Jotting it all down: Forms, Documentation, and Organization in School Counseling

Hello Counselors!!

It's been awhile since I've blogged! Things have been busy and I'm so glad to get back on here today!! Another thing that I am learning throughout my internship is finding a system for "Jotting it all down". Keeping track, documenting, and organizing are important parts of the job, and I've been working to find a system that works for me. I would also like to share some of the things that have worked for me:

1. Having a central place for everything: Structure is important for me, and when I had multiple folders for similar things, it started to get a bit overwhelming. Whether its an accordion file, file folders, binder, use what works for you!! I use a combination of file folders and a binder. Binders are extremely helpful for organization, and a great way to keep all of my counseling stuff organized, and everything stays in one place :) I typically use my file folders for keeping track of materials that need to be submitted such as applications, bulletin board materials, etc.

2. Clipboard and Forms: My clipboard is great for jotting down notes and keeping track on my logs!! When the logs are complete, I keep them in the "counseling logs" section of my binder! The forms and notes pages on my clipboard help remind me of what currently needs to be done. I purchased mine at Target for $4.00. I've also seen some cute personalized clipboards on Etsy that I have my eye on :) I always keep a pen clipped onto my clipboard for easy access!

3. Scrap Paper is your friend: Scrap paper is great way to jot down a quick note. I keep an envelope on my clipboard where I can keep my scrap paper reminders. Feel free to use old worksheets, cut them in 4's, and reuse the blank back pages for jotting down notes! Also, if you keep a file for each student, it can also be great for jotting down notes for your file.

4. Google Docs: I got introduced to google docs this year, and I love it :) I've began using it to create and email forms. For example, I created a classroom guidance survey for teachers on when to visit classrooms, specific topics, etc. The forms you create can also be emailed or used as a hard copy. You can also use it for documentation, and The Stylish School Counselor has a great post on google drive documentation that you can check out  by clicking HERE.


If you're a form-person (like me!) I have a few items in my TeachersPayTeachers Store that you can check out:

This message log is great for keeping track of messages from parents, teachers, and other staff members and documentation date & time of when the call was returned. You can download this item in my TpT store for FREE. Click HERE to download!!

This communication log is perfect for contacts and keeping track of conversations during our school day. There is space for name, date, notes, and if a follow up is needed.You can click HERE to download :)

My School Counselor Organization Pack and Planner Pack have been helpful to me also. I created this product because it really suits my needs, and I hope you find them useful too! 

You can purchase these for $2.50 each, and the School Counselor Planner Pack has been revised and now includes a BONUS Monday-Friday 2015-2016 calendar!! The School Counselor Organization Pack is available in many colors: You can click on the colors below to check it out in my TpT store:

Turquoise and Orange
Black and White
Pink and Green
Purple and Yellow


I hope that you found this post useful!!

How do you stay organized in the world of school counseling? Feel free to comment below, post on my facebook page/facebook message, or email at cheerfulcounseling@yahoo.com!! I would love to hear from you!!

~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

Starting your Practicum Experience: Things to keep in mind

Happy Sunday everyone!!

When I was coming up with today's post, I thought about how I felt when I started my practicum. It was a combination of nervousness and excitement! Now, I have decided to highlight a few things to keep in mind when starting your practicum experience that I found to be helpful for me!

1. Take everything in & ask questions: This is an important one! Practicum is a learning experience, so learn as much as you can! Asking questions is a part of learning, and this is a great way to learn more about the profession beyond the classroom! Observe as well as get involved as much as you can to get the most out of your practicum experience.

2. Build your resources: At the start of my practicum, I created a resource binder with divider sections (Personal/Social, Career, Academic, Professional). In this binder, I would add handouts and resources that I accumulated during my experience. Many of these resources were either given to me or some that I found to be helpful for myself.

3. Your supervisors are there to help: I cannot emphasize this enough, your counselor mentor/supervisor is there to help assist you with the learning process. Ask specific questions, and maybe even ideas and resources!

4. Go above & beyond:  You can also get more out of your experience by doing a little more than the minimum. If your supervisor allows it, you can even go in an extra day and learn even more. One of the things that I love most about counseling is the variety of each day! Be careful not to stress yourself out too much, and remember to balance with everything else that you have going on Which brings me to number 5...

5. Practice Self-Care early: The self-care piece is very important, and starting early can go a long way! By learning to practice self-care, you can avoid counselor burn out by making time for yourself even with your busy schedule. Click HERE to check out my self-care blog post!

6.  Stay Organized with everything: I love staying organized, and I mentioned in my previous organization post that I love to keep a binder for everything. I love binders for a number of reasons: they are fun to put together and everything stays in one place! In my binder, I had a section for note taking, my small groups, counseling logs, and materials for classroom lessons that I did. I used the ASCA Lesson Plan Template to plan for my lessons. For my small groups section, I included some printables that I created to help me keep things organized for my group:

You can download these forms for FREE!
Small Group Planning Materials 
Small Group Debriefing Chart

If you are working with elementary students, it may even be helpful to print out a Confidentiality poster and keep it in your binder! You can download my confidentiality sign HERE.

7. Stay on top of your hours- and planning: Remember how many hours you need, and always know how many you have. Planning ahead is also important, and knowing how much time you have to get the hours you need. In my program, we track our hours using excel, which is extremely helpful! I plan to start using calendars this year for internship by writing school closings and important dates ahead of time. This is going to make planning ahead so much easier! It is also helpful to print off the school calendar as well!

You can download my 12-month calendar set for free by clicking HERE. This set only includes Monday through Friday, but I also have a Blank Calendar Printable that has a Sunday start, and a small section for notes if you need it :) They can all be hole punched and placed in your binder, if that's what you choose to use!

8. Do your best: Remember that it is OK not to have all the answers just yet. This is a learning experience, and remember to ask your supervisor questions and consult with him/her as well. Remember, practice makes perfect! The more experience that you get, the better! I am so eager for the fall semester to begin so that I can learn even more :)

Also, if you are running small groups, be sure to check out my Tips for Running Small Groups post!

I got together with a friend of mine and we had a counseling craft night, where we created stress balls with feelings faces. They are super easy to make, you can find the instructions HERE. All you need is flour, balloons, pencils, and funnels! We used sharpie markers to draw feelings faces on them! We decided to make this a regular thing! You can always get together with friends in your program and have a counseling craft get-together! In an attempt to practice self-care, we watched a movie to balance things out!






I hope you enjoyed this post!! Enjoy the rest of your summer, and good luck to all the other practicum and internship students! School counselors, do you have any advice for new counselors or those just entering the field? Feel free to comment below!

Until next time,


~Nicole

Kindle Fire for Counseling, Part 2 :)

Hello everyone!!

I know that many of you are at #ASCA14 this week, and I hope that you are having a great time and I wish I could be there! :) A few months ago, I did a post on using the Kindle Fire for counseling which you can read HERE. Recently, I have discovered more things that the Kindle has to offer, and I wanted to share them with you all! These apps are great for working with students, and staying organized!

• College Seeker: This is a FREE app available that allows you to search for colleges using various criteria. There is even space to enter SAT scores, location, public or private, and number of students! You can even filter your search by state, which I love, and can work out great for High school counselors and students!
• My Notebooks: This app has definitely changed the way that I jot things down. This app is also FREE, and I love it!! With this app, you can keep a notebook for just about anything, and choose from different covers! I have created a digital notebook for food recipe ideas, crafting, and my blog. I also plan to add a notebook for future small groups, bulletin boards. The app also has TONS of space to add many notebooks! Did I mention that you can attach documents and photos in your notebooks? Yes, and pages can also be exported into a PDF and emailed to yourself! This is a great way to keep those ideas organized! In addition to writing, you can also use the drawing and painting tool! This can be applied to counseling and many other areas, and keeping those ideas organized!
  
• Simple List FREE: This is great to digitally keep track of the many tasks that you have on your plate. You can have multiple lists, giving each a title :) For example, I like to organize things that need to be done for each task. For my ASCA Bullying Prevention Specialist Training, I created a specific to-do list for all of the tasks :)
• Whiteboard: This FREE app is great for kids, where they can draw, create shapes, and add text! 
• Palette Painter: This is also FREE, and similar to Whiteboard, as kids can draw and express themselves digitally! 
• Scholly: Scholarship Search: This app is 99 cents, and allows students to search for scholarships that they qualify for by gender, grade, GPA, state, race/ethnicity. This app can be great for having specific scholarship information available for high school seniors!  :)
• Jorte Calendar & Organizer: If you love to keep track of things on a digital planner, this FREE app is perfect for you! It can help you keep track of personal responsibilities, classroom guidance lessons, small groups, meetings, etc. 

Are you interested in purchasing a Kindle Fire? I purchased the Kindle Fire HD 7" for $139 on amazon. When I first purchased it, they offered me a FREE one month trial of amazon prime for FREE! 

I am always on the look out for Amazon kindle resources for counseling, and I will be sure to always share them! 

Books that I have on my Kindle Fire:

The School Counselors' Book of Lists by Dorothy J. Blum and Tamara E. Davis: This book is excellent! It provides great information on all aspects of the school counseling program (e.g. working with parents, small group sessions, working with students, and more!) I recommend this! 

Cyber Kids, Cyber Bullying, Cyber Balance by Barbara C. Troll and Constance Hanel: I read this book for the ASCA Bullying Prevention Specialist Training and I love it! This is a great resource to have on the issue of cyberbullying!

Dr. Seuss Books

Joy Berry Classics: These cover a number of topics for the little ones! 

My TpT Summer Sale starts tomorrow!! Everything in my store will be 20% off until Thursday! Click on the widget to your right to check out my store! :)

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and be sure to RELAX!! 

Take care, 

~Nicole 

My Internship Kit

Hi Everyone!

It's been a few weeks since I've blogged and its always nice to get back on here :) It's saturday and a beautiful day outside and this has put me in the blogging mood!

With Internship fast approaching, I am so excited!! In practicum, I was super organized with everything and I plan to do the same for internship. For an organized person like me, I like to have it all in one place. I wanted to share my Internship Resource/Organization Kit with everyone and I have included: what I bring, how I pack, and how I keep it all organized!

  For starters, I love my Thirty One Organizing Utility Tote! I use this tote because of how roomy it is in the inside, the many pockets on the outside, and its flat bottom for easy access and organization of items! This is my tote of choice, but feel free to use any tote that you like and what works for you :) You can locate a thirty one representative in your area HERE. I include the following in my internship kit (I will discuss each in further detail)
1. School Counseling Internship Binder (Where I keep many resources and materials)
2. Counseling Notebook
3. Small art supply case
4. Counseling go-to resource book
5. Quick icebreaker and activity ideas


1. My School Counseling Internship Binder: This binder starts off pretty empty in the beginning, but I include a divider for each domain (Academic, College/Career & Personal/Social) and include resources that I accumulate during my experience! When you're done, you've got some school counseling resources available in your binder and you are good to go! I'm using a 1 1/2 inch binder (from target) which has plenty of room and fits perfectly in my organizing tote! In addition to building resources, I learned from The Helpful Counselor  that it is good to keep emergency information and resources in your binder (suicide resources, child abuse & neglect, etc.) Which I have decided to do too!
For the little ones in particular, having blank paper in your binder can be a good idea as well, and there are tons of activities that can be done with simply paper, pencil, crayons/colored pencils, etc. I have included links to other awesome printables that I have included in my binder as well that you can download for free!!

• My School Counselor Appointment Reminders
• Stylish School Counselor's "Check in Scale"- Download it HERE
• Stylish School Counselor's "Confidentiality Rules"- Download it HERE

2. Counseling Notebook: I absolutely love this! I used a Five Star Notebinder to make this which is an idea from the amazing school counseling blog JYJCounselor! I used some ideas from the post to create my own! This Five Star Notebinder is amazing! It comes with lined paper, graph paper, and dividers! I ordered my notebinder with customizable cover on amazon HERE.
I have the following divider sections that I use for this notebinder:
*Small Groups
*Schedules & Calendars
*Meeting Notes
*Notes
*Counseling Logs (I keep my to-do lists here as well)

I used my School Counselor Organization Pack for this notebook that you can purchase in my TeachersPayTeachers store for only $2.50! It comes complete with log sheets/forms, dividers, and binder covers to help making organization a breeze!! Purchase it here!

Other items that I used for my Counseling Notebook (You can download them for free!)

• My Small Group Planning Materials: Download them HERE
• My School Counselor To-Do List Printable: Download it here!
• "A Year of Many Firsts" Chevron Binder Covers and Monogram it for free HERE!
• My Blank 12-month calendar freebie (Monday-Friday)- They are blank and can be printed and used year after year! Download for free!
• My Small Group Debriefing Chart

3. Small Art Supply Case: I love to keep this case in my Internship Kit, they are only about $1 at the dollar store or walmart! It fits perfectly in my kit, and I keep 24-pack crayons, glue sticks, scissors, colored pencils, and 10-pack of markers, which are all inexpensive!

4. Counseling go-to resource book: My book of choice for my kit is "Grab Bag Guidance: And other Small-Group Counseling Topics for Middle School Students" by Becky Kirby!! Her books are amazing, especially for middle school counselors. With me being at the middle school for internship, her books are awesome!! "Grab Bag Guidance" includes energizers and wonderful activities that cover so many topics including grief & loss, divorce, success skills, self-esteem, etc. Excellent for classroom and group activities! I will be doing a future blog post on my favorite counseling books and resources soon, featuring books by Becky Kirby! This book is about $30 but totally worth it! You can purchase it HERE and get free shipping! Feel free to choose your book of choice for your kit!!

5. Quick Ice Breaker and Activity Ideas: This bag can be great to have whenever you are in need of a quick ice breaker or individual/group activity. I got my first Thumball as a christmas present, and I cannot wait to use this with students! Great way to get to know students as well, and they are about $10 on amazon! I also have included blank index cards as they can serve many purposes! These can serve as quick converstation starters activity by writing down questions that pertain to your group topic, or have group members write their own questions to share! They can even be cut and taped on to large foam dice, which I have also included. The dice game can be a great interactive game for any group, and you can always remove the squares and place new questions for a different group! I purchased my foam dice for only $1, and you can check out my blog post on foam dice and other dollar store counseling finds HERE!


The best part about it is....everything fits in one place! All in my organizing tote! I even have space for my Vera Bradley Lunch Bunch Tote!

Pardon my slipper...lol! There are a number of pockets on the outside in case I need them, which I love..there's even space for a small water bottle in one of the pockets! I have actually use one pocket for post-it notes and pen in case I need to jot down something quickly! In additon, a small notebook/notepad can be great for your intership kit! 

I hope that you all have enjoyed this post and have found it useful! Also, feel free to adjust your kit for your age group as well!! I hope that you all enjoy your week!! Also, don't forget to like Cheerful Counseling on Facebook! Facebook fan freebie coming soon!! 

I would also like to hear from you!! What ways have or did you stay organized in internship?? If you are a practicing school counselor, how do you stay organized now? What advice do you have for interns or those just entering the profession? Feel free to post in the comments!! 

~Nicole 

Happy March & Happy Organization!

Happy March Everyone!

This week was the week of midterms....as I'm sure many of you can relate or have been through the stress that midterm week entails :) Even with the stress of midterms, I still made some time to take advantage of the "3 Million Teachers Strong Sale" on TeachersPayTeachers, and I hope that you all did too! I got some pretty awesome stuff that I cannot wait to use with students, and hang up in my future office!!

Lately, I've been thinking of ways to stay organized...and having fun while doing it... from looking at other school counseling blogs, many have pretty fantastic ways to stay organized also...Right now, I am obsessed with having a binder cover for every binder and customizing everything...It just makes everything look so pretty :) In creating my School Counseling Internship Binder, I also enjoy having dividers that make my binder POP and fun to carry around :)

Last week, I uploaded my School Counselor Organization Pack! I am very proud of this product, and organizing things is a hobby of mine (its a silly hobby compared to others, but it makes me happy, haha lol) This is great for keeping any School Counselor and School Counseling Intern organized with everything that there is to do :) You can purchase this product on my TeachersPayTeachers store by Clicking on the right thumbnail or the link here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Counselor-Organization-Pack-1126751

As you can see this pack comes with a number of awesome things for only $2.50! It comes with the following:

• Counseling Notebook Binder Cover Page (In both color & grayscale)
• Binder dividers (Meeting Notes, Notes, Small Groups, Counseling Logs, Schedules, and Calendars)
• Small Group Planning and Documentation Form
• Parent Contact Log
• Meeting Notes Sheet (For taking notes at those meetings)

The binder dividers can be used for binder covers also, and inexpensive sticky tabs look great on the side :) I am in the process of putting my binder together and I will post the completed product in a future post!

This blank calendar can be downloaded for free also, and is a great addition to a Counseling Binder...I plan to use this myself and it will serve many purposes from scheduling and planning small groups, school wide events, and classroom guidance. It also works as a communication calendar with teachers. For instance, you can have the calendar posted in the office, teachers lounge, etc (a place where teachers frequent) and they can sign up for times that work for the school counselor to visit their classroom (so instruction time is not interrupted)! The best thing about it is that teachers can sign up at their own time!

 This calendar can be downloaded for free!! Check it out :) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Blank-Calendar-Printable-1101169


This post may have been a bit wordy...but I just had so much to say and share!! What resources do you have to stay organized? I would LOVE to hear them...feel free to post any comments, questions, and ideas below!!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone! I'm sure that many of us will be staying warm!!


~Nicole