Avoid Paper-Pencil Pitfalls in Your School Counseling Office

This episode is a comprehensive guide for school counselors aiming to improve their engagement with students. Moving beyond traditional worksheets, it provides information about evidence-based, individualized strategies and innovative interventions, particularly those with special needs. The discussion emphasizes the critical evaluation of widely-used resources like those from Teachers Pay Teachers, the necessity of culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices, and aligning interventions with students' IEPs and behavior plans. 00:00 Introduction: The Problem with Worksheets00:43 Rethinking Tools for Special Needs Students02:17 The Appeal and Pitfalls of Worksheets04:36 Personal Story: The Backpack Exercise07:51 The Convenience vs. Effectiveness Debate10:53 Concerns About Unvetted Resources16:13 Focus on Special Student Populations18:29 Individualized Approaches for Special Populations20:21 Culturally Responsive and Trauma-Informed Practices21:40 Practical Sensory-Based Interventions23:27 Art and Movement-Based Techniques27:10 Role-Playing and Therapeutic Games30:22 Recap and Final Thoughts*******References/Resources:Cook, B. G., & Odom, S. L. (2013). Evidence-based practices and implementation science in special education. Exceptional Children, 79(2), 135-144. doi:10.1177/001440291307900201Dunn, W. (2001). The sensations of everyday life: Empirical, theoretical, and pragmatic considerations. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55(6), 608-620. doi:10.5014/ajot.55.6.608Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin Press.Morgan, P. L., Farkas, G., Tufis, P. A., & Sperling, R. A. (2008). Are reading and behavior problems risk factors for each other? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(5), 417-436. doi:10.1177/0022219408321123Reinke, W. M., Herman, K. C., & Sprick, R. (2011). Motivational interviewing for effective classroom management: The classroom check-up. Guilford Press.Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Hulleman, C. S. (2015). SEL in the classroom: Identifying and disseminating strategies. The Future of Children, 27(1), 149-172. doi:10.1353/foc.2017.0003Scarpa, A., Williams White, S., & Attwood, T. (2013). CBT for children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Guilford Press.Shaywitz, S. E., & Shaywitz, B. A. (2005). Dyslexia (specific reading disability). Biological Psychiatry, 57(11), 1301-1309. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.01.043Shelton, C., & Archambault, L. (2019). Lessons learned from Teachers Pay Teachers: Exploring the educational value of online marketplaces. Journal of Online Learning Research, 5(1), 35-56. Available from: ResearchGate.*******Hang out in our Facebook groupJump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)Join the School for School Counselors MastermindThe Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you! This work is part of the School for School Counselors body of work developed by Steph Johnson, LPC, CSC, which centers role authority over role drift, consultative practice over fix-it culture, adult-designed systems and environments as primary drivers of student behavior, clinical judgment over compliance, and school counselor identity as leadership within complex systems.