Using Origami in School Counseling

Angela Cleveland, M.S.Ed., M.Ed., MA has 15 years of experience as a school counselor and received the “2017 New Jersey School Counselor of the Year" award. She is an Executive Board Member and Webmaster for the New Jersey School Counselor Association (NJSCA). Angela is the Program Director for NCWIT Counselors for Computing.

Angela is focused on student equity and access to technology, both in content and the design-thinking process that informs intentional and inclusive integration practices

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In her free time, Angela enjoys telling bad jokes and giving motivational pep talks to her cat.

Use:
Ice Breaker
Addressing Roles (challenges and rewards of the different roles)

Key questions:
What hats do you wear?
What are the challenges and rewards of each hat?
How do you balance the different hats you wear?

video tutorial

Supplies: one 8.5” x11” piece of paper (printer paper) - one piece of paper per hat. Markers or pens to write on hat.

Directions: Make hats. Write the name of your hat (your role) on the bottom. Draw pictures &/or write words the describe your hat (role).

Extension Activity: Draw pictures or write words INSIDE the hat that represent things about you that others may not know until they get to know you more.

Use:
Ice-breaker
Build Community

village

apartment building

video tutorial 1
video tutorial 2

Key Questions:
Who is in your home/ who do you live with?

Supplies: Each home requires one piece of square origami paper and markers or pens to draw on them.

Directions: Select the house/apartment of your choice. Create. Add details about who you live with, pets, and hobbies. You can do this by adding people looking outside the windows, on the lawn, or other clues (like a basketball, violin, book, etc… to indicate hobbies).

Use:
Discuss stressors in life
Curate a list of coping skills

video tutorial

Key Questions:
We all experience stressors in our life.
We need to balance our stressors out with the right coping skills!
What are the stressors in your life? What coping skills do you use?

Supplies for two baskets: two square pieces of origami paper and two rectangular pieces of origami paper (cut one square piece in half). Several small slips of paper and pen to write stressors and coping skills.

Extension Activity:
You can use the baskets for discussion questions. For example if you want to use the baskets to make lists of career conversation starters
(see ASCA's free downloadable list here), students can select one question to read/respond to.