A Tour of My Office

I wanted to create a space that is warm and welcoming for students.  It needed to be an inviting and safe place for kids to come when they need someone to listen, help to solve a problem, or a cool down.  Here is a quick photo tour...

Here is the outside of my office, located on the second floor of our school.

 This is where students can fill out request forms to see me, then place it in the monster mailbox.  There are also counseling brochures and my business cards for parents to pick up.

When my door is closed, students can use this helpful sign to see where I'm at.

 Here is where I sit with students to listen and talk about what is going on in their lives. 

This is where I keep art supplies that we use in individual counseling or small groups.

Bibliotherapy can help students feel that they are not alone or teach them about how to deal with what is going on in their lives.  Different buckets feature common themes I encounter when working with my students.

Play therapy is a great way for students to express their feelings without having to talk directly about them.  Games also open up conversations in a non-threatening way.  I also keep sand tray figurines here.

Puppets are a great way to model social skills and allow students to practice possible scenarios before trying them in real life.

I feature many of the posters we discuss in guidance on my board for students to use as a resource.

Confidentiality is important in the counseling profession.  Students need to be able to trust in your therapeutic relationship.  Here, confidentiality is explained in a developmentally appropriate way for elementary students.

Inspirational quotes line the walls of my office for students to peruse.  My wall of windows brings the outside in.

Here is where the magic happens.  No, not really.  Here is where I check emails, write case notes, and keep in contact with families.

This is where I keep my resources.  I organize my lessons into grade level bins and small group bins.

It's important to have parent resources copied and ready to be handed out at a moments notice.  I have already done much of the research and can easily pick out information for my families for a variety of topics.

This is where I hide my secrets to being an amazing school counselor.  My fridge, more supplies, and important papers are available to grab and go.