Mr. Fowler's Blog

"Shut the Door on Drugs" winners

2008-11-10T18:30:00.003-05:00

PK - Tinsley
K - Barnes
1- Taylor
2 - Chappelear
3 - Cannon
4 - Poore
5 - Hall

Kindergarten's doors were spectacular, and the judges declared Kindergarten the schoolwide winner.

Ms. Stephens' class was given honorable mention for their outstanding door & wall display.

Photos: http://www.oconee.k12.sc.us/jmbrown/counselors/rrw.html

Who are school counselors? What do they do?

2008-09-19T12:46:00.003-04:00

I am asked those questions often, and it's hard to provide a succinct answer. I like this publication from the ASCA, in that it provides a quick summary of what it means to be a school counselor. Of course, it doesn't cover the million "little things" we do that can't be measured by data; however, it's a good look at the quantifiable parts of our jobs.

Thank you, Mrs. Roth's Class!

2008-09-15T12:38:00.003-04:00

Thursday's lesson in Mrs. Roth's class was my first lesson in first grade this year. The first lesson for any grade level each month is always a bit daunting, because I don't have a solid idea of what time I need to make transitions and how the kids will react to the lesson. I have always tweaked things after that first lesson.

For the first time since I've been here, I haven't made any changes to a lesson after that first delivery. Miss Ashley (our intern from Clemson, who will earn her M.Ed. in December) and I talked about I-messages and did some examples with the class on the SmartBoard. She shared a story (The Recess Queen), and the students drew scenes from the book and shared their drawings and the I-messages they might give to Mean Jean.

The lesson flowed very smoothly, transitions were made with care, the students responded well to everything presented, and they shared some great drawings & I-messages.

Hypo- and hyper-sensitive children

2008-09-10T10:33:00.005-04:00

Sensory integration research has provided some insight into behaviors that might otherwise be incorrectly classified or misdiagnosed. In reviewing the available literature, I came across a summary of behaviors that give a snapshot of what a hypersensitive or hyposensitive child might look like.

Hypersensitive children are overstimulated and seek less stimulation. They might:

Avoid touching or being touched by objects or people, and react negatively to stimuli such as getting dirty or clothing tags
Become overexcited when there is too much to look at, cover their eyes, appear inattentive, or overreact to bright light
Cover their ears to close out sounds/voices, or complain about an otherwise acceptable level of sound
Object to odors that others do not notice
Strongly object to certain textures or temperatures of food
Avoid moving or being unexpectedly moved, show insecurity about heights, avoid running, and be susceptible to motion sickness
Remain rigid, stiff, and uncoordinated

Hyposensitive children are understimulated and seek more stimulation. They might:

Be unaware of pain or temperature, chew inedible objects, rub against walls, or bump into people
Touch everything to learn about it because vision isn't sufficiently coordinated, miss important visual cues
Ignore voices, show difficulty following verbal directions, lack ability to control their own voice level, hum to themselves frequently
Ignore unpleasant odors, sniff food/people/objects
Lick or taste inedible objects, prefer very spicy or hot foods
Crave fast/spinning movements, constantly fidget, be a daredevil
Slump or slouch, be clumsy & inaccurate, stamp feet, twiddle fingers

Source: Viola, S., & Noddings, A. (2006). Making Sense of Every Child. Montessori Life, 18(4), 40-47.

Wordle

2008-09-08T13:14:00.007-04:00

Our school literacy coach passed along a great website: Wordle.net

Warning: this website is not specifically for K-12 education and the gallery may feature objectionable content posted by other Wordle users. The direct link above will bypass the gallery.

Wordle seems very similar to a cloud feature that one of my favorite personal library websites uses. It scans a given website or text snippet for words and puts the most common recurring words into a word cloud, sized depending on how many instances of the word show up.

I "Wordled" this blog and came up with this:

Impacting academic achievement

2008-09-08T10:52:00.004-04:00

Counselors fundamentally improve academic achievement in schools through their focus on personal and social development. The ASCA National Model includes three major academic standards, and the first—acquiring “the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that contribute to effective learning” (2003, p. 81)—is very much in the personal/social domain, or Learning to Live. Of the three domains outlined in the Model, Learning to Live supercedes the other two. Students must first be content with themselves and their environment before they are ready to tackle academics. They must also feel safe, be fed and rested, and believe in their ability to do the work set out for them. This is consistent with Abraham Maslow’s research and model. Of his five categories of needs, Learning to Live encompasses four—Physiological, Safety, Belonging, and Esteem.

Beginning with the most basic physiological needs, a school counselor is one of several individuals in the school environment who might determine whether a child’s physiological needs are being met. They are also in a position to ensure that the needs will be met if they are found lacking, through coordination with outside agencies or direct coordination with parents, depending on the case. Of course, physiological needs continue at school, and a counselor must also be sure that a child is getting those needs met while in the school environment. Such is also the case for safety, both at home and at school. If a child does not feel safe at home, worry over their time outside of school may consume their time in school. If a child does not feel safe in school for reasons such as bullying or other fears, a counselor is a key player in addressing the issue, as s/he may be the first adult the child tells.

Belonging and esteem are more intertwined with school success than physiological and safety needs. They are reflected in many of the Search Institute’s Framework of Developmental Assets—assets such as school engagement, bonding to school, self-esteem, personal power, and sense of purpose (2003, p. 2). In its studies, the Institute found “consistent and clear” evidence that “a higher level of assets uniquely contributes to GPA” (2003, p. 3). In addition, results showed that a higher level of developmental assets yields better GPAs one year later; conversely, students with lower levels of developmental assets had lower GPAs one year later (2003, p. 3). Positive correlations were also found between developmental assets and standardized test scores.

Developmental assets must be cultivated in children by a cooperative effort from home, school, and community. It is the school counselor’s job to be sure that each student has the necessary assets to succeed in school. Interventions may be necessary if the counselor finds this not to be the case. For example, a counselor might train teachers in asset-building principles that can be integrated into classroom instruction, or lead efforts to reduce class sizes in order to build better teacher-student relationships (2003, p. 5-6). Attention to developmental asset building must be a systematic effort, not just an inservice here or a class there. Counselors can apply their knowledge of developmental assets and academic achievement to the system support element of their program model, and impact the academic success of every student in their school.

The previous excerpt is from my M.Ed. in School Counseling comprehensive exam.

Sources:
American School Counselor Association. (2005). The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Search Institute (2003). Boosting Student Achievement: New Research on the Power of Developmental Assets. Insights & Evidence 1(1). Author.

Standards

2008-08-19T12:06:00.008-04:00

Sometimes it is difficult to understand exactly what school counselors do. It would be hard to explain most of the job, because it encompasses so many areas of the functioning school; however, for the planned delivery part of the job, I can point to our SC Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling Program Model (SCPM). The SCPM provides standards for all "prevention programming" -- that is, classroom guidance, group counseling, and system support. Intervention services are guided by those standards as well, but in a more indirect way.

Learning to Live: Students will...

understand & appreciate self
understand & respect others
understand & appreciate home & family
develop a sense of community
make decisions, set goals, and take actions
develop safety & survival skills

Learning to Learn: Students will...

develop personal qualities that contribute to being an effective learner
employ strategies to achieve school success
understand the interrelationship of life in the school, home, community, and society

Learning to Work: Students will...

understand the relationships among personal qualities, education and training, and the world of work
demonstrate decision-making, goal-setting, problem-solving, and communication skills
explore careers and the connection of school to work
demonstrate a positive attitude toward work and the ability to work together
understand how community awareness relates to work

These standards are for all grade levels, but the competency indicators (specific measures that show the standards have been addressed) vary by grade level. For more detailed information, and a copy of the SCPM, visit the SC Department of Education.

Source: South Carolina State Department of Education. (1999). The South Carolina Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program Model: A Guide for School Counseling Programs. Columbia, SC: Author.

Classroom guidance topics

2008-08-15T14:47:00.005-04:00

A tentative list for this year:

September: introduction and I-Messages
October: Drug Abuse Prevention
November: Careers, How Santa Got His Job
December: One Snowy Night; gratitude & generosity (White Christmas fund drive)
January: friendship bandages; Matthew & Tilly; review September
February: Pennies for Patients; tolerance, diversity fairness; Rhinos & Raspberries stories
March: The Brand New Kid; hope, review last month
April: Child Abuse Prevention

Raising kind kids

2008-08-12T15:12:00.004-04:00

I like America's Funniest Home Videos. One video shown often is of a small child playing with a kid's golf set. He takes a swing, smiles at the camera, and is happy. His mother, behind the camera, tells him to "play like daddy plays golf." The child repeats the swing but then throws the putter and swears.

Aside from being good for a chuckle, it also illustrates how kids pick up on almost everything adults do. It also suggests a sure-fire way of teaching: modeling. When you teach a child to tie a shoe, or properly cast a fishing line, or throw a frisbee, chances are you'll use modeling. Isn't it always so simple to show a child what we want them to do, rather than explaining all the "why's" and "how's?" Modeling even works for things we don't necessarily want to teach. Think about the child I mentioned on the video. Did his dad know he was teaching his child how to play golf?

Bullying is a major problem in schools today, and like any behavior, it has its roots in the early grades. We teach our students to be kind and to use their feeling words, as part of a larger approach to bullying within the guidance curriculum. But we can't exist in a bubble. Parents are their child's first teachers and often larger-than-life role models. Modeling kind behavior is a must for parents, who teach their kids life lessons even when they don't think they are.

Some tips for modeling:

Talk with young children about their feelings. Teach them to use feeling words and I-messages (I feel ____ when you ____ and I want you to ____)
Speak well of others
Hold a door open for someone behind you
In a store line, let someone with one or two items go ahead of you
Send a card or bring food to a grieving or sick friend
Talk about being gracious winners on the field

Through modeling good behaviors, both from parents at home and faculty/staff at school, we can make great strides in raising kind kids and curbing the bullying problem.

Source: Diamond, L.H. (2008, May-June). It pays to be nice: tips for raising kind kids. ASCA School Counselor, 48.

Asperger Syndrome

2008-08-12T13:54:00.006-04:00

Asperger Syndrome, also known as Asperger's Disorder, is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by an array of symptoms. These symptoms include (but are not limited to):

Difficulty with basic elements of social interaction

Lack of social/emotional reciprocity
Failure to seek shared enjoyment/achievement
Impaired nonverbal communication skills

Difficulty adapting to sudden change or unexpected events
Narrow interests and repetitive behavior
Unusual speech patterns but no clinically significant language delay

Source: American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Key accommodations in the classroom:

Copy of daily schedule (possibly an expanded version of what is available to the class) on the student’s desk
Student seated close to the front of the room
Stress ball kept in desk (not for play)
Priming for upcoming assignments/classwork/tasks by sending materials home ahead of time
Social stores & role-playing

Source: Gibbons, M. M., & Goins, S. (2008). Getting to Know the Child with Asperger Syndrome. Professional School Counseling, 11, 347-352.

New year, new blog

2008-08-12T12:52:00.001-04:00

Although I am no stranger to Web 2.0 stuff, I am new to maintaining a school blog. This thing is definitely in its infancy. I know that I will keep it updated often, but right now I haven't made a final decision on what needs to go here. It is, and will always be, a work in progress.

I will always post things here from the professional school counseling literature that I find appropriate for parents & teachers. This will be an online newsletter of sorts, allowing me to provide a truly interactive communication tool to all stakeholders in our students' education.

This year is exciting. I was psyched about last year, my first in the profession and the school, but I'm even more excited about this year. Having a year of experience behind me helps. More importantly, though, is the energy and enthusiasm I see in the people I work with. This is a great place.