Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified!

This May, we’re diving into a new series all about data—simple, practical ways to collect and use it as the school year wraps up or as you begin planning for the year ahead.

Last week, we focused on Tier 1 services and how to collect data in your classroom lessons. This week, we’re shifting our attention to small groups and individual sessions. I’m walking you through my favorite ways to track meaningful data in these settings so that you can make informed, data-driven decisions and feel confident sharing progress with administrators and families.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this episode:

• Self-assessments: Aligning pre- and post-assessments with your lesson objectives to measure student growth.

• Student rating scales: A 1–10 scale with visual aids to encourage honest reflection and spark meaningful conversations.

• Behavior surveys: Collecting insights from teachers and guardians to build a fuller picture of student progress and needs.
  
  

You’ll also hear tips for:

• Using paper vs. digital forms (and when each is most effective)

• Promoting confidentiality in group settings

• Ensuring your assessments are relevant to what you’ve actually taught
  
  

These strategies are easy to implement and will help you gather impactful data while keeping things simple.

Don't Miss My FREE Live Training TODAY and TOMORROW! Join me for a free, live training where I’ll teach you how to use school counseling data to strengthen your program and advocate for your role. You’ll walk away with:

• A free data collection tool

• A PD certificate

• Practical strategies you can use right away
  
  

Reserve your seat at stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/data

Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of our May data series.

• Free Training: How to Use School Counseling Data to Improve your Program and Advocate for your Role

• Self-Assessments Bundle

• Behavior Surveys

• Individual Curriculum (includes student rating scales)

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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! This May, we’re diving into a series all about data—simple, practical ways to collect and use it at the end of the year or while planning for the year ahead.

In this episode, we're kicking things off with a focus on Tier 1 services: classroom lessons. As I sat down to record, I realized I’ve already shared a lot about this inside my course, Stress-Free School Counseling. So today, I’m sharing a helpful clip from the course that walks you through easy-to-use data tools that track student progress during class lessons.

Want more support with classroom data collection? Check out the full course at stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/classlessons

Don’t Miss My FREE Live Training on May 13 & 14!
This training will be all about how to use school counseling data to improve your program and advocate for your role. I’ll be sharing practical strategies to help you confidently measure student success and communicate your results with admin. You’ll receive:

• A free data collection tool

• A PD certificate
  Reserve your spot now at stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/data
  
  

Quick & Easy Tier 1 Data Tools:

1. Ticket Out the Door
Have students answer a quick question as they leave the classroom. This is very low prep and doesn’t take long!

• Open-ended questions

• Draw a shape

• Circle a letter
  
  

2. Thumbs up / middle / down
This zero-prep tool offers a quick snapshot of student understanding and lesson engagement. Remember, this isn’t for display—it’s just for your reflection and improvement.

3. Kahoot
Use this interactive game-based tool to collect real-time student data.

• Fun and competitive format
  You can customize your own quizzes

• Tracks correct/incorrect answers
  While it’s more prep-intensive, it’s a great way to engage students and check for understanding.
  
  

4. Self-Assessments
Use pre- and post-lesson questions to assess your lesson’s effectiveness.

• Limit to 5 questions

• Can be done on paper or digitally (Google Forms is great for this)

• Includes timestamps and exportable data
  These are low- to medium-prep but incredibly helpful for tracking progress over time.
  
  

Don’t forget: Next week is the FREE live training on how to use data to strengthen your counseling program and advocate for your role. Multiple time slots are available. Save your seat at stressfreeschoolcounseling.com/data

Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of our May data series.

• Free Training: How to Use School Counseling Data to Improve your Program and Advocate for your Role

• Self-Assessments Bundle

• Stress Free Class Lessons Course

• TpT Store
  
  

• Blog
  
  

• Instagram
  
  

• Facebook Page
  
  

• Facebook Group
  
  

• Pinterest
  
  

• Youtube
  
  

Welcome back to School Counseling Simplified! April is all about expert guest sessions, and today I’m thrilled to be joined by Patti Sutherland. Patti holds a Master of Social Work, is a Certified Play Therapist Supervisor, and has over 30 years of experience working with children and families in both community and private practice settings.

She currently works as a school social worker in Winnipeg, Canada, where she brings play therapy into schools, offers trainings, and creates valuable resources for school-based mental health professionals.

In this episode, we dive deep into sand tray therapy—how it works, why it’s effective, and how you can use it even if you don’t consider yourself a play therapist. Whether you're brand new to this tool or looking to expand your counseling toolbox, Patti breaks it all down with practical advice and encouragement.

Here’s what we cover:

• Why sand tray therapy isn’t as out-of-reach as it might seem
  
  

• How this method helps students feel more regulated, safe, and heard
  
  

• The power of metaphor and why it’s essential in child counseling
  
  

• Creative and accessible ways to introduce sand trays into 1:1 and small group sessions
  
  

• Real-world examples, like using sand tray for conflict mediation and storytelling
  
  

• What supplies to gather (hint: it's okay to collect slowly!)
  
  

• Patti’s best tips for new counselors who want to begin incorporating sand tray in their work
  
  

Bonus:
Patti shares details on her upcoming 2-day online Sand Tray Training for Elementary Schools, happening June 6–7, 2025!

Get on the no-obligation waitlist here:
Click here to join the waitlist

📧 Have questions? Want to connect?
You can email Patti directly—she loves hearing from fellow counselors:
ps@pattisutherland.ca

Whether you’re curious about the basics or looking to grow in your play therapy practice, this episode is a must-listen! Let’s get into it.

• TpT Store
  
  

• Blog
  
  

• Instagram
  
  

• Facebook Page
  
  

• Facebook Group
  
  

• Pinterest
  
  

• Youtube
  
  

• TpT Store

• Waitlist for Sand Tray Trainings and Newsletters for more info

• Email Patti

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!