Tag Archives: Placement

L4L Placement: Reflection

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Following what seemed like a never-ending pile of paperwork for my placement portfolio and an unfortunate trip to A&E, I have had little time to write a blog post that I felt did my placement justice. My intention was to blog throughout my time at the school however I was so busy that I needed time to collect my thoughts before combusting on the web! Consequently I gave myself a little bit of down time following my Viva before blogging about what I can only describe as the most rewarding but challenging experience of my teacher training to date.

I have already blogged about my experience in the pastoral team where my main responsibilities included ELSA sessions and promoting health and wellbeing throughout the school. With this in mind, I aim to describe my time in the different classes I was lucky to work in and how this experience has influenced my professional attitude.

 

Week One

Throughout the four weeks, following the Easter holiday, I worked in four different classes that allowed me to experience a range of different needs. During the first week, I was placed in a KS2 classroom where pupils had severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties. None of the children were verbal and they each had a very unique way of communicating.

Communication became a very strong focus throughout my placement as I found myself becoming more and more confident using non-verbal communication and sensory stimuli to motivate pupils to engage in communication. Initially I felt apprehensive as I did not know if I would be able to understand or be understood by pupils and meet their needs however after observation and getting as involved as I could, I was able to respond to the children confidently.

Most pupils communicated making small noises and murmurs and their body language indicated their emotions. For example, one pupil vocalised and smiled when he liked something or agreed with a member of staff and remained still and silent if he disagreed or disliked something that was being communicated to him. However not all pupils understood intentionality, that is when a person communicates either vocally or physically, with intention to provoke a response. I did a lot of one-one work with a pupil at this stage whilst other activities were being conducted with other pupils. An example of an activity I conducted to introduce the concept of intentionality was through massage. I tried a range of massage techniques on her hands in order to gain an idea of what she liked and disliked. Following every technique, I placed my hands in front of her hands at a distance and waited for a response. Eventually she realised that in order for me to continue the massage she must place her hands in my hands before I begun once again. Once she had realised this, I removed my hands and placed them in front of her, she then reached out to grasp my hands. This process demonstrated her the beginning of her understanding of the intentional communication.

Language acquisition has always been a topic of psychology that I have had a lot of interest in. Consequently, the development of intentionality and seeing for myself the progression of language acquisition in children with speech, language and communication delay was really fascinating. Throughout the placement I continued to observe different methods of communication and by the end of the four weeks I had been involved in Makaton, eye gazing, the pictorial exchange communication system (PECS) and AAC technology associated with eye gaze and PECS.

Week Two

The second week, possibly the most challenging of the four, was in an autism provision classroom. Once again, all communication needs were very different however all pupils used the pictorial exchange communication system to enhance their communication. PECS is a form of AAC and is made up of a range a symbols and words that allow the communicator to form complex phrases. PECS supports speech, but does not replace it. Once the symbols have been aligned on the PECS board, the pupils point to the various symbols and verbalise these to form a spoken sentence.

Although communication was a huge part of this classroom, due to the nature of the class I found myself observing behaviour and responses to the learning environment more than communication. I intend to write a separate post on autism provision later when I have had more time to research the associated behaviours and meeting their needs. I found that one week was not long enough to fully understand the pupils and respond appropriately and consequently I aim to find work experience in another autism provision unit to build on my understanding further. Despite this, I feel like I would know how to aid a pupil with a diagnosis of ASC in a mainstream classroom a lot more confidently by providing a high level of structure and low stimulus environment.

Week Three

During the penultimate week I was placed in an EYFS class. The EYFS environment was highly influenced by the likes of the Froebel and Reggio Emilia philosophy. There are certainly aspects of this practice I would consider using within my early years placement next year however there were also a number of factors that I would perhaps alter in order to enhance the play based learning. Consequently I will blog about this and how it impacted upon my educational philosophy in a future post.

Week Four

Similar to week one, my final week was with a KS1 PMLD classroom. Once again the pupils were non-verbal and as they were younger, their communication was a lot less advanced to those in the previous week.

Developing intentionality and cause and effect were key learning outcomes throughout the week. Switches were used frequently in activities to show the consequence of actions, known as cause and effect. An activity that demonstrated the development of intentionality within this class was baking treacle tarts. Pupils operated the switch in order to use the blender held by a member of staff. When they pressed and maintained the hold, the blender would turn on and when the pupil let go it would stop. Sensory stimuli are key to encouraging communication and participation in switch use. The teacher’s role is to facilitate opportunities for the use of switching or symbols throughout the day using a range of strategies.

Impact on my personal and professional attitudes

My learning for life placement has had a considerable impact on my educational philosophy and also my personal attitudes towards SEN teaching. I began the placement thinking that it would be beneficial to learn about the different SEN and how pupil’s individual needs are facilitated in a learning environment in order to apply this to a mainstream setting where I intend to teach. As a result of this placement I have developed a passion for the SEN setting and the rewarding nature of teaching and learning pupils with PMLD and SLD. Consequently I am now considering specialising in SEN following my probation year when I begin my Masters degree with the intent on teaching in an enhanced provision unit.

It is very hard to pinpoint one key aspect that I feel my placement has addressed and enhanced due to the diversity I experienced. As a result I revisited my placement proposal to see how the placement addressed my expectations of the placement and identified key learning that I will research in the next few months.

Firstly by exploring special needs education through observation, professional dialogue and academic reading I have developed my understanding of the needs of the pupils and the impact this has on curriculum content, communication and assessing academic progress etc. Communication has been the biggest focus for me throughout the placement as I was amazed by the variety of AAC that I had not even heard of before. I was able to communicate to all pupils in the classes regardless of whether they were verbal or non-verbal and was able to meet their needs accordingly. Following my placement I intend to do a course in Makaton signing and research more into PECS and Switching through academic reading.

I have looked into how the National Curriculum differs to the Federation’s ‘Learning Challenge curriculum’ and how this was created to develop an understanding of the processes of curriculum design and developing contexts for learning over the course of the 6 weeks. The major difference was that the child was very much at the centre of the learning and through topical learning each individual’s developmental needs were catered for. Planning and learning outcomes are different for every child and are decided during the annual review, an interagency meeting to discuss pupil progress. Consequently a baking lesson for one child may be focusing on their use of switching and developing an understanding of cause and effect whereas another may be focusing on their ability to reach an object. This means that teachers need to be flexible with lesson plans and understand the best ways to motivate pupils in order to meet their intended outcomes.

I have worked closely alongside the different professionals in order to gain a better understanding of their roles in promoting the well-being of every child and how interdisciplinary practice is achieved in the learning community. The experience has enhanced my understanding of interdisciplinary working and consolidated learning from the 2CM8 module. I have seen the importance of information sharing and experienced some of the boundaries that may be faced, regardless of the integrated facilities.

Another thing I have gained from the placement that I had not identified in my proposal is my ability to nurture. Although I believe I was a very caring teacher, I was always very cautious to be overly nurturing with pupils due to policies that need to be adhered to. In an SEN school, providing a nurturing environment is the teacher’s pivotal role and consequently I had to remove this barrier immediately. Pupils need to be welcomed with a warm, friendly personality in order to feel comfortable. Touch is important to evoke responses from children and develop their communication and therefore should be given with professional judgement. Teachers need to understand the needs of the child immediately and respond to these appropriately. Although the boundaries are different in a mainstream school, I will definitely be more comfortable being nurturing with a child in my future placements.

Following my placement, I will:

  • Begin a course over the duration of the summer holidays in Makaton signing and research other AAC methods through academic reading.
  • Consider ways in which I could support pupil’s emotional wellbeing and develop a nurturing environment.
  • Research best practice in SEN schools through academic reading and journals and build on the learning I gained during my mini ROTR tasks.
  • Continue to work on facilitating effective interdisciplinary practice during future placements, particularly with parents.

L4L Placement: Goleman, Gardner and ELSA?

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As mentioned in my previous post, I am utilising my blog as a reflective tool for my Learning from Life placement. My placement is based in an integrated mainstream and special school and I have had the opportunity to work with the pastoral team over the past two weeks to begin my work experience.

Working with the pastoral team has allowed me to experience a wide variety of tasks including safeguarding, interagency practice, working with parents and early intervention, to working with children in order to gather information and promote health and wellbeing. Although a lot of my learning has been through observation and professional dialogue, I have been responsible for:

  • Researching and creating a display to support the implementation of a packed lunch policy.
  • Analysing attendance and lateness data to create a spreadsheet to compare trends and support early intervention.
  • Planning activities for mainstream pupils to highlight the safeguarding team and cyber-bullying procedures.
  • Creating a display to celebrate pupil success.
  • Assisting and conducting nurture sessions during break and lunchtime.
  • Planning British Values project for the School Council.
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Display board in the Main Reception to support the implementation of a packed lunch policy.

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Role Model display board in the Pastoral office to celebrate pupil success.

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Cyberbullying Leaflet to support the teaching and learning of E-Safety.

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Safeguarding Leaflet for pupil revision. Pupils draw portraits of staff members in the boxes and label members of staff they can go to if they need help.

All of these activities have made a significant contribution to my understanding of health and wellbeing and gathering and analysing information. However the key learning that I believe has had the most influence on my educational philosophy is that gained through observing and independently conducting ELSA sessions.

ELSA stands for ‘emotional literacy support assistant’ and is a one to one strategy to promoting emotional literacy and developing emotional intelligence within pupils.

Intelligence versus Emotional Intelligence

Intelligence can be defined as the capacity to learn from experience, using metacognitive processes to enhance learning, and the ability to adapt to the surrounding environment. There are many theorists who have contributed to this field of study and have changed our perception of what it is to be intelligent.  In early developments in intelligence research, it was seen that intelligence was a single entity that was determined by how well an individual faired in academia. Indeed, Gardner (1993) stated “In the heyday of the psychometric and behaviorist eras, it was generally believed that intelligence was a single entity that was inherited; and that human beings – initially a blank slate – could be trained to learn anything.” However, more recent studies of intelligence have demonstrated that intelligence is more than just academic and take individual skills and learning styles into consideration.

Gardner was one of the most influential theorists to introduce the idea of individual cognitive components and Smith and Smith (1994) described him as the paradigm shifter. His theory of multiple intelligences demonstrated that in addition to the areas of intelligence that had already been identified prior to his research, there were also factors that took social nature and physical ability into account. Gardner identified 8 types of intelligence: visual, linguistic, logical and mathematical, musical, bodily and kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligence.

  • Visual intelligence incorporates an individual’s ability to visualize, recognize and memorize images and their understanding of spatial awareness, or their creativity and eye for detail. A visually intelligent person may be a visual learner and use pictures and diagrams to assist them to learn.
  • A linguistically talented person has sensitivity to written and spoken language; they are able to learn languages and apply this to accomplish certain goals. Gardner considered authors, poets, lawyers and speakers to have a high level of linguistic intelligence.
  • Logical intelligence is similar to the intelligence tested in formal IQ tests and is most commonly associated with mathematical and scientific thinking. It takes an individual’s ability to analyze, formulate and organise information, in addition to mathematical ability.
  • Musical intelligence is quite simply an individual’s ability to recognize, respond to and produce music/sound.
  • Similarly, as the name suggests, bodily and kinesthetic intelligence is concerned with a person’s physical ability. A kinesthetically intelligent person learns by manipulating materials to formulate answers.

Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Naturalistic intelligence focuses more on the social element of psychology which formal IQ testing does not incorporate.

  • A naturalistic individual is in touch with nature and understands about the environment
  • Interpersonal intelligence is how a person forms relationships with people and their ability to communicate with others such as their ability to negotiate and hold discussions with others.
  • Intrapersonal is the knowledge about one’s self. An ‘intrapersonally’ intelligent person will understand their feelings and emotions.

These final two categories of intelligence defined by Gardner, make up, what we would now refer to as, emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence, by definition is ‘the intelligent use of emotions’. Goleman is a key theorist regarding emotional intelligence and when comparing his theory against Gardner’s multiple intelligences, there is a clear link between the two.

 INTRA                                                   INTER

Self-awareness                                   Awareness of others

Self-management                               Relationship management.

Goleman identified five key ingredients that contribute to emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy and motivation.

ELSA Sessions

Within ELSA, pupils can be supported with emotional awareness, social skills, friendship skills, self-esteem and anger management – similar to the emotional competencies identified by Goleman. In order to teach these competencies, known as emotional literacy, pupils need to expand their emotional vocabulary and develop emotional awareness. This is taught through planned sessions using games, stories, pictures, puppets and role-play etc.

Example of Emotional Literacy referral form.

Example of Emotional Literacy referral form.

However despite these ELSA sessions being planned with specific intentions, the key principle that permeates emotional literacy support is the ability to talk and discuss how certain situations in your life are making you feel and putting the emotional competencies into real life situations.

However, these circumstances can be difficult to discuss when children are put in a formal situation with lots of directed questions. The most effective way, I have observed, in gaining information, is establishing a safe, comfortable environment, where the pupils feel free to share what they are thinking. Play and practical activities provide the perfect atmosphere to do so. Furthermore, the child should be prompted with related questions, rather than asking direct questions about the child’s circumstances. For example, when playing with Lego in an ELSA session, the teacher may ask, “Do you play with Lego at home?” followed by, “What do you like doing at home?” or “Who do you like playing with at home?” These questions often trigger the child to discuss problems or things that concern them.

Other strategies I have observed during my placement that support pupils with additional needs include nurture groups, such as gardening club or arts and crafts clubs at break or lunch.

How has ALL of this impacted on my Educational Philosophy?

 I think the most important thing that I have learnt from these two weeks is that children need to be heard. When children feel like they are not being listened to or are desperate for attention and nurture, their immediate reaction is usually to behave unusually. This may be disruptive behaviour or contrastingly introverted behaviour. However in the cases that I have observed, these have been due to a want for talk and time with an adult.

Consequently now I would aim to observe changes in behaviour, and perhaps record these (like the school does) in order to track and monitor pupils who may require additional time. I will assure pupils that I am always available to talk and I will try to find time for pupils, who do require some support, to play during lunch or break, and discuss their circumstances with me in a relaxed environment.

I will now consider appropriate prompting questions and practical activities to support these sessions. Any suggestions?

LFL Placement: What am I ‘Learning from Life’?

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“What? Why? That doesn’t make sense when you’re training to become a Scottish Primary Teacher?” – A common response when I explain to my friends and family that my second year placement cannot be within a Scottish primary school. At first I shared a similar opinion, studying Languages and Science and Mathematics modules, then going to a workplace where we couldn’t reflect upon our learning in a practical setting seemed like a waste of time. However as we have progressed throughout the year, and the placement is becoming closer, this idea has changed dramatically and I cannot seem to contain my excitement about the amazing opportunity I am about to experience.

The University of Dundee is unique for having the Learning from Life module. The placement aims to broaden the horizons of student teachers whilst developing transferable skills for teaching and learning. Indeed the 2015-2016 Handbook states,

“This module aims to:

  • enable students to integrate and extend their knowledge and transferable skills in educational work through practical application in a workplace setting;
  • complement and extend students’ knowledge and skills developed in Educational Studies and Pedagogical Studies;
  • provide opportunities for making connections between teaching and learning in different educational settings and working collaboratively;
  • help prepare students for effective transition into the workplace;
  • build confidence in key skills.”

Over the next two months I am hoping to use my blog as a reflective tool for placement in addition to my portfolio. Therefore it seemed appropriate, now that all of my assignments have been completed, to explain the content of my placement and justify why I chose the setting. I must add that due to the nature of my placement, the content that I am allowed to publish online is restricted therefore I cannot mention names of the school or staff.

I will be travelling down to England to work in a Children’s Centre for 6 weeks. The Children’s Centre combines the local community primary school and a primary special school and also houses nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language in one integrated building. I am fortunate to be working across all of the areas mentioned above and I will discuss the outline of my placement later in this post.

 Additional Support Needs (ASN) is an aspect of education that is not covered, in-depth, within the MA Education course at Dundee University. Within a recent Interagency module, we covered the area slightly but the aim of the module was primarily to discuss how all agencies work collaboratively to improve outcomes for children. I found it of paramount importance to learn about ASN prior to graduation so I could gain an understanding of the individual need and strategies to support the child.

I had contact to the school through family who live in the surrounding area, and I am very lucky to be staying with family for the duration of the placement. The setting seems like to perfect place to learn about ASN and also gain an understanding of how the different professionals work collaboratively in the integrated building. I think it is important for me to see interagency working in action as it will enhance my understanding of the Interagency module content.

 When contacting the school, I provided the Head Teacher with my proposal form that included my aims for the placement. I specifically looked through the GTCS Standards for Provisional Registration when identifying these aims to highlight aspects that I felt had not been addressed in much depth. My aims are:

  • “Exploring special needs education through observation, professional dialogue and academic reading [which] will enhance my understanding of the needs of the pupils and the impact this has on curriculum content, communication and assessing academic progress etc. (SPR, 2.1.1; 2.1.2). Within my placement I would also like to gain experience teaching in a special needs classroom in order to continue developing my teaching and incorporating my new knowledge into planning.
  • Through the assimilation of the two schools I will learn how to facilitate inclusive learning by liaising with the specialist teaching team and the community school teaching team. I am intrigued to investigate how the National Curriculum differs to the Federation’s ‘Learning Challenge curriculum’ and how this was created to develop an understanding of the processes of curriculum design and developing contexts for learning. (SPR, 2.1.1; 2.1.3)
  • Several professions work on-site at … including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and social work. I would like the opportunity to work closely alongside the different professionals in order to gain a better understanding of their roles in promoting the well-being of every child and how interdisciplinary practice is achieved in the learning community. (SPR, 2.2.2; 3.1.5)”

In November I went to visit the school to see the building, meet the staff and pupils and discuss the plan for my placement with the Head Teacher. I was astounded at the facilities available within the building and the layout of the school. In addition to classrooms specified to the childrens’ needs and areas for various shared activities, the schools share a multi-sensory theatre with bubble tubes, vibrating wall pads, projectors and a soft play area neighbouring it. There is a sports hall with physiotherapy facilities such as a heated pool. I am keen to see how these are used in practice and how they enhance the learning and teaching experiences for children. However the ethos of the school was the one aspect of the Children’s Centre that left the biggest mark. There is a really strong sense of community that exists within the pupils, staff and volunteers in the centre and I was able to see that in an hour walking around the school!

As mentioned previously I will be working across the different areas of the school. This is the plan of my placement:Screen Shot 2016-03-04 at 10.24.02

My Next Steps…

With all this in mind I will now begin to construct my portfolio. For each area I intend to complete a daily ROTR task, similar to first year placement. ROTR tasks include Reading, Observation, Talking and Reflecting on a specific subject. Therefore I must carefully select a topic for each day and consider discussion points and questions; highlight areas for observation and begin exploring academic literature.

In addition to ROTR, weekly reflections, and blog posts, I am hoping to do a research project over the duration of the week surrounding the safeguarding of children and critically analysing the difference between Every Child Matters and Getting It Right for Every Child. I think this will be beneficial for me as it will require me to gain an in-depth understanding of both policies and raise an awareness of potential facilitators and barriers to safeguarding children.

 I am looking forward to sharing my experiences on my blog. Please feel free to comment – any suggestions for resources or reflection points would be appreciated!!