1

Classroom Guidance Lessons

Amber Butler, Angela Chism & Jasmine McCutchen

Department of Counseling, Regent University

COUN516: Principles of School Counseling

Dr. Jasmine Knight

July 3, 2021
 2

Classroom Guidance Lesson

School Counselor Name: Amber Butler, Angela Chism, & Jasmine McCutchen,

School: McCutchen Butler Chism Middle School

Title of lesson: Muster Your Cluster Date: 6/26/2021

Domain: Career

Grade Level: 8 Time required:30 Minutes

ASCA Mindsets and Behavior (s):

M4: Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are necessary for long-
term career success
M5: Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes
M6: Positive attitude toward work and learning
B-LS 2: Demonstrate creativity
B-LS 7: Identify long and short term academic, career, and social-emotional goals
B-SS 6: Use effective collaboration and cooperation skills
B-SS8: Demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills to work effectively in diverse teams

State Standards (School Counseling if applicable and Academic):

MC2: Identify personal preferences, skills, and interests that influence career choices and success
MC6: Demonstrate employability skills such as individual initiative, teamwork, problem-solving,
organization, and communication

SMART Goal:
By the end of this 30-minute lesson, students will be able to identify what a career cluster is,
what career cluster they are interested in, and where they can access more information about
career clusters online.

Materials/Resources:
● YouTube Video on Career Exploration: https://youtu.be/Hv99ZHV1ZLk
● Poster paper (at least 17 sheets)
● Markers (enough to have at least 1 marker per each student in the class)
● Printed Handouts--see attached handout below (enough for each student in the class)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KkjcHVqhtRUbtifKbYSUV4S-21nBq13q/view
3
 4

Activity:
Step 1: (4 minutes)
Enter the classroom and introduce yourself and the lesson. Administer pre-test. Hand out blank
sheets of paper and markers to each student. Set up PowerPoint while students are working on
pretest if it is not already set up. (Optional: Ask the teacher to help by distributing materials and
putting up signs around the classroom for step 4).

Step 2: (4 minutes)
Present the video on career exploration (see supplies list for link).

Step 3: (3 minutes)
Give students time to look over the provided handout (see supplies list) on career clusters and
pathways as you read it out loud and explain it.

Step 4: (4 minutes)
Have students organize themselves into groups based on similar career interests/career clusters.
(It can be helpful to have signed up, that were set up in advance, based on the career clusters to
help guide them)

Step 5: (10 minutes)

Have students create a name and poster for their group (For example, students who want to be
policemen, firefighters, or military members might organize themselves into a group and call
themselves “heroes” and make a poster about that). Pass out post-tests while students work on
their posters.

Step 6: (5 minutes)
Have students briefly present their posters. Depending on how much time is left, students will be
instructed to complete post-tests after raising their posters or while this is happening. Post-tests
should be turned in before students leaving the class.

Evaluation:
Below is the pre-/post-test. This test will be printed and passed out to each student at the
beginning of the lesson. Students will be given about 3-5 minutes to complete the pre-test before
the class begins. Students will receive the same test as a post-test at the end of the lesson. They
will be given 3-5 minutes to complete the post-test, and the tests will be collected before the end
of class. Another option would be to print the pre-/post-test on a single paper front and back and
have the students hold onto the paper during the lesson, complete one side as the pre-test at the
beginning of the study, and flip it over and complete the post-test at the end of the class. After
the tests are collected, the school counselor will review the results to evaluate whether the lesson
addressed the targeted goals and whether adjustments should be made to the lesson plan.
 5

Name: Strongly Slightly Neither Slightly Strongly

Grade: Agree Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree
Teacher: disagree
Date:

I know what a “career cluster” is.

I know what I might like to do for my

future career.

I know what career cluster my dream

job fits into.

I know where to find information about

the different career clusters.

Information Letter:
Dear Parent or Caregiver,

This week, your student will be learning about career clusters. According to the Virginia
Department of Education, “A Career Cluster is a grouping of occupations and broad industries
based on commonalities. Within each career cluster, there are multiple career pathways that
represent a common set of skills and knowledge, both academic and technical, necessary to
pursue a full range of career opportunities within that pathway.” Your student will watch a video
in their class and receive a handout on the 17 career clusters as identified by the Virginia
Department of Education. The presentation will also guide how they can access more
information about career clusters and career pathways through VA Wizard. VA Wizard is a
helpful website that students can utilize to explore careers by taking interest and values
assessments, skills assessments, and browse jobs by name or cluster, among several other
valuable resources. After the presentation, the students will identify which career clusters interest
them and will get a chance to connect with other students who share similar interests during a
group activity. It is encouraged to access the VAWizard.org website with your student to help
them continue exploring their career interests outside of class. If you have any questions or
concerns about this lesson, please feel free to contact the school counselor.

Best,
Amber Butler/Angela Chism/Jasmine McCutchen
School Counselor

Differentiation:
 6

For students who are Deaf or hard of hearing, the video can be shown with subtitles, and an
interpreter can be utilized for the group activity.

For students who are blind, the video is narrated, and the handout will be read aloud. For the
group portion of the project, the student can dictate their peers’ essential aspects of their desired
career that they would like to incorporate into their group’s poster.

For students with limited mobility, accommodations may need to be made to group activity as
students will be moving around the classroom to form groups. One option would be to provide
the student with a blank sheet of paper so they can make their poster without having to move;
however, in favor of more inclusivity and group participation, the preferred accommodation
would be to have that student identify their career cluster group and the presenter could then help
find the other students in that group and ask them to move their group around that student’s desk
so they could participate in the poster development rather than having that student go to them.

References:
Smith, The. (n.d.). Career and Technical Education 17 Career Clusters. Loudoun County Public
Schools. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KkjcHVqhtRUbtifKbYSUV4S-21nBq13q/view

Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Career Clusters: Pathways to Career and College
Readiness.VDOE .
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/career_technical/career_clusters/index.shtml.

Classroom Guidance Lesson

 7

School Counselor Name: Jasmine McCutchen, Amber Butler & Angela Chism

School: McCutchen Butler Chism Middle School

Title of lesson: Date: 6/26/2021

Domain: Academic

Grade Level:8 Time required:30 Minutes

ASCA Mindset and Behavior (s):

M2: Students will develop a sense of Self-confidence inability to succeed.

B-LS 4: Students will apply self-motivation and self-direction to learning.

State Standards (School Counseling if applicable and Academic):

VA school counseling standards

Students will:

MA1. Understand the relationship of personal abilities, goals, skills, interests, and motivation to
academic achievement

MA2. Understand the relationship of dependability, productivity, and initiative to academic

success.

VA academic standard

8.4 The student will apply knowledge of word origins and figurative language to extend
vocabulary development within authentic texts.

SMART Goal:
Students will develop time management skills that will increase their confidence in their ability
to self-regulate their responsibilities, reduce their procrastination habits, improve their
academics, and reduce stress regarding their academic performance.

Materials/Resources:
15 Responsibility handouts, five pairs of scissors, 5 glue sticks, 3 markers per group, 1 chart
paper per group, 5 construction paper
 8

Activity:
Step 1. (5 minutes)

Have the teacher introduce themselves. The counselor will share what time management means
and its importance regarding the academic career. We all have 24 hours within a day. How we
use that time is valuable to our future. Many of us have various responsibilities and school,
extracurricular activities, house chores, and friendship. Time management allows a person to
complete responsibilities to avoid procrastination, which will reduce stress and anxiety. As of 8th
grader, you must have the self-confidence to be responsible for your duties and be self-
motivated.

The teacher will perform a pre-test for students where they stand up for the responsibility they
spend most of their day performing.

Step 2. (10 minutes)

Students will separate into groups of 5, making three groups. The teacher will pass out a paper
with ten responsibilities: sleep, eat, math, reading, writing, sporting event, particular club, family
time, chores, and friendship time. Students will sort the responsibilities in order of importance
and write a story together, including what they deem as more essential versus least significant
and the time it takes to complete the task.

Step 3. (10 minutes)

Students will present their stories to the class. In reflection, the group will discuss what they
deemed as most important and least important and why.

Step 3. (5 minutes)

The teacher will bring everyone together to discuss the similarities and differences of the
priorities of each student. Every student will have different responsibilities that they deem
important time use and even responsibilities that they have no control over such as chores,
sports, and family time. However, there are some responsibilities such as studying,
extracurricular activities, time with friends that they can choose to make wise decisions about
their use of time. To be a successful student, setting appropriate time to study is the student’s
responsibility. As you develop time management skills, your academics will improve.

In the post-test, the teacher will call out those same responsibilities and have students stand for
what they will begin to spend more time doing.

Evaluation:
 9

Pre-test(students will stand for the statement that they relate to.)

When I devote more time to study, I feel less stressed.

When I study, my grades improve.

When I procrastinate, I am worried that I will not complete the task.

When my grades improve, I feel more confident.

I feel confident in my ability to complete tasks independently.

Post-test- students will write personal commitment statements about taking more time to study
and sign them.

Information Letter:
Dear Parent/Guardian,

Students will receive several lessons either guided or implemented by the school counselor
throughout the year regarding their career, academic, and social-emotional needs.

This week’s lesson focuses on the student’s time management skills to improve overall
academics and reduce their stress level. Students who develop healthy time management skills
will be successful in future endeavors have less anxiety about their ability to perform
academically. “The Standards for School Counseling Programs in Virginia Public Schools is that
students have an understanding of the relationship of personal abilities, goals, skills, interests,
and motivation to academic achievement and understand the relationship of dependability,
productivity, and initiative to academic success.”- Virginia School Counseling Program
Standards.

The lesson will include a pre-and post-test measuring how they understand their role in time
management. Students will sort their daily responsibilities by the level of importance and the
time needed to succeed in the study. They will work together with their peers to create a story of
how students can achieve their responsibilities promptly. Students will learn the effectiveness of
using positive language and how it affects the learning climate, and the importance of peer
support as they prepare for high school soon. The development of positive and effective
communication can foster long-term healthy relationships for students. Lastly, students will
create a personal commitment statement to incorporate a positive time management skill in their
daily lives moving forward.

Differentiation:
 10

For students who need accommodations with reading and presenting, the group will choose a
reader, and instructions will be read orally.

References:

Virginia Board of Education (2004). Standards for School Counseling Programs in Virginia
Public Schools. DOE.
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/school_counseling/counselingstandards.pdf

Classroom Guidance Lesson

School Counselor Name: Angela Chism, Jasmine McCutchen & Amber Butler
 11

School: McCutchen Butler Chism Middle School

Title of lesson: Using Wise Words Date: 6/26/2021

Domain:Social/ Emotional

Grade Level:8 Time required:30 Minutes

ASCA Mindset and Behavior (s):

M 2. Self Confidence and Ability to Succeed
B-LS 2. Demonstrate creativity
B-LS 10. Participate in enrichment and extracurricular activities
B-SS 2. Create positive and supportive relationships with other students
B-SS 4. Demonstrate Empathy

State Standards (School Counseling if applicable and Academic):

MP2. Understand the consequences of decisions and choices
MP5. Demonstrate appropriate skills for interactions with adults and developing and maintaining
positive peer relationships
MP7. Understand how character traits, interests, abilities, and achievements relate to attaining
personal, educational, and career goals.

SMART Goal:
By the end of the lesson, students will identify the benefits of utilizing positive affirmations in
the learning environment and identify several strategies to apply positive affirmations in their
daily lives.

Materials/Resources:
20 washable markers (color doesn’t matter)
40 index cards
20 blank pieces of paper (bring extras for each student in the class)
20 pieces of candy (Bring extra for students who may not be accounted for)

Activity:

Step 1 (Minutes 1- 5)
 12

Enter the classroom & do an introduction of myself and the lesson that IOne will be
administering
Administer pre-test (annotate results on paper based on raised hands).
Hand out sheets of paper, markers, and index cards to each student.
Inform students that we will be working on the index cards first and to have them centered and
prepared for writing

Step 2 (Minutes 6-11)

Inform the students of the task with the index cards. The students will be asked to list their
insecurities on the index cards. This can include things that bother them every day. What subject
they may be falling behind in or how they feel about themselves. Students will hold on to the
index cards for the next part of the lessons. They can place them face down on their desks, in
their pocket if they choose to keep it even more private.
Students will be partnered up according to who may be near them. After the students are
partnered up, they will write their partnered peer, each student, at the top of the blank paper
issued to them. The students will then write three positive things about the student they are
partnered with on their sheet of paper. The students will look at the things that they wrote and
will be asked by a show of hands if they have ever said the positive things about their peers that
they have listed out loud at any point.

Step 3 (Minutes 12- 19)

The students will give their papers to the peer they have been partnered with to allow them to
read the positive things their peers have said about them.
We will begin a short class discussion about how important peer support is and encouraging
words while in school.
Start a class discussion about self-image and the importance of using words to encourage our
peers every day as they prepare for high school and how they prepare for life after that.
The guided conversation from the counselor will be accompanied by positive affirmations for the
students to write down and say to themselves every day. We will discuss the importance of
motivating our peers regardless of whether they are doing well in school or not and how hearing
positive words from others helps them perform better.

Step 4 (Minutes 20-25)

We will start the discussion of setting boundaries about what people say to them and about them.
An emphasis on highlighting specific words and how they may not necessarily compliment and
stick up for their peer if they hear someone else saying inappropriate things about them. As the
students are reading the positive things about them, compliment and pass out candy and say the
words, I believe in you; You are an asset to this class and this school.

Step 5 (Minutes 26-28)

 13

Students will read the affirmations that their peers said to them as an exercise with their words,
followed by whatever positive notes their classmates took. (I.E. I am intelligent and willing to
help other students with their work, so they understand it).

Step 6 (Minutes 29-30)

Administer post-test and annotate results.

Evaluation:
The pre and post-test will be asked out loud to the students. Students will be asked to raise their
hands to either yes or no for each question but not both, and the school counselor will annotate
the number of students according to their answers listed. The school counselor will have one
sheet of paper to annotate the answers instead of collecting documents at the beginning and the
end of the lesson.
Pre-Post Test:
Question # of Yes # of No

It’s challenging for me to say nice

things to a student

I know how to encourage my peers.

I hear encouraging or positive

comments every day.

I find it easier to talk to one person.

I find it easier to talk to a group of

people.

I like when people make jokes

about me.

I apologize when I know I’ve hurt

someone's feelings.

People apologize to me when I tell

them they hurt my feelings.

Information Letter:
Dear Parent/Guardian,
 14

Students will receive several lessons either guided or implemented by the school counselor
regarding career, academic, and social-emotional needs throughout the year.

This week’s complement lesson focusing on the students Social and Emotional needs will be
given. As a part of the curriculum, it is essential to understand that the Social and Emotional
needs are as important as their academic needs and career readiness. “The Standards for School
Counseling Programs in Virginia Public Schools reflect the progression of student growth
throughout the school experience and ensure that, at all grade levels, students continue to
develop appropriate knowledge and skills..”- Virginia School Counseling Program Standards.

The lesson will include a pre-and post-test measuring how they understand social and emotional
situations. The lesson will involve students addressing their insecurities as well as being
positively affirmed in the classroom. Their peers will be given exercises and tools to consistently
encourage one another to foster a collective improvement in the school. Students will learn the
effectiveness of using positive language and how it affects the learning climate, and the
importance of peer support as they prepare for high school soon. We understand that these
students are preparing for high school and different social interactions. The development of
positive and effective communication can foster long-term healthy relationships for students.

Best,
Angela Chism/ Amber Butler / Jasmine McCutchen
School Counselor

Differentiation:
Students with an IEP plan, depending on their extra assistance according to the plan, will be able
to use their skills in the classroom for extra practice.
I.E., Speech Therapy- Students will have the opportunity to use their learned skills in the
classroom, and students will have the chance to encourage the student in real-time using the
skills learned. This will allow the school counselor to do a classroom assessment and measure
the student’s interaction with their peers which could be reported back to their speech therapist
for effective feedback or a possible IEP plan adjustment.

References:
Virginia Board of Education (2004). Standards for School Counseling Programs in Virginia
Public Schools. DOE.
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/school_counseling/counselingstandards.pdf