Whimsy

Whimsical and Fun

Being an elementary school counselor allows me to have quirky, fun toys, decor and even clothing.  When I was a high school counselor, I preferred matching pieces, soft hues and simplicity.  As an elementary counselor, it is more about fun.

I picked up these unusual wall decor pieces at a garage sale for a couple dollars.  I was surprised when I saw a price tag on the back indicating they had been $19.99 on sale. They immediately caught my eye because they reminded me of my daughter's curly hair when she was younger.  While they are sure strange pieces, they are fun and certainly a conversation piece!

My curly girl pictures and  confidentiality banner

The banner shown in the bottom picture below is one I designed and had printed through Vistaprint.  I had seen so many cool banners on Pinterest and other counselor blogs that I wanted to make my own.

My banner is hung right above the Smartboard in my office.  Because I turn off the light in my office when using the Smartboard and it gets really dark (I have no windows), I keep this little string of lights hanging above the Smartboard.

When I started counseling nearly 20 years ago, I purchased several Flavia posters that have been hung in every office I've had over the years whether I was working in the high school or elementary.  I have six Flavia posters in all and three of them in this size.  

Poster Storage

I have an extensive collection of posters I've purchased over the years.  Most of them have a character trait theme. Some of my favorite posters are from the Second STEP curriculum.  Over the years I have also hung posters in the hallway but haven't done that as much lately because it seems they were always falling off the wall.  These days I am selective about the posters I use in the hallway and now use velcro.  I used to store my posters in boxes that are sold at teacher supply stores.  Those boxes aren't very sturdy and take up a lot of space.  When my mom retired, I asked for her awesome artist canvas bags.  These things are tough, have a zipper closure and can be stored far more easily.  The green poster holder in one that I attached to the inside of my cabinet door.  

Children's Books in the Elementary Counseling Office

When I was a kid, I loved looking around my classroom and enjoyed all my teacher's decorations.  I especially loved my mom's classroom.  She changed her bulletin boards monthly and the room was filled with festive and colorful seasonal decorations.  When I finally got my own counseling office, I was excited to decorate this home away from home.  A co-worker mentioned that the couch, stereo and pictures on my walls were nicer than what he had at home.  I said that I spent most of my day at school so I figured I might as well have a comfortable place to work.  Most of what I use in my office is cast-off from our home, a hand-me-down from a relative or purchased at a garage sale.

Children's Books

Books are an important part of my life and can be incredibly therapeutic.  I had a double major in college in psychology and journalism.  The common thread between these two disciplines is that everyone has a story.  Over the years I have used both bibliotherapy and narrative counseling in my work with children of all ages.

I have a lot of books in my office and the majority of them are inherited from my mom's collection when she retired.  Several of the books are ones that my kids no longer want or need.  I also received a lot of books from a counselor who retired when I was hired in the district.  The antique cabinet housing most of my books on three large shelves is one that my husband found thrown away.  He striped the paint off, sanded and refinished it when I was pregnant with my first born.  When my kids finally had "real" furniture with drawers, I took this cabinet out of my basement and brought it to school and easily filled it with books. 

I only have a few books on display because I found that kids were frequently distracted by my books and asked to read random books.    About ten years ago, my mom gave me the book carousel that actually holds a lot of books.  I keep all my Joy Berry books and several theme books on this.  Another way I group books is by using high quality book boxes I have had at least 10-12 years.  I used to use these colorful cardboard boxes to organize my character education books by character trait.