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Tag: Students

Making Friends in School: Helping Students Connect With Their Peers in Meaningful Ways

Making Friends in School: Helping Students Connect With Their Peers in Meaningful Ways

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…

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While Graduate School Taught Me a Lot, Some Things Just Had to Be Learned On the Job

While Graduate School Taught Me a Lot, Some Things Just Had to Be Learned On the Job

I want to spend some time looking at seven different things that I did not know as a student in graduate school. While I will be eternally grateful for all that I learned in my studies and from my professors and fellow students (and believe my program–and university–did a great job of preparing me for what I needed to know—and do—in order to have the best chance at success in the field of Education), some things may just have to…

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Study Tips For Students: How to Build Your Own System for Success

Study Tips For Students: How to Build Your Own System for Success

When it comes to studying and preparing for school, there are no shortage of tips and strategies out there for attempting to improve student outcomes and successes. I realize the following tips and strategies may only be adding to the abundance of circulating advice, but these are my top tips I routinely share with my own students. Please feel welcome to peruse through this list and see if something or another might be worth trying or incorporating into your study…

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Fighting Against ‘Senioritis’ (Tips; Strategies; and Mindsets For Helping Senior Students Finish Strong)

Fighting Against ‘Senioritis’ (Tips; Strategies; and Mindsets For Helping Senior Students Finish Strong)

“Is ‘Senioritis’ even really a thing?” you may exclaim. If you ask many teachers; school counselors; and others working in high schools, many would probably say: “yes, it’s a thing; ‘Senioritis’ is definitely real!” Sometime during the second half of the twelfth-grade year—for a number of students—something different often begins to occur: Attendance slips; motivation ebbs and flows; and it is one foot in, one foot out the door of high school. For some, it’s all they can do to…

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Leveraging the College Essay: How to Stand Out From The Crowd and Gain An Edge in Admissions (Part Two of Two)

Leveraging the College Essay: How to Stand Out From The Crowd and Gain An Edge in Admissions (Part Two of Two)

We continue the countdown to the final ten tips for college essays. This second set of tips will focus a bit more on the actual writing stages (and beyond), for our applicants now ready to put pen to paper for the first time. #10: Be Genuine and Sincere: As you begin writing, you may start to wonder–if not worry–if the admissions folks will like you as a person and/or judge you worthy of admittance. That is a natural thing to…

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Helping Students Find Their Success: Three Tips For Keeping It Simple and Meaningful

Helping Students Find Their Success: Three Tips For Keeping It Simple and Meaningful

Students, do you ever find yourself having a difficult time getting excited about school? Do you ever wonder what’s the point of school anyway? Caregivers and adults, does this sound like anyone you know? If so, I want to share three simple tips for helping each and every student get the most out of school—and to help students find their why and their passion, along the way. 1. Get Involved Early—and Get Off to a Good Start: Whether it is…

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Book Review: Millennials’ Guide to the Construction Trades: What No One Ever Told You About a Career In Construction

Book Review: Millennials’ Guide to the Construction Trades: What No One Ever Told You About a Career In Construction

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…

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Why Educators Should Learn (and Use) Student Names as Quickly as Possible

Why Educators Should Learn (and Use) Student Names as Quickly as Possible

Each year, educators–including teachers; school counselors; administrators—and anyone else working in a school—will interact with and–in varying degrees—be responsible for teaching; serving; and protecting dozens, hundreds, or thousands of students each and every day. What is more, each of these students has an individual name; story; skillset; and mix of differing talents, abilities, resources, dreams and desires, and, potentially, challenges in their daily lives. Speaking as a school counselor, most folks in this role usually have anywhere from two or…

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Five Reasons School Counselors (and Educators) Should Play Music for Students

Five Reasons School Counselors (and Educators) Should Play Music for Students

Music is one of those things that means different things to different people. Our preferred musical choices can take us back in time to certain important moments in our lives or even act as the on-going soundtrack of our lives. Music can help us through tough times; it can inspire us; and it can teach us a lot of different things in life. It should come as no surprise that many of our students and young people also like music…

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