Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! Throughout September, we have been diving deep into classroom lessons. I love using them as tier 1 interventions, and so far we have talked about how to plan, schedule, teach, and manage behaviors during lessons. Today, we are shifting the focus to data and exploring how to measure the success of your classroom counseling lessons.

Often, counselors rely on self-assessments or individual assessments during small group or one-on-one sessions, which is a fantastic approach. But did you know you can also track data in your classroom lessons without feeling overwhelmed? In this episode, I am sharing two simple and practical ways to measure effectiveness.

• Collecting new data

  • This includes surveying parents and teachers throughout the year to gather feedback on the effectiveness of your lessons.

  • By asking questions such as which topics have been most helpful or what improvements they have noticed, you can continue to modify and strengthen your lessons.

  • Surveys can be kept short and simple with just a few questions to ensure people complete them.

  • You can also share results in newsletters or with your administration to advocate for your role.

• Instant student feedback

  • A brief half-sheet with three simple questions at the end of a lesson can provide valuable insights into what students are learning and how they are engaging with the material.

• How to use this data

• • The purpose of gathering information is not just to collect it but to use it to improve future lessons and demonstrate the impact of your program. All data is good data because it allows you to revise, reflect, and show the power of school counseling.

Your action step for this week is to create a parent feedback survey and send it out. This simple tool can make a big difference in helping you measure effectiveness and advocate for your work.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join IMPACT

• stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/classlessons

• TpT Store
  
  

• Blog
  
  

• Instagram
  
  

• Facebook Page
  
  

• Facebook Group
  
  

• Pinterest
  
  

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! Throughout September, we are diving deep into classroom lessons. I love using them as my tier 1 interventions. While many times we are handed lessons to deliver, there are plenty of situations where you have to create everything on your own. That is why I am sharing how to schedule, plan, and teach classroom lessons. These insights come from my Stress-Free Class Lessons Course, a five-module program that equips you with tools and strategies to feel prepared and confident.

In today’s episode, we are focusing on behavior management during counseling lessons. When I first started, this was one of my biggest struggles. I often had lessons I was excited to teach, but behavior challenges quickly left me feeling overwhelmed. Over time, I discovered that consistency is the key to creating a well-managed classroom. When you are consistent, you build trust with your students. They know what to expect and that you will follow through.

Here are a few strategies we will cover in this episode:

• At the beginning of lessons: Review expectations or rules. You can display them on Google Slides or on an anchor chart. Model each expectation with your students, either as a group or with selected volunteers.
  
  

• When students don’t follow expectations: Take a pause rather than pushing through. Stop the lesson, revisit the expectation, and reset. Sometimes you need to go slow in order to go fast.
  
  

• Reinforcing positive behavior: Use behavior-specific praise. Instead of offering tangible rewards, tell students exactly what they are doing right and why it matters.
  
  

The key is to create expectations that can be applied across every classroom you visit and to consistently reinforce them. Behavior management does not have to feel overwhelming when you have clear, practical strategies in place.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join IMPACT

• stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/classlessons

• TpT Store
  
  

• Blog
  
  

• Instagram
  
  

• Facebook Page
  
  

• Facebook Group
  
  

• Pinterest
  
  

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!

Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! Throughout September, we are diving deep into classroom lessons. I love using them as my tier 1 interventions. While many times we are given lessons to teach, there are also plenty of situations where you are expected to create everything on your own. That is why I am sharing strategies on how to schedule, plan, and teach classroom lessons. These ideas come from my Stress-Free Class Lessons Course, a five-module program designed to help you feel confident and prepared.

In today’s episode, we are focusing on the teaching piece and specifically on strategies to keep counseling lessons engaging and fun. The more engaged students are, the less likely they are to act out, which makes your time in the classroom much more effective.

You will learn how to add movement and interactive activities into your lessons, including:

• Icebreakers: Sides of the room, Simon Says, Stand up/Sit down
  
  

• Activities: Role play, charades, escape rooms, scoot games
  
  

• Discussions: Beach ball toss, jumbo discussion die
  
  

These simple strategies can transform the energy in your classroom and keep students focused while learning.

Here are three action steps you can take right away:

1. Find an engaging icebreaker for each topic you plan to teach.
   
   

2. Decide which engagement activity strategy you want to try.
   
   

3. Create a discussion beach ball to spark interactive conversations.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join IMPACT

• stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/classlessons

• TpT Store
  
  

• Blog
  
  

• Instagram
  
  

• Facebook Page
  
  

• Facebook Group
  
  

• Pinterest
  
  

• Youtube

More About School Counseling Simplified:

School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.

You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!