You can purchase my brand-new book by clicking on the hyperlink, below. https://www.amazon.com/School-Difference-Makers-Guidebook-College-Counselor/dp/B0FVW8ZBX4/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RxNicDfICV-jiB9XICRZng90Qm0T8tp3QG3ll_9uRhA.H1NS5VDFYGQl08cjsm26qv06fEwwNCeG46Jv5hW2Qu0&qid=1761421585&sr=8-1
This is a sample email that I like to send out to my Seniors at about the half-way point in the school year. Please feel welcome to either borrow ideas from it or make it your own (as in whatever may be most relevant to your students and their needs). Greetings, Class of 2026 Seniors: I hope you have had a solid start to the new semester and also a great mid-winter break! Senior year can be an exciting and…
What do major holidays; spring break; summer vacation; weekends; and snow days all have in common? They are all times that school is not in session—or, in other words, down-time for both students and educators. But what if you want to do more than play video games or doom-scroll on your phone? Well, I may have an idea or two for you, if you choose to keep reading.  This list will be broken into two categories: Holistic SITs (Strategies,…
I have recently started to see a trend of greater numbers of students coming to me to share their hopes and desires of developing more (or better) friendships. Not only do I really applaud and admire students vulnerably sharing this important heart-wish, or drive, to make more deeper and meaningful connections with their peers, but it is also one of my most favorite areas to try to help my students. Making friends can be scary—especially, for brand-new students; students who…
On Thursday, September 19th, 2024, I talked with WJR Radio Host, Kevin Dietz, on ‘All Talk with Kevin Dietz’ about social media in schools; you can listen to my interview hyperlinked below: https://all-talk-with-kevin-dietz.simplecast.com/episodes/social-media-influence-in-schools-_TP9ZQWv?t=0m0s
Here we are with another book that I just had to review, because, as an educator (and school counselor, more specifically), there just don’t seem to be a lot of great books out there for students interested in pursuing a Trades career after high school. However, once I read 2020’s Millennials’ Guide to the Construction Trades: What No One Ever Told You About a Career In Construction, I knew I had finally found what I was looking for: a book…
After running 1,000 miles in the calendar year of 2020, I felt like I had a pretty good template to build upon for 2021, but, of course, that did not mean that there was nothing else to learn about running (or about myself) in a year where I wanted to build upon that 1,000 mile-mark from 2020. Several things stood with me–in 2021–that I hope to highlight, here, including the following seven points: 1. Keep Moving and Standing: After running…
When I got my (first and current) school counseling job, one of the first things I decided to do was keep a designated space in my office for students to gather-up needed (free) school supplies or to grab a quick snack. Sure, this ends up costing several hundred dollars a year (probably similar to what a lot of teachers spend to stock their classrooms), but the pay-off is more than worth it in my mind. If you are a savvy…
I cannot seem to remember the last time that I actually wrote a book review. Was it middle school? Elementary school? However long ago that it was, here I am again: Deciding to dust-off my book review skills for the first time since kids still rocked snap bracelets; fanny packs (back in fashion now, I may add) and ate Dunkaroos after school. I really did not set out to write a book review this month, to be honest, but by…
Recently, I took some time to craft a Mission Statement and Vision Statement for my career as a school counselor (my Mission Statement), and, more holistically, for all aspects of my life (in the form of a Vision Statement). You can see them below. It is my hope that you, too, may also be inspired and emboldened to create your own statements, that will serve to encourage and motivate you in areas both inside and outside of your career. Mission…