August..getting organized to thrive in the new school year
Let’s prepare together!
Okay, the school year is in sight 👀 – if not already underway, so there’s lots of juicy info here!
My current go-to materials for a fun and effective start to the year
Playing Outside the Box coaching session is now evergreen!
Office Hours for the first half of the 2025-26 school year
I’ve had a great summer working with lots of groups and new students, as well as some individual sessions. Starting with students I don’t know is always refreshing and, well, sometimes, challenging. 🤔 We have to establish our rhythm, a common vocabulary, and all get acquainted. As the year starts in earnest, I have THREE types of materials I will be keeping close over the next few months…
1. Building materials, representational play figures (Playmobil, Minecraft), puzzles, and on and on…
Let’s just call them TOYS. 🛩️🚂
Now more than ever, our students need to play. Even the high school students. Yes, even the young adults.
Whether they are building an amazing construction 🏗️ :
Collaborating in representational play 🛍️ :
Trying to collectively put together a puzzle 🧩 :
Or playing a tabletop game 🎴 :
We can use play as the material to address just about any goal.
Our students NEED to PLAY. 🎲 Joyful, experimental, social, conversational, well-regulated play. A big focus for me this year!
Make sure you read my Step into my Session next week, when I talk a bit more about play!
2. Kimochis™
Kimochis™ are all about feelings!! I love using all the materials with my younger students, but often rely on that big bowl of feelings for my older students:
There are countless ways to use the feelings, so great to incorporate when working with animations 🎞️ :
Sesame Street: Ernie Counts Fruit
In my sessions, we often add to the printed feeling label on the back. We want students to be flexible in how they view feelings – happy does NOT only look one way! 😄
Of course, Kimochis™ are wonderful to use when discussing difficult, impactful events in the lives of our students 😷 :
3. SocialScales
I have used SocialScales with almost every student and group I work with. It helps my students:
✏️ evaluate where they are at any given moment. Is that where they want to be?
🗨️ engage in conversations with important adults in their lives about what feels right to THEM. With a visual tool, it’s easier to have these important discussions.
🥇 set goals for themselves, have a clear path about how to get there and be able to track their progress.
SocialScales was created to help parents, teachers, and clinicians:
🫱🏼🫲🏼 support students in understanding abstract, complex ideas.
📚 have a structure to share that includes behavioral as well as emotional vocabulary.
🔭 show students other perspectives, and plan work collaboratively.
What about you – what are YOUR must-have-at-the-ready materials?
Best wishes for the best school year ever! 🍎
Let’s all take it bit by bit…
