Counselor Connect is a district-led and championed community of practice, offering high quality professional development, resources, and support for Student Service Professionals to foster the delivery of equitable, accessible, and data-informed services to students in the areas of academic, postsecondary, and social-emotional learning.
Celebrating School Social Work Week, March 7 – 13, 2021 | Beacon of Hope: School Social Workers – Lighting the Way
Thank you, School Social Workers, for the many ways you support students, administrators, educators, parents, and the community! We appreciate you!
Visit the School Social Work Association of America website and Indiana School Social Work Association page to access resources to promote the week! #BeaconofHope #SSWWeek2021
March’s Topic: District-wide Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Each month, we will feature some resources and professional development opportunities to align to our Counselor Connect priority topic!
Awareness of the benefits of SEL for students, educators, and parents has spread widely, especially during this past year as we have endured the pandemic and all that has come with it. Students have been impacted by social distancing and isolation, sickness and death of loved ones, missed educational and extracurricular experiences, systemic racism, and a fear of the unknown. Our children and youth are struggling.
Now, more than ever before, districts are interested in adopting systemic strategies that embed social-emotional learning across all areas of school. District leaders are looking for ways to engage students, build positive climates, strengthen relationships between students and staff, and better collaborate and involve parents and families.
Join us for our March Counselor Connect as we hear from two school districts from Hamilton County as they share how their districts have started the journey to embed SEL district-wide! You don’t want to miss this!
Resources for Providing District-Wide SEL Support:
- CASEL’s District Resource Center
- How Panorama Aligns with CASEL’s Framework for Districtwide SEL
- Why a District-wide Approach to SEL is our Best Hope for Managing COVID-19 Mandates for Home-Based Learning: A Case Study of RULER
- Creating a District-Wide K-5 SEL Program
Professional Development Opportunities
Here are some curated opportunities to help you support students and families.
UPCOMING COUNSELOR CONNECTS
The SEL Journey Through the Lens of Two Indiana Districts
Tuesday, March 9, 2021, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Register Here
Implementing Restorative Practices Within An MTSS Framework
Wednesday, April 28, 2021, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Register Here
INTERESTED IN PRESENTING?
We are always looking for educational voices to share expertise, tips, and resources. If you are interested in presenting, co-presenting, or sharing a component of your program, please complete the presenter proposal form here!
- CASEL Weekly Webinars
- Panorama Webinars and Mindfulness Mondays
- Character Strong – Free Webinars
Counselor Connects recorded in September 2020 and beyond can be accessed at our OnDemand site.
- Technology Tips (April 20, 2020)
- Communication Strategies During School Closures (May 7, 2020)
- School Reentry (May 21, 2020)
- How Brain Development, Learning and Behaviors are Affected by Adversity, Part 1 by Dr. Desautels (July 24, 2020) Presentation | Recording | Resources
- Resiliency Through the Adversity: Our Brains and Bodies Respond when the Conditions of Safety and Connection are Present, with Dr. Desautels | Recordings (September 23 & 30 2020)
- ASCA Webinars – All webinars recorded from March 15-August 31, 2020 are free to nonmembers. Some really timely topics include:
- Ethical Considerations: School Counseling in a Virtual Setting
- Virtual High School Counseling: Tier 1 How-to
- Online Safety Education for Kids
- The Power to Motivate
- Ethics on Virtual Counseling
COVID-19 Resources
Addressing Racism
- The ASCA U Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Specialist Training is FREE to ASCA members and nonmembers!
- Resources for Educators (compiled by the California Association of School Counselors)
- Resources for Talking About Race, Racism, and Radicalized Violence with Kids (Center for Racial Justice in Education)
- Teaching Tolerance: Race & Ethnicity
- ASCA Race and Equity Resources
- CASEL Resources
- New Jersey School Counseling Association
- Guidance for Facilitating Classroom Meetings on Race
School Counseling
We will continue to add resources so check back often!
- Sample Bitmoji Slideshow
- Sample Videos: Elementary (Westfield) | Fishers High School (Fishers)
- Sample Scripts for Counselor Introduction Messages
- How to Create a Virtual Classroom | Bitmoji Classroom Tutorial | Bitmoji Classroom Tutorials
- Virtual Elementary School Counseling Toolkit (ASCA)
- Virtual Middle School Counseling Toolkit (ASCA)
- Virtual High School Counseling Toolkit (ASCA)
- Ethical Considerations: School Counseling in a Virtual Setting: Part 1 Webinar | Part 2 Webinar
A resource for counselors on how to help students, staff members, and families reenter school while navigating a range of emotions from excitement to anxiety.
- Course Planning
- Effective Study Skills
- Organization and Study Skills Crash Course
- How to Study Effectively Video (High School Level)
- Everyday Study Skills (lesson plan and materials)
- Graduation Plans
- Best Practices for Effective Schools
- How to Engage and Support Urban Students
- Empirical Research Studies Supporting the Value of School Counseling
- Student Engagement Research
- Student Orientation Connected to Successful Completions
- ASCA’s Academic Development video library includes webinars regarding motivating students, using noncognitive skills to improve student success, improving attendance, attitude and achievement for at-risk students, and help students develop executive functioning skills.
Resources to support Social-Emotional Learning for students and adults are available here.
Check back often as new resources will continuously be added!
- Measuring Impact
- Data-Driven School Counseling in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports
- MTSS
- RAMP
- Resource Sharing
- Strategies Shared by Comprehensive Counseling Initiative (Lilly Endowment) Grant Recipients
Parents/Families
Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19
Tips for parents and educators for talking about COVID-19 and establishing a new “normal” in the home (available in multiple languages).
COVID-19: Five Helpful Responses for Families
Creating a sense of safety, connecting, and cultivating a new sense of normal with these five tips.
COVID-19 Remote Learning Resources
Resources for families to use when providing at-home learning opportunities for Indiana students.
Counselor Connect Development
The Counselor Connect Steering Committee, consisting of Student Service Professionals and Administrator representatives, assisted in the development of the vision, action plan, and selection of priority topics to be offered through professional learning opportunities. Member expertise will continue to be drawn upon for ongoing support and professional development needs through Tactic Teams.