I've Twittered before about West Middle School's counselor, Suzannah Laucher @suzannahlaucher, and her significant efforts to reach different groups of kids. She's known by the faculty as someone who will reach out to anyone for any need. This approach really struck me. She using several books to make great connections with students.
Below is a quick snapshot I took of her boys group:
This is my interview with her using several
Below is a quick snapshot I took of her boys group:
This is my interview with her using several
I love working in Bibliotherapy support groups for middle school students. Finding books that get students excited about reading is critical at this age. We are reading books that are considered modern fiction that kids can easily relate to their own lives. The subject matter of the books sparks conversations in the group that we discuss, learn from, and in many cases can apply to our own lives in some way. In the gender specific groups the girls will typically share and agree with the group assessment or analysis of the text. The guys, who are typically more “closed” in counseling groups will share more about what is their personal lives when they see that a character in a story may be going through something similar. The characters problems in the stories we read helps normalize many the group members own feelings and emotions. This makes it much easier to talk about and work through group members own concerns. So, not only are we working on reading comprehension skills and fostering a love a reading by making connections in our own lives we are also working through the many struggles that middle school aged students go through.
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