Mobilise Choice Promoting Social Inclusion for Pupils with

Mobilise Choice Promoting Social Inclusion for Pupils (with SEND) PLC 2 November 2017

Professional Standards… • Know how to make effective personalised provision for those they teach, • including those for whom English is an additional language or who have • special educational needs or disabilities, and how to take practical account • of diversity and promote equality and inclusion in their teaching. • (Professional Standards for Teachers) • The primary role of the teaching assistant should be to work with teachers to raise the learning and attainment of pupils while also promoting their independence, self esteem and social inclusion. • (Professional Standards for Teaching Assistants)

What is Social Inclusion? Discuss what is meant by ‘social inclusion’ How would you recognise that it is happening (or not) in your classroom? What is the role of the teacher and TA in promoting social inclusion? How do you encourage pupils to promote social inclusion in the classroom and on the playground?

Appreciative Inquiry is a positive approach to change – identifying what is already working well and using these experiences to influence others. The assumption of appreciative inquiry is that there already lots of good things going on but because they are ad hoc, they have little influence. Appreciative inquiry brings out all the positive experiences, into the open in the form of stories so that they can be shared and have a positive influence elsewhere. DISCOVERY – begin by looking for what is working. You appreciate the best of your experience. The discovery is based on interviews and stories designed to discover strengths. DREAM – create statements that describe ideal possibilities, no holds barred. DESIGN – begin turning the dream into reality; co-construct what should be the ideal, establishing principles and priorities. DESTINY – take sustained action to innovate in order to create what will be.

How could TAs support pupils with ADHD in the classroom? ADHD: Seating the distracted pupil away from obvious distractions, such as doors and windows, where things may catch their eye Creating the least distracting work area possible and giving them time to prepare this area for work Giving instructions clearly and repeating them, as well as keeping instructions visible so that any not remembered can be easily looked up (e. g. on a whiteboard/worksheet/i. Pad) Breaking down longer projects into small chunks with goals (and rewards) at each stage (Taken from ‘Neuroscience for Teachers’ Churches, Dommett & Devonshire) What else could TAs do at different parts of the lesson?

How could TAs support pupils with ASD in the classroom? ASD: Create a distraction-free learning environment Reducing social demands when learning Giving advance notice of changes whenever possible Preparing for a new activity or situation in advance so the child has an understanding of what to expect Having consistent and explicit classroom rules Get the child’s attention before giving instructions Using simpler language with visual prompts Providing time for children to process information Using activities, demonstrations and images Where there is difficulty answering a question or explaining needs, asking more closed questions than open questions Spending time helping children to develop an understanding of the concepts of private and public Teaching a new topic from the concrete (what the child already knows) to the abstract (what you are asking the child to imagine) Relating content to the child’s personal experience (Taken from ‘Neuroscience for Teachers’ Churches, Dommett & Devonshire) What else could TAs do at different parts of the lesson?

How could TAs support pupils with Dyslexia in the classroom? DYSLEXIA: Combining phonological awareness and phonics instruction Use cursive fonts Print on ‘buff’ paper Provide visual prompts Scribe notes/instructions Take photos to support recall of events What else could TAs do at different parts of the lesson?

Problem Solving, Team Building (PD 2) ‘PSTB creates breakthrough progress on an intractable problem by harnessing the team’s power. It is an antidote to unstructured, timeconsuming meetings that discuss problems but seldom agree a way forward. It provides a structured approach to problem solving and the ‘problem owner’ walks away with an action plan. ’ (Little Book of Managing Change)

PSTB model

PSTB model – How does it run? The team works with the ‘problem owner’, helped by a facilitator, to create lists on a flipchart following the steps described below: • Problem statement: a simple ‘How do I. . ? ’ question • Idea generation: a rapid brainstorm for everyone • Idea selection: the problem owner picks the two to three most promising ideas • Benefits and concerns: assess each of the selected ideas • Critical concerns: may eliminate an idea if it cannot be overcome • Action plans: provide a blueprint for addressing the problem.