If you missed Part I and Part II of this small group series, you can check them out here:

Odd Girl Speaks Out Small Group Series Part I: Sessions 1 & 2

Odd Girl Speaks Out Small Group Series Part II: Session 3

Today I will share the final 2 sessions of this group designed for middle school girls.

Just like in sessions 1, 2, and 3,  I start off with a check-in, which consists of our “pows” and “wows.” A “pow” is a bad or disappointing thing that has happened recently, and a “wow” is a good or exciting thing that has happened. This allows me to quickly check in with students and assess how they are doing, while giving them an opportunity to learn more about their peers.

Middle School Girls 5th Grade Small Group – Odd Girl Speaks Out – Sessions 4 & 5

Session #4

1. Check-Ins
2. Read the “Why Is She Acting Like This?” from Odd Girl Speaks Out {page 139} — This section centers around the different reasons girls might act mean {i.e. going through something at home, wanting to be popular, mimicking older siblings or parents, etc.} It also touches upon jealously and how feeling jealous from time to time is normal and okay, but the way we express those feelings makes a difference.
3. Discuss as a group. Possible discussion questions:
   • What do you think about fear or insecurity being the root of girls being mean? Have you ever snapped at someone or treated someone badly because you were angry at something else (a bad grade, fight with parents, etc.)?
   • Why do you think that women, for so long, were not allowed by society to show aggression? Has this changed? How so?
   • Have you ever said a mean comment about someone because you were jealous? What would have been a better way to handle jealously?
4. Read the next 2 sections, titled “Are You Mad at Me?” {pg. 142}. and “IM and E-mail: Clicking Your Way Through a Fight” {pg. 144} — “Are You Mad at Me?” is all about how girls show anger and react to the assumptions that they make. It gives some great suggestions for girls to deal with those moments. The “IM and E-mail: Clicking Your Way Through a Fight” section is a little outdated because it references instant messaging, but the content is great, so I just change “IMing” to “texting,” and it all works out. This part of the book offers solutions for girls who tend to use the internet to work out their conflict  {including the reasons why using the internet or text to work out an issue isn’t always the best choice}.    Disclaimer: this is one of those sections that has some content more suitable for high school, so be sure to screen the book before using it with your groups.
   • Discuss main points
5. Activity: Play a few rounds of the game telephone. Use the activity to talk about how things get lost in translation, and relate it back to the book sections that were just read.

Session #5

1. Check-Ins — in addition to “pows” and “wows,” have each girl share one thing she liked about group this year.
2. Read “Finding Your Inner Strength” (pg. 177) and “Why Are We So Cruel?” {pg. 181} from Odd Girl Speaks Out. — “Finding Your Inner Strength” is a very short section that sums up the lessons learned in the book and offers a few more tips for girls who feel different or “odd.” “Why Are We So Cruel?” is a poem written by a 17 year old girl about how girls treat each other and what should change.
3. Discuss final readings as a group.
4. Have students complete the group evaluation survey{see my evaluation survey below}:

That’s a wrap! If you have any questions about how I run my 5th grade girls small groups, please leave a comment or e-mail theschoolcounselorlife@gmail.com