It's a Big Big World Out There

 This time of year, the end of the school year, is always filled with mixed emotions for me. I always look forward to it because by now I am exhausted and anticipating the summer break. I'm excited to see our 5th grade students leave and the smiles on the students faces as they gain their awards and move up to the next grade. I am typically happy for those who take on new challenges, retire or venture into new levels of their careers and professional lives. However, this year is different. It is different because I am leaving. Oh, I'm not just leaving. I am taking a leap into this BIG BIG world. I am leaving a work place that I love and adore, my school, literally. As you all may know I am an alumnae of Thomas H. Brewer Elementary. Wait, can I even use the word alumnae in that sentence? Ha! You get the picture. I was a student here in the 90's kindergarten through 5th grade. I had the opportunity to return in 2016 as the School Counselor. While here, I gained an Educational Specialist Degree in School Counseling from Valdosta State University. It was here I had the opportunity, yes opportunity to work with the best educators in the world during a pandemic. Let me be more specific, I did it in person, face to face with students and I must be honest, I was terrified in the beginning. But, I did it and if I must say so myself I did it well. I am not the same person I was 5 years ago when I came to this school as an educator. I am not the same person I was before the world shifted during the pandemic right before our eyes. Education is not the same. we must evolve with it. With that being said I have taken an opportunity to work overseas in a pre-k through 12th grade school as counselor with lower grade students  (I think I maybe conditioned to change after working through a pandemic (it was so many of them this year lol)). So here I am with almost 10 years with the Muscogee County School District as an elementary school counselor taking a leap into this BIG BIG world to see how much more I can grow and change. Why not?!?! You know, we may not like change but it is necessary for growth. I heard someone once say that you will never know how much you are capable of until you step outside of your comfort zone. Brewer is home to me, Columbus, GA, is home to me. So with that being said I wanted to share this great news with you all as I take a big leap into this BIG BIG world to continue to evolve as a person. I will miss my T. H. Brewer Family dearly. 2951 is truly the place to be! If you believe in prayer, pray for a smooth transition and that God keeps me safe as I take on a  new journey. If you believe in sending, "good vibes", wish me well. 

Thank you all so much for pouring into me during my tenure here. I wouldn't have wanted to be at any other school with any other group of people during such a time! Boy, oh boy, what I time to be alive!!!!

With much love and respect to students, faculty, staff, and parents 

Kiana S. Barclift, Eds Counselor & Title I Parent Coordinator 

Thomas H. Brewer Elementary 2016-2021

#onecoolcounselor

#pandemicCounselor 

#pandemicEducator

#InpersonPandemicEducator

2021 Make It Happen!!!!

                             Welcome Back!!!

There's no doubt in my mind that 2020 took something away from all of us that changed the way we think and see the world and our own lives. If I may be completely honest I am not the same person. If you took a good look at yourself I am sure you would say the same. Some times in the mist of it all we miss that we too have undergone significant changes that we often don't see until the storm has passed. I don't know if the storm has passed, but I do know you have to keep living through it the storm until you're met with the sun again. My perception of life is different, my eagerness to spread a little bit more joy and kindness is more apparent than ever. 

Tomorrow is never promised. 

Last year my calendar and "To Do" list was completely replaced with time in solitude and maybe's as I adjusted my life to the new normal. I replaced flights with movie nights at home with my loved ones. I replaced family trips with family zooms, social media time with a brisk walk or run, and trips to the mall with online shopping and my personal favorite, good ole Amazon! This year I encourage you to get out your calendar and Make it Happen! Life is too short to live on should of, could of, would of, and excuses. Be the best version of yourself. Make those plans with your family. Meet those goals. So what, you may have to alter your plans to meet social distancing protocols, that's just fine. Live the life that you have imagined and don't you dare apologize for being your one of a kind self! 

Be encouraged!

Thank you for reading!

Thanks for reading! 

Congratulations to The Person You See In The Mirror

Wow, you did it!!!!!

Through uncertainty, you did it!

Through,confusion, you did it!

Through tough times, you did!

Look in the mirror, the person you see is a champion. You did it!

The last 10 weeks have taught us all so many things. My prayer is that it brought you and your loved ones whom you live with a bit closer. Maybe you learned something new about yourself, found a new hobby, or created something, or even if you took advantage from some time for R&R. Maybe we all learned to appreciate the things that were just a bit more. My, my, my...who would have ever thought we'd need each other so much during a time we had to stay apart. However, we did it! You did it!

I am writing this to congratulate you. You, that's who! Yes, we are celebrating all the graduates and all the students for completing another yet different school year but in the mist of me telling you, "Job well done", I want you to look in the mirror and congratulate yourself! You did the work! Parents, if you stayed at home and became a teacher while, cooking, cleaning, balancing the budget, you did the work! Teachers you taught from home and looked after your own children and maybe even taught different grade levels through out the day. You did the work! If you are a student and you did your best on your school work while assisting with your siblings, you did it! Whatever your circumstances were, you did it! As we end one school year and move on I want you to know one thing, none of this would have been possible without you. My advice to you, everyone that reads this blog, both young and old and in between, read. Read everyday, its a must. The sad truth is that come August, we would have physically been away from school 5 months and the best thing we can do as educators is to read, as parents read, as students read. Be it newspapers, magazines, books, or blogs :-) ... read!

A special note for 5th grade students: "You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer any direction you choose" Dr. Seuss! As you embark on a new journey into middle school, I'd like to encourage you to go boldly after your education. Be great in all you do. Put your best effort forward and watch how positive things start to unfold for you. Best wishes for all you do!


Thank you for joining me here these past few weeks. Congratulations to the person you see in the mirror! We did it! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!

Continue to do the work and as always, be well!

#onecoolcounselor
#counselorColumn
https://barcliftkianas.wixsite.com/website

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week: Teachers Change Lives

Game Changers 

This week people across the nation celebrated National Teacher Appreciation Week. We celebrated the work of educators all over this nation and their commitment to education, motivating, and encouraging students to learn fundamental basics that will assist them with life long learning and being productive citizens in society. Although there have been many educators in my life that have all played an important role in my development as an individual, my love for learning, and even my career choice, today I wanted to honor all the educators and write this blog not just for teachers and educators, but so that students and parents can see the importance of working and growing relationships with teachers and educators. The picture below is of myself and my middle school 8th grade earth science teacher at my 2012 graduation from Valdosta State University with my masters degree. 3/4 of my graduations she has attended and driven all over to attend them. '06 high school, '10 Tuskegee University when I got my bachelors degree, 2012 in Valdosta, Ga, and I did not want to attend my Eds graduation in 2018 and made a day before decision to go, however she did send a card. I want to highlight Patricia Davis although she is a retired teacher and you can take from it what you please. She saw in me what I could not see in myself over 20 years ago. I talked and played around a lot in school but she knew all about how to build relationships with her students. The relationships she built then was the foundation for our relationship now.

I am a first generation college graduate and she knew that I would complete college before I even knew what college was. Because of that she fueled in me a love for reading and discovery. She taught me that I could do whatever I wanted to as long as I put my mind to it and was willing to do the work and see it through. Although from time to time I got into mischief, as most kids do, she gracefully guided me. Never putting me down but disciplining me in a way that made me love her even more. Here I am today trying to imitate her lol. Trying my best to influence those young minds I have been charged with influencing. So when I think of Teacher Appreciation Week I think about building relationships, motivating, believing in and encouraging students and pushing them to be all they could be. If you are a teacher reading this, know your work is not in vein. If you are a student reading this, and had a teacher that pushed you, had/have high expectations and encouraged you to do your best, don't give them a hard time. Even if you do not understand it all at this time. Trust and know that those teachers are planting seeds in your life that over time will grow and develop to something great! If you are a parent reading this, develop a relationships with your childs teachers. You know your child based on their home life, your childs teacher knows them based on academic performance, character, and their school life.

Just as Mrs. Davis changed my life, so are the teachers teaching their hearts out today, be it in person or virtually. Just think, there would never be a president, governor, doctor, police officer, mail carrier, nurse, lawyer,...or even a teacher, if it wasn't for the influence of a teacher. This is my story of teacher influence, the sky is the limit with a teacher involved!


The best thing that ever happen to me was a teacher that pushed me far beyond what my eyes could see. Thank you Mrs. Patricia Davis!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of the educators and teachers. Continue to inspire and educate and always see it though!

Thank you for reading and comment below

Creating a Zen Zone: Making a conscious choice to focus on life in a noisy world

Creating a Zen Zone 

This week I recorded myself reading a story for our students entitled, Your Happy Heart: How Helping Others Helps You, Too by Amie Dean. In the story a troubled student finds peace in his teachers “Zen Zone”. The Zen Zone is described as a place where students can go and have a cool down. How cool is that!?!?! A place where you can go, have a mindful moment, breathe, and manage your thoughts, actions, and behaviors. I immediately thought about how I have been trying to create a peaceful space at my home on the patio as a place to just shut off the nosey world during this pandemic. My safe place. Before Covid-19 I’d play storms or rain sounds in my home to relax and slowly go into the mental space where nothing can harm me. Mindfulness...my Zen Zone.  If at all possible I encourage you to create a “Zen Zone” in your space. It may be a corner in your room for some students or a space in the yard. For us adults it may be a chair by the window or a spot in a garden or patio. Although the book teaches mindfulness and social and emotional skills during a time of need. I find myself taking from the story as an adult in my home, the need for a  “Zen Zone”. What is your Zen Zone or quiet place? Know that a zen zone does not have to be a physical place. My grandmother finds solace in coloring adult coloring books, sudoku, and cross words puzzles. Please share below your zen zone below. If you are interested in hearing me read the story, below is the link.

Special thank you to Kelly Wells the Media Specialist at Thomas H. Brewer Elementary

Enjoy your weekend. Happy Friday! As always leave a comment and be well! 

https://youtu.be/zX1GHfCWqBk

Healthy Emotion regulation during Uncertian Times

Healthy Emotion Regulation during Uncertain Times

Managing stress may not be the most important thing on your minds at this time, however it is something we must face to assist with how we function day to day. Yesterday, I participated in a seminar lead by Dr. Mark Brackett, Director of Yale Center of Emotional Intelligence and I wanted to share with you some points that may become helpful as we move forward towards the new normal. Know that it is okay to accept the emotions that you have. Emotions matter and it is imperative that we realize that it is okay to be frustrated, angry, uncertain, and stressed. When we are not properly controlling our emotions we tend to take things out on other people, be less focused on things we need to accomplish and add more stress to our lives. We may indulge in stress eating and over sleeping. Here are a few pointers to assist with regulating our emotions.

·         Practice Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing cultivates deeper awareness of all of our experiences. The difference between normal breathing and mindful breathing is that you are conscious of your breathing and you are purposely watching your breathing. When breathing mindfully, sit tall in your posture, let your eyes close or look down. Breathe naturally. Put a gentle smile on your face. While breathing you can count your breaths, focus on an image, or repeat a positive phrase. 

·         Getting adequate sleep 6-8 hours; know that disturbed sleep disrupts cognitive functions

·         Exercise

Exercising helps produce endorphins that help us to relax 

·         Monitoring Relationships

Unhealthy relationships can add unnecessary stress to our lives. We can practice positive empathy. Empathy is the ability to share and understand others emotions. When you empathize with others try highlighting what is positive in the situation.

·         Managing our thoughts

40% of our well-being has to do with our outlook on life. To do so we can challenge ourselves to thinking more positively. We can change the conversation in our head with positive thoughts. You can use positive self-talks. For example instead of saying “I’m going to lose it", when we are frustrated, “(insert name) take a deep breathe or walk". We can also use positive appraisal. Positive appraisal allows us to look at situations through a different lens. Try putting a different spin on a situation. Know that the cup is either half empty or half full. It simply depends on how we perceive situations. 

·        Manage life smartly

Routines create certainty. We need routines in our sleeping. Going to bed and waking up at a designated time daily. Scheduling meals, and putting time on our schedule for exercising. Consider your best self, how do you want people to remember you? What is it that you want people to say about you? Try setting a best self-intention every morning. Today I am going to do what…Fill in the statement. Always do things that you enjoy.

·         Be a preventionist over an interventionist

I hope there was something in this blog that helps you not just today but in life. What two emotions regulation techniques do you think would benefit you? What challenges do you think may make the techniques difficult and how would you handle those challenges. I would love to hear from you, please share in the comment section below.

I am going to leave you with a thought I learned growing up in sports, practice makes perfect but it also makes consistency. Enjoy your weekend!

 Thank you for reading.

 

A Note to Students From the Counselor: Dealing with Change

Dealing with change

When I think about change I think about consistent movement. As students you will lose teeth, change grade levels, teachers, get new siblings, move to a new neighborhood, city, or state, and even grow up to be successful individuals. These are all changes. Although most of the changes I mentioned many readers may welcome them or at least know that they are possibilities, or even know that no matter how much you'd like to stay in elementary school, you know that middle school and grow up is all a part of life. So what do you do when change comes your way? You adapt! Most of the time you adapt without even realizing you are doing so. The word adapt means to adjust, alter, modify or CHANGE the way we are doing things. Here lately you have experienced a lot of changes, learning from home, not seeing your teachers and friends, your eating may have changed and you may be asked to share and spend a lot more time with your siblings. You may have been asked to do a bit more work around the house to help out. Know that parents and adults are experiencing just as much change as you are. So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to adapt to life as we know it by helping your parents around the house, doing your school work, maybe not challenging your brothers and sisters so much. In classroom guidance we’ve gone over tons of character traits. Remember that character traits are our personal characteristics that makes us who we are. Are you considerate, responsible, kind, caring, sharing, motivated, committed, respectful, just to name a few?

Yes, things have changed for the time being and for some of us in ways that we don't like but we cannot control them. Know that some things in life we cannot control but we always have control over how we respond and react, or in this case adapt! That's called self-control. Self control is our ability to control ourselves, our actions, behaviors and responses. How can you ADAPT? What will you do to ADJUST your attitude and behavior to be more helpful at home? How will you ALTER what you are currently doing to make things better for yourself and the ones around you? How will you MODIFY or CHANGE your personal hygiene and social distancing to make things better for all of us?

Share below in the comment section how you have made changes to adapt to at home.

Thank you for reading!