- Cottondale Elementary School
- Counselor's Corner

Counselor's Corner
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Counselor's have specific curriculum guidelines to follow. Please see the ASCA site for more details. http://www.ascanationalmodel.org/
What do elementary school counselors do?
- School counselors serve all students at a school and help them be their best
- Facilitate classroom "Life Skills" lessons aligned with state standards in each classroom
- Organize school-wide service projects and special events as applications of our character education program
- Consult with parents, teachers, and administrators
- Provide materials to teachers and parents on topics related to the guidance and counseling standards when needed
- Connect families with school and community resources
- Talk with students who have a problem they'd like help solving or have something on their mind they'd like to talk about
- Visit with students in small groups built around shared needs like divorce/changing families, grief, anger management, etc.
- Counsel students individually
- Teach social skills and coping skills
What topics are part of the elementary school guidance and counseling standards?
- Emotional awareness and coping skills
- Conflict resolution
- Friendship/social skills
- Self-esteem
- Goal-setting
- Decision-making
- Character education (respect, responsibility, kindness, trustworthiness, etc.)
- Personal safety
- Behavior, choices and consequences & responsibility
- Career awareness and preparedness
- Academic skills and achievement
- Appreciating individual differences
What do we do in group and individual counseling?
- Draw pictures, play games, play with puppets or toys, work on projects
- Talk about little things, big things, or anything in between
- Build a positive relationship and connection at school
- Develop problem-solving abilities
- Teach coping strategies, social skills, etc.
- Build self-esteem and confidence
- Help children cope with difficult and/or unchangeable life events
- Help children recognize and make use of their potential
- Give children a neutral, open place to share their concerns and feelings
- Give children the opportunity to connect with students having similar experiences