So many of us need to "eliminate some Joy" from our roles. What can this mean for school counselors who strive to build positivity, growth mindset, and can-do attitudes throughout campus?This week, we're taking a cue from the movie Inside Out and talking about how constantly being the go-to "fixers" on campus can lead to burnout. We discuss how the inability to distinguish ourselves from perpetual "Joys" takes an immense emotional toll, and why high expectations from students, parents, and st...

In the 100th episode of the School for School Counselors podcast, we are all about the colorful and often unexpected world of school counseling with stories from school counselors who are in the trenches every day. One counselor from Kentucky shares about her handmade wooden sand tray, a favorite among her students for its soothing qualities. Another from Georgia uses a screaming goat toy to break the tension and get a laugh out of students during stressful moments. These personal touches not...

Send us a text message- we'd love to hear from you!What if the place where students spend most of their time held the key to unlocking their potential? Meet Kristina Renn, a first-year school counselor who almost became a clinical therapist but found her true calling in school counseling. Kristina joins us to share her practical approach to creating positive changes within the school environment. She highlights the profound impact school counselors can have, especially when support like paren...

Send us a text message- we'd love to hear from you!Are you preparing to leave your school counseling position and unsure about what documentation to leave for your successor? Navigating the complexities of student privacy and legal compliance is crucial for school counselors. In this episode, we dive into the essentials of managing student notes and records, giving you the confidence to adhere to FERPA regulations while maintaining the confidentiality your students rely on. Think of this...

Send us a text message- we'd love to hear from you!In this week’s episode, I’ll take you through my real-life experience of being compelled to overhaul my data systems due to recent legislative changes in Texas—a process that unfortunately did not go very well. It’s been quite a journey with some big adjustments I had to make in my data collection methods. However, despite the setbacks, the lessons I learned have been invaluable. I’ll share what I learned and was reminded of regardi...

Send us a text message- we'd love to hear from you!Nancy is an experienced and stellar school counselor whose story is as inspiring as it is instructive. Her path from art teacher to guiding light for students spans over three decades, and in this episode, we walk through the trajectory of Nancy's career, from the day her father suggested looking into a masters degree to the present, where she works through innovative programs like Ohio's College Credit Plus to reshape student opportuni...

Send us a text message- we'd love to hear from you!In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with Ginger Bernal for a friendly chat about her fascinating 17-year journey through the world of education. Ginger started her professional life in the unexpected waters of underwater crime scene investigation before finding her true calling in school counseling. She shares heartwarming stories, like how she helped a mother of seven go from pursuing her GED to becoming a certified nursing assistant,...

Send us a text message- we'd love to hear from you!It's time to end the school year on a high note while supporting a stronger partnership with your campus principal. This week’s School for School Counselors podcast offers strategies for school counselors to navigate end-of-year conversations with precision and grace without alienating administrators.We talk through how to craft success stories from your collected data to highlight growth opportunities during end-of-year chats with your princ...

Send us a text message- we'd love to hear from you!As we near the end of the school year, it's easy to feel so, so TIRED. How do we power through the rest of the school year while maintaining our sense of purpose and joy for the work we do each day? It's a heavy topic, but an important one.In this episode, I'll share my own end-of-year challenges, the things we can do to reset our mindset, and the approaches we can take to recapture our hope and purpose in our work, despite our current circum...

In this episode, I highlight a fascinating conversation  with Elizabeth Janners, a school counselor with a super-cool blend of music and military service in her background. Listen in to hear how Elizabeth's background shapes her unique approach to mentoring the next generation, offering invaluable lessons in resilience and adaptability as she guides students through life's challenges. Elizabeth's story is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of personal growth, and how combining...

Ever felt like you're juggling the workloads of four people, expected to perform seamlessly in all of them? Buckle up and join me from my car's front seat where I get real about where we stand in the school counseling profession, including the unsustainable pace we're expected to maintain and the systemic issues that often leave us feeling like we're set up for failure. The good news? Falling short may not be your fault- listen to find out why. ********************************** Our goal at...

Do you feel like you're running an 'unwinnable race' this time of the school year? In this episode, Steph provides an excerpt of her recent keynote speech for the Lone Star State School Counselor Association Rural Route School Counselors Conference to highlight the importance of self-care, setting achievable goals, and the profound impact counselors have on their students' lives. ********************************** Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on...

This is such a fun episode! Getting started on a new career path can often be a leap of faith, and this story is a shining example of where such a leap can land you. Meet Katie—a former teacher and current grad student who has discovered her true calling in the school counselors' office. Led to develop a meaningful and student-centered school counseling program amidst multiple natural disasters and a global pandemic, Katie speaks from the heart about her journey, her challenges, her triumphs,...

Today's episode considers the legendary "spring fever" in schools, where escalating tensions and stress impact both students and teachers. We unpack the collaborative problem-solving approach credited to Ross Green that seeks to strengthen students' abilities in areas often overlooked – from emotion regulation to social skills – rather than pointing fingers at motivation levels or parenting styles. And we're here to shine a light on the five pathways that can make or break a student's ability...

In this episode, I'm joined by by friend Jessica Neitsch who talks about her simple yet effective strategy for maintaining our feeling of purpose and satisfaction in our work, how to approach emotional management for educators and students alike, and the need to celebrate the small victories that, moment by moment, build a fulfilling career in school counseling. If the spring semester is feeling long and challenging, this is the encouragement you've been needing: listen in for some of the...

When life throws you curveballs, it's the ones who knock them out of the park that inspire us the most. Lydia Larimore did just that, turning a disheartening remark from her own school counselor into a fire that fueled her rise as an innovative educator and a Virginia Department of Education Difference Maker. On our show, host Steph Johnson takes a deep dive into Lydia’s transformative journey, from leveraging her logistics and MBA background to revolutionize attendance at a Title I school,...

So many of you feel like you are being used as firemen right now, running from one fire to the next, trying to put out the biggest flames. This week, I share the four critical questions that I ask any teacher who flags me down for behavior assistance, why these four questions are so important, and how to facilitate these conversations without causing a rift in your professional relationships. If you're overwhelmed with behavior response right now, this could be a game-changer for...

Ever found yourself in the middle of behavioral chaos, wondering where it all went wrong? In this episode, we create a "cheat sheet" for initial behavior intervention with strategies to support students without pulling them away from the classroom prematurely. Mentioned in this episode: ChildMind Institute's Hierarchy of Behavioral Techniques ********************************** Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for...

How can we effectively educate kids with mental health or basic well-being concerns? Carissa, a former teacher, current school counselor and mental health therapist, says it's not realistic. Students can't learn if they aren't regulated and works to be her best self for her students by remembering her goal of helping rather than "fixing"- guiding her students toward resilience and self-reliance. Carissa shares her strategies that keep her grounded and effective while balancing a demanding...

Imagine a career where every interaction is an opportunity for growth, understanding, and connection. That's the vision I'm casting in this episode, as we talk through the "what-to-do's" of social emotional leadership in the world of school counseling. I'm unpacking the art of leading by example, drawing upon the wisdom of Bowers, Lemberger-Truelove, & Brigman (2017) to showcase how you can put social-emotional leadership into place through affiliative, visionary and democratic behaviors...

Discover how to elevate your influence on campus as we explore a leadership framework for school counselors proposed by Bowers, Lemberger-Truelove, & Brigman (2017). We'll look at the leadership dispositions that can transform school counselors into agents of change, promoting an environment where both students and staff can thrive. Reference: Bowers, H., Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., & Brigman, G. (2017). A social-emotional leadership framework for school counselors. Professional...

Navigating ethical pitfalls and maintaining  professionalism isn't just a part of our job - it's at the heart of our mission as school counselors. This episode takes a hard look at the delicate dance between best, ethical practices and the pressures that tempt us to bend or overstep our boundaries. This is the stuff few people talk about: the emotional complexities that come with truly investing in our students' lives. You'll hear firsthand how to balance empathy with professionalism,...

Faster isn't always better, and "more" doesn't always hit the mark. That's what we're talking about in this episode, where the art of patience isn't just a personal virtue, it's also a very smart professional strategy. If it feels like it's taking forever to get your campus on the right track, it might help to know that embracing the slow and steady approach in building your school counseling program, despite the world's push for quick fixes, can lead to a more authentic and impactful...

Hey there! Ever thought about how your own thoughts and blind spots might be shaping how you connect with others at work? In this latest episode, we're taking a close look at some tricky stuff that can trip up even the most experienced counselors: confirmation biases. We're exploring how confirmation biases work as sneaky blind spots in school counseling, subtly guiding decisions and interactions as counselors lean towards information that aligns with their existing beliefs.  We'll explore...

Right now, people are busy talking about resolutions, goals, mindset, words of the year, etc., for the New Year. In this episode, we're not going to get into any of that! Instead, we'll walk through a very specific step by step process for making sure that you have all of the little tedious things (and the little things that jump up and bite you in the rear later on in the school year) handled. Our New Year (re)Start will help you feel confident, prepared and less stressed for the rest of...