December in schools hits different. The schedules are off. The kids are buzzing. The teachers are exhausted. And counselors are somehow expected to be part Santa, part therapist, and part crisis manager… all before lunch. If your December feels especially full, you are not imagining it. In this week’s episode of Counselor Chat, I’m sharing…
Episode 140: Finding Calm in the Counselor Chaos December brings a special kind of school chaos. Schedules shift. Energy skyrockets. Teachers and students feel stretched. And counselors often find themselves trying to hold it all together. In this episode, I am sharing simple ways to stay grounded, centered, and calm during one of the busiest months of the school year. In This Episode You’ll Learn: • Common early signs of counselor burnout • Why noticing burnout is an act of wisdom, not weakness • Easy micro practices that take 30 seconds to 2 minutes • A guided one-minute breathing reset you can use anytime • How to let go of perfection and choose simplicity • Ways to weave calm moments into your day without adding tasks Quote From the Episode “You are doing enough. You are enough, and you are allowed to rest.” Encouragement for the Week December may be busy, but you do not have to absorb all the chaos around you. Take a pause, take a breath, and give yourself permission to rest. You are doing more good than you know. Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcastJoin Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!Connect with Carol:TpT StoreCounseling Essentials WebsiteInstagramFacebookElementary…
December can feel like a whirlwind in schools, which makes it the perfect time to slow down and center students in one of the most grounding SEL themes we have: gratitude. In this episode, I am sharing simple, meaningful ways to introduce gratitude to students of all ages, plus ideas for weaving it into your…
Right before Thanksgiving, in the middle of progress reports, last-minute meetings, and all the pumpkin spice in the world, it can be easy to miss the small moments that actually fuel us. This episode is a gentle pause. A breath. A circle of gratitude created for you. I asked counselors in my Facebook groups what they are most grateful for, and their answers were pure joy, connection, and heart. Today I am sharing their stories, along with a few of my own, as a reminder that even in the chaos, the work you do every day truly matters. ✨ What You Will Hear in This Episode: Why the weeks before Thanksgiving feel especially heavy The power of stopping to notice the good A collective gratitude circle filled with counselor shared moments Students choosing time with their counselor as their reward Kids using calm down strategies and repeating your words back to you When a student calls you their trusted adult Why small wins often matter the most Real stories of connection from counselors across the country A quick 30 second gratitude practice you can do anytime Simple ideas to keep the gratitude going at school 💬 Quote from the Episode “Emotional safety is such a quiet form of love, and when kids choose to show up in your space, that is gratitude in motion.” 💛 Encouragement for the Week Take a moment today to name one thing you are grateful for in your work, with no posting or documenting, just a quiet acknowledgment of a meaningful moment. You are the safe space. You are the trusted adult. You are the calm in the storm. And that is something to be profoundly grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving, counselor friends. I appreciate you more than you know. 💛 Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcastJoin Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when…
In this week’s podcast we look at pre-holiday behavior spikes through a problem-solving lens. Instead of “How do we punish this?” we ask, “What skill is missing?” She models restorative conversations, shares reflection tools that build self-awareness, and walks through calm-down strategies that help students regulate before you problem-solve. Key takeaways Behavior = communication. Shift…
How do we help students stand by their values even when doing so might cost them friends? In this week’s episode, I’m sharing how a simple story—The Fall Festival Dilemma—sparked powerful conversations about honesty, belonging, and integrity. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to use moral dilemmas to help students reflect on their values Ways…
October might be over, but kindness shouldn’t be. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing how restorative practices can take your school from reactive to relational — and how simple daily routines can build a culture where students feel safe, seen, and supported. Restorative practices aren’t about punishment; they’re about connection. When we focus on building…
October is packed—Red Ribbon Week, conferences, spirit days, and of course, Bullying Prevention Month. But if we really want to create schools where students feel safe, seen, and supported, our work has to go deeper than themed t-shirts and hashtag campaigns. In this episode, I’m sharing how to build an anti-bullying culture that lasts long…
In this episode of Counselor Chat, I’m sharing one of my favorite fall-inspired lessons — what I like to call The Candy Corn Principle. You know how people either love or hate candy corn? Well, the same goes for our work as school counselors. No matter how much heart, effort, or intention we pour into…
In honor of Bullying Prevention Month, I’m exploring how counselors can help students move beyond “Don’t be a bully” to living empathy through meaningful, collaborative kindness projects. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The difference between teaching empathy and practicing it Simple schoolwide projects that create a culture of kindness: Classroom extensions like kindness tickets, secret…
