Joseph Maher School Counseling Portfolio

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE 2

THEORETICAL ORIENTATION 3

RESUME 5

ICE BREAKER ACTIVITIES 6

ASSESSMENTS 10

COUNSELING INTERVENTIONS AND ACTIVITIES 16

RESOURCES 30

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Introduction and Purpose

This portfolio serves to introduce my professional background and the experience I have

gained as a student in Hunter College’s CACREP accredited M.S. Ed. in School Counseling.

This binder is informed by the American School Counselor Association’s ASCA Ethical

Standards for School Counselors, my foundation in person-centered, multicultural, feminist,

social cognitive, solution focused, health and wellness, and ecological systems counseling

theories, and my years of professional experience working as an admissions consultant and as

a counseling intern in New York City public schools.

I also hope to show how my values—love of learning, adaptability, professionalism,

dedicated work ethic, commitment to equity in education, and deep empathy for students—

combine with the frameworks listed above to show that I can be both a competent

Professional School Counselor capable of creating, delivering and managing an effective and

efficient data-informed comprehensive counseling program, as well as serving as a valuable

partner in advocating for and implementing progressive change in public education.

This portfolio will include a personal mission statement that explains my goals for school

counseling, a more in-depth explanation of my theoretical background, a resume detailing my

professional and academic experience, and ice-breaker activities, assessments, counseling

interventions and activities, and resources to be used with high school students grades 9 – 12.

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Personal Mission Statement

After graduating from New Rochelle High School in Westchester, I received my bachelor’s

degree from Pomona College in Southern California, where I received a broad liberal arts

education and majored in Asian Studies. After college, I spent a year as a classroom teacher

in Southern China, and over 3 years working as a college counselor and manager at a

boutique American college admissions consultancy in Beijing. I moved back to New York to

get professional training and experience in working to create equity and access in education,

which I have done by seeking out and creating learning opportunities both inside and outside

of the classroom as a 4.0 student, President of the Chi Sigma Iota Honors Society, and intern

at the High School of Math Science and Engineering.

As a Professional School Counselor, I will continue to draw from my past experiences—the

value of public education instilled in me in high school, the spirit of progressive action and

scholarship instilled in me in college, the leadership, organizational, and language skills I

gained in China, and the applied knowledge I gained in graduate school and as an intern at a

specialized high school. More importantly, I will continue to seek out a diverse range of ideas

from my peers, administration, parents, and students in order to provide my school with the

social emotional, academic, and college and career development support it needs to ensure its

students graduate and become well-rounded community members. Progress happens when

families, administration, staff, and other community members feel their voices are heard and

there is buy-in from everyone. I will take my time to know my school community and their

needs, and use that information to deliver services and interventions that are relevant, results

oriented, and equitable.

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Theoretical Orientation

As a counselor, I draw from multiple theories and use a variety of strategies to best

accommodate each individual student. No student is the same, and no approach should be the

same, but my overall approach as a counselor is not to “fix” the student, but rather to help the

student find tools they can use to build themselves into stronger individuals and community

members. Below I have listed the theories that have been most influential on my style and

some highlights of each theory that guide my practice.

Person-Centered Counseling

- People are trustworthy, resourceful, capable of self-understanding and self-direction,

able to make constructive changes and live effective and productive lives.

- Nobody is ever fully “self-actualized,” rather they are continually involved in the

process and struggle of betterment.

- Counselors build trust and rapport with students through “congruence,” or realness.

- Counselors should seek to have “unconditional positive regard,” or acceptance and

caring, for all students.

- Counselors should strive for “accurate empathic understanding,” or an ability to grasp

the subjective world of their students.

Multicultural Counseling

- Lifestyles, cultural values, and worldviews affect the expression and determination of

deviant behavior.

- Counselors must explore their own biases in order to work effectively with a diverse

student body.

- Student identities should be understood on the individual level, the group level, and

the universal level.

- Counselors should use both universal and culture-specific strategies and roles in

working with students.

Solution Focused Brief Counseling

- Counselors work with students to recognize the competencies they possess and create

positive expectations that change is possible.

- Counselors work with students to think critically about the other side of the story they

present in order to find solutions to problems.

- Small changes pave the way for larger changes.

Feminist Therapy

- Counselors must acknowledge the impact of society and politics upon the student.

- Counselors are committed to promoting a more equal and equitable vision for society.

- Counselors must acknowledge both the oppression of and strengths of marginalized

students.

- Counselors should strive for an egalitarian partnership with students.

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Health and Wellness Counseling

- Counselors promote preventative holistic health amongst all students.

- Counselors work to integrate physical, social, and spiritual health into students’ lives.

Social Cognitive Career Theory

- Counselors help create self-efficacy among students by promoting opportunities for

personal performance accomplishments and positive physiological and emotional

states, and creating space for observation of vicarious experiences and a school

culture of social persuasion.

- Counselors promote effort, engagement, and persistence to increase students’

outcome expectations and help them set more ambitious personal goals.

Ecological Systems Theory

- Students’ thoughts and actions should be viewed within their developmental context.

- Student development is dependent in large part upon their environment and the micro-

(family, classroom), meso- (ties between home and school), exo- (parent’s work), and

macro- (policies and culture) systems that the student interacts with.

- Counselors must take a phenomenological approach to understand a student’s

perceived reality.

- “Ecological transitions,” such as taking on a new role in a school club or moving up a

grade in school, have the strength to alter how a student thinks and feels.

- Counselors should advocate for systemic alternations that challenge the forms of

social organization, belief systems, and lifestyles that negatively affect their students.

By selectively and strategically applying the above theories and continuing to stay abreast of

new theoretical trends in the fields of counseling and school counseling, I will be able to

provide direct and indirect counseling services that are effective for all students.

Resume

See pages 6 and 7.

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Ice Breaker Activities

Mofongo/Mondongo

Age Group: All ages

Materials: two different props (either balls, bean bags, or small stuffed animals)

Directions:

- Arrange group of 6 to 12 students in a circle, either seated or standing. The facilitator

starts by holding both props.

- The facilitator holds up one prop and announces “this is a mofongo” (a name for a

Puerto Rican plantain dish).

- The facilitator then instructs that the “mofongo” must be passed the entire way around

the circle clockwise, person by person. Each time it is passed, the following exchange

must take place:

- Passer: “This is a mofongo.”

- Receiver: “A what?”

- Passer: “A mofongo!”

- Receiver: “Oh, a mofongo!”

- The conversation must happen before each pass, and if there are any mistakes at all

the “mofongo” prop goes back to the start.

- After the group is successfully able to go the whole way around the circle, the

facilitator congratulates the group and holds up the second prop, stating “this is a

mondongo” (a name for a Latin American tripe soup)

- The facilitator lays out the same rules for the “mondongo” as for the “mofongo,”

except that it has to travel in the opposite direction, and passes off both of the props

one after the other.

- The activity ends when both props make it the whole way around the circle at the

same time without any mistakes.

Group Juggle

Age Group: Middle to High School

Materials: Up to 15 balls, bean bags, or small stuffed animals; bin

Directions:

- Arrange group of 6 to 15 students in a standing circle.

- The facilitator starts holding one ball (or other soft item) and explains that the ball

must be thrown underhanded to every single person in the group. The ball cannot be

passed to the person directly next to the thrower. The last person must toss it into the

bin in the center. Before throwing the ball, the thrower must say the name of the

receiver, and the receiver must say “ready.” If the ball falls, they must leave it there

and the facilitator will pick it up.

- After two failures in a row, the facilitator asks the group what they think went wrong,

and what they think went right, and the group is given 1 minute to strategize.

- Once the group is able to complete the task with one ball, the facilitator adds one

more ball. If they complete it again, the facilitator keeps adding balls until there is one

ball for every person in the group being thrown.

- The activity ends when the group has completed a cycle with all of the balls, or when

the facilitator has run out of time.

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Identity Fun

Age Group: All ages

Materials: None

Directions:

1. My New Friend

- Pair off a group of 10 to 20 students.

- Have partners exchange names and answer two predetermined questions (i.e.

What is your dream vacation? What is your favorite food?)

- Have students go around and introduce their partners to other students using

the information from the questions.

2. Hello I’m Not

- Have students walk around and introduce themselves to everyone in in the

group, and then say who they’re not.

- Ex: “Hello, I’m Joe. I’m not Frank over there in the blue shorts, I’m not Isaiah

with the afro, I’m not Jenny with the round glasses…”

- Have the students aim to list 6 students that they’re not.

3. Identity Theft

- Have each student introduce themselves to another student and give two

pieces of information to one another.

- When students move on to the next person, they must now introduce

themselves as the previous person.

- Once everyone has introduced themselves as everyone else, the group circles

up and compares information and corrects errors.

Spot the Differences

Age Group: All Ages

Materials: None

Directions:

- Split the group (4 to 16 students) into two teams and have them line up with each line

facing the other.

- One team freezes for 30 seconds while the other team tries to memorize everything

about their frozen “picture.” The team that is observing must stay in their line.

- After the allotted time, the team that was observing turns their backs while the

observed team changes 5 items in their “picture.” For example, Jocelyn gives her

watch to Jamal to wear, or Jamal zips his previously unzipped sweatshirt. These both

count as one change for the team. The facilitator should explain that changes can only

be done with clothing or accessories—not body positioning.

- After the observed team makes its changes, the team that was the observers turns back

around and has 1 minute to figure out what the changes are. Only one team member

can guess at a time, and team members cannot guess twice until every member has

already made a guess.

- After the time is up, swap and the observers become the observees.

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Assessments

Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge and Skills Survey (MAKSS)

This survey assesses the multicultural counseling ability of a school counselor, psychologist,

or clinical social worker. I would use it at the beginning of each year for all members of the

school counseling or mental health team to determine multicultural literacy and identify areas

for improvement. There is also a version of MAKSS for teachers that I would also like to

implement after a faculty-wide meeting.

The Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills Survey-

Counselor Edition-Revised (MAKSS-CE-R)

The Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills Survey (MAKSS) is a self-administer

survey designed by Michael D’Andrea, Judy Daniels, and Ronald Heck, all from the

University of Hawaii. Respond to all items on the scale, even if you are not working with

clients or actively conducting groups. Base your response on what you think at this time. Try

to assess yourself as honestly as possible rather than answering in the way you think would

be desirable.

AWARENESS

1. The human service professionals, especially counseling and clinical psychology,

have failed to meet the mental health needs of ethnic minorities.

Strongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly agree

2. The effectiveness and legitimacy of the counseling profession would be enhanced

if counselors consciously supported universal definitions of normality.


3. Racial and ethnic persons are underrepresented in clinical and counseling

psychology.


4. In counseling, clients from different ethnic/cultural background should be given

the same treatment that White mainstream clients receive.


5. The criteria of self-awareness, self-fulfillment, and self-discovery are important

measures in most counseling sessions.


6. The difficulty with the concept of integration is its implicit bias in favor of the

dominant culture.

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7. Promoting a client’s sense of psychological independence is usually a safe goal to

strive for in most counseling situations.


8. Even in multicultural counseling situations, basic implicit concepts such as

“fairness” and “health” are not difficult to understand.


9. In general counseling services should be directed toward assisting clients to

adjust to stressful environmental situations.


10. While a person’s natural support system (i.e., family, friends, etc.) plays an

important role during a period of personal crisis, formal counseling services tent

to result in more constructive outcomes.


KNOWLEDGE

At the present time, how would you rate your understanding of the following terms?

11. “Ethnicity”

Very limited Limited Good Very good

12. “Culture”


13. “Multicultural”


14. “Prejudice”


15. “Racism”


16. “Transcultural”


17. “Pluralism”


18. “Mainstreaming”


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19. “Cultural encapsulation”


20. “Contact Hypothesis”


21. At this point in your life, how would you rate your understanding of the impact

of the way you think and act when interacting with persons of different cultural

backgrounds?


22. At this time in your life, how would you rate yourself in terms of understanding

how your cultural background has influenced the way you think and act?


23. How well do you think you could distinguish “intentional” from “accidental”

communication signals in a multicultural counseling situation?


SKILLS

24. How would you rate your ability to effectively consult with another mental

health professional concerning the mental health needs of a client whose cultural

background is significantly different from your own?


25. How well would you rate your ability to accurately assess the mental health

needs of lesbian women?



needs of older adults?



needs of gay men?



needs of men?


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needs of women?



needs of individuals with disabilities?



needs of persons who come from very poor socioeconomic backgrounds?


32. How would you rate your ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of

psychological tests in terms of their use with persons from different

cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds?


33. How would you rate your ability to effectively secure information and resources

to better serve culturally different clients?


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Conners 3 – Short Form (Conners 3-S)

The Conners 3 Short Form is administered to parents, teachers and students (self-report), to

determine whether a child or adolescent should receive further regarding ADHD, Conduct

Disorder, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I would give this 10-minute assessment to

parents, teachers, and students whenever it is any stakeholder suspects ADHD or asks for

ADHD testing, rather than immediately referring them to the school psychologist for a more

intensive battery of exams. Full psychological batteries are expensive and time consuming,

and screeners like the Conners 3-S can be done by school counselors to gather data for a

Functional Behavior Assessment, take a preliminary look into parental or teacher concerns,

or reveal previously unconsidered issues that may be contributing to the presenting problem.

Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)

The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale is used to systematically assess the immediate

risk of suicide and can be used by laypersons. As a counselor, I would use this assessment if I

suspected a student was having suicidal thoughts, if they admitted to me that they had

suicidal thoughts, or if a parent, peer, teacher, or other staff member reported to me that a

student was having suicidal thoughts.

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COLUMBIA-SUICIDE SEVERITY RATING SCALE Screen with Triage Points for Schools

Past

month

Ask questions that are in bold and underlined. YES NO

Ask Questions 1 and 2

1) Have you wished you were dead or wished you could go to sleep and not wake up?

2) Have you had any actual thoughts of killing yourself?

If YES to 2, ask questions 3, 4, 5, and 6. If NO to 2, go directly to question 6.

3) Have you been thinking about how you might do this?

e.g. “I thought about taking an overdose but I never made a specific plan as to when where or how I would actually do it….and I would never go through with it.”

4) Have you had these thoughts and had some intention of acting on them?

as opposed to “I have the thoughts but I definitely will not do anything about them.”

5) Have you started to work out or worked out the details of how to kill yourself? Do you intend to carry out this plan?

6) Have you ever done anything, started to do anything, or prepared to do anything to end your life?

Examples: Collected pills, obtained a gun, gave away valuables, wrote a will or suicide note, took out pills but didn’t swallow any, held a gun but changed your mind or it was

grabbed from your hand, went to the roof but didn’t jump; or actually took pills, tried to shoot yourself, cut yourself, tried to hang yourself, etc. If YES, ask: Was this within the past 3 months?

Lifetime

Past 3

Months

Response Protocol to C-SSRS Screening Item 1 Behavioral Health Referral Item 2 Behavioral Health Referral Item 3 Behavioral Health Referral and Consider Consultation (Psychologist/Social Worker) and

Student Safety Precautions Item 4 Student Safety Precautions and psychiatric evaluation by crisis team/EMT/Emergency room Item 5 Student Safety Precautions and psychiatric evaluation by crisis team/EMT/Emergency room

Item 6 Behavioral Health Referral and Consider Consultation (Psychologist/Social Worker) and Student Safety Precautions Item 6 3 months ago or less: Student Safety Precautions and psychiatric evaluation by crisis team/EMT/Emergency room

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Counseling Interventions and Activities

Activity 1: Coping with Stress: Stress Balls

Activity: Creating Stress Balls

Grade: 9th

ASCA Student Standards (Domain/Standard/Competencies): Social/Emotional: Standard

C, Competency C1 Academic: Standard A, Competency A1, A2, A3

Learning Objective(s):

1. Learn techniques for managing stress

2. Experience with healthy coping mechanisms

3. Learning and engaging in tactics to increase self-control, self-awareness and promote

positive mental health

Materials: Balloons, rice, funnels

Developmental Learning Activity:

Introduction: The counselor begins by initiating a discussion with students discussing what

was learned in the first lesson summarizing what stress is and what can cause it. The

counselor then introduces the topic of learning different ways to cope with stress. Students

will then have the opportunity to make their own stress balls.

Activity/Content:

Survey/Pre-Assessment

Students will be prompted to take out their phones and log into a survey which will ask a

series of questions that will determine if their stress levels are low, moderate, or high. These

finding will determine the need to learn more about to to cope with and reduce these stress

levels.

Individual Worksheet

Using a guided worksheet students will identify a situation in which they felt stressed. They

will describe how the situation made them feel and what actions they took to help relieve the

stress if any.

Creating Stress Balls

Students will be shown a tutorial video as well as a list of instructions on how to create their

own stress balls. Students will be provided with the supplies needed and be able to engage in

making their stress balls and practice different techniques with the balls.

Directions:

1. Stretch out your balloon. (Pro tip: Simply blow it up for some extra stretch.)

2. Choose your filling: rice or flour.

3. Stick a funnel into the neck of the balloon.

4. Slowly fill the balloon. Pour slowly to avoid clogging the neck of the balloon! If it

does clog, use a pen or pencil to clear the opening.

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5. Remove the funnel from the balloon and let out as much air as you can. (Pro tip: To

release the air, pinch near the neck and separate your finger and thumb slightly. Too

wide an opening can blow flour everywhere.)

6. Tie the neck of the balloon closed tightly.

7. Snip off the excess rubber.

8. Grab your second balloon, and snip off the end.

9. Grab your last balloon, and snip the end, leaving enough to tie.

10. Tie the end.

Post-Assessment

Students will be administered a pop quiz which will ask them to identify 5 coping skills

Conclusion: The School Counselor asks students to share other ideas on how they can cope

with stress and share how this would help them continue 9th grade.

Plan for Evaluation: How will each of the following be collected?

Process Data: All ninth-grade students individually in their classroom. 450 ninth-graders will

participate in this lesson during their homeroom period. Counselor will teach directly to

group of 27 students at a time.

Perception Data: Pre/post survey will be given to students before learning about coping skills

and at the end of the marking period to measure the effectiveness.

Outcome Data: The number of students referred for discipline will decrease by 5%.

Follow Up: Ninth-grade students will learn about stress, followed by learning to engage in

coping skills. A conversation which will allow for comments, questions, and concerns will

occur at the end of the marking period. A post survey will also be distributed during that time

to measure the effectiveness. The students who do not master the competencies of this lesson

will be directed to a small group session held by the counselor to revisit these competencies

and ensure their mastery. In addition, the results of the post assessment will be collected, the

same assessment will be administered in two weeks and the results will be compared to

assess the effectiveness of coping skills learned on the students’ stress levels.

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Activity 2: LGBT Awareness: Imagine How You’d Feel

Activity: Imagine How You’d Feel

Grade: 9-12th

ASCA Student Mindset and Behavior Standards: Mindset: M1, M2, M3 Behavior: B-SS

2, B-SS 4, B-SS 5, B-SS 9


1. Give students opportunity to feel what it is like to be ridiculed, excluded and

discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation.

2. Open discussion on discrimination based on sexual orientation in the school, at home,

and in wider community.

Materials: None

Procedure:

- Administer 5-minute pre-activity survey on what students feel about the LGBT

acceptance in school, at home, and in the wider community, and their attitudes

towards LGBT students. For counselor’s reference only.

- Follow script provided by USC LGBT Resource Center.

https://lgbtrc.usc.edu/files/2015/05/Imagine-How-Youd-Feel.pdf

- In addition to discussion question provided, ask questions specific to the school and

community.

- Administer 5-minute post-activity survey on what students feel about the LGBT

acceptance in school, at home, and in the wider community, and their attitudes

towards LGBT students. For counselor’s reference only.

Plan for Evaluation:

Process Data: To be administered all students through advisory class. Any students absent

from the activity can follow up with the school counselor for a makeup time.

Perception Data: Pre/post survey will measure student’s understanding of challenges faced

by LGBT peers.

Outcome Data: Homophobic bullying incidences will decrease.

Follow Up:

Counselor will check in with teachers, administration, and members of school LGBT

community to get qualitative evidence on success of activity. Counselor will organize follow

up activities to be co-organized by school LGBT community.

https://lgbtrc.usc.edu/files/2015/05/Imagine-How-Youd-Feel.pdf

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Activity 3: Anxiety Reduction: Heart Rate Variation Biofeedback

Activity: Heart Rate Variation Biofeedback

Grade: 10th

ASCA Student Mindset and Behavior Standards: Mindsets: M1, M5 Behaviors: B-LS 5,

B-LS 9, B-SMS 2, B-SMS 3, B-SMS 4, B-SMS 7, B-SMS 8, B-SMS 10, B-SS 1, B-SS 2


1. Teach students what anxiety is, how to recognize it.

2. Teach students how anxiety and stress can affect the body, somatic symptoms.

3. Educate students about connections between student’s symptoms and physiology.

4. Define Heart Rate Variability and its role in reduction in stress and anxiety.

5. Development of awareness of internal states linked to arousal and relaxation.

6. Demonstrate and teach students how to use heart rate devices such as stethoscope and

automatic blood pressure monitor.

Materials: Pulse monitors, stethoscopes, and/or stopwatches

Procedure:

The group will consist of 8-10 students who are currently freshman in high school

who have been referred to the group by their school counselors or teachers based on

observation of increasing anxiety. The group will be split into smaller groups of about 2-3

people, and begin a 5-minute discussion on causes of anxiety, whether school related or

otherwise, and physical and emotional feelings that go along with anxiety. If a student does

not feel comfortable sharing aloud, they have the option to make a list on a private piece of

paper. After five minutes have passed the facilitators will introduce the heart rate monitors,

show them how to use it and instruct each student to take a reading of their heart rate and

record it on a piece of paper. The group will come back together from their small groups and

be shown a 3-minute PowerPoint describing heart rate variation, why it’s important, various

ways to monitor it and how we can control it. The group will then be led in a 2-minute

breathing exercise. The students will be instructed to breathe through their nose and out

through their mouth very slowly with their eyes closed, sitting upright and relaxed. Lastly,

the students will record a second heart rate reading and compare it to the first. Research

shows that your heart rate will decrease and become steadier after completing a relaxation

exercise, like deep breathing. Finally, the facilitators will provide the students with various

ways to purchase their own heart rate devices and other free ways to monitor heart rate, such

as finding your pulse with your index and middle finger.


Process Data: To be administered all students in Life Sciences or AP Biology classes. Any

students absent from the activity can follow up with the school counselor for a makeup time.

Perception Data: Needs assessment surveys will be conducted at the beginning and end of

the school year that will include a question about what methods of controlling anxiety

students know about and use.

Outcome Data: Needs assessment surveys and qualitative reports from teachers, parents,

students, and staff will show a decrease in overall anxiety of student population.

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Follow Up:

This activity should be followed up with a message home to parents, and a professional

development training for teachers and administration. The message and training should

introduce the benefits of HRV biofeedback and parents and teachers to refer students that

they suspect are dealing with stress-related anxiety to the school counselor. Schoolwide

announcements should be made regularly reminding students dealing with anxiety to

schedule an appointment with the counseling office. Students referred or self-referred for

anxiety should be given a worksheet with reminders on breathing techniques and a chart for

tracking their levels of anxiety over the course of the week. At the end of the week, the

school counselor can go over the worksheet and collect data on how well HRV biofeedback

and breathing techniques are working to alleviate symptoms of general or trait anxiety in the

student to determine whether further action should be taken. The counselor can also use the

data in aggregate to measure progress in overall wellness of the school body and present that

information to all stakeholders.

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Activity 4: Fostering College Self-Efficacy: Who Do You Admit?

Activity: Who Do You Admit?

Grades: 9-12

Domain: Career Development

Standards: Category 1: Mindset Standards M 2. Self-confidence in ability to succeed. M 4. Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are necessary

for long-term career success.

Category 2: Behavior Standards Learning Strategies B-LS 1. Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions. B-LS 7. Identify long-and short-term academic, career, and social/emotional goals.

Self-Management Skills B-SMS 1. Demonstrate ability to assume responsibility. B-SMS 10. Demonstrate ability to manage transitions and ability to adapt to changing

situations and responsibilities.

Social Skills B-SS 1. Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills. B-SS 2. Create positive and supportive relationships with other students. B-SS 3. Create relationships with adults that support success.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SLS.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of

collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on

grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own

clearly and persuasively.

NOSCA Standards:

1. College Aspirations Goal: Build a college-going culture based on early college awareness

by nurturing in students the confidence to aspire to college and the resilience to overcome

challenges along the way. Maintain high expectations by providing adequate supports,

building social capital and conveying the conviction that all students can succeed in college.

4. College and Career Exploration and Selection Processes Goal: Provide early / ongoing

exposure to experiences and information necessary to make informed decisions when

selecting a college or career that connects to academic preparation and future aspirations.

Learning Objectives: • Increase awareness of the college application process.

• Gain a greater understanding of financial options and affordability of college.

• Learn about the importance of postsecondary planning to achieve their goals.

• Enhance college-going self-efficacy within low income students.

Materials: • Smart Board

• Exhibit A – Student Profiles

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• Exhibit B – Financial Options Sheet

• Exhibit C – PowerPoint Presentation

• Exhibit D – Exit Ticket

Procedure: (40 Minutes Total)

Launch: (5 mins)

• General read of the room - “Raise your hand if you know exactly what you want to do

when you graduate from high school. Raise your hand if you’re thinking about going

to college after high school.” Have students share-out thoughts or opinions.

• Group reflection – Encourage the students to have a brief discussion about potential

career paths, or postsecondary plans.

• Mini lecture – Inform students that some of them might need a college degree to

further themselves in their potential career paths. “Today, we want to talk about what

that college admissions process might look like; and we’re going to start that

conversation by having you pretend you are the College Admissions Officers.”

College Admission Exercise: (20 mins)

• Have students split into groups of 3 or 4, depending on size of the class.

• Give each group of students the three Student Profiles (Exhibit A).

• Explain to students that they will spend 10 minutes looking through the 3 applications

- circling parts of the application they think a selective college admissions officer will

like, underlining parts they think it won’t like, and putting a question mark next to

parts that they’re not sure about.

• Counselor(s) walks around and offer suggestions and explain why certain parts of an

application might actually help the student from a less privileged background.

• Instruct students to, as a group, decide which student gets accepted, and which 2 do

not.

• Spend 3-5 minutes discussing as a group which student is admitted, and which aren’t.

• Ask students to reflect on the differences between groups on who they admitted.

Connect and highlight that the faults or strengths they noticed in the applications

could be applied to their own applications when they fill out applications and work on

their college essay.

• Mini lecture – inform students that because of a program called EOP, Student X is

actually most likely to be accepted into this college. Before explaining EOP, ask for

student reactions. Discuss as a class what surprised them, and what didn’t.

Financial Options Sheet Activity: (10 mins)

• Pass out the Financial Options Sheet (Exhibit B) to each student.

• Give PowerPoint presentation (Exhibit C)

• Go over the information on their sheets via the PowerPoint presentation, pausing for

questions throughout.

Evaluation/Assessment: (5 min)

• Check to see if students have any general questions.

• Exit Ticket (Exhibit D) - complete independently

• Collect students’ Exit Tickets as they exit the classroom

Plan for Evaluation: How will the following be collected?

• Process Data: Attendance will be taken before the lesson begins.

• Perception Data: The initial Group Discussion will measure the students’

preliminary level of interest/enthusiasm regarding college.

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• Outcome Data: The Exit Ticket and Group Discussions will measure the students’

comprehension level about the college-going process. (The counselors will compare

this information to the information gathered before the lesson to determine the

success of the lesson.)

Follow Up Activity(s):

• Give each student the CUNY & SUNY Look books, to have them begin researching.

• Schedule individual meetings with all seniors to begin their postsecondary planning.

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Activity 5: Career Readiness: Career Clusters Discussion

Activity: Career Clusters Discussion

Grade: 11

ASCA Student Mindset and Behavior Standards: Mindset: M1, M2, M4, M5 Behavior: B-

LS 4, B-LS 7, B-LS 9, B-LS 10, B-SMS 4, B-SMS 5, B-SMS 10


1. Learn different “Career Clusters” and how to pursue those paths

2. Learn how personal interests can be tied to careers

Materials: Career Clusters Interest Survey (see sample page below)

Procedure:

- Administer 5-minute pre-activity survey on different careers and the education level

needed to pursue them.

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- Give short introduction to career interest surveys and their purpose (i.e. not to

determine future careers, but to open up conversation about potential career paths

based on current interests)

- Have students fill out Career Interest Clusters Survey

- Lead discussion on different career clusters, brainstorm jobs that could exist for each

cluster, what jobs will exist in the next 10 years, and what kind of education those

jobs need.

- Administer 5-minute post-activity survey on different careers and the education level

needed to pursue them.




Perception Data: Pre/post survey will measure familiarity with different career paths.

Outcome Data: Higher number of students applying to college in their senior year.

Follow Up:

Counselor will conduct individual meetings with families about college and career readiness

process and Career Interest Survey results will be referred to during the discussion, along

with GPA, standardized testing, class rigor, attendance, finances, and other concerns the

family may have.

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Activity 6: Organizational Skills Workshop

Activity: How Are Your Organizational Skills?

Grade: 8-9th

ASCA Student Mindset and Behavior Standards: Mindset: M1, M4, M5, M6 Behavior: B-

LS 3, B-LS 4, B-LS 5, B-LS 6, B-LS 7, B-SMS 1, B-SMS 2, B-SMS 3, B-SMS 4, B-SMS 5,

B-SMS 6, B-SMS-8


1. Self-monitoring and time management skills

2. Study skills

3. Time management

Materials: College is my Future Booklet (http://epc.ucsc.edu/pdfs/ciimf-8th-Grade-

Student.pdf)

Procedure:

- Share with students that managing your time well, having a place to study, and

knowinghow to study are important skills for everyone no matter which career they

may be considering. These skills are essential to be successful in middle school, high

school, or college.

- Ask students to informally evaluate their best friend’s time management skills on a

scale from 1 (being very poor) to ten (should be teaching others). Now tell students

they are going to focus on their time management and organizational skills.

- Ask students to individually fill out the “How well are you managing your time.”

http://epc.ucsc.edu/pdfs/ciimf-8th-Grade-Student.pdf (Pages 26-28)

- Tally the responses for each question i.e. how many students have a place to study.

Recognize that many low income or first generation college-going students will be

missing these components of effective time management and study skills. It is

important to stress that these are things to add and that there are many ways to make

this happen.

- Brainstorm with students ways they can put into place good time management and

study skills. Use the “College Is My Future, Supplemental Activity: Study Tips” as

background information for you. If appropriate, give this worksheet as a handout to

students. http://epc.ucsc.edu/pdfs/ciimf-8th-Grade-Student.pdf

- If there is time, ask the students as a group to create a schedule for a typical high

school student at their school. What time do they get up? How long does it take them

to get ready for school? Do they need to take care of younger brothers and sisters or

do other things for the family before school? How do they get to school? What do

they do after school? Again, do they have family responsibilities? When and where do

they do their homework?

- Give students individual time to fill out a study plan worksheet and use this as an

assessment for the workshop.

http://epc.ucsc.edu/pdfs/ciimf-8th-Grade-Student.pdf



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- Ask students to share one thing they are going to change about their schedule or their

study habits.


Process Data: Will be administered to all 9th graders at the beginning of the year in their

advisory class.

Perception Data: Pre/post worksheets will measure student familiarity with study skills.

Outcome Data: Appreciable increase in GPA compared to prior year.

Follow Up:

College Is My Future, 8th Grade Edition, Supplemental Unit on Test Taking and Time

Management, Pages 78-85 http://epc.ucsc.edu/pdfs/ciimf-8th-Grade-Student.pdf

- Lesson Goal:Students will learn tips on how to manage their time. They will also

develop a study plan and tactics on how to study and better prepare for tests.

- Lesson Description:The lesson asks students to assess how they use their time

outside of school, provides helpful tips for managing time effectively, and provides a

tool for developing a study plan.Includes information and activities:

- Test-taking Skills Assessment

- Test-taking Skills Tips

- Tactics for Studying and Preparing for Tests

- How well do you manage your time?

- Study Tips

- Study Plan Worksheet

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Activity 7: Learning Styles: The Art of Learning

Activity: The Art of Learning

Grade: 9

ASCA Student Mindset and Behavior Standards: Mindset: M5, M6 Behavior: B-LS 3, B-

LS 4, B-LS 5, B-SS 1


1. Students will learn about different learning styles.

2. Students will determine their own personal learning styles.

3. Students will develop a personal plan to maximize their learning styles.

Materials: Art of Learning Handouts

http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/links/advisors/lesson-plans.html

Procedure:

- Distribute Handout 1 What’s Your Style and ask each student to complete

independently

- Ask students to form small groups based on their learning style. In their groups,

students will discuss their learning style and then brainstorm strategies to improve

learning for that style.

- Have students independently complete Handout 2 Learning Skills Survey and

Handout 3 Learning styles Questionnaire.

- Whole class discussion (See suggestion in the following section)

- Students will complete Handout 4 Learning Styles Reflection Sheet. Students will be

asked to generate a list of strategies that they can use this year to complement their

learning style to improve learning.




Perception Data: Learning styles reflection sheet handout will show student’s increased

familiarity with learning styles.

Outcome Data: Increase in GPA and lowered failure rate over the course of high school.

Follow Up:

Counselor will follow up with teachers, administration, and parents to make them aware of

the students’ different learning styles and how they can better support the different learning

styles.

http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/links/advisors/lesson-plans.html

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Activity 8: Community Service

Activity: Connecting to My Community

Grade: 9-12

ASCA Student Mindset and Behavior Standards: Mindset: M5, M6 Behavior: B-SS 2, B-

SS 4, B-SS 5, B-SS 9


1. Students will participate in whole group selection of community service project.

2. Students will commit to participation in community service project and turn in

verification form.

Materials: Connecting to My Community Worksheets

http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/links/advisors/lesson-plans.html#12th

Procedure:

1. Start with discussion below. When suggested, distribute Handout 1 Contributing

Citizenship Worksheet and discuss whole group. Individually have students complete

the final two questions.

2. Reflect on student responses using discussion format below ending with whole group

discussion of service projects.

3. Divide students into triads and have them share their worksheet responses. Have each

triad discuss and select possible community service projects.

4. Have each triad write down two of their community service projects on the board. Do

not duplicate suggestions.

5. Have groups discuss each idea and vote on a group community service project.

6. Develop a timeline for community service project; include a due date for return of

student verification forms Handout 2.

Discussion:

1. Discuss how students have been or can become involved at school and in the

community. Your students are now in their final year of high school.

a. How have they gotten involved in the school? How have they gotten

involved in their communities?

b. How will their responsibilities change as they graduate from high school

(voting, registering for military service, etc.)?

2. Continue discussion using Handout 1 Contributing Citizenship Worksheet

3. Reflect on your students’ service activities. By this senior year students should have

participated in volunteer service projects.

a. What did they do?

b. What have they learned?

c. What would they like to do next? Why?

4. When students break into triads direct them to consider various factors in selecting a

service project such as

• Can this be accomplished in a short time frame?

• How will this project benefit school or the community?

http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/links/advisors/lesson-plans.html#12th

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Perception Data: Pre/post survey will measure student’s understanding of what community

service options are available to them.

Outcome Data: Increase rate in extracurricular involvement and higher college admission

rates.

Follow Up:

Counselor will check in with teachers, administration, and members of school community

service groups to get qualitative evidence on success of activity. Counselor will organize

follow up activities to be co-organized by school community service groups.

Resources

Khan Academy

Khan Academy offers free practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized

learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the

classroom. Subjects range from SAT test prep, to math, history, economics, and science for

all grades.

https://www.khanacademy.org/

BigFuture: College Majors and Careers

BigFuture is a free college planning website provided by the College Board, a nonprofit

college access organization comprised of members from over 6000 schools, universities, and

other educational institutions. BigFuture’s “College Majors and Careers” section provides a

basic overview of what college majors are and how to choose one.

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers/college-majors

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors-careers

MentalHealth.gov

MentalHealth.gov provides one-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental

health problems information. It has information available in multiple languages for parents,

other family, and friends drawn from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention,

MedlinePlus, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH),

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Youth.gov.

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/parents-caregivers

https://www.khanacademy.org/

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers/college-majors

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors-careers

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/parents-caregivers

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CASEL

CASEL aims to make evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of

education from preschool through high school through research, practice, and policy. They

provide a list of resources that can assist parents in learning more about SEL in schools and

in their own parenting practices. All of these resources can be accessed at no cost.

https://casel.org/in-the-home/

https://casel.org/in-the-home/

Joseph Maher School Counseling Portfolio

Documents

Transcript of Joseph Maher School Counseling Portfolio