Unit Plan 34 (Grade 4 Counselor): Classroom Helpers and Positive Leaders

Focus: Help students understand leadership as responsibility, empathy, and positive influence. The counselor discusses leadership examples such as helping a group stay on task, speaking up respectfully, including others, reporting unsafe behavior, apologizing sincerely, or encouraging classmates. Students choose one leadership behavior they can practice before the end of the year.

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: School Counseling (Leadership • Responsibility • Classroom Community)

Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This Grade 4 counseling lesson helps students understand that leadership is not only about being in charge. Students learn that positive leaders help others, use respectful words, include classmates, make responsible choices, and support the classroom community. The counselor emphasizes that every student can show leadership through small daily actions.

Students explore examples of leadership such as helping a group stay on task, speaking up respectfully, including someone who is left out, reporting unsafe behavior, apologizing sincerely, encouraging a classmate, organizing materials, or following directions. The goal is for students to recognize their own strengths and choose one leadership behavior they can practice before the end of the year.

Essential Questions

• What does positive leadership look like in Grade 4?
• How can students use strengths, values, and growth areas to become better leaders?
• How do words, choices, and actions support belonging, respect, inclusion, and trust?
• How can responsibility, attention, organization, and participation show leadership?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Explain that leadership can mean responsibility, empathy, positive influence, and helping the classroom community.
2. Identify personal strengths, interests, values, or growth areas connected to leadership.
3. Describe how student words, choices, and actions can support belonging, respect, inclusion, and trust.
4. Recognize school-success behaviors that show leadership, such as listening, following directions, organizing materials, participating, and staying on task.
5. Choose one leadership behavior to practice before the end of the year.
6. (Optional Session) Create a simple leadership action plan and reflect on how it can help the classroom community.

Standards Alignment — Grade 4 (ASCA-based Custom)

• C:S1.4b — Recognize Strengths, Interests, Values, and Growth Areas
  • Identify personal strengths, interests, values, and areas for continued growth.
  • Example: A student says, “I am good at helping others stay organized, but I am working on speaking up respectfully when I disagree.”
• C:S1.4c — Contribute to a Respectful Classroom and School Community
  • Recognize how personal words, choices, and actions can support belonging, respect, inclusion, and trust.
  • Example: A student invites a classmate into a group and makes sure everyone has a meaningful role.
• C:S5.4a — Practice Attention, Organization, and Responsibility
  • Use school-success behaviors such as listening, following directions, organizing materials, managing time, participating, and staying on task.
  • Example: A student uses a checklist to remember materials and complete a multi-step classroom activity.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can explain that leadership is more than being in charge.
• I can name a strength or value that can help me be a positive leader.
• I can describe how my words, choices, and actions affect the classroom community.
• I can show leadership through responsibility, attention, organization, and participation.
• I can choose one leadership behavior to practice.