When you think of using bibliocounseling with students, what do you envision? A school counselor reading a story to a classroom full of students? A student or a small group working through a guided workbook to tackle friendship challenges or build up confidence and self-esteem? Until taking on the role of bibliocounseling SPIN facilitator for ASCA, my own definition of how literature can be used in a comprehensive school counseling program was pretty limited. I assumed that reading books that were short enough to be squeezed into a classroom lesson or completing workbooks with a student or small group was about all that busy school counselors could handle. However, as I’ve committed to learning more about bibliocounseling, to say I’m broadening my perspective on what using literature-based activities can look like in the world of school counseling is an understatement. If you had asked me a year ago if I would consider using poetry in my bibliocounseling interventions with students, I probably would have laughed uncomfortably and said I didn’t think my K-5 elementary students would “get” poetry like that. Behind that excuse lurks the reality that, although English has always been my favorite school subject and I love reading and writing, I was afraid I didn’t know my way around poetry enough to feel confident and competent in sharing it with my young students.
If you told me a year ago that soon, I’d be basing entire group sessions off of poetry, I don’t think I would have believed you.
If you told me a year ago that soon, I’d be teaching conflict resolution skills by having students read and write two-voice poems, I don’t think I would have believed you.
And if you told me year ago that soon, I’d be on the prowl for poetry to read as a hook in my classroom counseling lessons, I really don’t think I would have believed you.
But here I am, doing all of those things. And it’s certainly not because I’m innovative - in fact, I’m way late to the party, when it comes to using poetry as a counseling intervention. Bibliocounseling is strongly rooted in poetry, and much of the seminal literature on bibliocounseling is based on poetry groups run by mental health professionals. There isn’t a lot of existing research about what effective poetry-based bibliocounseling interventions look like in a comprehensive school counseling program (thesis or dissertation topic, anyone?), but I can tell you from my own experience that poetry can be a unique catalyst for dialogue with students. So, if we know poetry has a place in bibliocounseling but there isn’t a ton of school counseling-based resources out there, where does a school counselor even start?
My suggestion: baby steps. For the rest of this year, it’s my personal goal to include poetry in at least one session for each group that I run. It’s a challenge to find poetry that is developmentally appropriate and meets students’ unique needs, but to find a poem that helps them see other people, their situations, or the world through a new lens is rewarding. I encourage you to challenge yourself to take your own poetry baby steps for your school counseling program. When you’re ready to give poetry a try, check your local or school library for poetry anthologies for children and teens. A new favorite of mine is The Bill Martin, Jr. Big Book of Poetry. It includes several short, easy-to-understand poems, and the illustrations are just as fun as the poems. A middle school or high school English teacher can also be a great resource to borrow materials from, or to get recommendations for good poetry books. You can work poems into your classroom lessons, as a springboard for discussion in your individual or group sessions, or even simply to share with a student as a way to show support and understanding.
As powerful as it is versatile, poetry deserves a place in your comprehensive school counseling program. If you’re already using poetry as a bibliocounseling intervention, I’d love to hear all about it. Please reach out to me through ASCA Scene and we’ll connect!