Pawsitive School Counselor

School counseling lessons are powerful, but when they only happen once a month, students need more opportunities to practice those skills in real moments.

The good news?
Classroom teachers don’t need extra prep or new programs to help social and personal skills stick. What they need is clarity, consistency, and simple tools that align with what students are already learning.

Here are five realistic ways teachers can support school counseling lessons all month long, using resources like QuaverEd and counselor-created tools.

1. Pre-Teach or Re-Teach with Mini Lessons

Students benefit when they preview or revisit personal and social skills outside of counseling time.

One of the easiest ways to support this is by sharing short, ready-to-play mini lessons with teachers. These can be:

• A pre-recorded video
• A quick slide deck
• A short Quaver lesson or song that matches the counseling focus

Resources:

Why this works:
Students hear the same language more than once, which builds understanding and confidence.

Counselor Tip:
Use a screen recorder like Screencastify or Loom to record yourself walking through a lesson. When teachers can click and play, reinforcement becomes easy and stress-free.

Quaver Idea: Create a class or student accounts to have students log in and complete “assignments.” Take a Quaver Ed. PD to learn more.

2. Make Follow-Up Easy with Classroom Supports (and a Simple Newsletter)

Teachers want to reinforce what we are doing, but they shouldn’t have to guess what matters most or search for the right tools.

One effective way to support this is by sharing clear follow-up language and ideas through a short newsletter or monthly update. This helps teachers stay aligned with what students are learning in counseling and gives them quick ways to reinforce skills in the classroom.

A simple newsletter can include:

• The SEL skill students are learning
• Key phrases or language to use
• One reflection question or quick activity
• One Quaver song, video, or lesson that matches the skill
• Optional links for deeper learning

Teachers can use these ideas during morning meetings, transitions, or class discussions—often in just a few minutes.

Resources:

Why this works:
Short, consistent follow-ups help students connect skills being taught to real classroom moments.

Quaver Idea: In any Community Resource, use the “Conversation Corner – At School” for a fun class challenge idea or ask students to role-play the scenarios.

3. Use No-Prep Class Meetings

Class meetings are a powerful way to keep social skills alive—especially when teachers don’t have to plan them from scratch.

Counselor-provided talking points can turn class meetings into:

• Reflection opportunities
• Skill practice
• Community-building moments

Resources:

Why this works:
Students practice talking about feelings, choices, and problem-solving in a safe, structured way.

Quaver Idea: Create a “substitute” login for teachers and show them how to access the no-prep lessons. Each lesson includes a morning meeting option that teachers can easily use to facilitate a meaningful daily or weekly class discussion.

4. Create Calm or Peace Corners That Match Counseling Lessons

If students are learning regulation strategies in counseling, they need to see those same tools in their classrooms.

Calm corners are most effective when they include:

• The same breathing visuals used in lessons
• Simple scripts students recognize
• Clear expectations for use

Counselor Tip:
Share the same printables and posters you use in counseling with classroom teachers. Consistent visuals help create a universal set of skills students recognize across settings.

Resources:

Quaver Idea: Under “Interventions” you can find “Peace Corner” resources including printable “Peace Corner Scripts.”

5. Use Brain Breaks with a Purpose

Movement is a powerful regulation tool—but it’s even more effective when it’s connected to social skills and emotional regulation.

Teachers can use:

• Quaver movement and choreography videos
• GoNoodle
• Cosmic Kids

Before and after movement, identify what they are doing it, why they are doing, and times they could do it. For example, “Let’s try tree pose. This helps our bodies calm down and stay present. It’s great to try after we come in excited from recess.”

Don’t forget to have students take a mindful moment after moving. You can simply ask them to “notice how your body feels now.” These talking tips help reinforce learning.

Resources:

Why this works:
Students learn that regulation is something they can do, not just talk about.

Quaver Idea: Provide teachers with a substitute login to access a wide range of brain break resources. You can also locate movement videos within the resources section and share direct links to songs that align with your lessons, making it easy for teachers to keep students engaged and regulated.

SEL Works Best When We Work Together

Social and personal skills stick when:

• Counselors teach the skill
• Teachers reinforce it
• Students see it used everywhere

That consistency builds confidence, regulation, and real-world application.

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Want This Support Ready to Use?

To make this easy for teachers and counselors, I created the SEL Classroom Support Guide—a simple, low-prep resource that helps teachers reinforce counseling lessons all month long.

Download the guide here:

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