Bullying Awareness Pack Giveaway!!

Hello counselor friends!!

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend! With National Bullying Prevention Awareness month coming up in a few weeks, I have decided to do a giveaway where 2 lucky winners will receive my Bullying Awareness Pack for FREE! The giveaway starts at midnight and ends on Friday,September 19th!

This pack comes with a bully pledge, bookmarks, materials for an anti-bullying bulletin board, "is it bullying?" scenario cards, B.U.L.L.Y Acronym Sign, and "What should you do.?" draw/write activity! You can view this item in my TeachersPayTeachers store by clicking HERE. 

I recently just did a post on Ideas and Resources for National Bullying Prevention Month that you can check out for the upcoming month :)

You can enter this 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 answering one or both of the questions below: 
• What efforts/programs have you implemented in your school to help curb bullying?
• Do you have any bullying books/resources that you recommend for parents, counselors, small groups, classroom lessons, etc?

Thank you so much for checking out the blog! I will be announcing the winner on Friday night on my facebook page and blog so be sure to check back :)

Don't forget to enter in the box below! 

~Nicole

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Ideas & Resources for National Bullying Prevention Month!

Hello counselor friends!!

I hope that everyone enjoyed the long labor day weekend...I know I did!! Also, hopefully everyone's school year is off to a great start!

October is National Bullying Prevention Month! October will be here before you know it... and I have put together a list of resources and ideas that you can use at your school for National Bullying Prevention Month!


Encourage Kindness:  Starting a kindness campaign at your school or doing a kindness challenge can encourage students to be kind to one another and to help curb bullying! In additon, try to introduce students to new character traits, and working to build character as another effort that can be used! I created a Freebie Empathy Lesson  that you can download in my TpT Store!

Try a theme, acronym or both: Keeping a consistent theme throughout the month is a great way raise awareness in your school and for the kids to remember! I created a B.U.L.L.Y Acronym sign/poster for my teachers pay teachers store that you can download for FREE by clicking HERE. I also created an activity with an ice cream theme titled "Ice Cream to Stop Bullying" that you can use with the little ones! You can purchase it in my TpT store by In clicking HERE. It is great to use in your curriculum, groups, individuals, and even bulletin boards!

Incorporate theme school-wide and in your curriculum: Both of the above  products can work great as a school theme! You can incorporate the theme in your classroom lessons, and make it appropriate for each grade level. In your office, you can also display your story books on bullying! If possible, you can work with the media specialist at your school and ask him/her to place some bullying books on display as well. You can maybe even do something as a district and make it a district-wide theme!

Hold a parent night: If possible, host a parent night at your school on the issue of bullying. This is a great opportunity to build rapport with families, and inform others on the school's bullying policy. You can also answer questions, provide resources, and describe the school's role and the parents role in the effort to curb bullying! The ABC's of Bullying Prevention by Kenneth Shore offers great ideas and tips for schools and parents, you can order it on Amazon HERE.

I have also included a few websites and other resources that you can check out:

PACER Center: PACER Center has a page on their website dedicated to Bullying Prevention Month.  This page includes videos, educator toolkits, handouts, bullying facts, and more! You can also order FREE Bookmarks! (There is a S&H charge). You can click HERE to check out what PACER Center has to offer. They also have resources for Unity Day- Wednesday, October 22nd, where everyone can wear orange and unite against bullying.

Stomp out Bullying: Stomp Out Bullying offers ideas for each week in October! For example, students can make friends with someone they don't know at school the week of October 13th. There is also a Student Participation Toolkit with information on getting students involved, great things to add to

Stop Bullying Now! DVD: I got a FREE copy of the Stop Bullying Now! DVD Video Toolkit from the U.S. Department of Education's website. They have a number of FREE publications that you can download and/or order. The Video Toolkit includes webisodes that you can present with students, PSA's to present at your school, video workshops, and an instructor's guide for use in classroom lessons! You can order a FREE copy of this video toolkit by clicking HERE.
Also, you can click HERE to see all of the bullying publications that you can order from the U.S. Department of Education.

National Education Association (NEA): The National Education Association also has many FREE resources for bullying. You can also sign the pledge as a part of their Bully Free- It starts with me campaign. You can click HERE to sign the pledge! You'll also receive a free pin and poster, which is great to have in your office for students :)

SAMHSA: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also have bullying resources and many others that you can order for FREE! Click HERE to view/order the bullying publications and see everything that this website has to offer!

ASCA Resource Center: If you are an ASCA member, be sure to check out the ASCA Resource Center. They have resources on many topics, including bullying/relational aggression/confllict resolution including lesson plans, articles, documents, and more!


I hope that many of you will find this post useful! Also...bullying prevention efforts can be implemented all year long! This list is also not comprehensive, there are many bullying resources and ideas out there...and I would love to hear resources and ideas that you know about or have used. Feel free to share in the comments section below! Bullying is a very serious issue in school's across the country, and I would love to hear from you about efforts what you've made at your schools!

If you have bullying book recommendations for educators, parents, and for lessons with children...I would love to hear about those as well!! You can also click on "My Counseling Library" tab to see books that I own and recommend...I have them organized by topic!

Also, my new Bullying Awareness Pack is now available in my TeachersPayTeachers store! You can click HERE to purchase!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend :) I will also have another giveaway soon, so be on the lookout for that!!

Until Next Time,


~Nicole

Turning Dollar Store finds into Counseling Treasures!

Hi There!!

Hopefully everyone had a fantastic week! It is currently raining where I am, which made it the perfect time to make a plate of my favorite snack (pretzel crisps & carrots dipped in hummus) and catch up with my blog! 

I frequent the dollar store, and sometimes I even visit there to see what they have, and what great counseling ideas I can come up with for individuals and groups! I came up with a list of 5 things that I have purchased for my counseling treasure box that I use and plan to use again and again :)

1. Poster Board: I love to use poster board because the opportunities with this item are endless!! For a self-esteem group, having the members write their name in the center (they can also draw themselves or bring a picture in for a personal touch) and write personal attributes about themselves. You can even pass the boards around and have each group member write something nice about the other. Poster Board can be used in so many ways and for many topics including: 

• Memory Poster as a Grief Activity for Students 
• Getting to know you activity: a favorite things poster (Favorite food, favorite tv shows, and things that they are good at) 

Again, the list goes on and on! The best part is that a white poster board is 0.50 cents and around 70 cents for colored poster! These are a pretty decent size, you can always cut them in half or even fourths depending on the activity. The poster also gives the students something tangible to keep from the experience, which I love :) (Note: With the grief group, it is important to keep in mind the students that you are working with, and if the poster activity would be appropriate for that group of students)

2. Foam Dice: Comes with 2 in a pack! This was an awesome find, and in fact, I have included a picture below of the one I created :) Dice games can be created for just about anything! These can be found in the toy section, if you have paper or card stock this makes for an easy activity! Simply cut the paper or card stock into squares (6 squares if you are using 1 die and 12 if you plan to use both) Write questions or statement on each square and tape to dice! Have the students take turns rolling :) The best part is, you can simply remove the squares and use this again for another activity! I have also used the dice as is and each number corresponded to a question (classic dice game in counseling).

Here is an example of the Self-Esteem Questions that I added to my die :)

3. Balloons: Oh how I love balloons, and kiddos love them too! After reading "The Secret Olivia Told Me" by N.Joy (a book that is on my wishlist) for secrets and spreading rumors. I got the idea from this book, and first you start by blowing a balloon for the students (you can get a pack of 15 for $1 at the dollar store!) and also giving students sticky notes)...First the students will blow the balloon up as much as they would like, (but not too much so it doesn't pop). The point is, the bigger the secret or rumor, the bigger the balloon gets. Then the students can take turns writing on sticky notes ways to stop the balloon from getting bigger (the rumor from spreading :) Once all the students have given great ideas (you can even break them into groups for brainstorming different ideas) and the balloon can be popped. Having students remember these things to stop rumors and secrets from getting so big! 

In addition, Anger Management can be practiced by taking deep breaths in a balloon, or even the classic stressball recipe! which can be found here :) 

In eliminating negative self talk, have students write on balloons negative statements ("I can't do it, "I'm not smart enough) and popping them!

4. Gift Bags: Gift Bags are my go-to at the dollar store! In counseling, they can be quite therapeutic. I love Liana Lowenstein Books, and in "Creative Interventions for Children of Divorce", one of her interventions is the "Feel Better Bag" for children. You can always alter the contents of the bag for the kiddos that you are working with. Giving them something for their bag to help them feel better can give them something to look when they need to feel better. Again, this is a great tangible item for students! Kiddos can even decide if they have things of their own that they would like to put in their bag (maybe a favorite stuffed animal, picture, or drawing). Opportunities are endless with this item as well!

5. Cooking and Baking Tins: This may seem silly...but hear me out...it can be pretty amazing! In teaching students a certain topic, (I-Messages, deep breaths, bullying)- Making it into a recipe can be both fun and entertaining for students. For example, recipe for not bullying! Students can write and include statements for the baking tin To stop bullying, students can create a recipe list of telling an adult, use kind words, etc. I have included an example of the "Stop Bullying Cake" Below :) I cut squares of paper, but food shapes are great for this also!

~Nicole 

This pan is a bit rusty because I've used it for cooking, but you can purchase an alumninum pan for $1 :)

I hope that you all have enjoyed this post, and have found this to be useful in counseling on a budget! 

Also, Cheerful Counseling is now on Facebook! Yes...You heard right!! I will be adding a facebook button soon but for now you can click the link to like Cheerful Counseling on facebook here! There are more opportunities for sharing ideas in addition to the blog, and there will be a freebie for facebook fans coming soon! :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend...hoping for warm weather!!

~Nicole 

Hi and Hello from Nicole! :)

Ah...My first blog post!!
Just wanted to take this time and introduce myself and to welcome everyone to the Cheerful Counseling Blog!! 

Just wanted to take this time to introduce myself... My Name is Nicole, and I am a graduate student studying School Counseling!! My head is full of ideas...and I spend a great deal of time creating and thinking of counseling ideas, games, and activities that can benefit me now and in my future practice :) So, I decided to start this blog and share ideas with fellow School Counseling students and School Counselors that are already practicing. 

How did I come up with the name? Well that was the easy part...sort of (lol). I wanted the name to describe me and counseling in some way and then it came to me! Many who know me would agree that I am mighty CHEERFUL..then the name "Cheerful Counseling" came to life! 

My goal is to cater to counseling at all grade levels (elementary, middle, and high) sharing ideas with the counselors and counselors-to-be (like myself).  

Now having included that piece...I will leave you all with a freebie that you can grab from my TeachersPayTeachers store! This is my B.U.L.L.Y Acronym poster that will look great in any classroom or School Counseling office :) This is a great way to give students (elementary students in particular for this one!) alternatives to bullying...making this a great freebie download! Click the link below or my TpT thumbnail on the right side of this page!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Anti-Bullying-Poster-FREEBIE-1042307

I am currently working on the "Cheerful Counseling" facebook and Pinterest Page, where you all will be able to follow me soon! Details in upcoming blog posts! 

I was so eager to blog on here for the first time :) Now I am looking forward to many more posts! Take care everyone!!


~Nicole :)