CLASSROOM GUIDANCE PROGRAM AT BURNETT CREEK ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
An important part of any comprehensive, developmental guidance program is
classroom guidance. Classroom guidance allows the counselor access to all the
students in the building for character education and relationship building which
opens doors for students to feel more comfortable speaking to the counselor one
on one when problems arise. By visiting each classroom multiple times throughout
the semester, counselors are able to build upon their lessons over the course of
the year as well as from one year to the next. They can also address issues
specific to the individual needs of each classroom. The counselor is first and
foremost an advocate for ALL the children he or she serves.
The following series of lessons are only a portion of the lessons developed to
meet the needs of the students at Burnett Creek. They are also designed around
the classroom "themes" individual to each grade level. The guidance lessons are
based on approximate developmental levels of the students in each grade and the
typical issues that face these classrooms. This determination was and continues
to be based upon yearly needs assessments, staff, and student input. Within each
guidance group are lessons that illustrate the ideas and skills the students
need to learn and understand and are based on current counseling state
standards. The lessons are designed to be experiential in nature as brain
compatible theory indicates that we ten to remember more when we experience it.
However, depending on the class, the issues presented during the lesson, and the
outcome of the various activities, the direction of the lesson may change
entirely. The important thing is that the counselor meets the students where
they are emotionally and tailors the lesson to fit the individual classroom's
needs.
