MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
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VOL. 51, NO. 1
SEPTEMBER 2014
Welcome to the New Year
Groups in Schools
By TINA KARIDOYANES MASCA President
By THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. MASCA Past President
hile I am always excited for the first signs of summer and a slower pace to life, autumn is truly my favorite season. The crisp fall air, the leaves changing, and apple picking. It is also a fresh start for a new school year filled with enthusiasm and opportunity. I hope that you all were able to recharge and relax these past couple of months and are now looking forward to the new school year. The theme for the coming MASCA year is Building Blocks for the Future. Over the past few years there have been changes in our field — from how counselors are evaluated to a variety of opportunities to improve and expand the services we provide to our students. Building a solid foundation for school counseling curricula is key to our success as school counselors. MASCA will continue its long-standing collaboration with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide professional development to counselors as well as a variety of MASCA workshops and of course our Annual Spring Conference. With Race To The Top coming to a close this past August, you may be wondering where we go from here. At the ASCA conference this past summer, First Lady Michelle Obama addressed more
than 2,000 attendees. She addressed the importance of school counselors and how school counselors should not be a luxury within a school district, but rather a necessity, at ALL LEVELS of education: elementary, middle/jr. high, and high school. She shared a new initiative that began this past winter at the White House. Called Reach Higher, the initiative seeks to help every student on his/her path to college or a career upon graduating from high school. While the initiative is still in its forming stages, there is an opportunity for us to continue to advocate for our profession and define our roles in schools. If you have not heard her twenty-minute speech, I encourage you to go to the ASCA website and view her speech and then share it with your administrators and school board. We are still looking to fill a few openings on the Governing Board: Vice President Guidance Administrators, Membership Services Committee Chair, MA Model Committee Chair, and Membership Coordinator. If you or any colleagues are interested in learning more about taking on one of these positions, please contact me. If you are interested in volunteering your time on a committee or sharing an expertise in an area, we are always looking for new ideas and to build our team. In addition to the MASCA website and the Counselor’s Notebook, we will be using social media to share items of interest to school counselors and gather feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook. MASCA’s Facebook page is www.facebook.com/MassSchool Counselor. I invite you to“like” MASCA. Best wishes for an outstanding school year. ■
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roup work can be a very effective tool for school counselors, and school counselors should consider applying their group work training in their practice more often. Think of a time when you’ve been at work or volunteering your time and your role required that you work interactively with others. Remember the ways people communicated with each other (verbally and non-verbally). Remember the type of work you were focused on in your role. Remember what elements helped you to (continued on page 10)
Register now for MA Model Institutes September 18 & 19 Worcester September 22 & 23 Buzzards Bay/Wareham For information, go to www.masca.org or contact Helen O’Donnell, pdchair@masca.org
NEWS OF NOTE Children urged to play variety of sports “Children are playing sports in too structured a manner too early in life on adultsize fields — i.e., too large for optimal skill development — and spending too much time in one sport. It can lead to serious injuries and, a growing body of sports science shows, a lesser ultimate level of athletic success. We should urge kids to avoid hyperspecialization and instead sample a variety of sports through at least age 12.” — David Epstein, “Sports Should Be Child’s Play,” www.nytimes.com, June 10, 2014.
Injuries for school athletes vary by sport, sex, and age “Middle school athletes of both genders are less likely to sustain injuries than their high school or collegiate counterparts, but female student-athletes in the middle grades are at significantly higher risk of mild injury during practices than games, according to a new study published online in the Journal of Athletic Training.”
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The sports with the highest rates of overall injuries: football, girls’ track, girls’ cross-country, girls’ wrestling, and boys’ wrestling. Sports with the greatest timeloss injuries: football, girls’ wrestling, girls’ track, boys’ wrestling, and girls’ and boys’ judo. — Bryan Toporek, “Study Examines Injury Rates Among Middle School Athletes,” http://blogs. edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports, July 7, 2014.
PE classes can help fight obesity epidemic “Nearly one out of every three US children is overweight or obese, a rate that has tripled in the past three decades. Students are less likely to walk to school or play outside before dinner, and they are more likely to spend hours in front of a television or computer screen. Many advocates see physical education, with its potential to reach 56 million students, as a key way to influence behavior during and after the school day.” — Michael Alison Chandler, “Schools try to make gym classes fun,” Washington Post, June
22, 2014, https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/ nation/2014/06/21/schools-develop-nicer-versiongym-class/gij5xsDoXCtz4iAVvUf5GP/story.html?
Adolescent BMI linked to adulthood mortality “The objective of the investigation was to study the relationship between BMI [body mass index] at adolescence and mortality rate as well as the mortality trend over the past 4 decades across the entire BMI range.” A nationwide, longitudinal study of more than two million adolescents in Israel found that “BMI at adolescence, within the normal range, is associated with all-cause mortality in adulthood. Mortality rates among overweight and obese adolescents did not improve in the last 40 years, suggesting that preadulthood obesity may attenuate the progressive increase in life expectancy.” — J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jun;99(6): 2095-103. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1213. Epub 2014 Mar 6, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ 24601695/
COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
New Opportunities for a New Year By DONNA BROWN MASCA Executive Director
2014 – 2015 OFFICERS PRESIDENT TINA KARIDOYANES Mansfield High School 250 East Street, Mansfield, MA 02048 E-mail: president@masca.org PAST PRESIDENT THERESA A. COOGAN, Ph.D. Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA 02325 Tel. 508-531-2640 E-mail: theresa.coogan@bridgew.edu PRESIDENT-ELECT RUTH CARRIGAN Whitman-Hanson Regional High School 600 Franklin Street, Whitman, MA 02382 Tel. 781-618-7434 • Fax 781-618-7098 E-mail: Ruth.Carrigan@whrsd.org VICE PRESIDENT ELEMENTARY VERONICA KNIGHT Lowell Elementary School 175 Orchard Street, Watertown, MA 02472 Tel. 617-926-2666 E-mail: veronica.knight@watertown.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT MIDDLE / JUNIOR HIGH KATHLEEN SCOTT E-mail: scottk@amesburyma.gov VICE PRESIDENT SECONDARY JOHN S. STEERE Wellesley High School 50 Rice Street, Wellesley, MA 02481 Tel. 781-446-6290 x4653 • Fax 781-446-6308 E-mail: john_steere@wellesley.k12.ma.us VICE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATORS TBA VICE PRESIDENT POSTSECONDARY JOHN MARCUS Dean College 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Tel. 508-541-1509 • Fax 508-541-8726 E-mail: jmarcus@dean.edu VICE PRESIDENT COUNSELOR EDUCATORS MEGAN KRELL, Ph.D.; AMY L. COOK, Ph.D. E-mail: vpcounselored@masca.org VICE PRESIDENT RETIREES Joseph D. FitzGerald, Ed.D. 5 Progress Street, Weymouth, MA 02188 Tel. 781-264-3426 E-mail: jdfitz1831@gmail.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DONNA M. BROWN Adjunct Professor, UMass Boston P.O. Box 366, 779 Center Street Bryantville, MA 02327 Tel. 781-293-2835 E-mail: executivedirector@masca.org TREASURER ASHLEY CARON 25 Belmont Ave., Stoughton, MA 02072 Tel. 508-212-0676 E-mail: ashcicero@hotmail.com SECRETARY KATIE KOZAK E-mail: secretary@masca.org MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR DONNA BROWN E-mail: membership@masca.org WEBMASTER / TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR ROSS WOLFSON E-mail: webmaster@masca.org; info@masca.org COORDINATOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HELEN O’DONNELL, Ed.D. E-mail: pdchair@masca.org COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK EDITOR SALLY ANN CONNOLLY 19 Bayberry Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Tel. 978-774-8158 • Fax 978-750-8154 E-mail: sallyconnolly@att.net
SEPTEMBER 2014
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elcome back! The 2014-15 school year promises to be an exciting, productive one. With luck, you had the opportunity to recharge both physically and intellectually, connect with friends and family, and discover some new and potentially helpful ideas and techniques. This summer I “discovered” webinars. Let me explain how this happened. Even though I teach in the online School Counseling program at UMass Boston, I have never taken an online course. My course is synchronous, which means we meet at a certain time and actually talk to each other; our interactions are live with e-mail used for regular communication. Right now, though, I’m in an asynchronous course with the Archdiocese of Boston to improve my knowledge of Church teachings — it’s also required for those of us teaching in Catholic schools. I’ve really enjoyed being able to read and participate at my convenience. I also liked being able to reread material as needed. Anyhow, one day I received an invitation from a company called SimpleK-12 (www.simplek12.com) to attend a free (the best word of all) webinar on how to use my I-pad in the classroom. Since St. Paul School just received a set of I-pads for classroom use, I thought I would check it out. WOW! I was really impressed with the four webinars I was able to attend. Each was about 50 minutes in length and featured an expert practitioner. Although not specifically geared to school counselors, the techniques and strategies presented would be helpful for any kind of presentation. After four different webinars in four hours, I felt far more confident planning both my classroom presentations and various parent nights. Additional webi-
nars will cover topics like “Back to School Tips” and “Google Tips and Tools.” Individuals can purchase subscriptions that allow access to archived webinars and materials, but the initial webinars are free. Probably the most useful collection of webinars for counselors is found at the ASCA website (www.schoolcounselor.org). The list seems endless. Today I spent some time listening to “Creating Effective School Counseling Smart Goals” presented by Valerie K. Hardy, Secondary School Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools. Hardy provided a review of process data, perception data, and outcome data before presenting both instruction about creating SMART goals and giving a rationale for using them. I learned a great deal from her clear and complete presentation. Additionally, while watching and listening to an archived webinar, it is possible to pause it to take notes or just leave for a while. Most power points can be downloaded as well. Other ASCA webinars include “Stop Bullying Now! Campaign,” “Resources Supporting LGBTQ Youth,” “Transition Programs That Work,” and “The ASCA National Model (3rd Ed): How is the New Edition Different?” There are many more webinars out there. Some state associations have produced their own. Check for announcements by companies like The College Board or ACT. Most are free, although there are now a number of companies that want you to buy a subscription or pay for the webinar. I definitely am a digital immigrant and a nascent webinar participant, but I’m enthusiastic about the possibilities and what I have learned already. As the old slogan said, “Try it, you’ll like it.” ■
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Massachusetts School Counselors: Making a Difference Every Day By RUTH CARRIGAN MASCA President-Elect
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aving just returned from the 2014 ASCA Conference, I feel very energized, excited, and proud to be a school counselor in Massachusetts! The conference, Build Magical Futures, was held in Orlando at the end of June. Despite crazy heat and humidity and a few hotel fire alarms, my ASCA experience was productive and a great learning experience. The first part of the conference was LDI (Leadership Development Institute), where leaders from every state school counseling organization worked together to discuss issues facing school counselors across the nation. We also learned about the ASCA Student Standards that have been updated on the latest research and best practice to enhance student achievement and to promote college and career readiness.
The conference was filled with excellent workshops that ranged from “Create a College Going Culture to Build Your Professional Community with Social Media” to “LGBTQ Advocacy.” Some of my favorite sessions were “Going Gaga for Google” by Russ Sabella, where I learned about the wealth of tools Google can provide for school counselors, and “Tomorrow’s Jobs: 2012-2022 Employment Projections,” which was led by a representative of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both workshops gave me practical tools that I can use to improve the school counseling programming and curriculum at my high school. I am also happy to report that several of the conference workshops were led by school counselors from Massachusetts. It was
First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative An effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university. www.ReachHigher.gov Twitter@ReachHigher
SAVE THE DATES! October 20, 2014 MA Model Institute Training Session DoubleTree by Hilton, Leominster All former MA Model Institute participants and school counseling colleagues are invited to join current Institute cohorts for a day of training, which will include identifying sources of school data (profiles, EDWIN, EWIS, etc.), data analysis, and planning strategic interventions. More information at www.masca.org. $50 registration fee for non-2014 Institute registrants. Morning refreshments and lunch included.
November 21-22, 2014 School Counseling Leaders, North Atlantic Region Annual Fall Workshop Universal Technical Institute, Norwood Contact: Donna Brown, MASCA Executive Director
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 MASCA Spring Conference Holiday Inn, Boxboro
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wonderful that MASCA members shared their expertise and passion for student success with counselors from across the country. Perhaps the most exciting part of the conference for me was a special keynote address by the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. Regardless of one’s political affiliation, it was great to see the work of school counselors recognized at the national level. The First Lady’s address included many examples of how school counselors make a difference in the lives of students every day. She thanked us for the work we do and encouraged us to continue to help students reach their potential. She also asked school counselors to support the Reach Higher initiative. The goal of this program is to help inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year institution. Helping students make a plan for the future. Isn’t this what we do every day? I believe that school counselors are the student support professionals most likely to help the Reach Higher initiative become reality. Summer is nearly over, and the 20142015 school year will be starting in just a few weeks. You will need to be ready to continue to make a difference in the lives of the students you encounter. Despite large caseloads and non-counseling responsibilities for many counselors across the Commonwealth, we will again help our students find success in the academic, social / emotional, and career and college readiness arenas. As you begin this new school year, I hope you will remember these words from the First Lady’s address at the ASCA Conference: “With every life you transform, with every life you save, you all have an impact that is truly beyond measure.” Thank you for making a difference every day! -------------------Note: Links for the First Lady’s Address can be found on the American School Counselor Association Facebook page. ■
COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
SEPTEMBER 2014
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Internship: A Plan for Success By VERONICA KNIGHT MASCA VP Elementary
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eptember brings new beginnings for many: first day outfits, new agenda books, sharpened color pencils. All add to the excitement. In addition to welcoming new staff and new families, one of the most highly anticipated events of the year is welcoming the new crew of guidance interns. They enrich our work with new dimensions of teaching, learning, and practicing. Over the years, the interns of the Lowell School have become a treasured network of friends and colleagues in the field, and each year I eagerly look forward to our new additions. The internship program is always a work in progress. Here are a few ideas that have helped us have positive experiences:
topic each month: differentiated instruction, RTI, the placement process, assessing progress, etc. • We find that the more informed the interns are about the school’s happenings, the more effective and invested they become, so we try to keep them in the loop through e-mails and sharing of cloudbased calendars and documents. • It would be terrible to spend ten months somewhere and feel as if it has been a waste of time, so we invite potential interns to be candid about their needs and wants. If we don’t have the niche they need, we want to be honest about that. • In order to avoid potential pitfalls, we ask during the interview process what would be a deal-breaker for them. Once we learn what someone dreads, we can be more sensitive to what is important. • We all have our “pet peeves.” Mine are chattiness and tardiness. We try to be upfront about those things to avoid funny vibes in the office. • Within the first few days, we send out photos of each intern with his / her name and a brief write-up. Some teachers print these and display them in their classrooms, helping students to become familiar with their friendly faces. We love that! • In order to develop the habit of being in the milieu rather than holing up in the guidance office, from day one we schedule them to be in specific classrooms to observe. If they are comfortable, they can jump in and get to know the students and their teachers. • Case review is another great way to get integrated, especially for incoming students and those who will be on their caseloads. Interns practice researching information and anticipating questions, culminating in case history presentations during our weekly wrap-around team meeting. • Because most school counseling programs have limited time to cover the teaching and learning aspect of schools, we try to focus some training on a specific
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• Because talk time is limited, weekly individual and group supervision times are held sacred. Consistency of such times prevents anxiety: we all know that we will get to talk about things every week. We also use group time to support each other when challenging events occur. Of course it helps that we always have donuts at these meetings. • In addition to reviewing caseloads and groups, during individual supervision we include time for interns to share what they are learning in school. This helps supervisors keep current, and it adds value to the collaborative aspect of our relationship. • Last, but not least, after the last round of evaluation has been submitted, we ask graduates to give us candid feedback about what has been helpful and what would have been helpful. For example, this year the group suggested a brief driving tour of the town, highlighting the other schools and neighborhoods. We will be certain to do this in September. Such input has been invaluable. A successful internship can have many different outcomes. Most of us hope to send our graduates off with a toolbox full of guiding principles, well-honed skills, and practical activities. Sometimes our interns learn that elementary schools, or even certain schools, may not be the best match for them. Occasionally, a graduate will realize that his/her love for research is greater than fieldwork. Each of those scenarios is a success in its own right and should be celebrated. There is something magical when a student comes to guidance, looks at me, and asks for one of the interns. What a privilege it is to get to walk with an aspiring practitioner through his / her journey. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
Another New Year Begins By JOE FITZGERALD, Ed.D. MASCA VP Retirees
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ven though it is a late, “triple H” July day, another year approaches for those of us in education. “For those of us in education” is an automatic phrase for me. When I retired, I assumed I was finished with education. After all, I was leaving my job. But since my retirement nine years ago, I have continued to be involved in education through MASCA and a newfound involvement in teaching technology to older adults. It has always seemed strange to me that Labor Day and September were the beginning of a “New Year.” However, that is the nature of the American, tenmonth school year. For me, it means setting aside my summer responsibilities. For a quarter of my students, it means a new start and fresh opportunities. I know I have touched on this topic before, but I have come to realize even more how important it is to remain in an education mode. From my Latin background, I remember the base word for education: “lead out from.” And that is a lifelong process. During the past four years, I have been involved with the Senior Computer Learning Center. I have been teaching and developing curriculum and working to make the Center a 501(3)(c) non-profit. At the Center we teach older adults how to use technology in their daily lives through such courses and workshops as introduction to computers (Windows), Internet, iPad, Kindle, digital camera, photoediting, genealogy, Facebook, word processing, and basic accounting (Excel). A list of our courses and workshops can be found on our website, www.senior computerlearningcenter.org. Although all of us are volunteers, there is a small cost for each course/workshop. Involvement in this program has become very important for me. I really enjoy all things related to technology, and I have always wanted to develop programs. Now I can do so. I have also discovered that I like to teach. Great satisfaction comes from being able to provide a valuable service for the adults in the Center.
work on it, starting with the Leadership Development Institute in early August. I do know that because I have “retired” from being Conference Registrar and Chairperson of the Technology Committee, I will be able to devote more time to the role. I also know that I am interested in using technology and the MASCA web-
site to reach out to retirees with timely and useful workshops. Although I may sound like a broken record, I want to pass on my theme of keeping positively busy and keeping the mind and body active in a constructive manner. Watch for updates and please share with me your ideas or concerns: jdfitz 02188@comcast.net. ■
A new year with MASCA I am not quite sure what I should be doing as your MASCA VP Retirees, but I will SEPTEMBER 2014
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Connecting MASCA with ASCA: An Interview with Bob Bardwell By MARIE ANDERSON MASCA Member Services Chair
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ob Bardwell is a school counselor and director of school counseling at Monson High School. He has been very active as a MASCA president and Governing Board member and as a board member of Western Massachusetts Counselors Association. He also serves as adjunct counselor educator at Westfield State University in the school counseling program. The following is an interview with Bob, who has been elected for a threeyear term with ASCA. Bob meets with the ASCA Board of Directors up to five times a year at key locations throughout the country. ASCA’s office is located in Alexandria, Virginia, and it has ten paid staff who address issues such as membership, the ASCA journal, and conference planning. ASCA has a healthy, growing membership. What do you see as the most pressing issue for ASCA today? Clearly the biggest issue is the sustainability of the counseling positions in schools, clarifying the role of the school counselor to policy makers. An example of a recent upheaval in counseling that we discussed as a Board is the layoff of all school counselors in Philadelphia. Counselors impact student achievement in schools. When counselor positions are cut, outside agencies are hired to take their place, often on a part-time basis, but they are not trained to address the entire range of student needs. Reducing the number of counselors reflects the lack of understanding among policy makers. What counseling issues seem to be of major concern for counselors today? Counselors need to understand the use of data to prove what they do makes a difference in their schools. In addition, the old way of doing counseling will remain if we do not change the way graduate students are being prepared in our graduate programs. Professional development is a way to reach those counselors who are still not participating in the MA Model, who may still be practicing the traditional counseling
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under the expectations of uninformed administrations. The challenge is to find a way to reach the counselors who are not involved in MASCA and who do not attend professional development opportunities. Leadership within districts is key to help move school counseling departments in a new direction with K-12 coordination. Why did you choose to be involved with ASCA? I had been on the Board of ASCA in the past and wanted to continue to make a difference on a national level: to be part of the solution. We need to do a better job telling people what we do. I heard a story about a Florida school. In a staff meeting, the elementary school principal announced that a position had to be cut, except for the one school counselor, whose name was written on the board. Any other position was fair game. It was clear the principal knew the benefit of that counselor for students and understood the role of the counselor in the school. How can we apply what you have learned in ASCA in our MASCA organization? In MASCA we need to consider how to do things differently. A new Board structure is being considered, which can reflect a new vision of our organization. Make it relevant, just as we expect counselors to address the relevant issues in schools. Our challenge is to find ways to involve those who have not been reached in the past. If I had my way, we would require MASCA membership as a component of recertification, so that all counselors keep pace with what is happening in the profession. You have been active in professional organizations such as your local affiliate, MASCA, and now ASCA. What advice do you have for new and experienced counselors about becoming involved? Being a volunteer leader is not for everyone. But if not you, then who? Someone
needs to step up and support the volunteer efforts, participate, do something to contribute at the affiliate or state level. At the least, keep membership with your organizations current. What do you see as your connection to counselor activity in Massachusetts now? I am involved with reworking the parameters for counselor certification and recertification. The language needs to be sustainable, to have longevity with the profession, while reflecting key changes such as MA Model implementation, knowledge and use of data, and classroom competency. What do you think is the common denominator for the motivation to be a counselor? Clearly the common desire is to help students. However, aspiring counselors need to be aware that the way to help students is many-faceted. I know counselors who are strictly doing counseling curriculum in the classroom and do not have a caseload. Counselors need to be ready to take on the challenges of the individual culture of their schools to make a difference in student achievement. What can you say about your own life habits that might help counselors understand how to handle the demands of this ever challenging profession? The key to my ability to handle the demands of this most challenging profession is to find time to exercise and spend time with my family doing noncounseling-related activities such as watching movies or going bowling. This is not always easy to do, but you have to make it a priority. Counselors can’t help others if they do not take care of themselves. It’s like the directions we get on airplanes: Put the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others. Every counselor should have an activity or two that helps them remain grounded and at their best to assist their students and families. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
RESEARCH NOTES Early musical training linked to enhanced executive brain function “A controlled study using functional MRI brain imaging reveals a possible biological link between early musical training and improved executive functioning in both children and adults, report researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital…. ‘Since executive functioning is a strong predictor of academic achievement, even more than IQ, we think our findings have strong educational implications,’ says study senior investigator Nadine Gaab, PhD, of the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s. ‘While many schools are cutting music programs and spending more and more time on test preparation, our findings suggest that musical training may actually help to set up children for a better academic future.’ ”
Northeast Counselors Association presents awards At its May meeting, Northeast Counselors Association held its Annual Awards Night at Danversport Yacht Club. The meeting was hosted by Dean College, and John Marcus and James Fowler provided updates on the college’s programs and plans. Awards presented were:
Counselor of the Year Amy Rose, Rockport High School
Rising Star Award Michelle Hastings, Bishop Fenwick High School
Torch Award Marty Ammer, Salem High School
Special Awards Diane Shealy, Secretary, Triton Regional High School Detective Robert Wile, Amesbury Police Department
— Boston Children’s Hospital, www. sciencedaily.com, June 17, 2014.
Childhood bullying hurts into adulthood A recent study demonstrates “the importance of clinicians obtaining information about bullying from both parents and children. This is especially relevant for disorders associated with being a bullied victim (depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders)….For victimized patients, clinicians could institute therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder related to being a victim of bullying, which might mitigate the impact of persistently abnormal inflammatory markers. Because conduct disorders are associated with being a bully, especially in children with callous-unemotional traits (J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2009; 50:471), school systems need to institute external controls that manage bullying behaviors and to provide avenues for teachers.” — Barbara Geller, MD, reviewing Copeland WE et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014 May 12, NEJM Journal Watch, http://www.jwatch.org/na34736/ 2014/06/03/childhood-bullying-hurtsadulthood, June 3, 2014. ■ SEPTEMBER 2014
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COOGAN (continued from page 1) be successful with carrying out your tasks, large or small. Remember how the specific tasks you accomplished impacted the larger project everyone was working on. Remember what elements slowed down the process of productive work and which contributed to good work. Were the elements related to the environment (e.g., lack of supplies available, inability to focus full attention on tasks due to constant distractions, time of day or day of the week set aside to completing the task)? Or were the elements related to people (e.g., interpersonal communication between and among workers, methods of communication, personalities, and characteristics of workers)? Answers to these questions can help when you want to use the group work approach to address a need in the school setting. We all engage in group work on a daily basis, yet we don’t often think of it from that lens. Group work and related techniques can be transferable across various domains, in and out of school environments. In the counseling field there are four primary types of groups: task groups, psychoeducational groups, counseling/ growth groups, and therapy groups. Task and psychoeducational groups are the two most often used by school counselors. Counseling/growth and therapy groups are more often used by psychologists, clinical social workers, and mental health counselors, and they are not appropriate for most K-12 school environments due to their topics and goals. The type of group needed will depend on the purpose of the group.
Groups in a school setting In a school setting, the psychoeducational group is most commonly used. They target personal / social emotional, career, or academic needs; and they can be easily adapted to the common K-12 school setting. The groups can be either closed or open. A closed group consists of students identified on the basis of the group’s purpose, and it functions for 7-10 sessions. An open group, on the other hand, can be offered throughout an entire academic school year, and it is open to any student who has matching needs. The terms “open” and “closed” refer to the student’s ability to join or terminate at any time while the group is in session. The
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school counselor should carefully consider this when planning the group because it has a dramatic impact on the structure and dynamics of the group.
Topic areas for groups Topic areas common for “closed” groups in school settings include: children of divorce groups, friendship groups, communication skills, new/transfer students, gifted and talented, aggression management, social skills, and self-esteem /wellness. Common topic areas for “open”
Group work can be a very effective tool for school counselors and should be used more often. groups include: homework clubs, reading clubs, social skills groups during lunch (e.g., “lunch bunch”), peer-conflict resolution, and communication skills. The school counselor can apply these topics across all grade levels adjusting the scope, activities, screening requirements for selected students, and strategies for processing to meet the developmental level of the children they are working with.
Planning and evaluation Before the group begins, plan the entire group. What is the purpose of the group? What are the objectives or needs of the students intended for this group? How will you know your group worked? Planning and determining evaluation measures for each session and the group as a whole will be critical elements to successful group work.
Group structure The groups can be gender specific or not. I recommend that counselors try to cofacilitate groups with another school counselor or student support personnel. If you are supervising a graduate student, this is a great opportunity for co-facilitation and helping the student gain experience and exposure to group work.
Naming the group Try to come up with a creative name for your group in advance. For example, instead of advertising a “Children of Divorce
Group, call it “Banana Splits.” When you are working with a mandated group of students, it can often be helpful for the group to identify a name for themselves as part of the working stage during the first session. This helps to build cohesion, ownership, and meaning in the group.
Group seating arrangement I recommend that you arrange the physical environment using only the exact number of chairs needed to form a circle in the space being used for the group. This helps avoid unnecessary distractions during group work. When co-facilitating, always ensure that the two group leaders sit across from each other in the group. This makes it easier to use non-verbal communication with your co-leader during the group, and it helps to eliminate a sense of role power with the two leaders physically separated. Assigned seating should be avoided. Leaders can switch up the seating as a technique to inform the group dynamics as needed.
Group session phases Each group session should include three key phases: opening, working, and termination. Know how much time you have to work with for each session and plan the phases accordingly. 1. Opening phase helps to welcome and focus the group each time. 2. Working phase is when you complete the identified activity for that specific session. 3. Termination phase is when the processing (and critical work) occurs that informs self-awareness, self-reflection and overall development. This is often a phase that is overlooked because of poor planning or poor time management or because the group leader is not trained or confident in his / her skills to process. This is where the basic microskills in counseling will be utilized to help guide each member through their self-reflective journey as a part of the group experience. If you want to learn more about group work or if you are looking for resources for professional development and ideas for types of groups or activities, explore the Association for Specialists in Group Work. ASGW is a sister-division of the American School Counselor Association. Information can be found at www.asgw.org. ■ COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK
SEPTEMBER 2014
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Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Inc. COUNSELOR’S NOTEBOOK Sally Ann Connolly, Editor
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