I’m always looking for an interesting way to begin my groups, and I always start with some type of icebreaker questions. I have been collecting ping pong balls whenever I find ones that do not have any writing on them. It has taken me a few months, but finally my
As many of you may know, I run Lunch Bunch groups at my middle school. One of my main goals for the groups is to develop their leadership potential. My 7th grade girls have started the I Inspire Project. We have started a Twitter account and a hashtag (#) for
There is a big crossover from 6th to 7th grade. These little kids become big overnight. There is makeup, dances, shopping in the junior section of the store as opposed to the children’s section, and the noticing of kids of the opposite sex. My 7th grade Lunch Bunch has grown
I don’t usually bring my own toilet paper to school, but for this activity, it was essential. This is my second week of Lunch Bunch, and I am still trying to get to know all of my 5th graders. Last week I was in shock when I had over 30
When beginning any group it is important to establish ground rules. I quickly go over the basic rules and also have them posted on my wall. (You can download this poster for free on my TpT Store.) This year I decided to add a lesson on the importance of following some
One of the most commonly asked questions to my blog is “Can you share your list of icebreaker questions?” I use my icebreakers all the time. They are great to use during Lunch Bunch as students eat their lunch and before we start our main activity for the day. I
Our newest Lesson Leader is Kelly Johnson, who writes the What’s Happening in Counselor Johnson’s Office Blog. Kelli is an elementary school counselor, but she has a great lesson to share with us about Tattling. I find that my 5th and 6th graders still really love picture books, and a
Need Help putting together a Lunch Bunch Program? I put together this TpT Lunch Bunch Lesson Planner. It has everything from Lesson Plan templates to a Teacher Survey, Post Group Evaluation Form, Group Rules, Confidentiality Poster, Invites, a Parent Letter, Attendance Tracker, and How-to Tips. Everything is editable, so you
Today was the boy’s turn to say goodbye and complete their final project. I used the same words on my whiteboard as I used with the girls, but instead of writing descriptive words on initials, we wrote them on picture frames. (Click on the links to see the pictures and
Bittersweet. That describes my day today. My last lunch bunch of the year. I have seen so much growth in these girls over the past school year. The camaraderie, the teamwork, the support, and the being comfortable in one’s own skin are just a few of the areas of growth
I’ve been hearing this song a lot on the radio lately. May and June are always a time for lots of words of wisdom to be passed around. While this song was first written as a newspaper article for the Chicago Tribune, it received much popularity after being turned into
I believe it is important as a school counselor to help students find their voice. I like to listen to what they have to say. Middle Schoolers are very insightful young people. They still have a sense of fairness and responsibility, yet they still are full of innocence and youth.
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