5 Ways to Show Appreciation for your School Staff!

Hey Everyone!! :)

It feels so good to be back in the schools! For internship, I am at the middle school level this year and I am super excited :) Today I wanted to talk about showing staff appreciation. I like to think of  the school staff as a play, everyone plays their parts and contributes to make the show a success!! Along the way, sending appreciation towards the staff can go a long way! It doesn't have to cost a ton of money to show your staff you appreciate them, and I have highlighted tangible (and non-tangible) ways to do so:

Kind Words: Seeing this firsthand, telling them that they're awesome and how much you appreciate them can really go a long way! On the busiest and craziest of days, it can be relieving and nice to hear that their hard work is greatly appreciated!

Blank Notes: I love doing this for people! Taking the time to write a sweet note to staff can also make someones day! I bought some super cute blank note cards from the dollar store and I keep them available whenever I need them :) It is also something they can post, and it can even give them "warm fuzzies" when they look at it! If you don't have blank note cards, a blank sheet of paper can work just fine!

Something they love: Whether it is their favorite snack, coffee drink, or morning breakfast, this can be a sweet little surprise for staff! Knowing that you thought of them can give them the "warm fuzzies" inside!

Do someone a favor: When a member of your staff is super swamped, a simple deed to make their day a little less stressful can sometimes make all the difference! Whether it's making copies, or taking even one thing off their busy to-do list can be extremely helpful :)

Frame Something: This is such an awesome gift idea! I love this, and you can purchase frames at the dollar store! You can frame many things: a photo, a special note, drawing, or even great character traits for that person. This is my absolute favorite sentimental gift, and can serve as great office/classroom decor.

 Also, I wanted to share my newest product on TeachersPayTeachers! My School Bus Safety Pack! It comes with some materials that you can use when teaching the little ones about being safe and following the School Bus Safety Rules :) You can click HERE to purchase!

These are some ideas that you can do with your staff :) I hope that you have found this post useful! What are some staff appreciation ideas that you've done at your school? I would love to hear them, feel free to share & comment below! :) Remember, it's the little things!

Good Luck to everyone as you start the school year!!

~Nicole

Back to School Giveaway!!

Hello Counselors!!

Back to School has put me in a good mood....I've decided to do a second giveaway!! This time, I will be randomly selecting 2 lucky winners using rafflecopter!!

The winners will get to choose 1 item from my TeachersPayTeachers store for FREE!! You can click HERE to view the items in my store!

The giveaway starts at midnight (Monday, August 18). I will be announcing the winner on my blog and facebook page on Friday, so be sure to check back!! You can enter my giveaway in the following ways:

• "Like" Cheerful Counseling on Facebook in the box below!! 
• Follow me on Twitter in the box below! 
• Comment on this blog post! 

Also, TpT is having a One-Day Sale on Wednesday August 20th. In addition, everything in my store will be an additional 20% off! :) I love Back to School!!

Good Luck! Don't forget to enter to win in the box below :)


~Nicole

a Rafflecopter giveaway

School Year Lunch Packing Tips & Ideas!

Hello everyone!!

A good friend asked me about lunch ideas for school counseling internship. I thought it would be a good idea to do a post on this! These tips are great for interns, professional school counselors, teachers, and more!

Leftovers: Packing leftovers can make your life so much easier on those busy mornings! When making dinner, I will sometimes make a little extra for lunch the next day :) Put some leftovers in a container, along with some other items, and you are good to go!

Pack an easy on-the-go breakfast: This is great if you don't have time to eat breakfast at home, and you can pack these easy (and somewhat healthier ideas). I love the on-the-go microwavable oatmeal cups, fruit, and greek yogurt! I place my fruit in a container or plastic snack bag so that its ready to take with me! Also, I like to get a good breakfast in, just in case things get busy and there is no time to each lunch! Other breakfast items that I enjoy are: toasted bagel with cream cheese, coffee, and boiled or scrambled eggs!

Meal Prepping: Many of my family members engage in meal prepping, and I think it is a fabulous idea! By preparing food for the week, it helps out in so many ways: You won't have to do much during the week, and easy lunch packing! Some of the things that are easy to prep are tuna salad, grilled chicken, cooked veggies, and chicken salad. When I am making my lunch for the next day, I can make a lunch using the food that is already prepared, which I love!

Water is essential: I don't know what I would do without my water bottle! I use the Contigo Auto Seal Water Bottle that you can order from amazon, comes in great colors! It is important to stay hydrated. Although soda and caffeine can help us throughout the day, they can sometimes dehydrate you. I try to drink more water in addition to drinking other beverages. To spice things up, I will add lemon or cucumber to flavor my water, great beverage to drink with lunch! You can easily refill your bottle at work :)

Balance things out: When I pack my lunches, I like to have balance. I usually pack some form of protein, fruit or veggie, and a snack! My protein usually consists of meat or greek yogurt, or both! My favorite fruits & veggies are: carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, grapes, and pineapple, and apples! Needless to say, I love fruits and veggies! I like to include at least one of my favorite snacks: wheat thins/ritz crackers, pretzels, chips, or rice cakes!

Variety is key: I sometimes get tired of the same thing, so I try to switch things up when I pack my lunch. I make sure to not pack the same thing too many days in a row! Also, when I pack different things that I like, it gives me a yummy lunch to look forward to! Pinterest is a great place to find new and exciting lunch ideas!

Quick Snacks: I briefly discussed different snacks, and my reasoning for that is so that I have something that I can grab quickly. Sometimes things get busy and a lunch break may be far out of reach. A quick snack is good to have for lunch bunches with students also :) Having a quick snack available in your office can be a good idea!


Packing lunches is one thing that I like to do, and finding fun new things to pack is exciting! What things do you pack for lunch? Feel free to comment below!!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!! :)


~Nicole

Getting ready for Internship!

Hello again!!

I have been blogging quite a bit lately, but I am so excited for fall and I have so much to share! :) With many school counseling graduate students out there, the time for fall internship is upon us! I am getting ready myself and I have put together a list of things that you can do to prepare! :)


1. Organize your items: Staying organized goes a long way in internship! This summer, I took the time to create my own internship planner to use for this year! I created a section for schedules & calendars, small groups, meeting notes, notes, and counseling logs. I took a few photos of my planner to show an example of how I put it all together! I used a Five Star notebinder with a customizable cover, Jyjoyner Counselor has a great counselor notebook post using the notebinder! You can click HERE to order a notebinder on amazon!

 You can download the following items for FREE in my TpT Store!

• To-Do List for School Counselors
• Blank 12 Month Calendar Set

2. Visit the school website: If you have the time, take the look at the schools website where you will be interning! By doing this, you can look at special events, important contact information, academic calendars,

 and more! By taking a look at the academic calendar, you can plan ahead with hours and taking note of school closures, early dismissals, etc. Many schools have their information available online!

3. Go in early for an orientation: If you are able to, try to go in early for an orientation if you haven't already. This is great time to take a tour of the school, and get somewhat familiar with your surroundings before the official first day! Take this time to ask any questions that you may have. If you are unable to, getting in contact with them via phone or email before the first day can be a great way to prepare yourself also...or both!

4. Make a list of everything that you need: Things and ideas can pop into our heads at random times..happens to me all the time :) Try keeping a list of what things you need or want to use for internship. Also, try to note what you would like to pack with you! This can be anything...from items for working with students and what to pack for lunch! For ideas on packing and organizing, feel free to check out My Internship Kit blog post!

5. Gather some resources to help you get started: Pinterest is a great place to start for getting together great school counselor resources! Traci R Brown has an awesome post on Pinterest for School Counselors, you can click HERE to read it :) Ready-to-use icebreakers are great when getting started with students as well!

6. Sign up for a library card: I love checking out the local library for counseling resources to borrow! I did this during practicum and I plan to do the same for internship. In addition, check out the counseling books that may be available in the library at your university. I love checking both places for books that I can use in lessons with students, books for professional development, and more! If there is a book that you want, check your local and university library to see if it is available :) Also...it is FREE to borrow!


I have also created a School Counseling Internship Kit that you can purchase in my TeachersPayTeachers store for only $2.50! It includes a internship binder cover page, contact information form, dates to remember, notes page, dice icebreaker activity, internship schedule and counseling internship log! You can click HERE to purchase. I also used my  School Counselor Organization Pack!

Be sure to check out other posts here on my blog for internship!

• Starting your practicum experience: Things to keep in mind
• Tips for running small groups! (Great for first timers!)
• My Internship Kit 

Feel free to check out these great posts from other amazing School Counseling Bloggers! 

• 36 Must-have Experiences for School Counseling Interns by The Helpful Counselor 
• Intern Advice from an Intern by JYJoyner Counselor 
• The Internship: Get Organized!  by Traci R Brown
• Getting Organized for Internship by The Spirited School Counselor 

I hope that you found this post useful! Good luck with internship!! :) What advice do you have for school counseling interns? Feel free to comment below :)

~Nicole