Ms. Shawn Golden

Greetings! My name is Shawn Golden, and I am the Social Emotional Learning Specialist (SELS) here at Meadows Elementary. I am a Licensed Master Social Worker and have worked with students at both the primary and secondary level for over five years. Well-implemented SEL programs positively affect students' success in school. Social-emotional skills such as problem-solving, self-regulation, impulse control, and empathy help improve academics, reduce negative social behaviors like bullying, and create positive classroom climates. Social Emotional Learning is beneficial to both children and adults, increasing self-awareness, academic achievement, and positive behaviors both in and out of the classroom. 

Services are delivered by a trained, certified, caring professional who works with all students, parents, teachers, staff, and community, in efforts to help each student achieve academic and social success. These services involve one of the following "3 C's".

The 3 Cs of Counseling:

Consultation and Collaboration – The School Counselor consults and collaborates with teachers and school staff, specialists, and outside resources to support students.

Coordination – The School Counselor works with teachers, staff, and parents to assess student needs to create and implement the most effective service program.

Counseling – The Counselor provides counseling services to students in the following ways:

• Individual Counseling is a process where students discuss issues in a safe, positive, and confidential setting, for a limited time.  Topics are based on the needs of the students and may include feelings, changing families, peer pressure, friends, stress, academics, social skills, bullying, getting along with others, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Small Group Counseling is a process where students, by sharing similar issues and concerns, work together to achieve their goals in a small group environment consisting of about 3-6 peers. Topics are based on the needs of the students and may include divorce or changing families, grief and loss, friendship and social skills, study skills and organization, conflict resolution, anger management, self-esteem, and stress-management.
• Classroom Guidance is a process that includes teaching developmental skills using age-appropriate, classroom-based lessons. Topics may include self-esteem, conflict resolution, study skills, anger management, career awareness, tattling/reporting, friendship/social skills, responsibility, respect, teasing/bullying/cyber-bullying, feelings, cooperation, goal setting/decision-making, and peer pressure.

Strategies and techniques used to deliver these counseling services to students include reading books and stories, puppets, drawing activities, dialogue, role play, art activities, games, music, and more as appropriate.

I look forward to helping students to develop these qualities in the classroom so that they can become better, more productive, self-aware, and socially aware citizens outside of the classroom in the years ahead. Parents, teachers, school staff, and students (anyone concerned with the welfare of children) may refer a student to the school counselor.

Ms. Shawn Golden, LMSW
Social Emotional Learning Specialist