The Start of Something New

Hello beautiful people of the School Counseling World!!! This is my first entry on my first blog ever and I'm really excited so let me start by introducing myself!! My name is Shandra Hall and I am entering my 9th year in field of School Counseling.  I spent my first 8 years at McDonald Green Elementary in Lancaster County in Lancaster, SC.  I  just recently transferred to Harrisburg Elementary still in Lancaster County, but in the Indian Land area (that's another story for another post, but it was a good move), and I currently sit on the leadership team for the elementary counselors in my district!  I attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC where I received my Bachelor's degree in Psychology and my Master's of Education degree in Counseling and Development with a specialization in School Counseling .  I received my LPC  (Licensed Professional Counselor credential) in the state of South Carolina about 2-3 years ago.  I am K-12 certified, but I've spent the last 8 years in elementary...its something about the little babies that warm my heart..I imagine I will soon get the itch for middle school...it just hasn't hit me yet, but I look forward to the day that it does! The picture below is a picture of my former 5th grade Beta Club members in Nashville, TN this past June!! (More on Beta later!)

That's some of the professional stuff...Now to the personal...this list won't be long!  My favorite color is yellow (it just screams happiness and tranquility...how I try to live)...I love to travel (I try to do this at least twice a year...in the country and out of the country...keeps you level).  One of my favorite places to be is at the water...I'd take a beach over a pool any day...but not just any beach...there is no beach like a tropical beach with crystal clear blue water...it is sooooo relaxing...I can't even put it into words...once you've seen it, no other beach will be the same! I also enjoy reading...losing myself in a good book is an amazing feeling.  (SN: I use a lot of biblotherapy with my students...there's always a book to take your point to the next level). I've also started dabbling in writing a little bit... (more on that later :)) Pic below is my latest trip to Jamaica!!

Why Blog?  Well, I wanted to start this as a way to spark new ideas and share things that have worked for me over the last 8 years and hopefully help someone else.  I'd also like if you would share your ideas with me!! What worked, what didn't, if you tried something I have and put a different twist to it...I think collaboration is very important in our field!! I'll post different lessons, activities and programs that work with my population and information from different professional development workshops and conference etc., so stay tuned!!

Don't Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle!!