Saying Goodbye
My final lesson this year is going to be a particularly tough one for me because I will be saying goodbye to my students after 11 years at Sunset Ridge. This summer we will be moving to Wisconsin to be closer to family. I have accepted a high school counseling position with Franklin High School. While I am very excited about this transition, I am also heartbroken to be leaving the Sunset Ridge Community that has been such a big part of my life for the last decade. I've searched and searched for just the right lesson to leave my mark in the minds of our students. I want them to know that even though I am not physically their School Counselor anymore that I will always be rooting for them and hope they will always consider me Another Caring Adult in their lives. So below I will share the lesson that I will be doing with my K-8 students in the next three weeks (modified for younger/older students).
We will begin by discussing transitions and changes in life. I'll ask them about defining moments in their lives such as moves, switching schools, family events etc. I will move the disussion to include transitions that they think they will be faced with in the future and guide them to think about their goals for the future. Then ask them to write down three goals that they have for their futures on a sticky note. We will then read my favorite book about setting goals for the future, Oh The Places You Will Go. Actually, we will watch the story being read on the YouTube video below.
We will begin by discussing transitions and changes in life. I'll ask them about defining moments in their lives such as moves, switching schools, family events etc. I will move the disussion to include transitions that they think they will be faced with in the future and guide them to think about their goals for the future. Then ask them to write down three goals that they have for their futures on a sticky note. We will then read my favorite book about setting goals for the future, Oh The Places You Will Go. Actually, we will watch the story being read on the YouTube video below.
I plan to stop the video every once in a while to have a discussion about it's meaning. Then I will introduce the students to our activity for the lesson. I found this great project on Pinterest. I plan to provide templates of the arrows and fingers due to time limits on my lesson. Once the students have finished theirs. I will share my project with them which will include an arrow with WISCONSIN and HIGH SCHOOL written on it.
I'll go on to explain to them my family's plans and ask if they have any questions. I have drafted a letter to send home with the students explaining my transition. Thankfully, I already know the counselor who will be replacing me next year. She is another counselor in our district. So she has written a letter as well introducing herself. I will have that copied on the backside of my letter. When her schedule permits I am going to invite her to accompany me on my lessons as I close out the year with my students. I do not want this to be a sad time for me or for my students so I plan to do as much celebrating and looking toward the future as possible.
Finally, I will leave a writing prompt with the teachers in case they would like to take this lesson further with their students. My hope is that teachers will embrace this. I know how they are often looking for fun activities to do with students toward the end of the year.
Finally, I will leave a writing prompt with the teachers in case they would like to take this lesson further with their students. My hope is that teachers will embrace this. I know how they are often looking for fun activities to do with students toward the end of the year.
Activity Templates and Writing Prompts are below. (templates from Teachers pay Teachers)
ohtheplacesyoullgo.pdf | |
File Size: | 139 kb |
File Type: |
oh_the_places_write_up.docx | |
File Size: | 196 kb |
File Type: | docx |
places_arrows.doc | |
File Size: | 34 kb |
File Type: | doc |