I love when I finally find a great product. Drinks, make-up, books, podcasts, etc.- it's great for someone else to weed through the not so good, and share the tried and true. The things I'm sharing today are my all-time favorites. These are things I have tested and loved for a LONG time and that have beaten out many other products of their kind. I figured summer is a great time to try new things, so I hope you enjoy!

Mascara: Benefit BADgal BANG! volumizing mascara 
Podcast: The 5 AM Miracle Podcast and The Self-Helpless Podcast
​Dry Shampoo: Klorane is my fave, but Batiste is a close second
Drinks: 

• Pre Workout- BeachBody Energize
• Post Workout- Fitaid
• Long Day- VPX Sports Bang Energy Drink
• Coffee Alternative- Four Sigmatic Coffee Drinks (dying to try the new charcoal & chaga lemonade)
• Coffee- Bulletproof Coffee blended with Grass Fed Butter + Brain Octane

Earbuds: Bose SoundSport Wireless Earbuds
​Favorite Colored Pens: ​BIC Gel-ocity Quick Dry Retractable Gel Pen
Daily Planner: My Next 90 Days Daily Action Planner by Savor Success
Goal Planner: Cultivate What Matters Powersheets Goal Planner

It's no secret, I LOVE DATA!! I wasn't always like this, though. I use to think of data as a burden and a means for dehumanizing the very human work we do as school counselors. Now, data is my best friend! I'll tell you why.

Why data rocks:

1. First of all, it's super validating! So often we make "to do lists" but never "already done lists"! As school counselors, we work SO HARD and sacrifice so much to create a program that best serves our students. It feels great and is very emotionally healthy to take time to reflect and see what we have done.
2. The less touchy feely but equally important reason, data is the path to change! Data doesn't lie! The people who make decisions about education (large or small scale) are very often following the paths of data. Whether you have a small district or a large district, showing your data is (in my opinion) the best and most effective way to advocate for change and make specific requests for change for your program.
3. People don't know what they don't know, until they see it! When I show teachers and parents my data, they grow to understand what I do. They see my struggles with time, they see how my counseling affects change, and they grow to empathize and advocate for my program, without me having to complain or really say a word. The numbers speak for themselves and are eye opening for the MANY stakeholders who are still learning about our role.
4. Data is the primary fuel that fires growth in the areas of productivity and program and personal efficiency. Many of you, like me, strive to make the most out of your time by using effective and efficient systems and processes. Tracking data is the way to make these changes. 

Data to collect at the end of the year:

• A complete project / responsibilities list - You will thank yourself later! Go back through your systems and make a complete list of every project you've initiated or have been asked to work on, each team you lead or are a part of, and EVERY SINGLE type of activity you worked on this year.
  1. How can you advocate to get rid of certain duties, if you don't have a complete list of all of what's on your plate?!
  2. This list will help you explain "what you do" to parents, teachers, kids and more next year!
  3. I promise you, there WILL come a time when you think "hmm.. I know I've been working hard all week.. but what was I doing?" and your list will help you turn that meaningful work into data.

 

• Use of time analysis - Tracking the way you spend your time is, in my unpopular opinion, an ABSOLUTE non-negotiable GOLDEN RULE of being a school counselor. It's not easy and even I'll admit it's taken me a few years to finally develop a system that works for me consistently, but it's SO important. 
  • I believe this is THE MOST IMPORTANT piece of data you can track. If you are assigned inappropriate duties that you eventually want to change, you need to develop a system you can be consistent with and STICK WITH IT!
  • When I go to advocate for the removal of a certain duty, I can say "I spent ______ hours on this task this year. In that amount of time I could've led 2 small groups, or met individually with 6 additional students, etc."
  • More on this in another post.. but I use SCUTA to track my time in 15 minute increments and I keep it bookmarked on my computer, ipad, and cell phone so no matter where I am at (on the floor with a kid in crisis, waiting outside for a fire drill to end, etc.) I can update my time. 

• As much Process Data as you Can Find - Number of counseling lessons taught, number of suicide assessments completed, number of CYF reports, number of students who applied for FAFSA, college, etc. Changes in caseload numbers, gather it all! 
  • Even if you only choose to share some.. collect it all! Then you can compare the data in years to come, so you can say "suicide assessments have doubled in the last 3 years, what can we implement to help our students with these issues?"

Each program is different and you may have other components of your program you need to track as well. The most important part of tracking data is consistency. You have to commit to the importance of tracking and plan thoughtfully and reasonably about what you can keep up with. If you only track for half a year or a few months, your data won't be usable. When you plan for next year, think about little changes you can make in your daily habits that will set you up to be able to easily and quickly pull some of these number!

Comment below some other types of data you round-up and I will add them to a list for a follow up post! :)

XOXO
​Alaina

Most people might say that about the Christmas season, but the start of the new year is my absolute favorite component of the winter season. (I phrase it that way because I can't say it's my favorite time of year necessarily, I mean hello .. summer, but I do like it very much).

Many people laugh and tease about resolutions, since they often go unaccomplished, but I promise you it can be done. Something important to remember though, is that "there is nothing magical about January 1st". Lara Casey from Cultivate What Matters, author of my beloved goal setting method of choice, the Powersheets, says that phrase frequently. We should be reflecting, setting goals, and planning regularly throughout the year if we want to accomplish big things. Living intentionally, with purpose in this way has even been found in the research to correlate with higher income and living a longer life!

The reason so many folks tease about resolutions, is because they have felt the disappointment and shame of not accomplishing something they've set out to. The reason I think most people fail is that they set a goal (usually only in their mind or carelessly written) and then do not implement a trusted system to help them stay on track and revisit their plans regularly. I use the Cultivate What Matters Powersheets for this reason- to keep myself on track. I have a lot of ideas naturally and have many different components of my life I am setting goals for, so this works perfectly for me. If goal setting is hard for you or you are challenged when trying to come up with goals, I would suggest reading the book The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. This will help you narrow your focus and start small. It works. 

​5 Life Lessons I Learned from Ellen DeGeneres

In a world where the media is plagued by news of tragedy, controversy, and debate, let's take just a few minutes to glorify some great things that are happening in media, as well. If you've seen The Ellen DeGeneres Show, you can't deny the "feel good vibes" that radiate from this programming. I hardly EVER watch TV, as most of the programming leaves me feeling unproductive, brain-dead and like I've wasted valuable time. The Ellen Show leaves me feeling refreshed, happy and hopeful for a world where people are genuine, authentic, kind, and loving. The Ellen Show is one of the few programs on TV that give me inspiration and can be a valuable part of my daily self-care.

I'm a 25 year old new middle school counselor, and I often find myself emotionally drained at the end of a hard day advocating for students and navigating an often "lacking" educational system. Since my job requires me to be in my best mental and emotional health, I am so thankful to have such a simple yet effective media outlet to tune into for a funny/inspirational boost.

Here are 5 Life Lessons I've learned from Ellen:

5. Play is an important part of adult self care.
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Think of a child you know and what it looks like when they're playing. Children can play for hours, living in what seems to be a land of imagination. They play with things that "aren't toys" in ways that they "weren't designed for" and they often make up an imaginary dialogue to accompany their play that often exceeds the realm of logical, adult understanding. It is magical to watch a child play. We, as adults, still have this part within us. We need play, too! It's vitally important for us to break down the barriers that keep us from playing and having fun so that we can engage in this liberating form of self-care. Ellen has "play" down pat. "Play" is the atmosphere that encompasses the entire Ellen Show Studio. When the audience is filmed in transition or in idle periods, they are buzzing with energy and having fun! What a vibrant life we would live if we could continue this playful attitude into our daily lives.