Happy November!!
I hope that the school year is going well for everyone :) I woke up this morning in the mood to share some counseling ideas today!
For today's post, I will be discussing different tips & resources to have in your toolkit for academically at-risk students, These resources and ideas can be helpful in helping these students succeed and reach their goals!
Tool for tracking student progress: This has been very helpful for us at our school. At my internship site, we have a progress tracker binder for each grade level. We keep the students in alphabetical order by last name by using A-Z divider tabs. You can purchase these at walmart or any office supply store! I created a progress tracking sheet to track the students that I meet with, On this sheet, I write down their grades for the midterm period, help needed & topics discussed during meetings, progress notes, and their final grades for the quarter. This is a great way for me to document the progress of students, and track their progress throughout the school year. Also, it is a great way to make use of data in our work with students!
You can download my Student Progress Sheet Freebie by clicking
HERE. If a student sets a goal for themselves, I typically place it at the top of this sheet!
Realistic Goal Setting: The S.M.A.R.T, goals method is my absolute favorite, and helping students to set goals can be very beneficial to their overall success in school. By looking at their current grades, you can help the student to formulate a realistic goal on what they hope to achieve. These goals can either be short term or long term. The student can set a goal for the end of the school year, or for the end of the grading period. The goal(s) set by the student can also be documented in the progress tracker binder. I find it beneficial for students to take part in the goal setting process and helping them work towards their goal.
I found this excellent resources on
Edutopia for setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals with students that you can read by clicking
HERE.
Useful Tips & Tricks: Providing the student with useful tips & tricks can also be beneficial to their academic success. For example, if a number of students are struggling with homework completion, prioritizing, and organization, doing a classroom lesson or small group can help to address these issues with students and provide help!
The three C's: Consultation, Collaboration, and Communication: The three c's are essential! Communicating, consulting and collaborating with teachers and other staff can allow you to combine various skills to reach a common goal. The teachers in particular can provide you with information on students, and the specfic areas where these students may struggle. The three c's are a great resource and can help you in reaching goals with students.
Unique Inteventions: It is also important to make sure the interventions can services provided fit the needs of the student. Each student is unique, and different interventions can be set in place for assistance in school success and acheiving their academic goals. This is also where collaboration with teachers can come into play,
Highlighting their Strengths & Skills: While working to help students with their weaknesses, strengths are also important. When students are aware of the areas where they excel, it can serve as a confidence booster. Strengths and skills can be applied in the classroom setting in an attempt to help them improve their grades and form a better attitude towards school.
I hope that you find this post useful! :) I've got some great blogging ideas coming up for November...so stay tuned!
What resources/ideas do you have for students academically at-risk? Have you ran any small groups for these students? Feel free to comment below, I would love to hear them!
Take care,
~Nicole
