Aint Misbehavin

Hi

How helpful is Social Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)?

What do we say to colleagues that see this as just another bandwagon. Recently, developed by the liberal, new labour coilition. About to be swept away by the new government who have no time for it.

The alternative model seems to be that the child should be bent to the system and expectations of society and made to conform. Sanctions, targets, and contracts are required to make people conform.

This SEAL is at worst is just therapy, mollycoddling and even psycho-babble. At best it just dresses up the inevitable idea of sanction against those that will not meet common standards.

What do we say to those people?

THat all drives me nuts!
I find it hard responding to colleagues with those opinions. In fact, I pulled my son out of a school that just couldn't cater to his needs and others. They did well with the standard learners, but were unable to reach the alternative group of learners.
In primary perspective, A person (child) comes out of aan individual different mold. So why would that person(child) be expected to bend into a system and expectations that are contrary to what they need to succeed in meeting the standards.

Isn't our focus to be child centered on nurturing the child to reach their full potential by using any means possible. Catering to their ablilities and learning styles. We should be more concerned in the success of the child verses the production line of academic statistics and testing (performance) results that have nothing to do with the talents and creativity each child has to offer.
Play therapy can bring out the best in a child and help educators bring light on some issues to tackle the areas needing attention. This will enable the child to overcome hurdles they may be encountering to move forward on and possibley meeting their classmate at the standard or surpassing them. As a witness, I have seen happen.

Hi Ian,

I'm not sure you can say much really. I'd say you'd be best to stick around colleagues who have similar thoughts and beliefs. I have many thoughts about how tired some teachers are and how they can feel they are expected to solve all the 'worlds' problems. We could also wonder about how they might long for someone to think about their feelings. I have found people change when they feel safe enough to think about other ways of working and when they feel their work is valued.

What have you found out about getting change in a system? Paulette

Hello,
Pleased to meet you. I am a firm believer in Play therapy, and I have seen it produce positive results. I if I remember correctly, wasn't it Piaget who said that children learned best while in play. Play, through my experience teaching, brought about much interaction and broke though many walls for learning.
I know a child she is lovely. Child S' Mum had been struggling with her school. The teacher's are resistant to working with Child S because she has a special need that is not yet pinpointed. The Educational Psychologist recognised that Child S does better through more visual and tactile learning. (through creative teaching and play) At the teachers conference with Mum, the teacher's were asked if they did anything like that and the answer was no, nor were they interested because the other students were highly academic and performed well with thier approaches.
I was flabergausted. The Educational Psychologist noticed very little creativity and play materials. This behaviour form the teachers lasted for several years. first year, the treatment of the child was so bad that the Parents moved her out of the school, and still not much better. Because of this attitude toward child S, she has lost all confidence and her behaviour has declined. The parents have immediately moved her out of the punitive school and are looking to find help.
What can I help her with? I am fairly new to this country. Where is the emotional support for this Child? Where can the Parents go? Do they both need support? Hoping it is not too late what kind of intervention should they pursue?
Thanks.

Hi Jessi,

I think the parents need to ask other parents about good schools they know. There are so many creative and responsive schools about. They need to get a copy of the educational psychologists advice and show this to the school.

The GP is a good source of support too. They may need to ask the GP if he or she feels the child needs an assesment by the community paediatrician. This could tease out the causes of the child's difficuties.

How old is the child?

Paulette

Hello Paulette,

She is eight years old. The mum hasn't met many Parents who have children with special needs. Do you have some recommendations or a place resource center of some kind. with school listings? Would that all come from the community Pediatricain? Thank you for your help.
jes

Hi Jessi,

Most state schools should try really hard to help all children. I know this does not always work out. This child's parents need to look at schools and really get a feel about the place. They might go to visit schools and tell them the difficulties they have experienced and ask about how the school works to help all children.
The community paediatrian can help understand specific developmental difficulties such as autism and the spectrum difficulties and attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder. I am not sure they will know about schools in the area though. This is why I wondered about asking people in the area as this is generally a way to find out what is really going on.
   Paulette

Hello Paulette,

Sorry a question a little off your outline. But ...

A year 2 boy joined our school last September and he has since been diagnosed with Attachment Disorder. Although there has been great social improvement, as yet he has not formed a consistent bond with any individual child. Academically, there has been little improvement and to date he is unable/unwilling to work independently. We know little about his history but indications are that he was abandoned at birth and placed in a poorly run orphanage.

Research shows that a third of children with AD have learning difficulties. Have you experienced this? I have a sense that he has so much inside, often saying remarkable things, and we just need to find the key.

Thanks.

Laura

Hi Laura,

Sounds like everyone has done very helping this boy. He seems to have found a very kind and sensitive place to be. My understanding of brain science tells me that young children are developing their brain connections all the time and that the brain is very adaptible. However, early loss may have had an impact on this boy's capacity to understand many things and I'm not surprised if he does have some learning difficulties. I'd say schools work with this child is long term. So be kind to yourselves. The key will be in the relationships he is helped to make. These relationships which establish trust and security help children to begin to develop new brain pathways.

There are a number of very helpful books about this on the market- Sue Gerhart's 'why love matters' gives a readable background on brain science. Heather Geddes' book 'attachment in the classroom' is helpful and Louise Michelle Bomber has written 'inside I'm hurting'. Let me know how things go. Paulette

Hi Paulette,
I work in an SEBD school which opened in Sept. We've year 10 students and the aim of the school is to ensure that each student gets 5 GCSEs and are responsible for this action plan. Meanwhile, the behaviour of the pupils is challenging with high non-attendance rate and the disengagement of the students. The school has tried many behaviour strategies such as involving parents reward trips work related options etc. which have failed. Can you give advice on how we could get the best out of the pupils? Barbara

Hi Barbara,

Secondary is not really my area of expertise. I'm really primary trained. Do you have connections with other SEBD schools?
I'm wondering how they are working with these expectations?

Mary Rayner is the acting head teacher at the harbour school in Wilburnton in Cambridgeshire. This is an SEBD school for boys with some residential places. I'd recommend you getting in touch with her. She is very friendly and helpful.

Let me know how you get on.

Paulette

Look at the National startegies and NPSLBA

and especially

http://nationalstrategies.s[…]e37b41a2f6963781ea992af.pdf

Thanks for your encouraging words Paulette,

I continue to research and learn along with the AD student and involved teachers.

Regards.

Laura

Go for it Laura!

Paulette

I too have spent a very long time working SEBD students. I have my particular fond memories of three vary challenging characters who presented with very opposings aspects of their character - watering fragile saplings one minute and extracting maxium damage upon another human being the next. Play, play, play, curiosity, investigation, exploration - need I say more. I set up a Forest School learning establishment for SEBD youngsters where the environment had unlimited play potential. After the very manly year 10 and 11 had relocated very heavy logs to our designated area they were very happy to join the Reception class during their Pond Dipping session (it became quite competitive!). Instead, we insist they study a lower level GCSE English (what exactly does that qualify them for?)during which many become even more disaffected.

There's a lot of work to be done in exploring the possibility of play.

Dear Ruth, Welcome to the MA Inclusive Education programme and your first entry on the discussion board.
I agree so much with what you say. Students with behavioural issues and emotional needs often really enjoy practical, hands on activities. Written activities may present more of a challenge as they are put in a position of perhaps revealing their insecurities about possible learning difficulties. The curriculum needs to be balanced to provide suitably tailored literacy and numeracy activities with opportunities to excel in other areas such as sport,art, gardening etc.
Finding that balance in the mainstream is a huge challenge.
Ruth

From my experience, I do agree that SEBD pupils engage well in practical activities. However, I have found that no matter how hard you try for them to enrich the curriculum with practical activities, some of them still do not engage. In my school, we have introduced gardening with the aim that pupils achieve some form of accreditation. Initially they were enthused about the programme but as time went on, majority of them did not carry on and that affected harvesting of the crops. Barbara

I agree. I wouldn't want to teach any other way. Including play into the curriculum what ever method used; music, games, clay, wiki sticks,etc.. has given me good results with students reaching their targets, regardless of ability or behaviour.
from my experience I found incorporating play and drama into the classroom defuses much guardedness and sets the stage(if I could call that)for a safer learning environment. mainstream children equally gain much from the experience too. Anyway, as my focus will be on inclusive theatre, I will look into this. There is no reason why they shouldn't also enjoy the English if it is approached in a creative way. The theatre is one next to many more.

Hi Paulette,
Can I ask you your opinion on Nurture groups?

Are play thrapist that come in to work with children more popular than Nurture groups?

I work in an International school in Luxembourg and we are finding more and more children coming into school with SEBD, these children often have not had the early social / emotional experiences that they need before starting school. Currently we offer outside support from counsellors that will work with the child & the parents.
Unfortunately we do not have a great deal of outside agencies within the community at the present time to support these children. I would like use to eventually consider a Nurture group / play therapist for the school.

I look forward to your opinion on this matter.
Pam

Dear Pam, I have seen two Nurture groups set up in inner city schools recently and having very positive outcomes. The Specialist Teaching Team has set up the aims of the group and supported the interventions with three very skiled TAs delivering the programme / running th group. It takes place in the morning and then chldren gradually transfer back into their class rooms. There have been some difficulties around this transition.
I could put you in touch with someone at on of the schools if that would be helpful.
Ruth

Have a look in the Book Club for some suggested reading on managing behaviour challenges.
Please contribute your own favourites.
Ruth

Have a look in the book club for associated reading.
Ruth