176. 8 Counseling Office Must-Haves I Actually Use

You're listening to the Counselor Chat podcast, a show for school counselors looking for easy to implement strategies, how to tips, collaboration, and a little spark of joy.

I'm Carol Miller, your host. I'm a full time school counselor and the face behind Counseling Essentials. I'm all about creating simplified systems, data driven practices, and using creative approaches to engage students.

If you're looking for a little inspiration to help help you make a big impact on student growth and success, you're in the right place because we're better together.

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Let's dive in.

Hey everyone.

Welcome back to another episode of Council Chat.

I'm Carol Miller, your host and today we are just going to dive right into things because I want to talk to you about eight counseling officers must haves that I actually use.

And I think that's the key here because there are a ton of things that I have collected over the years that I simply don't use. But these are things that I use in my office all the time.

So let me start by asking you this question.

If someone walked into your counseling office right now,

what would they see?

Maybe it's a laminator warming up in a corner. Maybe it's a shelf full of binders. Maybe it's a stack of games that students request over and over again.

Or would they see three piles of things you promised you are going to organize as soon as you get a quiet afternoon,

which of course probably never ever comes.

And like I said, over the years,

I had bought a lot of things from my counseling office.

Some of them, they were really great ideas that I had at the time. Or maybe I saw it online in some social media post that somebody else had it and I thought, wow, that's a great idea.

Let me try that out.

And then it never really panned out for me.

And now I have the real workhorses. These are the items that I really reach for constantly because they save me time, they keep my materials organized,

they make lessons easier to teach,

or maybe they even help students stay engaged.

And so I want to share eight of my most used counseling office favorites.

Now let me just stop you here for a moment too, because these are not the trendy items that will sit on a shelf looking pretty. These are really, these are the workhorses.

These are the things that have earned their space in my office.

Some help me protect and reuse the counseling resources I have worked really hard to create,

and some just help me with classroom management.

And I have a couple simple games that students just ask for again and again.

I will have all the links to these things in the show notes and in a little downloadable guide so you don't have to search for anything.

So.

And I want you to know I'm only recommending these things because I actually use them and I love them.

The first item is one of my favorite organizations tools and that's just clear project cases.

These are the flat see through cases, the that are just the right size for lessons, games, cards and all those reusable pieces that somehow find their way into every counseling activity.

And I should say that they're not really cases, but they're more like Ziploc pouches. And I love it because they are see through.

I do, I use em to store everything.

And they're really helpful too for my group counseling curriculum because I usually keep the main curriculum pages in page protectors inside of a binder. And then I place all the reusable things like maybe pieces to a game that goes along with it or discussion cards or it could even be like posters that I have laminated that I use with them.

And I take all of that and I store it inside these little plastic pouches.

And what's great is they sit right on the bookshelf right next to my binder.

So I know there's my binder, there's the reusable pieces and everything is together in one spot.

They also fit really nicely in if you don't have bookcases in a filing cabinet, which is another really awesome thing because in one of my offices I didn't have a bookshelf, like none at all, but I had tons of filing cabinets.

And so I would just simply stick them in the drawers and then I would just use file folders actually as the dividers for like these are lessons and this is group curriculum and this is this.

And so it, once again it made it super easy to find.

You can also, if you want, use a little Sharpie marker right on the front or, or a little sticker to if you want to even do a little extra organization.

I personally don't because they are see through and I can just find them.

For me, it's just easy to find.

Another thing that I really, really love and it's probably the most used item in my office,

hands down.

And that's my laminator.

I use a Scotch Pro and I use the 13 inch one.

It's the bigger of the laminators. I mean you could absolutely buy a standard letter size laminator and that might be all you need. But I have found that the wider 13 inch model to be worth the cost, even though it's probably like $10 more than a regular standard size one.

And what I love about the 13 inch is that extra width. It gives me just some options. I can laminate larger posters.

I usually blow my game boards up like little games that I make. I blow them up so that they're bigger, so they look like kind of a full size game or a file folder.

Like if you do file folder games,

you can put the whole file folder right through there.

And these are things, those oversized board games or file folder games, they wouldn't fit in just a regular size laminator. So you really need that extra couple inches.

The thing with the laminator,

you know, sometimes you'll look at it and you're like, I don't need this every day.

And I don't, I don't use it every single day. But I do find myself using it multiple times throughout the year.

Anytime I make something new or I have a lesson that maybe I want to reuse, it goes through them through the laminator.

And so if you have any money that you want to spend in your counseling program, I think the personal laminator is definitely where I would spend,

spend my money.

You are going to use it over and over again.

It's going to protect everything from sticky fingers, spilled water bottles, bent corners,

and the everyday wear that comes from students just passing materials around.

I also had bought, I think it was Candyland. I don't know. It was one of the games.

And the little cards that they give you in some of these board games now are so thin and flimsy that now when I get a board game, I put the cards through the laminating sheets and then I just cut them out just to make them a little bit extra thick.

And like I said, you can wash them off and you don't have to worry about it. So they're, they're wonderful.

And with the laminator, you need to get some laminating pouches.

And because your laminator, it's not much help without these little pouches. And my advice is simple.

Buy the bulk package.

I always buy the bulk of 600 sheets. And I know that sounds a little excessive because you're going to look at that box and you're going to think, there is no possible way I will use all of these in one school year.

But believe me, it's easier than you think.

I laminate, like I said, the game pieces.

I make a bunch of card games. I laminate the card games,

visuals, posters, task cards,

and sometimes Even like worksheets, especially if I'm doing like a team builder or an escape room or maybe even a bingo game. I laminate all of those because it means I could use that activity with more than one class without having to reprint out like new bingo cards or new answer sheets.

Because all you need to do is hand a kid a dry erase marker, which, let's face it,

all kids come to school now with dry erase markers. So I just hand out the boards and kids can mark it off with their dry erase, use a tissue tissue to erase it and there you go,

it's good to go.

And like I said, these can last for years.

So it saves paper, it saves prep time,

and it makes it easier to repeat a really strong lesson year after year.

And my pro tip is to keep a few dry erase erasers or small pieces of felt in the same case that with the laminated activity because you'll, you'll be using them.

And if you have.

Here's another little tip that I learned. If you have, like,

sometimes it looks like, oh gosh, I can't get all the,

the marker off or it's all smeared. If you just go over it quick again with the marker and then wipe it off quick,

it will. The marker helps. The fresh marker helps take off the old marker.

So another little tip,

another thing that I use all the time is a presentation clicker.

So if you teach a lot of lessons using Google Slides or PowerPoints and I use PowerPoint on a smart board in just about all my classes,

get the presentation clicker. It's a small tool, but it changes the way that you can move through the room.

I don't like to be tied to my computer while I'm teaching. I like to be able to walk around towards the students in between the rows. And this helps with kids that maybe need a little redirection.

I can move to closer to a group I want to hear from.

I can scan the room while I'm talking and the movement me moving around the room. It really helps with engagement because the kids are going to be looking and keeping their eyes on me.

And it really supports that classroom management without interrupting the lesson every time I need to advance to the next slide because you don't want to keep having to walk up to the computer clicking the button on the computer to have the next slide go.

So the clicker makes it easy.

Now here's the big recommendation tip here.

Buy a clicker in a bright color.

Black clickers. They look sleek until you put it down on a desk. Or a shelf or somewhere.

And as you're walking around the room, because maybe you stop to help somebody, so you put the clicker down and then you help somebody else. And then before you know it, you're like, oh my gosh, where did I put this clicker?

And then you spend the rest of the class looking for it. But if you get a bright colored one and they come in all different kinds of colors, now you're going to be able to scan the room really quickly and say,

there it is, there's my purple clicker, or whatever color you choose.

So get the clicker and get it in pink or green or blue or orange or purple,

whatever is the most easiest for you to spot.

And before your first lesson, just go in and test it in an actual classroom so that you know how to use it.

But the clicker, it's a great thing, great invention.

So so far you might have be noticing a little theme.

My favorite office items help me to do one of three things. Find materials quickly,

use them more than once,

or stay connected with students while I'm teaching.

None of these things are glamorous, but together they really make the workday run so much more smoothly.

And that's what it's all about, right?

Working smarter, not harder.

So the next thing that I want to point out that I absolutely love in my room are those clear sterilite bins with the latching lids.

I use these for supplies that I need regularly, but I don't need them sitting out all the time.

These little bins, they stack nicely, the lids stay secure,

and because they are clear, I can see exactly what's in them by just opening the closet doors.

I buy the ones that are kind of like letter sized. They're a little bit bigger than letter size, and they are the perfect size for your storage, for your laminating pouches, your page protect protectors, or the special colored paper.

And you know, when you work in a school,

you have that special colored paper that is a premium commodity.

And so,

and once you find that good card stock, you really want to protect it from everyone.

So it's really great for that as well.

The next thing is a Pop O Matic dice poppers. Remember the little Pop O Matic games where like trouble and you would push the button in the middle and the dice would pop?

Well, these sell just the Pop O Matic parts. They're Pop O Matic dice poppers. And these are great because let me tell you, every elementary counselor who has played a board game with students knows the problem with dice,

they roll off the table. They land under a chair.

Someone rolls so dramatically that the die hits the ball.

The next student tries to roll even louder.

And suddenly this counseling game has turned into a competition to see who can create the most chaos with one tiny cube.

Yep,

the dice.

But the pop o matic, these dice poppers, they really solve that problem.

I keep versions with a single die and one with two die or two dice.

So students press the dome, the dice pop inside, and the result stays contained. You simply pass the popper around the table.

This small change really reduces interruptions.

It keeps the pace moving,

and it makes turns feel fair.

It also is helpful for students who struggle with that fine motor control or who become frustrated when the die falls on the floor.

Or for the other kids waiting for that kid. Oh, they're taking so much time. When's it my turn?

So these are a lifesaver.

And the other great thing about them is that they're. They're fairly inexpensive,

and you're going to appreciate them immediately.

And yes, students will enjoy pressing the don't.

Okay,

let's talk about one of my favorite games,

and it's probably one that you may never have heard of. In fact,

I was given this game as a gift by my friend Jan,

who's also a school counselor.

And I had never heard of it before Jan had given it to me as a gift.

And it's called Yikers Y I K E R Z.

And it's a magnetic strategy game.

Ten years ago,

Jan gave me this game. I know it was 10 years ago. And to this day, this is still one of the most requested games in my office.

It's not as pretty looking as it used to be because it is so worn,

but my, my kids absolutely love it.

The way you do it is they have these four little mats that kind of fit together. And you can make different combinations of this mat by how you fit them together.

They're like four triangles. So you can make a square or you can make different patterns.

And your job is to get you split up the magnets, these little magnets, and each,

you know,

kids have to lay one magnet at a time onto the mats. And your job is to try to get rid of all your magnets first without connecting to another magnet.

They. That may be sitting on the map.

And these magnets, they're pretty powerful. So if you put it down too close to another one, they're going to attract together.

And you could have like,

you know, 10 magnets that you're picking up and saying, now These are mine. They're going in my little collection here.

And so,

like I said, you want to get rid of all your magnets first.

So this is such a fun game.

Kids really do like it. And, I mean, it sounds pretty simple, but that magnetic pull makes every turn unpredictable. So this is a really great game for, like, impulse control to have kids really to slow down,

watch what's happening,

and really think carefully about where they're going to place their piece on the little mat game board.

And students who rush,

they're much more likely to really trigger that magnetic chain reaction.

And so it really gives a really natural opening to talk about pausing,

noticing,

planning, and adjusting after something doesn't go as expected.

What I did is I purchased extra magnets to make the game a little bit more challenging,

and the extra pieces really allow me to use it with up to four players instead of just the traditional two.

And if you do this,

you just kind of split up the magnets, and once again, each kid, you know they're going to get fewer magnets to begin with because usually each player gets like, 10.

But I usually give kids, like,

probably five magnets each,

and they're all trying to put it on. It's really. It gets really hard,

but yikers.

What the other thing I love about it is that it gives excellent counseling language in the moment.

You can ask, what did you notice before you made that move? And what helped you wait? Or how did you handle it when the magnets connected?

Where else do you feel that you need the same pause and plan skill?

The game really creates the experience.

And your questions. Well, they help kids connect it to real life.

And last but definitely not least is Chutes and Ladders.

And I'm sure you've heard of this one.

It's familiar, it's inexpensive, and it's incredibly easy to adapt. Just add questions on any topic while you play. And you have a counseling game that works with students of many different ages over a variety of topics.

You can use friendship questions, coping skills, prompts,

emotional identification,

school success scenarios.

I mean, the list can go on and on,

and it's just.

It's just great. And kids love it. And like I said,

I'm always surprised, like, how many older kids want to play sometimes those familiar childhood games. They just feel safe. And also, I feel.

I find that some of our kids never really played them when they were little.

You know, they just. They don't have games in our houses.

So you pull out a game no matter what it is, and they're just.

They love it they just want to play a board game so you don't have to buy I don't think every item on this list all at once,

but what you want to do is you want to start by asking where you lose the most time or feel the most frustration in your daily work.

Like if you can't find your lesson pieces,

maybe start by getting some clear project cases.

If you keep reprinting materials,

consider a laminator in the pouches.

And if your classroom lessons leave you feeling stuck behind your computer and you feel like maybe you're losing some classroom management,

try getting the clicker.

If you're tired of games where your dice are flying all over the room, get the poppers.

And if you just really want some great games that kids are going to enjoy that you can use to build conversation and practice different skills,

try a game like Yikers or Chutes and Ladders.

It really might earn a nice place on your shelf.

My friends, the best counseling office is not the one with the most supplies,

really. It's the one where the materials support the work you're already doing.

Every item should either save you time,

protect a resource, or help students engage or make your systems easier to maintain.

So I did create a little downloadable guide with all of these eight Counseling Office favorites,

why I use them, and all the direct links. And you're going to find it in the show notes along with the full list.

And if you try some of these, I would love to know.

Or maybe you have your own. But I would love to know what item has earned permanent space in your counseling office because you might have something on your list of like I have to have it things that maybe I've never heard of and I need to know.

So what are the things, my friends, that you use so often that you would replace immediately if it disappeared, it broke, or whatever happened to it.

So share that with me because the best recommendations usually come from counselors who have tested these tools in real schools with real students.

And once again, remember, you do not need a picture perfect counseling office.

You just need a space that helps you connect with kids and do your work with a little less stress and a little more ease.

So until next until next time, my friends. I hope you have a really great week.

Bye for now.

Thanks for listening to today's episode of Counselor Chat. All of the links I talked about can be found in the show notes [email protected]

be sure to hit follow or

subscribe on your favorite podcast player and if you would be so kind to

leave a review I'd really appreciate it. Want to connect?

Send me a DM on Facebook or Instagram at counselingessentials.

Until next time.

Can't wait till we chat. Bye for now.

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