Description:
Teach crucial academic and social skills in thirty-minute lessons for small group instruction in grades 2-9. It's flexible, adaptable, and requires minimal prep time - no extra materials required! Topics include social awareness, empathy, communication, and understanding different viewpoints.
Brief description:
Amy Baltimore is a former missionary kid who grew up experiencing first hand what it is like to serve the needs of children with deep developmental trauma. With an undergraduate degree in musical theater and a masters degree in school counseling, she began her career by leaning into her passion for supporting the positive growth and development of students primarily in grades K-8 through musical theater programming and school counseling.
After 12 years of serving in schools as a school counselor, she realized the adults need just as much support as the students. So, after obtaining a specialist degree in Education Leadership, she stepped into the role of serving as a school counseling district leader and completed her personal educational journey by completing doctoral programming at Lipscomb University focused on the development of learning organizations, and strategic change.
Her professional experiences also include serving as Chair of the Board of Directors and legislative liaison for the Tennessee School Counselor Association, adjunct professor and frequent speaker at various higher ed events and state conferences, and advisory council for the Tennessee Department of Education school counseling department. She is a Nationally Board Certified Counselor and a certified trainer for Restorative Practices, Building Strong Brains (ACEs/PCEs), The 6 Pillars of Trauma-Informed Schools, and Youth Mental Health First Aid.
Amy has been happily married for 26 years and has two amazing children who have grown and flown. She loves any activity involving sunshine and warm weather. On any given sunny day you can find her at the lake on her paddleboard, or on a bicycle riding the greenway, or hiking with her husband toward one of the many waterfalls found in middle Tennessee.
Review Quotes:
I've been excited to get this book to start small groups with. A big issue in our school is students feeling a sense of belonging. In the world today with people struggling with mental health, this book helps students recognize their feelings about themselves, their social interactions and awareness, with the hope it will help them feel more connected to others with an increased sense of belonging. The group topics start with understanding your own strengths, appreciating the value in others, finding where you belong, achieving wellness and balance, and then moving on to how to define healthy relationships and recognize unhealthy relationships. Then moving into developing consideration for others, knowing your limits, and respecting others' boundaries. It is so nice to have a resource that is all put together for you and requires minimal preparation. I also like how it flows each week with the same starting mind map for each session, reading a short story, and offering a few different activities based on the amount of time you have. It also offers a would you rather game to play each time which I have seen kids really enjoy in the past. I can't wait to start using this resource!!!!!
Jennifer Wiater
School Counselor