Lesson Plan
Meet Your Counselor Lesson Plan
Students will learn the school counselor’s role, recognize when and how to seek support, and practice help-seeking through guided activities.
Building rapport with the counselor fosters trust and ensures students feel comfortable asking for help with academic, social, or emotional challenges.
Audience
3rd Grade
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive presentation, hands-on worksheet, role-play
Prep
Prepare Materials
15 minutes
- Print and cut Emotion Cards Set and Help-Seeking Scenario Cards
- Print one copy of All About My Counselor Worksheet per student
- Print one copy of Counselor Exit Ticket Worksheet per student
- Review Counselor Introduction Slide Deck
- Hang or display Counselor Contact Info Poster in the classroom
Step 1
Introduction & Warm-Up
5 minutes
- Gather students in a circle and point out the Counselor Contact Info Poster
- Ask: “Who can tell me what a school counselor does?”
- Invite volunteers to share times someone helped them
- Establish class norms: listen respectfully, share kindly, and participate actively
Step 2
Counselor Role Presentation
10 minutes
- Present the Counselor Introduction Slide Deck
- Slide 1: Counselor’s name, photo, and welcome message
- Slide 2: Key roles (academic, social, emotional support)
- Slide 3: Examples of when to seek help
- Slide 4: How to schedule or walk in for a visit
- Pause after each slide for student questions
- Differentiation: Use visuals and check comprehension with thumbs-up/thumbs-down
Step 3
All About My Counselor Worksheet Activity
10 minutes
- Distribute the All About My Counselor Worksheet
- Students draw or write one thing they learned about the counselor’s role and one question they still have
- Circulate to support students who need help writing or drawing
- Differentiation: Offer sentence starters or allow drawing responses for English language learners
Step 4
Help-Seeking Scenario Role-Play
15 minutes
- Divide students into pairs or small groups
- Give each group a card from the Help-Seeking Scenario Cards
- Students act out the scenario using an emotion from the Emotion Cards Set
- Peers identify the emotion and model how to ask the counselor for help using polite phrases
- Differentiation: Allow groups to choose scenarios or use picture cues for support
Step 5
Exit Ticket & Wrap-Up
5 minutes
- Hand out the Counselor Exit Ticket Worksheet
- Students write one new thing they learned and one way they might ask the counselor for help
- Collect exit tickets to assess understanding and comfort level
- Quick verbal debrief: invite 2–3 students to share responses
- Standards Alignment: CASEL Competencies – Social Awareness & Relationship Skills
use Lenny to create lessons.
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Slide Deck
Meet Your Counselor
Hello! I’m Ms. Rivera, your school counselor.
I’m here to support you with school, friendships, and feelings.
Welcome students and introduce yourself. Show your photo and name. Say: “Hi everyone! I’m Ms. Rivera, your school counselor. I’m so excited to work with each of you this year!” Point out photo on slide and encourage students to wave.
What Does a School Counselor Do?
• Academic Support: planning, study tips, goal setting
• Social & Emotional Support: talking through feelings, problem-solving
• Skill Building: making friends, managing stress
Explain each role with examples. Say: “First, I help you with schoolwork—like organizing projects. Second, I listen to your feelings—if you’re upset or worried, we can talk. Third, I teach you skills—like how to make friends and solve problems.” Pause between each bullet and ask if they’ve ever needed that support.
When Should You Seek Help?
• Feeling sad, worried, or angry
• Having trouble making or keeping friends
• Getting stuck on schoolwork or a project
• Feeling nervous about something
Read each scenario aloud and ask students for thumbs up/down if they think the counselor can help. Say: “If you ever feel this way, you can come to me!” Encourage students to share other situations.
How to Visit Your Counselor
- Ask your teacher to send you or send an email
- Write your name on the Counselor Sign-Up Sheet
- Drop by my office during recess or lunch
- Raise your hand and say, “Can I talk with you?”
Walk through each step slowly. Demonstrate filling out a sample sign-up sheet. Say: “You can also just stop by my office when the sign is out!” Show students where your office is located on a simple school map. Remind them to ask the teacher if it’s an emergency.
Worksheet
All About My Counselor Worksheet
Name: ____________________________ Date: ________________
1. Draw Your Counselor
Draw a picture of your school counselor in the box below. Then write their name on the line.
Counselor’s Name: ______________________________
2. Two Things My Counselor Can Help Me With
Write two things a school counselor can do to help you.
3. How I Might Feel When I Ask for Help
Circle all the feelings you might have when you decide to talk to the counselor:
Sad Worried Angry Nervous Confused Alone
4. My Question for the Counselor
Write one question you still have for your school counselor.
Thank you for completing this worksheet! We will use your questions to learn more about how your counselor can support you.
Activity
Emotion Cards Set
Description:
A printable set of cards displaying common emotions with both an illustrated facial expression and the emotion word. Students will use these cards to identify and act out feelings during role-play activities.
Materials & Prep:
- Print the cards on cardstock or heavy paper
- Cut along the dotted border to separate each card
- (Optional) Laminate cards for durability
Cards Included:
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Worried
- Nervous
- Excited
- Scared
- Confused
- Frustrated
- Proud
- Lonely
- Calm
Instructions for Use:
- Shuffle the deck and place cards face down in a pile.
- During the Help-Seeking Scenario Role-Play, each student draws one card and acts out the emotion shown.
- Peers guess the emotion and practice using a polite phrase to ask the counselor for help (e.g., “I feel ___, can you help me?”).
- Rotate turns so every student has a chance to draw and act.
Differentiation Tips:
- For students who need extra support, show only picture-only or word-only cards.
- Encourage advanced learners to describe a time they felt that emotion and how the counselor could help them.
Link to use in lesson: Help-Seeking Scenario Role-Play
Activity
Help-Seeking Scenario Cards
Description:
A set of printable scenario cards that prompt students to practice asking the school counselor for help in common 3rd-grade situations. Students will role-play these scenarios using an emotion from the Emotion Cards Set and model polite help-seeking language.
Materials & Prep:
- Print the scenario cards on cardstock or heavy paper
- Cut along the dotted lines to separate each card
- (Optional) Laminate cards for durability
- Place cards face down in a basket or envelope
Scenario Cards Included
- “I can’t understand my math homework and feel stuck.”
- “I feel sad because I didn’t get picked for the recess game.”
- “My best friend and I had an argument and I’m upset.”
- “I’m nervous about the spelling test tomorrow.”
- “Someone teased me at lunch and I feel hurt.”
- “I’m confused about how to start my science project.”
- “I feel frustrated that I can’t read a story on my own.”
- “I’m scared to try a new activity in music class.”
- “I feel angry because a classmate took my pencil.”
- “I feel lonely because I don’t know anyone at my new school.”
- “I’m worried I’ll forget my lunch box at home.”
- “I feel stuck and don’t know how to write my story.”
Instructions for Use
- Divide students into pairs or small groups.
- Each group draws one scenario card from the pile.
- The student acting out the scenario also draws an emotion card from the Emotion Cards Set and portrays that feeling.
- A partner plays the role of the counselor and uses a polite help-seeking phrase (e.g., “I feel ___. Can you help me?”) to offer support and guidance.
- Rotate roles so every student practices both the student and counselor roles.
Differentiation Tips:
- For students needing extra support, provide picture cues alongside each scenario.
- Encourage advanced learners to suggest multiple strategies the counselor might use.
- Allow English language learners to first rehearse phrases with sentence starters.
Link to use in lesson: Help-Seeking Scenario Role-Play
Project Guide
Counselor Contact Info Poster
Meet Your School Counselor
[Place Counselor Photo Here]
Name: Ms. Rivera
Office Location: Room 210 (Down the hall, 2nd door on the right)
Office Hours:
• Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 3:30 pm
• Drop-in during recess and lunch
How to Visit:
- Ask your teacher for a counselor pass.
- Write your name on the sign-up sheet outside Room 210.
- Stop by when the “Welcome” sign is showing.
Contact Information:
• Email: rivera.counselor@school.edu
• Phone: (555) 123-4567 ext. 210
I’m here to help you with:
• Schoolwork questions
• Friendships and feelings
• Brainstorming solutions to problems
Remember: No problem is too big or too small! Feel free to reach out anytime.
Worksheet
Counselor Exit Ticket Worksheet
Name: ____________________________ Date: ________________
1. One New Thing I Learned
Write one new thing you learned about your school counselor today.
2. How I Might Ask for Help
Write one way you could politely ask the counselor for help (use first-person language).
3. My Comfort Level
Circle how you feel about asking the counselor for help:
Very Comfortable Comfortable Not Comfortable
Thank you! Your answers help us understand how to support you better.