BEHAVIOUR


Behaviour and SEN


• “I’m not doing this (work).” • “I’m not going to (substitute any subject here).” • “I hate you.” • “I haven’t got a pen (or other essential piece of equipment).”


• “I feel sick.” • “Shut up.” • “You can’t make me (do this task).” If we tried to translate these statements, they might


actually be read as: • “I am finding this work difficult.” • “Please help me.” • “I do care.” • “S/he does not understand me.” • “This work is too easy (or too hard).” • “I’m frightened of failing and showing myself up in class.”


• “I find this subject difficult (or I am frightened of the class/teacher).”


• “I respect you because you have high expectations of me.”


• “I’m frightened of failure (I don’t know how to start).”


• “I feel threatened and/or anxious (by the work/the teacher/children in the class).”


• “You are embarrassing me.” • “I’m terrified of failing.” What Liliana was actually expressing was her


inability to read the piece in front of her and her embarrassment at the prospect of looking “stupid” in front of her peers. Her insistence on talking while the task was


underway was to actually create conflict so that she would get sent out of class and would not have to suffer the ignominy of having to read out loud in front of the class and her limited reading ability being exposed for all to see. So she got her way, she is in control. If the teacher had prepared the worksheet to suit


her needs and was sensitive to her feelings then he would have been more likely to have elicited a positive response. Much pro-active work can be done by making sure


the basics are in place before the pupils even enter the classroom – from simple logistics (seating plans, classroom environment etc) to paying attention to what is taught and how it is taught: • Differentiated work that is both challenging yet achievable.


• Development of “thinking skills”. • “Active” as opposed to “passive” learning techniques.


• Varying the stimulus (use of multiple intelligences). • Child-centred work that gives the child ownership of their own learning.


• Creation of a “can-do” environment where a child is motivated to work.


And then of course there is the crucial issue of


building and maintaining positive working relationships between the teacher and the pupils. This includes: • Commitment from the teacher. • High expectations of the child from the teacher. • Tolerance and empathy (without both a teacher is doomed to fail!).


SecEd • January 5 2012 If a child is engaged, they will be motivated to learn


and as a consequence they are less likely to be a discipline problem in the lesson. One of the maxims of the solution- focused approach to behaviour management is to “catch them being good”. No child misbehaves constantly. There are always islands of calm in a sea of turmoil. If you are looking for an easier route to deal with


the plethora of behaviour issues that arise day-in, day- out, then there is a Holy Grail – excellent teaching and learning. We must not underestimate the power of good


teaching and learning. It is an umbrella under which many behavioural issues can be resolved before they even raise their head. Allied to this is the need for all teachers to be significantly versed in being able to recognise and deal with issues relating to SEN, especially those most commonly found within society. Without such training we are asking teachers to work in


the dark and, most significantly, we are disadvantaging the most vulnerable children who are already disadvantaged through no fault of their own.


SecEd


• Colin Lever has been teaching and writing for 32 years, working mainly in inner-city schools. Along with a colleague from a special school he created an integration project that, at the time, was the longest running in country. He currently holds the post of behaviour support within a Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties team and actively researches behaviour management.


Book discount offer for SecEd readers


Colin Lever’s book, Understanding Challenging Behaviour in Inclusive Classrooms, costs £19.99 from the Pearson Bookshop (ISBN 9781408248270). However, SecEd readers can claim a 20 per cent discount by following this specific link: www.pearson-books.com/lever


STEM Secondment Opportunity


A secondment is available for a senior teacher with National Grid – one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world.


“A great opportunity to interact with people using high-end science and engineering skills & find out how they use the knowledge that schools teach.”


Length of Secondment: Two terms Location: Warwick


Funding: A bursary will contribute towards the cost of supply cover Start date: February/March 2012


For an application pack and further details, contact Estelle Khiari Tel:


Email: e.khiari@hti.org.uk Web: www.hti.org.uk


Quote reference: NG 11/12 024 7669 8524


Through its Stretch Secondment Programme, education leadership charity HTI is offering an exciting two-term secondment working within National Grid’s Gas Network Investment Team.


• An exciting opportunity for an established or aspiring school/subject leader with a STEM background and a passion for encouraging STEM students.


• A chance to work with, support and learn from one of the UK’s biggest engineering companies and build links for your school.


• You will lead on a knowledge-capture project among high skill design engineers, meet many National Grid staff and learn about the practical application of STEM in the workplace.


• You will be given significant leadership shadowing opportunities, gain real experience of how management and decision-making works in a FTSE top 100 organisation.


Based in Warwick, the Gas Network Investment Team consists of almost 100 people and is responsible for the planning and development of the Gas National Transmission System – an 8,000km high integrity network routinely carrying 40 per cent of the nation’s primary energy.


The secondment will help to enhance your leadership capability and the successful candidate would be expected to return to their school with a legacy for future pupils, including positive messages about STEM subjects.


Stretch is an initiative created by HTI to provide senior teachers and business with the opportunity to benefit from sharing and exploring transferable skills, knowledge and understanding, via flexible interim projects.


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