Frequently Asked Questions

• Who was this curriculum made for?

  • Simply School Counseling's full title expands on this! Simply School Counseling: For the Everyday Educator was created with school counselors, teachers and private schools in mind.

     

    Larger public schools often rely on comprehensive Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. Examples of this are RULER and Second Step. These programs are top of the line with robust, detailed, and high tech resources. They are also expensive and will charge thousands of dollars in annual program fees along with individual user fees for every student. The cost alone is out of reach for many private or parochial schools, and the organization of one of these programs requires the attention of a full time school counselor and/or SEL organizer.

     

    Simply School Counseling was created to meet the need for SEL in private schools at a lower cost. It is a lesson based curriculum that is aligned with the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Standards and is data driven. The lessons are intentionally low tech, requires minimal preparation, and are formatted in a way that is easy to follow. The curriculum is intended to be taught by both school counselors and classroom teachers!

     

• What is the cost and what is included?

  • The curriculum is sold either as a K-4th Grade Elementary Bundle ($1000), a 5th-8th Grade Middle School Bundle ($1000), or a K-8th Grade Bundle ($1800).   

  • The curriculum bought include the following:​​​

    • Weekly ASCA standards based SEL lessons for an entire school year (37+ lessons per grade level or 333+ lessons total).​

    • Quarterly surveys to establish and monitor student progress and track data.

    • Curriculum mapping for each grade level based on recurrent monthly SEL themes.

    • Parent communication memos for each week of the school year.

    • Faith based journaling prompts for each of the SEL monthly themes. 

    • Email support before and after purchase. 

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• Is there parent communication included?

  • Yes! There is a file sent when the curriculum is bought titled "Parent Communication." This contains weekly memos that can be attached to school wide notifications, classroom newsletters, or emails. The memos thematically align with the monthly SEL themes that are being taught.

     

• How much prep time is there for each lesson?

  • Preparation time depends on the lesson and on the teacher. Below are the basic prep steps for each lesson:

    • Read over the weekly lesson plan

    • Read the "Materials" section and gather, copy or pull up what is needed.

    • Make necessary adjustments to your space if needed

       

• What materials will I use?

  • This varies! Elementary lessons tend to use more physical objects, while middle school lessons are often accompanied by a PowerPoint. Below is a list of a few common materials needed:

    • Teacher computer with the ability to project

    • Large whiteboard and markers

    • Pencils, crayons, and highlighters

    • Balloons, string, play doh, paper bags, and other common household objects

    • Blank paper or copies

    • Stuffed animals, balls or fidget objects

    • Books or the ability to show a book via YouTube read-alouds.

    • Individual student devices (rarely)

       

• What format is this delivered in?

  • After a contract is signed and payment is received, curriculum(s) will be delivered in a PDF zip file via email. All PowerPoints, lessons and worksheets are organized by grade level, month, and week. They can be printed or shared within the school.

     

• What does it mean that the curriculum is faith based?

  • Simply School Counseling is rooted in Christian principals and references the Bible and Christian themes. At the same time, it is not meant to be a replacement for religion class. The primary goal of the curriculum is to teach social and emotional skills to students while making faith connections.

     

    If a school would like to provide additional faith connections for students they can use the file entitled "Faith Based Journaling Prompts". This contains an elementary version and a middle school version of a PowerPoint with weekly prompts for discussion and/or journaling.

     

    The curriculum can be adapted to exclude faith based elements. This will take additional preparation time by the teacher to read through the lesson materials and determine what may need to be taken out or edited.

     

     

• What makes this curriculum different than others out there?

  • Simply School Counseling was made for a specific set of schools: private schools with or without a full time school counselor. This curriculum is not something provided on Teachers Pay Teachers, nor is it a national organization. Below area. few key principles:

    • Standards alignment with the American School Counseling Association (ASCA)

    • Limited use of technology in lessons

    • High student engagement

    • One time cost

    • Simple yet robust with over 330 lessons provided

    • Copy and paste parent communication resources

       

• How long will I have access to the curriculum?

  • Permanently. The only reason access would be revoked is if materials are shared outside of the purchasing school.

     

• Are there print materials to purchase?

  • Not yet! Simply School Counseling is still gaining traction and funding. As we grow we hope to put out more materials such as workbooks and bound curriculum books.

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