June 2018

By Erica Kruger, Madison Metropolitan School District

As I wrote this, it was a rainy and cold March day in Madison, Wisconsin; not unlike many March days this year.  Even so, the feel of spring was in the air and with it, the anticipation of summer days not-too-far after that.  For me, after bare feet, garden time and slow mornings, the best part of summer is the space that it provides for professional reading and reflection.  During the school year, on the back flap of my journal, I generate a summer reading list; inspired by recommendations from colleagues, references from professional development courses, and ideas from newspaper and magazine articles.  Each summer the areas of focus vary but tend to fall into a few key categories, including organizational culture/systems thinking, mindfulness, child and adolescent development, and school counseling practices.

Perhaps professional reading is also an integral part of your summertime rejuvenation plan.  If so, in the spirit of collaborative learning, I’ve offered a few suggestions: This list begins with a few personal favorites (that I’ve read in past summers) with a bit of information on each, and concludes with the ever-growing list of my intended reads for this summer.

Recommended Reads: 
Organizational Culture & Systems:
The OIQ Factor: Raising your school’s organizational intelligence (William Powell and Ochan Kusuma-Powell, 2013).  Designed for teachers and school leaders, this book explores strategies designed to raise the organizational intelligence of classrooms and schools.  The authors emphasize the key role that strong collaborative practices play in creating positive school change.  As they note, “simplistic and superficial approaches to improving student learning simply don’t work because school improvement isn’t a technical challenge; it is an adaptive one.  It requires a change not just in behaviors and skill, but in values, beliefs and even identity.” (p. 7) Rich with case studies and discussion questions, this book offers fascinating ideas to inform how we might support culture and climate work in our schools and school districts.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Cal Newport, 2016).  If you, like me, wonder how you sometimes feel so busy and yet seem unable to get certain kinds of work accomplished, this book may offer some answers. The author defines “deep work,” as “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit,” and suggests that the development of transformative, high-quality ideas require deep work, (p.3).  Though some of the concepts may seem better suited for individuals with more control over their schedules than we typically have in schools, this book offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on how you might influence your work environment and adjust your work habits to support you in navigating the dynamics of our distraction-rich school settings.

Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation (Linda A. Hill, Greg Brandeau, Emily Truelove & Kent Lineback, 2014). Designed for a broad audience, this book draws on authentic examples from a variety of organizations to explore the leader’s role in supporting innovative practices.  Their finding? Effective leaders of innovation don’t try to control the vision and master plan.  Instead,  “a leader of innovation creates a place – a context, an environment – where people are willing and able to do the hard work that innovative problem solving requires.” (p.3). True leaders of innovation recognize that it is a collective, collaborative endeavor and work hard to foster the norms and establish the structures that support effective collaboration.  Though the examples are largely from the world of business, I found the ideas transferrable for educational systems, as well. In addition, it inspired thinking about how district leaders might better support a culture of innovation for school staff and how school teams might better foster innovative thinking on the part of their students.

Mindfulness:
Real Happiness at Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace (Sharon Salzberg, 2014). In her introduction, Salzberg provides an insightful exploration of the way in which a personal mindfulness practice can support us in becoming “more productive, satisfied, and peaceful at work.” (p. 2)  She frames her book around “eight pillars of happiness in the workplace” –  balance, concentration, compassion, resilience, communication and connection, integrity, meaning, and open awareness (p.5).  Each chapter explores a concept in detail and then closes with specific meditation practices designed to support the specific pillar described therein.  Our district has been using this text in several professional learning offerings and it has inspired great dialogue about the necessity, (and challenge), of personal self-care practice given the current culture and climate that many of our staff experience in their schools.

Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1994). If you have been curious about the world of mindfulness meditation, this text offers the starting place.  Kabat-Zinn is the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a program that worked to apply the practices of mindfulness meditation into everyday living to support management of stress, pain, and illness. Crafted as short chapters on specific concepts – Stopping, Waking Up, Concentration, Harmony – and interwoven with poetry, this book offers a gentle entry into exploring what it might be to practice being present, in the present moment, with full awareness and non-judgement.  Kabat-Zinn also provides scaffolds for a variety of meditation practices – sitting, movement, breath – and also offers reflections on the ways in which mindfulness practices can be integrated into the everyday moments of life, potentially shifting both how we experience, and react to, what life presents.

Building Emotional Intelligence : Techniques to Cultivate Inner Strength in Children (Linda Lantieri & Daniel Goleman, 2008).  The bulk of the book is organized around three separate chapters that offer age-appropriate (i.e., 5-7 years old, 8-11 years old and 12+ years), approaches to body relaxation and mindfulness. The key ideas being that if we can quiet and focus the mind and calm and relax the body, we can manage emotions more effectively and foster a deeper sense of inner resilience. This book includes a CD with guided contemplative practice and could be a powerful addition to small group or individual work, especially with students experiencing a strong stress response or that tend to get caught up in their thoughts in a way that causes a lot of agitation or distress.

Culturally Responsive Practice in Education:
Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Zaretta Hammond, 2015). Many of our district and school-based leadership teams have been using this text as a common read this year to engage in critical conversations about the ways in which our district succeeds – and falls short – of fully engaging all of our student community. This text is very comprehensive, practical, and engaging: It supports a deeper understanding of the neuroscience behind culturally responsive practice and provides both principles and specific strategies to support teachers (and school counselors) in creating effective learning environments for all students. A key focus area is the important role that authentic, trusting relationships play in helping students to become independent learners through the development of certain academic mindsets and habits.  In addition, the author engages readers in a thoughtful exploration of their own cultural identity, emphasizing that self-examination is a critical foundational component to serving as a culturally responsive practitioner.  A great read for an individual but perhaps even better as a school team.

Ready, willing, and able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success (Mandy Savitz-Romer and Suzanne M. Bouffard, 2012). An excellent read for school counselors, especially those working at the secondary level, this text explores the critical interplay between adolescent development, educational equity (or lack thereof), and post-secondary planning programming.  The authors posit that, despite best intentions, all of our college and career exploration and planning intentions may miss the mark, if we aren’t aware of how adolescent development and nuances of that developmental process for our culturally diverse youth populations, impact students’ post-secondary beliefs and aspirations.  A blend of exploration of ideas and concrete recommendations, this book offers a valuable lens through which to review, assess and refine the current college and career components of your comprehensive school counseling program.

On My List for This Summer:
Effective Communication & Teaming

I know, I know…I’ll never read them all.  But perhaps you will and then can share your good thinking through a future WSCA Link article! Or perhaps you have additional resource ideas, given what has been most influential in informing your work as a school counselor.  If you have favorites to share, WSCA members would love to hear about them on the WSCA Facebook page.  Until then, happy summer reading!

Join us on Wednesday June 13th for a National Day of Action to advocate for full funding of the Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant program. This federal grant, part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will allow schools and districts to support well-rounded programs, safe and healthy schools, and the effective use of technology. This program has significant funding opportunities for school counseling services.

Congress recognized the importance of this block grant and provided $1.1 billion for Title VI-A in Fiscal Year 2018. At this funding level many districts will receive enough funds and have the flexibility to make meaningful investments in necessary program areas. We need to keep this momentum up, and show our continued support for Title IV-A and ask Congress to continue to invest in this program.

What can you do?  
Starting on June 13th, we ask that you please join educators and advocates all across the nation by contacting your member of Congress by using our easy advocacy tool. You will be able to send an email or contact your elected official via social media – or both! The advocacy campaign will close on June 18th.
https://www.votervoice.net/ASCA/campaigns/54233/respond

Why did you decide to get involved with WSCA? 
I recently moved from Arizona and was very involved with AzSCA. I served as President of that organization a few years ago and believe in the work of our school counseling organizations. The professional relationships  I have built through my involvement in these organizations has been invaluable to me and my career. I am a staunch advocate for school counseling programming and wanted to be a part of WSCA to help spread about the ways in which SCHOOL COUNSELORS change lives!What do you hope to accomplish through your role in WSCA?
I hope to help key stakeholders like legislatures, administrators, parents, students and our colleagues understand that we are no longer guidance counselors focused solely on changing schedules and postsecondary planning with some students, that we are SCHOOL COUNSELORS who provide data driven programs for ALL students focused on their academic, social/emotional and career development.What do you love about your work? 
I love that I get to work with 45 fabulous counselors in the Madison Metro School District every day. I love their passion and dedication to our students and love that they are advocating, collaborating, communicating and creating systemic change for kids all the time!Why did you decide to become an educator? 
I become an educator to help students overcome barriers to their learning. I considered working in juvenile detention but after a summer internship realized that these kids needed PREVENTION not just crisis response. Comprehensive school counseling programs are designed by their very nature to find these kids that need our programming and support before the kids (or admin, or the police etc) come to us! Given the freedom to work run a comprehensive data-driven program in our schools, school counselors can make all the difference in a student’s life.What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at school?Chasing my three young boys! I am currently reading The Boy Without Instructions.

Professional Recognition Committee

Friend of School Counseling: This award recognizes a person who, through leadership, acts, or support, has made contributions to the school counseling profession.
Nikki Kiss

Mary Gehrke-McAllister Leadership Award: This award recognizes a person who provides outstanding leadership to the school counseling profession in Wisconsin.
Steve Schneider

Supervisor/Administrator: This award recognizes a supervisor or administrator who has made significant contributions to the field of school counseling.
Scott Bartol

School Counseling Team: This award recognizes a school counseling team that works together to go above and beyond to meet the personal, career, and academic needs of their students.
Oshkosh North High School

Secretary: This award recognizes a secretary or admin assistant who supports and enhances the work of the school counselor.
Annette Marciniak

---

Conference Committee

Don’t miss out on next year’s amazing professional development opportunity!
Be sure to SAVE THE DATE for the 2019 WSCA Annual Conference:

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

WSCA’s 54th Annual State Conference
The Power of Hope

Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center

Madison, Wisconsin

The 2019 conference will bring you three days of dynamic professional development and will feature two fantastic keynote speakers:

Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D. Producer of the viral animation video “Success in the New Economy,” and author of the bestseller, “(Re)Defining the Goal”.

Karen Gannon Griffith, PhD, LPC, elementary teacher, special education teacher, and a professional school counselor.

Want to be more than just an attendee at the WSCA Conference? Consider sharing your expertise on a hot topic in school counseling by presenting a preconference workshop or hour-long sectional. WSCA Coordinators are currently seeking applicants for the following presentation sessions:

• The Search for 2019 Sectional Presenters is on! The heart of all WSCA Conferences will always be the sharing of material from school counselors in the trenches. Share your latest and greatest practices and ideas at the 2019 WSCA Conference by doing a one-hour sectional. Sectional Proposal Forms are now available and can be found HERE. The deadline for sectional proposals is November 10, 2018.

Publications Committee Update