Anchor Area
Jared Johnson, Counselor, 2022-2023 School Year
Description & Need:
This proposal is to create an area within our school for students to anchor their needs. The Anchor Area would be located in the east end of our conference room and would serve two purposes for our students. First, it would provide a relaxing space to conduct small group instruction. Small groups are an integral part of the American School Counseling Association Model for school counseling programs. The second purpose of this area is to provide a space for individual students to utilize sensory breaks. By anchoring sensory needs, students who may be elevated, can practice self-regulating strategies to help refocus and return to the classroom ready to learn. The Anchor Area proposal is for the purchase of materials to revamp a portion of our conference room and create a calm, comforting area for both small group instruction and individual need.
How project meets Instruction Goals and Mission Statement:
This project will meet goal #2 of the CPS strategic plan, to address the social and emotional needs of our students that are affecting their academic development. When a student has specific emotional needs, they must be met for a student to be educationally successful in the classroom. Students needs are as unique as each one of our students. For this reason, this area would be multi-purpose to best meet the needs of students either in small groups or individually. By meeting this need, this project aligns with our district mission "Engaging all Learners to Achieve Success".
Major Objectives:
There are two main objectives for this project:
Objective 1 - create an area that provides a safe place for students to calm, relax, and refocus.
Objective 2 - create an area that provides a relaxing environment for small group sessions.
Teaching Methods:
Different teaching methods will be used in the Anchor Area depending on individual student needs. Small group instruction will focus on a variety of career, academic, and social-emotional topics. These lessons will be aligned with the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors and delivered by a school counselor. Individual students utilizing the Anchor Area will practice self-regulating strategies. These strategies will be taught one-on-one by a school counselor and then practiced by the student. Once the strategies are learned, students can utilize the Anchor Area to practice as needed. Once the emotional balance is achieved, students will return to the classroom ready to engage successfully in their academics.
Grade Level Impacted:
Students in grades 5-8 will be able to utilize the space. The request to utilize the space will be acquired through individual student requests or counselor recommendations.
Additional Materials:
The other materials needed are already in place through our current curriculum for small groups and individual needs. Because we have the space in our conference room, no renovations will need to be made.
Project Evaluation:
We will assess our objective by evaluating the number of students using the area, both in small groups and individually. In addition to numbers, students participating in small groups will complete a pre/posttest for the curriculum used. Individual students using the Anchor Area will complete a time in/time out and personal 5-point rating scale for enter/exit feelings.
