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!

Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! All throughout September, we’re diving into classroom lessons, one of my favorite tier 1 interventions. While some schools provide ready-made lessons, there are many times you’ll need to design and plan them yourself. That’s why I’m excited to share tips on how to schedule, plan, and teach effective lessons. These strategies come straight from my Stress-Free Class Lessons Course, a five-module resource designed to help you feel confident and prepared.

In today’s episode, we’re continuing the conversation by focusing on planning your counseling lessons—deciding what to teach and how to teach it. This is a sneak peek into Module 2 of my course.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Planning lessons for the year: how to select topics, incorporate seasonal and school-wide themes, and repurpose content across grade levels.
  
  

• Using the calendar: align lessons with holidays, seasons, or events (for example, starting the year with a “Meet the Counselor” lesson, or teaching about kindness and friendship around Valentine’s Day).
  
  

• Referencing data and needs: review referrals, attendance data, and input from administrators to identify student challenges and plan preventative lessons.
  
  

• Combining curriculum resources: integrate any curriculum your school provides with your own lessons to fill in gaps.
  
  

• Book-based lessons: choose books with strong themes and build lessons around them, while ensuring teachers have access to reinforce concepts.
  
  

We’ll also talk about offering “as-needed” lessons when extra support is required, such as teaching a cybersafety lesson to a class that needed immediate guidance beyond their regular schedule.

And here’s a planning tip: Don’t reinvent the wheel. You can easily adapt lessons to make them developmentally appropriate across different grade levels.

Your action steps:

• Write down monthly events you’d like to align lessons with
  
  

• Review discipline referrals and student data
  
  

• Prepare your needs assessment
  
  

• Find out if your school provides a curriculum
  
  

• Research books you might want to use in future lessons

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’re diving deep into classroom lessons, one of my favorite Tier 1 interventions. Sometimes we’re given lesson plans, but other times we’re left to create everything from scratch. That’s why this month I’m sharing practical strategies for scheduling, planning, and teaching lessons with confidence. These tips are pulled directly from my Stress-Free Classroom Lessons course, a five-module training designed to help you feel prepared and supported when delivering class lessons.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through three game-changing scheduling tools that make the process seamless and manageable:

1. Google Sheets

• Create a simple form that lists your available times.
  
  

• Share it with teachers so they can sign up directly, avoiding endless back-and-forth emails.
  
  

• Teachers take ownership of choosing times, while you stay in control of your availability.
  
  

• Set it up at the beginning of the year so teachers can reserve their slots for months ahead.
  
  

2. Calendly

• Use this free, user-friendly website for scheduling.
  
  

• Teachers can easily reserve lesson times for the entire school year.
  
  

• Add important details like location, duration, and virtual links.
  
  

• Customize hours, set time limits, and color-code events to keep everything organized.
  
  

3. Google Calendar

• Pair with Google Sheets or Calendly for maximum efficiency.
  
  

• Create recurring calendar invites that include lesson details, virtual links, and reminders.
  
  

• Invite teachers directly so lessons appear on their calendars.
  
  

• Color-code lessons, groups, and individual sessions for quick organization at a glance.
  
  

• While it takes time to set up initially, the payoff is a smooth, structured year.
  
  

Pro Scheduling Tip: Be practical and remember that you’re in control. For instance, if Mondays are difficult due to travel or frequent holidays, avoid scheduling lessons on that day.

I personally recommend having teachers sign up for the entire year in advance. This approach allows you to balance your time across class lessons, small groups, and individual sessions. At the same time, remain flexible, because your schedule will naturally shift to accommodate your needs and the evolving needs of teachers throughout the school year.

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! I hope your school year is off to a fantastic start. In this episode, I’m sharing four creative, hands-on ways to freshen up your Meet the Counselor lesson.

I truly believe that every counselor should include a Meet the Counselor lesson at the beginning of the year. My personal favorite is a Meet the Counselor Game Show. It’s competitive, fun, and requires very little prep. Most importantly, it’s an excellent advocacy tool. It gives students clarity on who you are, what you do, and how they can access your services.

But if you’re looking to add something new this year, I’ve got four simple ideas you can incorporate:

1. Emotions Charades
   Turn learning into a game by having students act out emotions from a card while their classmates guess. This helps students practice reading facial expressions and body language, while also developing empathy and emotional recognition.
   
   

2. Counseling Treasure Hunt
   Set up a scavenger hunt in your space with counseling-related items like a mandala coloring sheet, fidgets, or SEL books. As students find each object, engage them in discussion about how these items are used in counseling.
   
   

3. Mindfulness Moments
   Introduce mindfulness by leading a guided meditation or creating a mindfulness jar. Both activities provide practical examples of self-regulation strategies that students can use throughout the year.
   
   

4. Vision Collages
   Encourage self-expression by having students create collages that represent their goals, likes, dreams, and hopes. They can cut out images from magazines or design a digital version online. This is a creative way for students to reflect on their identities while you get to know them better.
   
   

These activities are easy, engaging, and perfect for adding variety to your traditional Meet the Counselor lesson. Not only do they make your role more accessible to students, but they also set the tone for a supportive and engaging school year.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join IMPACT

• Meet The Counselor Game Show

• 4 Ways to Spruce Up Your Meet The Counselor Lesson - Blog

• 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!