • Create routines for behavior management - Jaime uses a three strikes model
  • Keep station locations and titles the same, switch out a few items when a refresh is needed

When creating stations, think about skills or strategies of social emotional learning that kids might need. What activities might allow students to practice these skills? Some ideas: Problem solving station can have puzzles and combination locks. Mindful coloring or journaling station can have drawing, coloring, and journaling activities. Social skill play incorporates board games and counseling games like feelings go fish. Creation station allows students to create something from their imagination and problem solve when their plan doesn't always work out. 

When it fits well, you can create a mini-lesson station that incorporates the skills taught in the mini lesson. I could imagine reading a book about integrity and having the character ed booklet, integrity flowers, or character ed DIY posters as stations. This integrity series could last several weeks as kids get to experience many ways to understand integrity.

Check out the video to get some more ideas about planning mini-lessons! Jaime includes some great ideas for free ways to read books and incorporate technology into your lessons. 

So what about you? How many lessons do you teach? Do you use centers or learning stations? I would love to hear about what works (and doesn't work) for you! Get ready to be Productive. Organized. Effective.

Do you teach a lot of classes? In my area, more and more elementary counselors are asked to increase the number of lessons that they teach in order to find coverage for planning time. While I love teaching classroom lessons, there are many reasons why being locked into a rotation is less than ideal. In reality, it happens. How can you create meaningful activities for students without taking time away from your other services for planning?
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15 Comments
Lauren
6/19/2017 03:36:12 am

I have been tossing the idea of learning stations/centers around for a few months. Thanks for sharing this! It definitely has helped get started and helped me simplify it.

Reply
Rebecca Atkins
6/19/2017 04:05:14 am

I was making it way too complicated every time I thought of it. Now it makes so much sense! Three cheers to my colleague!

Reply
Kelly
6/19/2017 06:13:14 am

Wow this idea is awesome! I definitely want to incorporate this into my program. One question, since you do the same lessons K-2/3-5, do you only use those mini lessons for one year then create all new mini lessons the following year. Just think Kinders and 3rd graders would get the same lesson for 3 yrs.

Reply
Rebecca Atkins
6/19/2017 06:35:46 am

I wondered the same thing! I think because the mini-lessons are topic based, it would be easy to steer the lesson one way or the other. To be honest, I would probably create different mini lessons for each grade level so I wouldn't have to worry about repeating. However, I will say that repetition is not a bad thing. Since we're only talking 15 minutes or so, it's fine for kids to redo a whole year later. How many times did you read books or watch shows when you were a kid? I think you have to do what you think would work best for your school and for you!

Reply
Heather link
6/19/2017 07:30:36 am

Hey there! I use the same lessons for 1-2 & 3-5...but I rotate them each year...That lets me focus on just 2 lessons at a time versus 5 different lessons.

Reply
Rebecca Atkins
6/19/2017 07:40:13 am

Great idea! That way you only have to keep up with so much prep at a time. Love it! Thanks for sharing :)

Sandy
6/22/2017 09:13:45 pm

Love it! Could no have come at a better time for me. My one difference is this year I'm pushing into the classrooms. I'm trying to think through having mobile stations. Thanks again!

Reply
Rebecca Atkins
6/23/2017 04:32:41 pm

I was just speaking to a colleague about this! I would use an A/V cart and put 4 bins on the lower two shelves for your 4 learning stations.

Reply
Kelsey
9/1/2017 11:29:34 am

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This has made a complete difference in my life. I have each class at two schools once a week and this allows me to do my Second Step lessons and stations after which lets me do exactly what you said it would, stop planning and start playing. Great opportunity for push in work.

Reply
Rebecca Atkins
9/2/2017 12:42:19 pm

I'm so glad this helped! Have a fabulous year :)

Reply
Heather Anderson
9/14/2017 12:03:49 pm

Thank you! I LOVE using learning stations. I run a school-wide SEL curriculum and push into the classrooms to do a "follow through" lesson. I have created my learning stations based on my SEL units. This has been HUGE with modeling play, problem solving, and so much more! I have passed your blog along to many school counselors.

Reply
Rebecca Atkins
9/14/2017 12:38:32 pm

I am so glad this has been helpful for you. I love that you created learning stations based on your units. Love even MORE that you do the follow through and the teacher does the core. That's awesome. Keep up the amazing work that you do.

Reply
Joy
4/24/2018 08:50:45 am

I would love some help designing centers for my k-5 group. The video and ideas are really awesome! I'm just not exactly sure what to put in each center area.

Reply
Rebecca Atkins
4/24/2018 06:34:11 pm

I think anything that you would normally use in a lesson plus games, building, and art.

Reply
Amy Johnston
12/12/2022 07:46:27 am

Thanks!

Reply



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    Rebecca Atkins

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