School Counselors Mind Your Shift

Interested in relocating to Southern Nevada? The Nye County School District is hiring! There are counseling positions at an Elementary School in Pahrump (about an hour north of Las Vegas), a K-8 position in Amargosa (about another half-hour north of Pahrump), and a K-12 position in Tonopah (about another 2 hours north of Amargosa). NCSD is offering a $5,000 incentive for the Pahrump position and a whopping $7,000 incentive for the Amargosa and Tonopah positions! Please do your research: Tonopah and Amargosa are small rural areas.
When you apply please include my name (Elissa Couch) in the employee referral section. If hired, I receive a referral fee. And, as an added bonus, you can count on me to help in any way that I can to make you feel welcome among our small group of counselors.

Share your favorite part of 2020 with a GIF!

As the new year quietly arrives with the new day, I'm reminded that each day brings possibilities. May each new day of the new year remind you that with love and gratitude, anything is possible.

Thoughts on the First Day of School:
*Our elected officials have no respect for their constituents
*Educational equity has more meaning to me today than ever before. Promising opportunity without assuring access is not equity.
*I miss having people mention how much they like my smile
*I notice that many people can't maintain eye contact
*I am in complete awe of the educators, parents, and students who have set aside their personal and political biases to come together to make learning happen
*We need to have more faith in our youth
*I used to think that publishing companies had it all locked up - not anymore - the LMS industry is the wave of the future
*Teachers are accountable to the almighty video recording
*I can drop and add like nobody's business (kickin' IC's butt!)
*Helping a student (and parents) sign in to Canvas is sooooo satisfying
*The first day of school felt like a week of school. Oh, wait... it was!
(Any thoughts on the first day of school? Please share)

Greetings to Toni Jameson!

Re-entry plans are being approved by school districts all over the country. Teacher and parent survey results are in and we know that researchers are providing us with the best information as it becomes available. BUT - we still don't know what we don't know.
Perhaps, opening our hearts, our minds, and our windows, may present new possibilities from old school approaches.
Stay strong, Stay safe, and take the time to Stay Still.

Schools Beat Earlier Plagues With Outdoor Classes. We Should, Too. A century ago, children in New York City attended classes during a pandemic. It seemed to work.

I made a desktop organizer!
Looking to get your school year off to a great start? Create a desktop organizer. I'm always looking for ways to create confidence and calm in my work.
1. Open PowerPoint or google slides.
2. Choose a background - whiteboard, chalkboard, corkboard, etc.
3. Determine your categories - you may want to reorganize your folders and icons, first. (You should have seen my desktop before I created my categories! It looked like a game of Concentration!)
4. Save the slide as an image.
5. Right-click anywhere on your desktop and follow the directions to change your wallpaper (Windows 10 - "personalize")
I had a blast creating this one, and I can change it as my priorities change. Now, I have icons, folders, and short-cuts at my fingertips. I feel so organized - and you will too!
If you create a desktop organizer, or if you already have one, please share your organizer in the comments, below.

Say 'hi' to Danielle Harwood!

Great! article featuring School Counselors

Student Trauma Won't Just Disappear In the Fall, Counselors Warn - NEA Today Whether schoos reopen or remote learning continues, student progress will depend on how we support their emotional and mental health.

Say hi to Suzan Ali, Julie Manes Hatfield, and Becca Boyd!

Greetings to Carrie Hennessey and McCabe's Counseling Corner!

I'm putting together some courses for School Counselors...
Please comment, below.

What would you be most interested in?
A. Developing an Annual Agreement that will set the foundation of a "new normal" with a focus on your Comprehensive School Counseling Program
B. Empowering teachers in the classroom with SEL strategies to create a "new normal" where you can focus on your Comprehensive School Counseling Program
C. Create your "new normal" NOW - strategies to help you develop your dream Comprehensive School Counseling Program

Please share this with all of the SCs you know! ❤

This video was created for our students. Enjoy ❤
https://youtu.be/Z0MXVOn88R8

J.G. Mustangs Don't Give Up

Every year, two little birds build their house in the north-west corner of our patio cover (I'm never quite sure if it's the same couple), and it gave me pause to remember that we are all doing the best we can with what we have.
Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Stay Connected, take the time to Stay Still (that's where your power really is!), and we will create calm out of the chaos.

Say hello to Consult A Friend, LLC, Becky Scribner, Keeli Killian, and Fearless Fred!

Please welcome Rashmi Rathore, Phil Steur, Cassie Zbytek, Stacie Pmts Lv, Jenna Solis, Jamie Justice, Kim Poindexter, Andie Hanford, Lottie Dottie, LaTonya Stith, Maria Goreti, Nadra Haywood, Ronald Allyson, Laura Poland, Marcella Morton, Sherry Crump Carmichael, Jess Barreras, Shelly Karen Seabrook, Yoona Kim, Ben Smith, Farah Shaikh, and Cheryl Winters to School Counselors Mind Your Shift!

I’ve always known that growing up as a latchkey kid would serve me well (I'm from the tail-end of the baby-boomer latchkey generation).

I learned to cook – without a microwave (but cereal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner were my go-to meals).

I learned to entertain myself for hours on end with games, books and about 5 television stations (and fighting with my brother).

I learned that I could move around the apartment (all 850 sq. ft. – f**k tiny house nation) while on the phone (if the phone cord was long enough – until I convinced my parents to get one, I had to hide in the closet next to the kitchen threshold) – my phone was on the kitchen wall – where was yours?

I learned that I could fake sleeping or fake being sick when necessary (not sure how this applies to the COVID-19 situation, but yanevahknow).

I learned that even when I couldn’t hang out with my friends – for whatever the reason (like being “punished” – that’s what we called it, not “grounded” – to be grounded suggests something positive like, “grounded in your values,” or “grounded by your actions” – let’s call it what it is, people!), I knew that I was part of a big family, living in one big building, and no one was too far away, and I always felt safe.

In all of this craziness, I do feel safe. It’s like we’re all living in this great big building – each in our own little cracker-box of an apartment, knowing that everyone is a just phone call, or a facetime, or a Zoom gathering away.

I am so grateful for each-and-every one of you. My life is filled with joy. Checking in on family and friends brings me joy. Creating a way for me to stay connected with my students brings me joy. Talking to a parent who needs a little comfort and support brings me joy. Knowing that I can still contribute to our economy and our community by ordering take-out brings me joy.

Yesterday, when I was on line (not in line – ON LINE), the cashier seemed stressed and she made the comment to the guy in front of me, who had a bunch of energy drinks and 2 half-gallon bottles of vodka, “Now you’ve got the right idea because it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” I said to her as she was ringing up my stuff, “I don’t think it will get worse, it can only get better because it’s always been good.” And, I do believe that it will get better. Every new change will bring a new normal because we will adjust.

Stay Safe, Stay Strong, Stay Connected, take time to Stay Still (that’s where your power really is), and we will create calm out of the chaos.

I will continue to check-in on you. If you need someone to talk to, I'm just a private message away.

To all our SCs,
I appreciated you

ACT Change Will Allow Students to Retake Individual Sections

12 times?! Are you effing kidding me?! This new super-scoring system smacks of a CFA (common formative assessment), to me. You'd think by the 12th time (yes - 12th time), a student could earn a perfect score. Why are we spending tax dollars (in some states) to pay for students to take the ACT? And, what obligation do we have to students if they want to improve their score? Do we continue to foot the bill or do we tell them, "You're on your own, kid."
On the upside, it's a great argument to move all grading systems to standards-based.

nytimes.com Starting next September, high schoolers won’t need to repeat the entire ACT exam to improve their score.

Please welcome Tim McCarty, Kaitlin Winters, Emily Midkiff, Michele Amundsen, Karen Guffey, Tristen Anderson Bergholtz, Canela Rise, Jenny Holland Cox, Kelly Stott, Donn Nabua, Christine Knight, Lisa Korn, Samantha Clock, Ann Oliver, and Marianne Rita Sevilla to School Counselors Mind Your Shift!

Today has been a day of smiles. 😊
I am proud to be a School Counselor, an educator. I am grateful to the parents who entrust their children to our care. This responsibility is never to be taken lightly. They are depending on us to help their children create happy memories, learn about themselves and that they are not alone in the world. We hold a power like no other... it is our responsibility to show them how to dream big, and imagine possibilities beyond their own beliefs. Inspire them, and instill in them what has yet to be imagined.

Say "hi" to Ann Oliver and Marianne Rita Sevilla!

Join me in welcoming Abi Awosika, Maria Jackson, April Manning, Anita Buie Mashburn, Alicea Figueroa, Melissa Romero, Kirsten Schleininger Barnes, Susana Daylin Bencomo Ginory, Suzanne Seadon, DeAnne Law, Kira LeNoble, Maher Tamana, Julie Stribling, and Nati Leal to School Counselors Mind Your Shift!

Just in time for back to school, America's having a school counselor crisis

A timely article. We MUST advocate for the profession as we advocate for students. I think there are some missteps in the article, but overall, it sends a clear message that the profession continues to struggle with setting boundaries and promoting benefits. I am honored to work among those who persevere, holding success and achievement paramount to barriers we face, daily. Love and Success to us all

deseretnews.com Why many schools and districts are in dire straits when it comes to counselors, and why this is a bigger deal than some may think.

Yes, Colleges Can Rescind Admission Offers. Here's What Educators Need to Know

Please read...

edweek.org In a recent high-profile case, Harvard College rescinded its offer to a school-shooting survivor after racist comments he’d written online surfaced. But how common is it for colleges to take back offers? And do students have any recourse?

For most of us, the school year has just ended or is winding down. Admit it - you're already thinking about the new term with all its possibilities! Or, maybe you're a brand new School Counselor. I can help...

Please welcome Natalie Grace, Alexis Dever Darrus, Dana Brown Fountain, Janell Choice, Bronwyn Blake, and GuidanceTeam St Paul Makati!