Defence mechanisms-
Denial-This is when a child has gone through a bad or painful experience such as abuse of any kind or bereavement of a close family member. The child will choose to refuse to acknowledge it ever happened. This is said to be the earliest of the defence mechanisms learnt by a child.
Regression- This is when the child finds it difficult to deal with a situation such as fear,anger or puberty and may start to act child like (early childhood) this can be exhibited in some obvious ways such as bed wetting or becoming clingy to others.
Acting out- This defence is probably the most physical because the child will throw things or can be aggressive towards others. The child’s' anger is usually due to not getting its own way in a situation,so has a temper tantrum. It can also be through a new sibling arriving to take some of the attention away from said child. Self-harming can be a problem if the child cannot express its feelings in the right way (discussing worries).
Dissociation- This is when the child may have experienced a difficult situation,again abuse of any kind,the child will make up a new persona for themselves so the abuse is not happening to them but someone else. This can lead to multiple personality disorder in later years if not confronted and dealt with in the correct way.
Projection- This is when the child will blame somebody else for what may be happening to them. In some cases this can result in the child becoming a bully. This is their way of expressing emotions but not in an appropriate way.
Repression- This is when the child will just forget what has happened to them because they have pushed it into their unconscious mind,but this doesn’t always work as the memories can come back if the child experiences a similar situation.
Rationalization- This is when the child will refocus intently on another activity such as school work to try and work through the initial problem or to forget completely. This could be an emotional problem or problems at home. This can work but usually leads to added anxiety and stress for the child if help is not sought.
With all of these defences if the correct help is not sought in the early stages these problems can intensify in later life,leading to social(crime and violent behaviour) and psychological problems(disorders,self-harming or sexual deviancy). Observing(assessments in the classroom) listening to the child interacting with others are ways to pick up on any problems at the important early stages,then can be worked on and hopefully solved. 'Time to talk' is a scheme in which teachers,support workers can observe a child on a 1-1 basis,the child has a chance to express their feelings,but are also taught social skills e.g. appropriate ways of saying or doing things(manners),how to interact with other children(sharing and caring) I feel this should be compulsory in every school on every level as problems could be picked up a lot quicker which is a benefit to the child.
K Brinkhurst
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
The Responsible Organisation
Children are viewed as the most important people in the school dynamic, schools centre around the child to fulfil their needs. They are minors and can’t really speak for themselves, so their needs and rights need protecting, legislation/policies/procedures are put in place to ensure this. Schools play an important role in The Children’s Act 1989 by following the guidelines to ensure they uphold every child’s right to feel safe in their environment. The school takes responsibility to identify any child who is not safe in their environment. This could be within the family home, should a problem be identified the school are duty bound to relay issues to the relevant authority/agency. The Human Rights Act 1998 is supported by implementing policies such as anti-bullying or health and safety. The Act protects children against corporal punishment which is an infringement of their rights, the schools role is to uphold these rights. Daily the Data Protection Act comes into force, confidential and personal information is collated and used frequently in schools.
Staff play an important role ensuring confidentiality. They deal responsibly with attendance records, exam results, medical information and make sure it is only used for intended purpose. The age of legal capacity 1991/Gallick competence, allows a child to consent to a medical procedure/intervention under the age of 16 without parental/carer consent. Schools support this by assesing if the child is capable of understanding the nature of possible consequences. A school may need to take on this role, if, for instance a child is self-harming, self harming behaviours are by nature secretative and a parent/carer will often not be aware what is happening, some young people may talk to a trusted professional in school, the school then need to take on this role and responsibility.
The Children and Young Persons Act 1933/2008 makes it unlawful to wilfully abandon and neglect a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health, the school need to take responsibility for the act in various ways. For example, a teacher would have knowledge of any pupil’s health problems such as asthma or maybe allergies. Staff need to take responsibility for those pupils. Should a child suffer an asthma attack, the correct course of action needs to be followed. With a known allergy, such as a food allergy, if the teacher gives a child the inappropriate foods, they could be charged with wilful neglect. Schools also need to make sure that they provide adequate care regarding welfare and standards, to include the environment or attainment of pupils within the establishment, be that in the playground or in the school classroom. Under the regulation of care act, a school that does not take on the role can have its premises closed down. The school has to follow guidelines carefully and make sure it adheres to the standards/regulations set, and has adequate provision and maintains its standards.
S Crowe
Staff play an important role ensuring confidentiality. They deal responsibly with attendance records, exam results, medical information and make sure it is only used for intended purpose. The age of legal capacity 1991/Gallick competence, allows a child to consent to a medical procedure/intervention under the age of 16 without parental/carer consent. Schools support this by assesing if the child is capable of understanding the nature of possible consequences. A school may need to take on this role, if, for instance a child is self-harming, self harming behaviours are by nature secretative and a parent/carer will often not be aware what is happening, some young people may talk to a trusted professional in school, the school then need to take on this role and responsibility.
The Children and Young Persons Act 1933/2008 makes it unlawful to wilfully abandon and neglect a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health, the school need to take responsibility for the act in various ways. For example, a teacher would have knowledge of any pupil’s health problems such as asthma or maybe allergies. Staff need to take responsibility for those pupils. Should a child suffer an asthma attack, the correct course of action needs to be followed. With a known allergy, such as a food allergy, if the teacher gives a child the inappropriate foods, they could be charged with wilful neglect. Schools also need to make sure that they provide adequate care regarding welfare and standards, to include the environment or attainment of pupils within the establishment, be that in the playground or in the school classroom. Under the regulation of care act, a school that does not take on the role can have its premises closed down. The school has to follow guidelines carefully and make sure it adheres to the standards/regulations set, and has adequate provision and maintains its standards.
S Crowe
Bumps along the road to development
There are many reasons why children and young people’s development may not follow the expected pattern.
A baby’s development could be affected straight from birth, if the mother is alcohol dependent the baby develops foetal alcohol syndrome. This can either cause short or long term memory loss. Also by following the sequence of a baby’s development you look at the rate on how they’re developing through the physical motor skills, social and cognitive and language skill. Now, if for example a baby does not start to walk (motor skill) by the age of 2yrs there could be something wrong with its motor skill as by 2yrs a baby should be able to walk. Another example if a baby can not say a couple of words by the ages of 2-3yrs once again there could be something wrong with its language skills.
These problems have to be flagged up with either a health visitor or doctor. If there is a slight delay in the development the baby may have special needs in some areas of their development, if they do they would be closely monitored. Sometimes there may not be anything necessarily wrong it just may mean a slight delay in the baby’s development as most babies develop at a different rate.
Children’s and young people’s development continues to be monitored at school.
Some children’s problems in their development may not be picked up straight away when they’re at school. This would often mean they get behind on their work and they would most often find it difficult to catch up.
Compared to special needs schools where teachers are trained to teach special needs children, teachers in other schools may not have the skill to teach children who may have behavioural difficulties, communication needs, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and special educational needs so this means the children’s learning gets behind. Also the school may not have a budget to get a TA for each child’s individual learning needs and resources may be inadequate for them to use. Another personal factor is if a child who may have special needs could be taken out of lesson if they have to monthly check up’s at the hospital, or have to have constant physio therapy or anything else to do with medical matters. This means once again by missing lessons their learning gets behind.
External problems are another factor why some children’s and young people’s development may not follow an expected pattern. For example a child or young person may have constant pressure from their parent/s to do well in their education. As for this a child or young person may rebel which may affect their learning. To support what I have just mentioned I read in a recent newspaper article that parents are desperate for their children to attend grammar school. In order for their child/children to pass their entrance exam their parent/s hire private tutors so their child/children can have extra tuition lessons after school, weekends and during school holidays. By placing this pressure on them some children begin to rebel or become too anxious to sit the exam.
More children’s and young people’s social interaction is suffering these days as as more children watch too much television or play computer games they’re not encouraged enough to socialise with other people their own age.
A Marenetto
A baby’s development could be affected straight from birth, if the mother is alcohol dependent the baby develops foetal alcohol syndrome. This can either cause short or long term memory loss. Also by following the sequence of a baby’s development you look at the rate on how they’re developing through the physical motor skills, social and cognitive and language skill. Now, if for example a baby does not start to walk (motor skill) by the age of 2yrs there could be something wrong with its motor skill as by 2yrs a baby should be able to walk. Another example if a baby can not say a couple of words by the ages of 2-3yrs once again there could be something wrong with its language skills.
These problems have to be flagged up with either a health visitor or doctor. If there is a slight delay in the development the baby may have special needs in some areas of their development, if they do they would be closely monitored. Sometimes there may not be anything necessarily wrong it just may mean a slight delay in the baby’s development as most babies develop at a different rate.
Children’s and young people’s development continues to be monitored at school.
Some children’s problems in their development may not be picked up straight away when they’re at school. This would often mean they get behind on their work and they would most often find it difficult to catch up.
Compared to special needs schools where teachers are trained to teach special needs children, teachers in other schools may not have the skill to teach children who may have behavioural difficulties, communication needs, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and special educational needs so this means the children’s learning gets behind. Also the school may not have a budget to get a TA for each child’s individual learning needs and resources may be inadequate for them to use. Another personal factor is if a child who may have special needs could be taken out of lesson if they have to monthly check up’s at the hospital, or have to have constant physio therapy or anything else to do with medical matters. This means once again by missing lessons their learning gets behind.
External problems are another factor why some children’s and young people’s development may not follow an expected pattern. For example a child or young person may have constant pressure from their parent/s to do well in their education. As for this a child or young person may rebel which may affect their learning. To support what I have just mentioned I read in a recent newspaper article that parents are desperate for their children to attend grammar school. In order for their child/children to pass their entrance exam their parent/s hire private tutors so their child/children can have extra tuition lessons after school, weekends and during school holidays. By placing this pressure on them some children begin to rebel or become too anxious to sit the exam.
More children’s and young people’s social interaction is suffering these days as as more children watch too much television or play computer games they’re not encouraged enough to socialise with other people their own age.
A Marenetto
A Helping Hand (or keyboard)
There are many interventions that can be used when a child is not developing in the expected pattern. Some of these include: ICT; role play; writing frames; one to one support; peer tutoring; games; speakers; special classes; and reduced timetables.
ICT can be used in a number of ways to support children who may be not be developing in the expected pattern. There may be programmes that help to develop specific skills, for example it may be a game designed to improve memory, or it may be a game to improve recognition of objects and words. ICT is also useful for children who have difficulties with writing. This could be because of sequencing issues, or co-ordination issues which makes it difficult to write with a pen and typing allows them to communicate their ideas.
ICT if used correctly can be a great support to children who are not developing in the expected pattern. It can help them to learn new skills, and will also help refine the ones they have, for example with object recognition a programme can teach new objects as well as consolidate their knowledge that they have. It can also increase confidence and make children less frustrated as they are able to communicate their ideas and show their knowledge, and they are able to keep up with their peers. For children who may have problems with their fine motor skills, it is a good way for them to communicate, especially if there are also speech problems.
However, there can also be some drawbacks with the use of ICT. IT may not always help with confidence, if a child with problems with their fine motor skills, they may click on something they didn’t mean to, and require adult intervention to sort things out. If this keeps happening then it can damage their confidence. It may also be an issue if the problems are picked up on by their peers, as they can make fun of the child, and further undermine their confidence.
There are also issues with children who are autistic becoming too fixated on using a computer, and using it to escape human interaction. Another problem is if the child has limited keyboard skills then they can become frustrated at the length of time it takes to type. If there is also the need for adult intervention then it can take even longer, and make the child even more frustrated. In addition to this, there may be issues with children not using the computer as intended and simply messing about on them (SCOTEN, 2009).
One to one support is another intervention that has proved to be a positive intervention. One to one support for children may be by the use of a teaching assistant within the classroom that works with one child in particular, or it may include additional lessons that a child may have to catch up on their work.
A benefit to one to one support in the classroom is that the child is still within the classroom setting, and is not excluded from their peers. This helps with any social problems the child may have, and there is also the benefit that the other children may accept them more, and this in turn teaches tolerance and acceptance. Another benefit is having the support of a dedicated member of staff can enhance the child’s learning and their self esteem. Also, if a child requires additional help, then there may be one to one support outside of the classroom. This is beneficial because it enables children to catch up with the work thats been set, or do different work to the rest of the class without the distractions of the classroom.
However, if a child is being taken out of class for one to one support, then it is important that this does not occur too often. This is because it can have an impact on the child’s social development, some learning in the classroom comes from peer interaction, and if a child is being taken away from this then they are missing out on vital socialisation. Also, if the lessons are additional then the child may be missing out on fun activities such as art or music. This can lead to the child feeling resentful, and again can lead to further social exclusion, as the child is not taking part in any activities with other children and therefore has fewer shared experiences which they can relate to. It also means that the child may not learn how to interact with other children in an educational setting, for example, learning to listen to others and taking turns.
One to one support in the classroom also has its negatives. If done correctly then it can be a great way of helping children learn and develop. However, if not done properly one to one support can hinder learning as it can lead to children not being able to learn independently as they always have a staff member to guide them through any problems they may encounter. Also, if a child spends most of their time with a teaching assistant, then they can become distanced from the teacher and the curriculum and therefore falling further behind with their learning (Teaching Times, 2011).
H Chapman
ICT can be used in a number of ways to support children who may be not be developing in the expected pattern. There may be programmes that help to develop specific skills, for example it may be a game designed to improve memory, or it may be a game to improve recognition of objects and words. ICT is also useful for children who have difficulties with writing. This could be because of sequencing issues, or co-ordination issues which makes it difficult to write with a pen and typing allows them to communicate their ideas.
ICT if used correctly can be a great support to children who are not developing in the expected pattern. It can help them to learn new skills, and will also help refine the ones they have, for example with object recognition a programme can teach new objects as well as consolidate their knowledge that they have. It can also increase confidence and make children less frustrated as they are able to communicate their ideas and show their knowledge, and they are able to keep up with their peers. For children who may have problems with their fine motor skills, it is a good way for them to communicate, especially if there are also speech problems.
However, there can also be some drawbacks with the use of ICT. IT may not always help with confidence, if a child with problems with their fine motor skills, they may click on something they didn’t mean to, and require adult intervention to sort things out. If this keeps happening then it can damage their confidence. It may also be an issue if the problems are picked up on by their peers, as they can make fun of the child, and further undermine their confidence.
There are also issues with children who are autistic becoming too fixated on using a computer, and using it to escape human interaction. Another problem is if the child has limited keyboard skills then they can become frustrated at the length of time it takes to type. If there is also the need for adult intervention then it can take even longer, and make the child even more frustrated. In addition to this, there may be issues with children not using the computer as intended and simply messing about on them (SCOTEN, 2009).
One to one support is another intervention that has proved to be a positive intervention. One to one support for children may be by the use of a teaching assistant within the classroom that works with one child in particular, or it may include additional lessons that a child may have to catch up on their work.
A benefit to one to one support in the classroom is that the child is still within the classroom setting, and is not excluded from their peers. This helps with any social problems the child may have, and there is also the benefit that the other children may accept them more, and this in turn teaches tolerance and acceptance. Another benefit is having the support of a dedicated member of staff can enhance the child’s learning and their self esteem. Also, if a child requires additional help, then there may be one to one support outside of the classroom. This is beneficial because it enables children to catch up with the work thats been set, or do different work to the rest of the class without the distractions of the classroom.
However, if a child is being taken out of class for one to one support, then it is important that this does not occur too often. This is because it can have an impact on the child’s social development, some learning in the classroom comes from peer interaction, and if a child is being taken away from this then they are missing out on vital socialisation. Also, if the lessons are additional then the child may be missing out on fun activities such as art or music. This can lead to the child feeling resentful, and again can lead to further social exclusion, as the child is not taking part in any activities with other children and therefore has fewer shared experiences which they can relate to. It also means that the child may not learn how to interact with other children in an educational setting, for example, learning to listen to others and taking turns.
One to one support in the classroom also has its negatives. If done correctly then it can be a great way of helping children learn and develop. However, if not done properly one to one support can hinder learning as it can lead to children not being able to learn independently as they always have a staff member to guide them through any problems they may encounter. Also, if a child spends most of their time with a teaching assistant, then they can become distanced from the teacher and the curriculum and therefore falling further behind with their learning (Teaching Times, 2011).
H Chapman
Policies, procedures and paperwork
Many of the stages of policy development are about making sure the policy is fit for purpose, for example, identifying a need to be fulfilled, being clear about the aim of the policy and undertaking empirical research to establish its remit. This is important, as it helps to ensure the policy is warranted and practical and specific to the situation, and avoids creating unnecessary paperwork over policies which have no clear objective or are not appropriate to the task.
Furthermore, the process of review both before and after implementation provides a chance to reflect on the policy, foresee any potential problems and acknowledge any difficulties that arise in practice, and make improvements. This will allow the policy to be even more tailored to its purpose and situation. For example, at Ashbury School, the Health and Safety policy states that a first aider must be present during PE lessons. However, during one sport session, both main first aiders were off-site on school trips, and the only other members of staff who could administer first aid were needed in staffing ratios in other parts of the school, so the lesson was cancelled at the last minute. In this situation, through the process of review, the Health and Safety policy could be altered to outline what to do in the event of first aiders being unavailable, or to stipulate a higher minimum number of staff to be trained in first aid.
However, despite these advantages, having so many stages in the process makes developing a policy very long and labour-intensive. In the time between the identification of a need and the policy being implemented, that need could be going unfulfilled. For example, whilst a safeguarding policy is pending review, a case of abuse may be mishandled by a teacher unsure of the process. If the policy comes from the national government, passes through the local authority and then must be adapted by the school, even more time is wasted. Alternatively, by the time a policy comes into force, needs or circumstances may have changed, in which case it would need to be reviewed and rewritten again. These problems may cause policy writers to cut back on important steps such as research, which would also be undesirable, as it might compromise the quality of the policy. Therefore, a balance must be struck between the thoroughness of the development process and the time it takes to develop a policy.
Nonetheless, any policy is useless if it is not communicated effectively. Schools use different ways of communicating policies. One of the most common is self-research. The policies are made available on the school network, in the staff room or in the staff handbook, and staff are made aware that they can access them for reference. This has the advantage that they are kept in a central location where they will always be accessible, and staff can select the policies relevant to them. However, in practice, it may be that staff never get around to reading a policy, see it as ‘optional’ or are unaware of which ones apply to them.
Instead, schools sometimes choose to ask all staff to sign a form once they have read a policy. This means that all are aware that they need to read it, and are held to account over whether they have done so. However, it may not be necessary for all staff members to know every single policy, and if this approach is taken with too many policies then staff may feel overwhelmed and not have time to read them properly. Therefore, perhaps this approach should only be taken with particular important policies which affect all members of the school community; for example, Ashbury School used this method for communicating the Health and Safety policy.
These methods, however, all involve reading the policies in full and out of context. This may mean that staff forget the details or remain unclear on how they affect working practices. An alternative approach to communicating policies could be in the form of a presentation or seminar as part of in-service training. In a condensed format, with expressive delivery, the policy details would be more memorable. The session could also include interactive elements where staff would have the opportunity to apply the policy to real life scenarios and ask questions about how the policy should shape their own working practices. Different seminars could be run for different policies, with staff only required to attend sessions that applied to them. However, this approach could be quite time consuming, and would need to be repeated for new staff and new or updated policies.
In conclusion, the process of finding the right techniques for both developing and communicating policies is a balancing act between effective methods and time-efficient methods. School senior management teams will have to decide for each policy which is the best way of preparing the policy and delivering it to staff. A mixed approach may prove valuable, as policies vary in importance, urgency and universality, therefore different systems of development and communication may suit them better.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Two (or three...or four) heads are better than one
There are many ways in which the TA can give his/her pro-active support that will help both the child and their family. These are:
· Offering and giving advice
· Communicating and sharing ideas and methods with the families
· Keeping the families informed about progress or difficulties and talking about the next steps (effective communication)
· One to one support for the pupil
· Adapting lessons/environment and equipment for the pupil
· Encouraging involvement
· The TA being prepared, trained confident and willing to give their support
· Running activities
· Giving praise and encouragement
Offering pro-active support to the child and their family can be very beneficial for them both. Offering this type of support will help ensure that the child’s needs are met and that the family’s rights and entitlements are supported. It will help promote a healthy happy positive partnership and relationship that will open up opportunities.
However the TA must be willing, confident, committed, have the patience and be caring enough to give this support. The TA must also have either previous experience, the correct training or qualifications to ensure their support can be effective. If the TA is not willing, committed or does not have any type of experience or qualifications then their support will not be as effective and successful. The TA may not have any of these abilities or qualities and this will have an impact on the support they can provide for the child and the child`s family. They may find that their responsibilities are too strenuous and that their responsibilities or duties take up much of their time.
The pupil`s family must also be willing to accept support, advice and be willing to work in partnership with the TA, the school and other services to help ensure the correct support is offered to their child. It is vital that the TA is willing to help support the child and their family as this will have a knock on effect on the partnership. It will help encourage the child, the family, the school and other services to provide and maintain support needed for the child and their family.
Offering facilitation within the partnership can be very beneficial for the child and their family. It helps the family seek and gain further advice, support and knowledge for the child’s needs and also support the family can receive. This type of support can be very beneficial for both the child and their family but the TA must be willing and have the right qualities and experience to help. The child`s family must also be willing to work in partnership.
The TA may be very willing and have all the right qualities, qualifications and experience to help but the TA can only do so much. The TA must also be aware and have the correct knowledge on when, how and who to refer to for further support. The TA can work in partnership with the school and other services and try to do their best to follow up cases but other services or the school may not be willing or have the funding to help provide support to help suit the needs of the pupil or their family. There may not be enough staff to run activities or workshops to help. There may not be services or support groups within the area and travelling may be a barrier. There may be many barriers that may not be overcome and the TA can only do what they can and are capable of or qualified and permitted to do. Sometimes it may be beyond the TA`s control or capability.
I would like to conclude that as long as the TA and all members of the partnership are all willing to work in partnership to provide support for the pupil and their family, it will help to ensure correct, effective, relevant support that can be aimed to reach the child and their family’s needs. All members of the partnership should have or should have gained experience, qualifications and qualities needed to help seek, provide and maintain the correct support and also know where to find or how to refer for the support.
If there are barriers then members of the partnership should be willing and try to overcome these barriers. For example, if funding is a barrier then between the family and the school together they should find a way to be able to raise money themselves (e.g. bring and buy sales, cake sales) or try to raise awareness of the child`s special needs or disabilities in hope of finding a sponsor.
If a partnership is formed then the chances of the child and their family gaining the support that they need is much greater. If all members of the partnership work together and try their best then support will be more likely and successful rather than if a partnership did not exist.
K Burroughs
· Offering and giving advice
· Communicating and sharing ideas and methods with the families
· Keeping the families informed about progress or difficulties and talking about the next steps (effective communication)
· One to one support for the pupil
· Adapting lessons/environment and equipment for the pupil
· Encouraging involvement
· The TA being prepared, trained confident and willing to give their support
· Running activities
· Giving praise and encouragement
Offering pro-active support to the child and their family can be very beneficial for them both. Offering this type of support will help ensure that the child’s needs are met and that the family’s rights and entitlements are supported. It will help promote a healthy happy positive partnership and relationship that will open up opportunities.
However the TA must be willing, confident, committed, have the patience and be caring enough to give this support. The TA must also have either previous experience, the correct training or qualifications to ensure their support can be effective. If the TA is not willing, committed or does not have any type of experience or qualifications then their support will not be as effective and successful. The TA may not have any of these abilities or qualities and this will have an impact on the support they can provide for the child and the child`s family. They may find that their responsibilities are too strenuous and that their responsibilities or duties take up much of their time.
The pupil`s family must also be willing to accept support, advice and be willing to work in partnership with the TA, the school and other services to help ensure the correct support is offered to their child. It is vital that the TA is willing to help support the child and their family as this will have a knock on effect on the partnership. It will help encourage the child, the family, the school and other services to provide and maintain support needed for the child and their family.
Offering facilitation within the partnership can be very beneficial for the child and their family. It helps the family seek and gain further advice, support and knowledge for the child’s needs and also support the family can receive. This type of support can be very beneficial for both the child and their family but the TA must be willing and have the right qualities and experience to help. The child`s family must also be willing to work in partnership.
The TA may be very willing and have all the right qualities, qualifications and experience to help but the TA can only do so much. The TA must also be aware and have the correct knowledge on when, how and who to refer to for further support. The TA can work in partnership with the school and other services and try to do their best to follow up cases but other services or the school may not be willing or have the funding to help provide support to help suit the needs of the pupil or their family. There may not be enough staff to run activities or workshops to help. There may not be services or support groups within the area and travelling may be a barrier. There may be many barriers that may not be overcome and the TA can only do what they can and are capable of or qualified and permitted to do. Sometimes it may be beyond the TA`s control or capability.
I would like to conclude that as long as the TA and all members of the partnership are all willing to work in partnership to provide support for the pupil and their family, it will help to ensure correct, effective, relevant support that can be aimed to reach the child and their family’s needs. All members of the partnership should have or should have gained experience, qualifications and qualities needed to help seek, provide and maintain the correct support and also know where to find or how to refer for the support.
If there are barriers then members of the partnership should be willing and try to overcome these barriers. For example, if funding is a barrier then between the family and the school together they should find a way to be able to raise money themselves (e.g. bring and buy sales, cake sales) or try to raise awareness of the child`s special needs or disabilities in hope of finding a sponsor.
If a partnership is formed then the chances of the child and their family gaining the support that they need is much greater. If all members of the partnership work together and try their best then support will be more likely and successful rather than if a partnership did not exist.
K Burroughs
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Reflection is the key
It is very important to reflect on learning and teaching work. By doing so we can identify areas in which we are successful and not as successful as others. Analysing work will help TAs to improve their practice when supporting pupils and adjust their approach if necessary.
We can reflect on our work with pupils, our professional development and our attitudes and beliefs. The latter can be hard to change and reflection is sometimes not a comfortable process. Reflection helps us to keep challenging ourselves and to build up your knowledge and experience. We cannot manage others’ behaviour, only our own, and reflection helps us do this.
TAs, as do pupils, need to understand the importance of learning through making mistakes and we should not fear this. If we don’t reflect we can become defensive. We act in certain ways to avoid conflict and because of a fear of change or the unknown. We can use defensive mechanisms such as attack (arguing, criticising others), denial (refusal to acknowledge), repression (ignoring the situation), regression (child-like behaviour or helplessness). When reflecting, we need to be comfortable with being wrong.
It is important to identify the correct problem. Reflection encourages double-loop learning. In single-loop learning, improvement rests on unchallenged assumptions. In double-loop learning, we find out the real reason for something which may then change the underlying assumptions, and so the goal/strategy changes which then affects the results. Double-loop learning identifies and then challenges underlying assumptions.
Successful reflection depends on being honest about our own ability and being open to criticism and to new ideas. Also, it is important to be willing to make changes. Unless we do something about what we have reflected on, there is no point in reflecting. We have to choose to make changes. We may also decide not to change, but at least it is an ‘informed’ decision.
There are difficulties with self-reflection. It is very hard to reflect on everything we do as it can be too time-consuming. Also, thinking can get distorted as it is only ourselves doing the reflecting and it can be highly affected by mood. We can overlook things and we may not realise that what we are doing is not beneficial or that it upsets someone.
When reflecting, it can be beneficial to structure our methods of thinking. It makes it more manageable and can generate more solutions. One way devised to do this is Edward De Bono’s ‘Thinking Hats’. This method can be applied to any problem or reflection. The ways of thinking De Bono suggests are:
· Knowledge – what is apparent/already there;
· Thinking – what process we use;
· Judgment – straightforward ‘black and white’ response;
· Feelings – do we like it/how do we feel about it?;
· Benefits – what is good about it?;
· Creativity - how can we develop it?.
By applying these elements to our reflective thinking, we can often reveal more and come to a more comprehensive analysis.
METHODS OF REFLECTION
Forum Theatre
Forum theatre is a type of theatre created by Brazilian director Augusto Boal. He believed that theatre could serve as a forum for teaching people the strategies they need to bring about change. It is a way of rehearsing difficult situations in advance and helps make people aware of some problems that they may have not considered previously. This can help them imagine different responses and outcomes to common problems
Forum theatre scenarios are designed to stimulate audience participation through discussion, interactive role-playing and shared experiences. Audience members are brought into the performance, and change the outcome of what they are seeing.
It can be used by teaching staff for reflection purposes through, for instance, role playing situations in the classroom. As with stories and discussions, Forum Theatre removes people from an actual situation, so it makes it easier to confront and deal with issues.
Also similar to shared stories and discussion, participants get input from others. It is important to get ideas from colleagues taking part, especially with diverse groups as everyone will think in a different way and have varying views. Colleagues can share experience, and can be very supportive . Participants get feedback and advice on their practice in an informal way. Forum Theatre can be adapted to different situations and modified for colleagues or children.
However, Forum Theatre may not work for everyone. It can be validating to some but intimidating and too personal for others. It requires acting skills which may not suit everyone.
Also, it is easier to be the audience and judge than to act, whereas the greatest value is for the person doing the acting. Therefore it is important that everyone has a go.
Forum Theatre is similar to discussion, in that others are involved in the reflective practice. However, in situations like this where colleagues are involved in commenting on others ideas, it is important to be aware that others may not always be honest in their judgement, often because they do not want to upset others. In situations where the group is working together to improve, this can lead to a phenomenon described as ‘skilled incompetence’. This is where people use defensive routines to avoid upsetting people, embarrassment or threat. People become skilled at avoiding interpersonal conflict. However, this way prevents learning, or real necessary changes taking place.
Reflective Journal
A Reflective Journal is a good way for an individual to reflect and analyse their practice. It is a personal way of organising thoughts and can help TAs understand feelings and triggers. By writing down our experiences and looking back on them later, we can often come to a better realisation of the good and bad points of our work with children and colleagues.
The journal can shows inconsistencies or patterns. It can become a reference tool and can help TAs to track progress. It is also a good way to keep records, or evidence of events.
It could include evaluation of work sessions with pupils or occasions of managing behaviour. In writing the journal, the TA should ask themselves questions about situations they were involved with: what went well or not so well; was it challenging; did I deal with it well; what would I change so the objectives would be better met.
Thought needs to be given to the structure of the journal, ie, will things be recorded in a template or free-flow. Also, is the journal to be confidential or will others need to see it?
An advantage of the journal could be that it is not subject to criticism. However, this means that it can become a self-absorbed activity, affected by mood. Because it is only the thoughts of the individual, everything may not be picked up on or put in perspective.
It can be a very time-consuming way of reflection. We have to make sure it is working to the ultimate goal of improving practice and benefitting the TA and pupils.
Observation
We can reflect through others either by indirect or direct observation and feedback. With indirect observation we watch and learn others; by seeing how teachers and TAs work with pupils or deal with situations, we can reflect better on how we deal with similar issues.
As a way of reflecting on our own practice, however, I feel direct observation by others is more beneficial. Through being observed, we can, hopefully, get impartial feedback from others. We can become more aware of how our practice comes across to others.
As assessor can give feedback on work with pupils and relationships with colleagues and give advice on how to develop further. Through being observed, we often become aware of things about ourselves and our work practice that we were not aware of before.
However, for some TAs, observations may create stress and pressure and we may not perform well. Our own stress will affect the class, which can also alter the pupils’ behaviour. So an observation may not give a realistic view of our practice, as we may alter our behaviour and the things that we focus on as we are being observed. The ‘observer effect’ happens.
A downside to observation is that we are dependent on the observer to start the reflection as we need to get their feedback before we can reflect on our practice.
There are many ways, as TAs, that we can reflect on our contribution to teaching and learning. Different methods of reflection will suit different people, but it is important that a variety of methods is used in order that we can improve in the qualities and skills needed to be a good TA and so support pupils most effectively.
All of these methods of reflection can also support teaching and learning in that they can be used to help pupils reflect on their own work in school.
S. Rowland
We can reflect on our work with pupils, our professional development and our attitudes and beliefs. The latter can be hard to change and reflection is sometimes not a comfortable process. Reflection helps us to keep challenging ourselves and to build up your knowledge and experience. We cannot manage others’ behaviour, only our own, and reflection helps us do this.
TAs, as do pupils, need to understand the importance of learning through making mistakes and we should not fear this. If we don’t reflect we can become defensive. We act in certain ways to avoid conflict and because of a fear of change or the unknown. We can use defensive mechanisms such as attack (arguing, criticising others), denial (refusal to acknowledge), repression (ignoring the situation), regression (child-like behaviour or helplessness). When reflecting, we need to be comfortable with being wrong.
It is important to identify the correct problem. Reflection encourages double-loop learning. In single-loop learning, improvement rests on unchallenged assumptions. In double-loop learning, we find out the real reason for something which may then change the underlying assumptions, and so the goal/strategy changes which then affects the results. Double-loop learning identifies and then challenges underlying assumptions.
Successful reflection depends on being honest about our own ability and being open to criticism and to new ideas. Also, it is important to be willing to make changes. Unless we do something about what we have reflected on, there is no point in reflecting. We have to choose to make changes. We may also decide not to change, but at least it is an ‘informed’ decision.
There are difficulties with self-reflection. It is very hard to reflect on everything we do as it can be too time-consuming. Also, thinking can get distorted as it is only ourselves doing the reflecting and it can be highly affected by mood. We can overlook things and we may not realise that what we are doing is not beneficial or that it upsets someone.
When reflecting, it can be beneficial to structure our methods of thinking. It makes it more manageable and can generate more solutions. One way devised to do this is Edward De Bono’s ‘Thinking Hats’. This method can be applied to any problem or reflection. The ways of thinking De Bono suggests are:
· Knowledge – what is apparent/already there;
· Thinking – what process we use;
· Judgment – straightforward ‘black and white’ response;
· Feelings – do we like it/how do we feel about it?;
· Benefits – what is good about it?;
· Creativity - how can we develop it?.
By applying these elements to our reflective thinking, we can often reveal more and come to a more comprehensive analysis.
METHODS OF REFLECTION
Forum Theatre
Forum theatre is a type of theatre created by Brazilian director Augusto Boal. He believed that theatre could serve as a forum for teaching people the strategies they need to bring about change. It is a way of rehearsing difficult situations in advance and helps make people aware of some problems that they may have not considered previously. This can help them imagine different responses and outcomes to common problems
Forum theatre scenarios are designed to stimulate audience participation through discussion, interactive role-playing and shared experiences. Audience members are brought into the performance, and change the outcome of what they are seeing.
It can be used by teaching staff for reflection purposes through, for instance, role playing situations in the classroom. As with stories and discussions, Forum Theatre removes people from an actual situation, so it makes it easier to confront and deal with issues.
Also similar to shared stories and discussion, participants get input from others. It is important to get ideas from colleagues taking part, especially with diverse groups as everyone will think in a different way and have varying views. Colleagues can share experience, and can be very supportive . Participants get feedback and advice on their practice in an informal way. Forum Theatre can be adapted to different situations and modified for colleagues or children.
However, Forum Theatre may not work for everyone. It can be validating to some but intimidating and too personal for others. It requires acting skills which may not suit everyone.
Also, it is easier to be the audience and judge than to act, whereas the greatest value is for the person doing the acting. Therefore it is important that everyone has a go.
Forum Theatre is similar to discussion, in that others are involved in the reflective practice. However, in situations like this where colleagues are involved in commenting on others ideas, it is important to be aware that others may not always be honest in their judgement, often because they do not want to upset others. In situations where the group is working together to improve, this can lead to a phenomenon described as ‘skilled incompetence’. This is where people use defensive routines to avoid upsetting people, embarrassment or threat. People become skilled at avoiding interpersonal conflict. However, this way prevents learning, or real necessary changes taking place.
Reflective Journal
A Reflective Journal is a good way for an individual to reflect and analyse their practice. It is a personal way of organising thoughts and can help TAs understand feelings and triggers. By writing down our experiences and looking back on them later, we can often come to a better realisation of the good and bad points of our work with children and colleagues.
The journal can shows inconsistencies or patterns. It can become a reference tool and can help TAs to track progress. It is also a good way to keep records, or evidence of events.
It could include evaluation of work sessions with pupils or occasions of managing behaviour. In writing the journal, the TA should ask themselves questions about situations they were involved with: what went well or not so well; was it challenging; did I deal with it well; what would I change so the objectives would be better met.
Thought needs to be given to the structure of the journal, ie, will things be recorded in a template or free-flow. Also, is the journal to be confidential or will others need to see it?
An advantage of the journal could be that it is not subject to criticism. However, this means that it can become a self-absorbed activity, affected by mood. Because it is only the thoughts of the individual, everything may not be picked up on or put in perspective.
It can be a very time-consuming way of reflection. We have to make sure it is working to the ultimate goal of improving practice and benefitting the TA and pupils.
Observation
We can reflect through others either by indirect or direct observation and feedback. With indirect observation we watch and learn others; by seeing how teachers and TAs work with pupils or deal with situations, we can reflect better on how we deal with similar issues.
As a way of reflecting on our own practice, however, I feel direct observation by others is more beneficial. Through being observed, we can, hopefully, get impartial feedback from others. We can become more aware of how our practice comes across to others.
As assessor can give feedback on work with pupils and relationships with colleagues and give advice on how to develop further. Through being observed, we often become aware of things about ourselves and our work practice that we were not aware of before.
However, for some TAs, observations may create stress and pressure and we may not perform well. Our own stress will affect the class, which can also alter the pupils’ behaviour. So an observation may not give a realistic view of our practice, as we may alter our behaviour and the things that we focus on as we are being observed. The ‘observer effect’ happens.
A downside to observation is that we are dependent on the observer to start the reflection as we need to get their feedback before we can reflect on our practice.
There are many ways, as TAs, that we can reflect on our contribution to teaching and learning. Different methods of reflection will suit different people, but it is important that a variety of methods is used in order that we can improve in the qualities and skills needed to be a good TA and so support pupils most effectively.
All of these methods of reflection can also support teaching and learning in that they can be used to help pupils reflect on their own work in school.
S. Rowland
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