Check out this new Kelso's Choices Music Video from the Kelso's Choices website!
Counseling Programs and Classes
My philosophy is that prevention and being proactive is imperative in teaching social skills to young children and adolescents. I teach a variety of counseling lessons for grades Kindergarten through 6th grade. As a school, we are also proactive to prevent and intervene in any bullying situations. In grades K-4, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is intentionally taught. In 5-6 grades, Life and Leadership is taught.
Kindergarten: SEL in kindergarten focuses on emotion vocabulary, management and expression. Students learn and practice problem solving skills, fair ways to play, expressing feelings and other helpful and caring behaviors. I also use other counseling resources that address the skills. Students role play, take turns sharing, and listen to stories relating to friendship and resolving conflict. Kelso's Choices if also introduced and will go into more detail in 1st grade.
First Grade: SEL in 1st grade focuses on Kelso's Choices (check out the new banner out on the playground!), a conflict management curriculum for children, is taught to all 1st graders. Students learn the 9 choices for peacemaking and distinguish between a small and big problem. This program reduces tattling in the classroom and empowers the students to solve their own problems. Students will also learn and practice skills about anger management, problem-solving, impulse control and expressing feelings.
Second Grade: SEL in second grade is continued and builds on the previous years' lessons. I also infuse many lessons from my counseling resources that address the skills. Students practice skills during the lesson through role-playing and active learning activities. The lessons include reinforcement of the 9 Kelso's Choices, problem solving steps, anger management skills, ways to calm down and how to empower the students to make decisions and solve friendship problems.
Third Grade: SEL in 3rd grade focuses on responding and recognizing bullying and standing up for others as a supportive bystander. With additional lessons from a variety of sources, I help the students gain confidence and courage to face social challenges that might come their way. Ongoing review of Kelso's Choices will take place including a collage the students create showing the Choices from magazines and their own drawings.
Fourth Grade: SEL is continued on a fourth grade level to teach students how to block rumors and gossip, respond to bullying, learn the difference between fun joking and mean teasing, and helping our friends by being a supportive bystander against bullying. In addition, all girls meet once a week in the fall for 6 weeks to discuss and address relational aggression, friendship conflicts, making and keeping friends, and believing in ourselves as girls. The girls' group follows the layout of The Smart Girl's Guide to Friendship Troubles published by American Girl.
Fifth Grade: Students receive social-emotional guidance through the Life and Leadership program. Bi-weekly lessons occur around friendship, stress management, leadership, emotional regulation, and being an Upstander for others is addressed. For 5th and 6th graders, I offer a recess game time during their lunch recess. This gives the students an alternative option at recess.
Sixth Grade: In the sixth grade, I teach Life and Leadership to all sixth graders. This is a 20 + lesson curriculum that focuses on teaching the students leadership skills, emotion management and regulation, communication, active listening, diversity, and health related skills. I also use a variety of lessons from the resource "Activities that Teach" by Tom Jackson and other enriching resources. For 5th and 6th graders, I offer a recess game time during their lunch recess. This gives the students an alternative option at recess.
Seventh/Eighth Grade: Advisory is a social-emotional program that emphasizes relationships, connections, advocacy and leadership. Not to forget FUN as well! In our 7th and 8th grade advisory groups, the groups are small (around 8-9 students per adult) and meet weekly on Friday afternoons. The groups discuss various social-emotional topics and provide community service throughout the Seattle area 3 full school days a year. This is by far on of the highlights of the week for both students and teachers!
Peer Mediation- I facilitate a peer mediation program and train volunteer 7th and 8th graders to help younger students at our school mediate small problems. The 7th and 8th graders work with younger students to help them solve small problems. I supervise and train all volunteers within this program.
Here is a picture of 2015-2016 school year's fabulous peer mediators!