Category Archives: Contemporary issues

Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2 Approach – Activity

Scenario

You are a primary school teacher in charge of Modern Languages and the implementation of the 1+2 Approach proposed by the Scottish Government.  You have a school inspection in 6 months time, where they will be evaluating the successfulness of the policy’s implementation.  After reading the policy, it is your task to convince the rest of the staff at your school that this approach will be beneficial, as well as consider how this policy could be implemented in your school and some the issues that may arise as a result of the implementation.

Benefits/Advantages

  • Multilingualism opens up more opportunities later in life.
  • Learning a language improves a learners communicative skills, helping them to make more meaningful connections with others in society.
  • The skills and knowledge developed when learning L2 (foreign language) provide a deeper understanding of a learners L1 (native language).
  • Language learning coincides with cultural studies and helps build cultural awareness in learners so that they learn to appreciate and respect cultures that differ from their own.
  • Beginning languages from a young age provides more opportunity for the continuation of language learning to national qualification level.
  • With this new policy, individual schools and Local Authorities are given more say into which languages they teach, perhaps influenced by geography or culture.
  • The policy can provide equality for learners across Scotland, as well as creating more equal chances for Scottish children when compared with their European counterparts.
  • There are great opportunities for creating links with schools in other countries for more in-depth, contextualised learning.

How do you implement/incorporate the policy?

  • Introduce regular and consistent learning of the language throughout the school (e.g. the daily routine, assembly).
  • Produce an audit of the staff’s skill level and confidence in languages to determine which language will best suit the school.
  • Encourage use of Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL).
  • Support staff and encourage professional development by providing them with opportunities to learn and enhance their practice.
  • Ensure that planning and resources are exciting and stimulating for pupils so that they become interested in language learning.
  • Create links with the local secondary school to inform our practice and ensure there is continuation into secondary school.

Issues/Problems/Gaps

  • Catering for children with EAL, where there L1 is not English.
  • Lack of teacher competence and confidence in teaching languages.
  • Funding issues.
  • Lack of reliable resources readily available to the school.
  • Time constraints in the curriculum meaning that language learning is neglected and another subject is prioritised to meet the demands on the teacher.
  • Engaging pupils will be difficult if the teachers are not confident or enthused themselves.
  • No specific guidelines for pupil assessment.
  • There is a social stigma surrounding languages that children often pick up from adults.

Reflections on the Policy

It is a good concept but their are many issues regarding the physical implementation.  One issue with the policy is that it lacks clarification.  There are a number of recommendations, however, they are very basic and the policy provides very little elaboration or examples of how this recommendation might look when implemented in schools.  Plus, these are only recommendations and so there is no mandatory requirement to follow these.  This does give teachers a lot more freedom, in line with the ethos of CfE, though it does, again, raise the issue of clarification as many of these recommendations are open to teacher/school/local authority interpretation, which will result in mixed results and experiences for children across Scotland.  Lastly, the policy mentions a lot about the need for this type of language learning for Scotland’s future, but not a lot of focus on the reality of this policy today, particularly what language learning will look like in schools on a daily/weekly basis, from now.

References

Scottish Government Languages Working Group (2012) Language Learning in Scotland A 1+2 Approach.  Edinburgh: Scottish Government.  Available at: https://www.gov.scot/Resource/0039/00393435.pdf  (Accessed: 26 September 2018).

Immigration

In my school, there were a few children who had recently moved to the area from abroad.  Specifically, in the the CE2 class I was working in there were two young boys who had recently moved to France from countries in North Africa.  The teacher of the class explained to me that both these boys had a very poor level of French when they had first arrived and this was a challenge for both the children and the teachers when they had to communicate with one another.

Due to the pupils’ ages, as upper school pupils, when their classmates studied French Literacy and Grammar, these two boys would work from textbooks aimed at the earlier stages.  This level of differentiation seemed quite difficult for the teacher to manage as the boys needed a lot of her attention.  I also wondered whether this language barrier ever made the boys feel secluded from the rest of the class.  However, due to the teacher’s inability to split her time between her and the class the whole day, the boys took part in other lessons with the whole class in other curricular subjects.  This meant that even over the short period that I was in the class, I noticed how much more they had integrated into the classroom environment and were now managing to communicate with their classmates much more confidently.

Immigration is becoming more of a recurring them across Europe and so I feel as though witnessing firsthand how children from other countries with language difficulties are accommodated for was valuable for me in the future.  It was also nice to see how the current political climate regarding immigration in France, which is met with some hostility, did not seem to filter into the school and that these children were not hindered by their cultural differences.

School Culture

Throughout my time in Orléans, I have noticed some key differences in the French lifestyle compared to the Scottish lifestyle, which have been interesting for me to experience.

One thing I have observed during my time here is that the relationships between the children and the teachers are quite different from in Scotland. I have noticed an increased level of respect from the children towards any adult, which is evidenced in some of their mannerisms. For example, whenever another adult enters the classroom, the whole class stands up as a sign of respect to their authority and they then wait to be told to sit back down. In response, I feel as though the teachers are more trusting of the pupils and there is an extra level of maturity from the children, even in CP, which I have seen when I have accompanied the children outside the school grounds.

Perhaps this increased level of maturity comes from the difference in the school structure and the ages at which a child reaches each stage. Children do not start formal schooling until age 6, making them a whole year older and more experienced than the children starting school in Scotland. Equally influential is the amount of time they spend in “maternelle” or nursery school. Children can attend nursery school from the age of 3 until they are 6, though attendance is not compulsory.

Recent debate in France has arose from French President, Emmanuel Macron’s declaration that school will be compulsory from the age of 3 from 2019, which has sparked more concern regarding teacher shortages in France, a large issue.  Cortes (2018) explains in his article for Marianne that if Macron’s plan was to go ahead, a minimum of 800 new teaching positions would have to be created to accommodate what is estimated as a further 25,000 pupils.  This will be difficult for the French Government as they are already facing teacher shortages, with one article explaining that people are not even considering the profession are they are put off by the insufficient wages and how difficult it is to enter the field academically (Bancaud, 2017).  Teacher shortages is an issue that has also plagued Scotland in recent years, however, the cultural aspects of the job, such as the difficult testing to achieve the qualification and the inability for teachers to choose where they want to work has made the profession even less desirable to the French.

Not only is the structure of the school different, the management of the school is also slightly different.  The main difference is that the Headteacher or “directeur/directrice” is part of the teaching staff and is responsible for their own class.  At my school, the teacher was present in the class 4 days a week and the children had another teacher on Tuesdays.  The Ministry of Education (2014) outline three main responsibilities of a Headteacher above and beyond a normal staff member, which are: to have pedagogical control, to control the operation of the school and to maintain relationships with parents and partners of the school.  In Scotland, the Headteacher would take a backseat from teaching in order to perform these extra duties, however, in France, this is not the case.  As a result, I felt as though the Headteacher’s attention was divided quite often as she performed the role of both a teacher and a director simultaneously, which must put a lot of strain on these teachers.

References

Bancaud, D.  (2017)  ‘How to fight against the shortage of teachers in the primary?’, 20 Minutes, 11 October.  Available at: https://www.20minutes.fr/societe/2149171-20171011-comment-lutter-contre-penurie-profs-primaire  (Accessed: 6 April 2018).

Cortes, A.  (2018)  ‘Preschool compulsory from 3 years old: ok, but with which teachers?’, Marianne, 28 March.  Available at :https://www.marianne.net/societe/ecole-maternelle-obligatoire-des-3-ans-d-accord-mais-avec-quels-profs  (Accessed: 4 April 2018).

Ministry of Education  (2014)  The Job of the School Director.  Available at: http://eduscol.education.fr/cid82065/le-metier-de-directeur-d-ecole.html  (Accessed: 5 April 2018).

Dictation – La dictée

Dictation is an exercise used in schools when teaching language. Brunfaut and Banerjee (2013) describe dictation as, “an exercise in which a selected passage is read aloud to students in carefully chosen chunks at a speed that is slow enough to allow them to copy it down”. Dictation is used as a way to test many aspects of language, such as spelling, punctuation and grammar, which is why the exercise is held in such high esteem in France, as Valette (1964, p431) explains that the student, “is examined on his knowledge of orthography and his understanding of grammatically agreements”, which is a difficult aspect of the French language to grasp.

Through my observations at this school, I have noticed that each teacher approaches dictée differently. Teachers of Cycle 3 approach the exercise in a more traditional way by reading out a passage for the children to listen to and copy, which they then discuss in part. Where as teachers of Cycle 2 tend to recite short phrases for the children to copy before they progress onto full texts. As well, each teacher reads out the text differently, some repeat small chunks as many times as necessary and others limit the amount of times a single phrase can be repeated. I think this highlights how important it is for a teacher to know the pupils in their class well, as they will have tailored their approach appropriately to suit their needs.

As the French language is such a prominent part of the French curriculum, teachers use dictation techniques quite regularly throughout the week. Due to falling standards in French children’s reading and writing skills, with studies showing that, “the CM1s are now significantly behind the average of the European Union countries,” (Pirls Survey) the French Education Minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, has proposed daily dictation nationwide, in an initiative called, “une dictée par jour” (Le Point, 2017). French newspaper, L’express (2018), reported that this initiative was just one of four circulars published by the Government, which Blanquer described as, “a national reference of text” providing recommendations to teachers.

References

Brunfaut, T. and Banerjee, J.  (2013)  ‘Dictation’ in Byram, M. and Hu, A. (ed.) Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning.  Available at: https://books.google.fr/books?id=XxZbhSsqnUQC&pg=PT470&dq=teaching+dictation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizptXA6LLaAhWMHsAKHdrQCj44ChDoAQg1MAM#v=onepage&q=teaching%20dictation&f=false  (Accessed: 15 April 2018).

L’express  (2018)  ‘Dictation, Mental Arithmetic, Reading: the recommendations of the National Education to teachers’, 26 April.  Available at: https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/dictee-calcul-mental-lecture-les-recommandations-de-l-education-nationale-aux-enseignants_2003741.html  (Accessed: 28 April 2018).

Le Point  (2017)  ‘A dictation a day: the Blanquer Formula to raise attainment levels’, 12 May.  Available at: http://www.lepoint.fr/societe/une-dictee-par-jour-la-formule-blanquer-pour-remonter-le-niveau-05-12-2017-2177440_23.php  (Accessed: 28 April 2018).

Valette, R.  (1964)  ‘The Use of the Dictée in the French Language Classroom’, The Modern Language Journal, 48(7), pp. 431-434.

Week 3

Tuesday

Today, I am back in the CM1/CM2 class. Since I have been in this class a few times, I am beginning to notice some of their routines. For example, they begin each day practicing their English by answering some basic questions about the date and the weather. This is similar practice to what I saw on placement in a Scottish school last year where the children did the same but in French. I think that warm up activities like these are beneficial for the children as they require the constant revision of basic content, keeping it fresh. I was told by the teacher that the high school wants these children to become more solid in their English writing skills, which is why the teacher gets them to write out their answers on their white boards so that they are practicing spelling and grammar. This is something I will keep in mind when organising lessons for the upper half of the school in the future.

So far in this school, I have not seen a lot of creative work, however, today I observed the children take part in a writing activity entitled, “jogging d’ecriture”. This was a five-minute opportunity for the children to write a story with no guidance regarding the content. The teacher told me that this activity had motivated many reluctant writers from when she first introduced it. She felt that the activity was a great source of enjoyment for the children as it was a time where they could be creative and free from any constraints. When I was on my first year placement, I came across many reluctant writers and I struggled to motivate them, which is why I liked this little activity in particular. Just as important as the writing was the opportunity to share the stories with the class. Sharing a piece of writing is a very big step for many children and the atmosphere created in the classroom was encouraging and filled with enjoyment and praise. This was such a nice activity to observe and one that I will keep in mind for future placements as it serves a great purpose in developing writing and presenting skills.

Wednesday

In light of recent events in France, I saw how current affairs can impact a school and the curriculum. Last Friday, “gunman hijacked a car near the southwestern town of Carcassonne and then shot at a group of four national police officers returning from a morning jog,” before he then, “stormed into a supermarket, opened fire and held employees and customers hostage for several hours” (McAuley, 2018). Today, the teacher spent some time at the start of the day speaking to the children about terrorism. She conducted this in the form of a question and answer session, where the children could ask her questions about either the attack or terrorism in general and she would attempt to answer their questions in a safe and secure environment. This was with the CM1/CM2 class and so it may not have been appropriate further down the school, but I felt it was important for the children to have the opportunity to ask these questions and talk about these very current issues impacting their country. Having an awareness of the world and the issues that affect it is just one of the steps towards these children becoming more active and civic members of their community and society. In a follow up to the session, the upper half of the school gathered in the playground before break for a poignant tribute to the victims of this attack by observing a minute of silence. This was something the children observed and respected well.

After break, I had the opportunity to teach my first English lesson. The teacher had informed me yesterday that she wanted me to teach the children about school in Scotland, including the uniform and the timetable of the school week. I, therefore, produced a PowerPoint presentation (see Appendix 1) that included these elements and also included some of the aspects of Scottish schools that were different to France. Accompanying the PowerPoint was a print out of a mock timetable with the school subjects in English (see Appendix 2) and the children had to fill in the blanks with the equivalent in French.

As this was my first time teaching, I was very nervous and felt as though I rushed though some of the content. Upon reflection, I should have taken more time to consolidate the key vocabulary in the PowerPoint, such as the clothing items of the school uniform, to ensure the children fully understood it. Also, my phrases about the school week were in English and so a lot of the children were struggling to understand. I did not realise this issue and tried to move on too quickly, which prompted the teacher to step in and guide the children in their understanding. This is something I should have been aware of and perhaps I should have learnt more French phrases in preparation for the lesson so that I could check for understanding, such as, “do you understand the first phrase?” or “what does this say in French?”

However, one thing the teacher did seem happy with was the timetable worksheet I had produced as she noted that the children could glue this in their jotter and use it for revision purposes. The worksheet directly corresponded to the timetable I had displayed of the whiteboard and so I could help them with the answers in an accessible way. Though one thing I would have perhaps done differently was ask the children to come up to the board and write the answers, as this is a common technique I have observed the some of the teachers using in the classroom. This, I think, would have made the lesson feel more interactive and may have helped to improve the attentiveness of the children, who were becoming quite restless.

Overall, I think the lesson was ok, I felt that I had good resources to support the children’s learning, however, I was nervous and so my delivery was a little rushed and could certainly be improved.

Thursday

 Today, I did the same lesson with the CE1/CE2 class at the beginning of the day. Before I could start, the teacher received a phone call and had to step out the classroom. The class began to get restless during this period and so I decided to do a small warm-up activity that I had seen them do before with their teacher to try and refocus them. I think this showed good initiative, as I was unsure of how long the teacher would be away and I felt the behaviour of the class needed managed. Doing a warm-up activity also relaxed me much more and consequently, I did not rush this lesson.

This time when I began with discussing the school uniform, I spent a lot longer explaining the vocabulary. During my time here, I have picked up a few key instructional phrases and so I asked the children these instructions in English first then repeated the phrase in French to ensure they had all understood. For example, when I wanted them to practice pronouncing the different articles of clothing in the school uniform, I said, “repeat after me” and then consolidated this by saying, “répéter après moi”. With the older children, the English will usually suffice, but, when I begin teaching in the early stages, short phrases like “régarder moi” and “écouter”, will be very useful for behaviour management.

Another aspect of the lesson I thought was an improvement from yesterday was that it was more interactive. Yesterday, the teacher had the children ask me what some of the subjects on the timetable were, but today, I asked the children the question, “What is…?” for each of the subjects and they answered in French. I then had different children come up and write the French under the English on the whiteboard. This was more interesting for the children and they seemed more engaged than the class before. I also enjoyed this lesson much more because the children were so engaged and willing to participate.

One thing that I would have changed, though, was that I didn’t have the worksheet resource ready for the children. This means that they do not have any concrete work from the session to put in their jotters and use for revision at a later date. This is not an example of good organisational skills, however, I had no prior knowledge of when I would be teaching this lesson. The lack of a structured plan for my day is something I am struggling with, as I do not know what to prepare for when. I am, therefore, learning that it is worth being over prepared and I have begun preparing a bank of English lessons ready to use when I am asked to teach.

Other than this, I felt that the lesson was a vast improvement on yesterday’s lesson as it flowed at a better pace and I took more of an authoritative role in the classroom by relying on the teacher much less. One piece of feedback I did receive was that the teacher would like a revision resource for the school uniform (see Appendix 3), which is something I will produce in preparation for tomorrow, when I teach this lesson again to CM2.

In the afternoon, we had a meeting with Nina to mark the middle of our placement. We all sat in her office for a casual talk about the progress of our placement and how life in France was going. As the four of us were in the same meeting, I had the chance to hear some of the things the others had been doing at their schools. Hearing about some of the challenges they had faced and how they had resolved them was interesting and helpful for me to hear. They have slightly more teaching experience than me and so the things that they shared about these experiences were valuable to me, personally.

I have also began to realise more the value and significance of my extended observational period as I have learnt so much about French schools and the curriculum in France, as well as observing excellent teaching practice which I can now emulate in my lessons. One thing, though, I do wish had improved more is my level of French, as I feel as though I am understanding a lot more when I listen but I am still lacking confidence in my speaking skills. I plan to make improving my French my main goal for the end of placement review with Nina in 3 weeks time.

Friday

 In the afternoon, I taught my lesson on School in Scotland to the CM2 class. Beforehand, I was able to print both resource sheets for the children and I was much more organised. However, when I begun to teach, I was faced with a technical issue with the PowerPoint because the pictures did not appear on the screen. As a result, I had to deviate from my original plan and improvise by using the worksheet I had produced, which had the pictures on it anyway, to explain the vocabulary. This was not what I had originally wanted, but I think it was an appropriate alternative given the circumstances and I feel as though I handled the issue well so that the lesson could continue.

I presented the lesson in a very similar way to yesterday, as I knew this technique would work well. I also incorporated the new worksheet into the lesson, as well as the timetable worksheet. As a result, the children could work on their timetable at the same pace as we were filling out the timetable on the board and so they were learning it as they wrote it. Now, they have a resource with all the school subjects in English and the correct corresponding word in French to use for revision purpose.

Though, one thing that was slightly different about this lesson was the timing, as they afternoon had provided a longer teaching slot than the others. Therefore, a lesson that had ran long enough on Wednesday and Thursday finished to early today. At that point, the teacher stepped in and asked the children to work in pairs quizzing each other on the new vocabulary they had learnt. This is something I could have thought of prior to the lesson so, in future, I should plan a few extra finishing activities in case the teaching slot is longer than I had anticipated.

Though, despite this, I feel as though the lesson went well. The class had been quite disruptive for their own teacher throughout the day but I managed to keep them engaged and used some the phrases I had been learning and practicing to keep their behaviour under control. I also took the opportunity to move around the classroom when the children were working in pairs to observe and assess their level of understanding. Next week, I hope to have the opportunity to revise this content with the classes I taught so that I can see how well they understood and can remember.

In summary, I have felt a lot happier at the end of this week of placement. I am becoming more familiarised with the children and the teachers, which is helping me to become more involved within the school and the class. My early opportunities to teach went well and I feel more confident about teaching in the future. It is great to teach the children about Scotland and some of the cultural differences between France and Scotland, as I am passionate about this and so I hope these opportunities continue.

References

McAuley, J.  (2018) ‘French police officer who swapped himself for gunman’s hostage dies’, The Washington Post, 24 March.  Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hostage-situation-in-southern-france-being-investigated-as-terror-attack/2018/03/23/64649f1e-2e93-11e8-8ad6-fbc50284fce8_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ce493ead79fd  (Accessed: 28 March 2018).

Appendices

Appendix 1 – School in Scotland

Appendix 2 – Scottish School Timetable

Appendix 3 –  The School Uniform

The French School System

Before going on placement, I took part in a lesson with a French Teacher on my first day in Orléans.  This was a taster session on the structure and characteristics of the French School System.  The session was given in French, so it was challenging to follow, however, I surprised myself on how much I was able to understand.  The information received on the French school system was very interesting and has been useful to know prior to my placement, as there are some differences between the system in France and in Scotland.

One of the key differences I learnt was that, in France, children are not obliged to start school until the age of 6, where as in Scotland, they begin school at the age of 5.  Another very apparent difference between France and Scotland is that French schools are described as “laique”, or secular in English.  A secular school system separates the church from the state, with the view that religion is a private affair and not for public life, therefore pupils do not express the customs of their religion and the classrooms do not have any religious symbols, such as a Bible or a Qur’an present.  This is to emphasise the French values of libertié, égalité and fraternitié, as the children view each other as the same and, therefore, equal.  As a result of this, French teachers do not teach Religious Education, unlike in Scotland, where Religious Education is compulsory.  Instead, French children learn about how to become valuable and civic members of society.  There are some schools is France where religion is part of the school, however, these schools are part of the private sector and so they are not free to attend.

The French school system is separated into four cycles, which encompass children from ages 3 to 18.  These four cycles span four different buildings, as children begin school at “maternelle” (nursery), move to “école élementaire/primarie” (primary school), then “collége” and “lycée” (high school).  By the time pupils reach their last year of “lycée”, they will have sat exams to receive, “le Baccalauréat”, a leaving certificate, which can be achieved in specific streams, such as, the sciences or literature.

“école élementaire/primarie” is the equivalent of the Scottish primary school and it is where pupils work through Cycle 2 and 3. Also included in Cycle 3 is “sixiéme année de collège”, known as first year of high school in Scotland, as the French Government wanted to ensure a successful transition between the two school by continuing on the skills and knowledge obtained in Primary School and encouraging Primary and Secondary teachers to work together to bridge this gap. This was something I thought as similar to the customs of Scottish Education, as Primary 7’s in Scotland often take part in transition days and special events at their cluster high school to prepare them for the transition.

Teacher employment is also very different in France than in Scotland.  I was informed that teaching is a very popular career and jobs are sparse.  Like Scotland, France is split up into different regions making up 13 regions on the mainland in total.  The region we are staying in is Centre – Val de Loire and so students who study to become teachers in this region will sit an exit  exam, called the “concours” to become teachers.  However, they are then not guaranteed a job in this region and may have to travel or move far away depending on the demand for teachers.  Therefore, teachers in France do not get to choose what school they want to work in, which is a definite downfall for prospective teachers who may have family commitments or location preferences.

Overall, I found the differences between the two systems fascinating, and there are definitely pros and cons for each.  When evaluating the French system, one aspect I particularly liked was the structure of four cycles used to split up the different stages of school.  The use of cycles groups several years together so that there is communication between these years, thus ensuring a steady level of progression within and between the cycles.  However, personally, a major con in France is that the education system is secular, as for me, a child’s religion is a part of their identity.  Children spend around 30 hours a week in school, a huge portion of their childhood and so to spend this amount of time suppressing a part of your identity is something I disagree with.

References

École supérieure du professorat et de l’éducation (2017)  Livret d’accueil 2017-2018.  [pdf].  Orléans: ESPE.

 

Why do we need Maths?

I always enjoyed Maths at school, from learning to count in P1 right up to sitting my advanced higher last year.  I always liked the continuity of maths, the knowing that those foundations of numbers that I had learnt all those years ago would still be relevant and essential when attempting the most complex of equations.  I also liked the practical nature of maths, that I could follow a formulaic structure multiple times and prove to myself I had grasped the concept, where in some subjects, this opportunity is not available.

Therefore, I have always struggled to understand why Maths is so stigmatised in our Society, why some children develop a fear of maths.  I think a lot of people believe that with maths, there is a right way and a wrong way, and that the fear of failure holds them back from even trying.  Certainly, there is a myth that you are either strong at literacy or numeracy, but never both.  This may be because people struggle to see the creative nature of Maths, but if their is no imagination or creativity, then how do we come up with ideas to solve Mathematical problems?

Not all questions are black and white, some may take an array of processes combined and some may require a new, innovative kind of process entirely.  Creative Problem Solving has become a key concept which can be easily incorporated into Mathematics to inspire more engaging discussion and activeness.  One of the surprising elements of learning Maths which was mentioned in the PowerPoint was Talking, though in a way it makes complete sense. Why wouldn’t children talk to their peers about their Maths; it’s an effective way to broaden their knowledge of techniques and also emphasises to them the many different approaches that can be taken to Maths.

In a way, approaching the way Maths is taught more discursively can simultaneously render a lot of the anxieties felt towards Maths redundant, anxieties like; having to be quick at working with numbers in your head or it not being acceptable to use your fingers for counting, as pupils will witness their friends practising these things in a safe and secure environment.  The ultimate aim of Primary School Maths is to eradicate the insecurities felt about Maths, with the main way of achieving this in the classroom coming down to the surrounding atmosphere in regards to Maths.  It’s essential then that Teachers attempt to push past an issues or grievances regarding Maths in the past and radiate a passion and confidence so that children have a positive attitude that they can ultimately emulate.

 

The Importance of Early Year Relationships

There has been multiple debate surrounding the importance of building up strong, nurturing relationships within the first four years of a child’s life.  Dr Suzanne Zeedyk discusses the flexibility of the human brain in the first four years of a child’s life and how it can be shaped as a consequence of relationships.  Once these relationships are formed and the subsequent pathways a child will follow as a result of these relationships, it is very difficult to adapt the behaviour that their brain has come to recognise as crucial for coping in challenging environments.

It’s important that as teaching professionals, we recognise that some children have spent the first few years of their lives in a rather stressful environment and have not had the opportunity to form and develop good relationships due to a variety of circumstances.  Therefore, a child’s first experience of a healthy relationship could be with me, as their teacher.  Associate professor in EC Education, Sheila Degotardi, explains how, “a focus on relationships places interactions with others at the very heart of the learning process, with the view that learning is socially and collaboratively constructed through mutually responsive interpersonal exchanges,” (Degotardi, p1).  Peer relationships can also be encouraged through a teacher’s style, whether that includes a focus on partner and group work, or the classroom seating arrangement; providing children with further opportunities to build up strong relationships from the beginning of their lives in a controlled and respectful environment.

The environment created within a classroom can impact how the brain fully develops; a stress-free and welcoming atmosphere can be created by the way in which a teacher decorates and organises the presentation of the room.  A teacher can also impact the mood of the classroom through their techniques and mannerisms.  Teacher who continually shouts, rarely rewards praise and puts unnecessary pressure in the early years are providing the grounds for early development of anxieties which have a long-lasting effects, such as worrying and constantly feeling threatened.

Dr Zeedyk speaks technically regarding the brain, explaining how brains that feel threatened metaphorically “drown” in a stress, causing young children, who’s brains have developed this way, to be physically incapable of calming themselves down.  Obviously, some children have a genetic affinity to stress but it’s becoming more apparent that relationships can have an equal impact on a child’s future behaviour.

John Carnochan equates the atmosphere that some young offenders grow up in as “war-like” as he expresses the need for consistency in a child’s life from the very beginning.  Teachers can easily provide a child with the stability and consistency they require by being there as a responsible adult each week.  Sometimes, through no fault of the parents, children do not receive a lot of attention and their time to build up a relationship is compromised.  Parents may believe they are doing the best for their child by working to support them but they may be unwittingly depriving their children of healthy relationships.  Often, the strong bond between parent and child is replaced by another significant adult, like a grandparent, but in some cases this role may be partaken by the teacher.  Equally, a teacher can provide support to many parents to aid them in the emotional development of their child, a concept they may not fully understand how to achieve but something teachers have studied and developed techniques to achieve.