Two's Company

Two’s Company

14th July, 2016

Alex talks about his first experience of team teaching at placement and some of its positive aspects

Coming up to this placement I had never been in a team teaching situation before and was feeling a little apprehensive about my first experience. However, I’m now two weeks in and I can say that team teaching, when done well, can be an absolute delight! I think it’s also of benefit to students too. In the school I’m at team teaching takes place in all year levels, except foundation and year 6. Grades are paired up into open plan learning pods which basically mesh two classes together. In my pod there are two main spaces; one is utilised for direct instruction and is where the projector is, the other is designed for working space and contains all the tables.

Students in the two classes do everything together, apart from specialist lessons such as PE and arts. It was a bit of a shock on my first day to watch a teacher leading a class of around 45 students, as I was accustomed to working with around 25 students. However, as my first week went on I noticed a few distinct positive aspects which work for both teachers and students.

Team teaching provides freedom. It only takes one teacher to lead the introduction or direct instruction part of a lesson – so when you team teach it provides a great opportunity for one teacher to be free to conference with students, organise other sessions and generally be available to observe what’s going on.

Two brains are better than one. This may seem like a corny cliché, but it truly helps out to have someone with you when you’re brainstorming ideas, planning, and implementing new concepts. A situation where two teachers have different ideas, but can work together, means a constant flurry of creative spark.

More support for everyone. In my view the most positive aspect of team teaching is the support network both the teachers and students have. There is always someone else there to help you through and another person the kids can turn to when they need assistance.

While I acknowledge that the basis of team teaching relies on you getting on with your partner, I must say that when it’s working well, it truly works. Team teaching is becoming more and more prevalent in our schools today and I hope it continues this way!

- Alex  

Visit to a Montessori School

Visit to a Montessori School

13th April, 2016

Alex talks about his recent visit to a local Montessori school and some practices that caught his eye

I first heard about Montessori Schools at University when our tutor briefly mentioned a few types of alternative education. Ever since then I have been interested in understanding how a Montessori classroom works, and while there was plenty of information, I heard mixed reviews from people about their experiences. I decided to investigate by contacting a local Montessori School and asking to observe a few different classrooms over the course of a day. They were happy to oblige and now I’m taking the chance to pass on my experience in a younger years classroom.

What is a Montessori School?

This is only a brief overview – for more information check out the Montessori Australia website

Montessori refers to the philosophy created by Italian physician and psychologist, Dr. Maria Montessori. She opened her first “school” in 1907 and applied a particular method and outlook to teaching children. Since then Montessori Schools have begun to spring up all over the world and have been agreed, by research, to have various elements that lead to positive social, emotional and academic results for children. The Montessori philosophy suggests that children transition through four planes of development from birth to adulthood, and each plane has a natural development that education should take advantage of. The second plane, childhood, is the one that takes place at primary school when children are 6 – 12 years old. A well known element of Montessori classrooms is the use of a prepared environment, where pre-made activities are available to be independently worked through at the child’s pace. One more element to note is that the classrooms are organised into cycles, not years – they are composite classes. I observed a cycle two classroom (years 1, 2 and 3) and a cycle three classroom (years 4, 5 and 6).

Cycle 2 (Years 1 – 3) Classroom

The overview of cycle two is a focus on independence, order, concentration and coordination. The classroom I visited was beautiful, with child-sized wooden furniture, desks, shelves and chairs, as well as various artefacts such as posters, flowers, and even a little kitchen. The activities are all based in the shelves and this is perhaps the first aspect that can confuse –the teacher described it to me as the curriculum being on the shelves. Students have access to different challenges and curriculum areas to work on independently. The prepared activities are all said to be self-correcting; if you’re doing something wrong it will become evident without the teacher needing to tell you. The classroom environment was truly wonderful and the students also seemed to have a sense of independence as they were able to direct their own learning, rather than relying on the teacher.

While it was fantastic to observe the students going about their own learning, it is also interesting to note that Montessori Schools have their own curriculum to lay over the top of the Victorian Curriculum. I was only around for an hour or so but there were a few things I would like to sum up:

• The classroom is beautiful and makes sense. Children are using the classroom so everything should be child sized. Classrooms are where we will spend the majority of our time, they should be beautiful places.
• Hard to tell it’s composite. All the students were completing the same activities, but the teacher varied their expectations depending on their age, meaning they could achieve at their own rate.
• Activities promote independence. Not only the activities but the Montessori teaching philosophy promotes independence – a powerful idea which I believe has many learning benefits.

I’m still making up my mind about Montessori Schools, but I think they are an extremely valid form of alternative education. In fact, I think there are a number of things the public system could learn about from Montessori. I’ll do another post soon to talk about the cycle 3 (years 4 – 6 ) classroom.

- Alex

The Very First Day...

The Very First Day...

 

2nd February, 2016

Nick discusses the very first days of school for both students and teachers

The very first day of school can be an exciting yet daunting prospect for both students and teachers. Among university colleagues I often find myself in discussions about how to go about setting up your learning space for the very first day of the new school year. What displays should I put up? What expectations should I set with my students? How do I go about planning for an entire year? How do I get to know all my students? My role as an integration aide in a primary school has provided me the unique opportunity to observe teachers preparing for the school year as well as the initial days of school. I will discuss some of the interesting ideas that I have witnessed that I think would be brilliant to put into future practice.

 

• Setting up the learning space – An arduous task, however a fun one as well. Many teachers put their own unique impression on the room and when you walk in you get a different vibe in every learning space. I have observed the importance of creating a space that reflects you as a person.

• Setting expectations – Personally this was something I was interested to observe. The important idea is that the expectations need to be created in conjunction with the students, not the teacher dictating what they want the students to do. This process also involved what expectations the students have of the teachers to ensure equality between student and teacher; expectations are then displayed within the learning space for all students to see and refer back to. It was interesting to note that during the initial days of school, teachers would often refer to the expectations during classroom discussion to ensure students were being immersed in them.

• Planning for the year – A challenging concept as there is often many extra curricular activities occurring within the school community. As a result the year is planned out by topics and then when the time approaches the topics are expanded to meet the requirements of the students at the time.

• Getting to know students – The answer to this question is quite simple; talk to them and play games in which they discuss aspects about themselves. A further way of doing this is through ‘choosing time’ where students can choose and activity they would like to undertake. Teachers can then observe who they play with, what activity they choose and how they interact with others to get to know the personalities of the students.

 

This is a broad overview of some of the types of things you will encounter in your first few weeks of teaching. It is also important to think about how your learning space will cater to the diverse needs of the students and ensure inclusion of each and every student in your rom. The biggest thing to remember is there is ALWAYS someone in the school you can ask for ideas or help and you are never on your own.

 - Nick
 

3 Ways to Encourage Participation of Students with ASD in the Classroom

Encouraging Participation of Students with ASD

12th January, 2015

Matt provides three practical tips on how to encourage students with ASD to participate in the classroom

In my last post, I began to unfold some of the basics that I have discovered for preparing a classroom for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), based on conversations I have had with integration aides and occupational therapists. Today I continue to explore the ways in which one can effectively teach a student with ASD, and today is about participation, both in set tasks and in classroom discussions. The strategies I will explain are by no means the only strategies; these are just a few that have come up in both my own practice and in discussions with professionals.

1. The NO HANDS UP Rule: When I first encountered this idea, it was in an article about new trends in education, and considering how entrenched our system seems to be in having students put their hands up I wasn’t surprised that I hadn’t heard of it before. Although this may have varying levels of success depending on the teacher, this strategy involves exactly what you think it does; removing ‘hands up’ responses in the classroom. We all know that the students who will regularly put up their hands in class are often those who already know the information; those who are unsure often will not respond for fear of embarrassment. This means that ‘hands up’ situations can be a source of anxiety for all students, and can be a particular issue for students with ASD. In classroom discussions, establishing the expectation that all students will respond (even if their response is ‘I’m not sure’) means that not only will you as a teacher gain a greater appreciation of the understanding of the class as a whole, but reduces anxiety when done in, for example, a circle. The student or students with ASD will know when it will be their turn to speak, and know that it is fine for them to be unsure, will reduce their anxiety at responding to classroom questions. It can even help any unsure students by showing them that others may be having issues as well.
2. Being Specific With Writing Activities: Often when asking students to complete writing activities, teachers will use open-ended prompts such as ‘What I did on the holidays’. This can be good for students in that it encourages students to write about something they know and enjoy, and through the fact that, in most cases, all students can write about something. However, such tasks can be a cause for anxiety in children with ASD due to their open-endedness; they often will not know where and how to start, and as such may not start at all. Although this may not always be appropriate for the whole class, making such writing prompts more specific and providing an opening sentence for all students to use can help to reduce anxiety as well as encourage participation in ASD students.
3. Integrating Computers into Classroom Activities: There is no shortage of talk, both in schools and university courses, about the benefits that technology can bring to a classroom. However, there are educational and participation benefits for students with ASD beyond that of those already established. Students with ASD tend to be predominantly visual learners; often they will not engage with verbal instruction alone. Computers present all information in the visual medium, and this medium can be tailored to suit the preferences of the individual, which will encourage their learning, increase their confidence and support participation. Furthermore, many educational programs can be attained that present problems in a structured fashion, with an identifiable start and finish and a set number of parts to complete; structure is important for students with ASD in all aspects of life, and such programs can be used to encourage independent work skills alongside the practice of other skills.

Thanks for checking this article out, and I hope that it has been useful to you. With our blog entering the New Year, I plan to continue writing about ASD, but also extend to other topics, the nature of which will, for now, remain a mystery. We will be releasing a new article every week for the next couple of months, so have a read. You might just learn something.

Signing off,
Matt

Who are these people?

Who are these people?

29th October, 2015

 Nick uses his personal work experience to discuss the role of an integration aide within the learning space and how future teachers can incorporate them into their teaching practice.

Including and incorporating all students within the learning space is of utmost importance. Within your class group there is a great likelihood of encountering a student with a special need; this will present many interesting and exciting challenges to you as the teacher. One of the greatest challenges that may be faced is how to include these students in every aspect of learning that takes place in the learning space.  In this situation you may be able to utilise the work of an education support staff member, specifically an integration aide.

The role of an integration aide varies from classroom to classroom depending on the needs of the student. As aides work alongside students with special needs it is important for them to be flexible in their approach to accommodate and ensure inclusion for each student. Some key roles of an integration aide are as follows:

• To ensure inclusion rather than isolation within the learning space.
• Collaborate with teachers to ensure delivery of educational programs to students with special needs.
• Be conscious of the classroom teacher’s expectations for the entire class group and support the teacher with carrying out these expectations.
• To be happy, friendly, warm, encouraging and supportive.

The idea of inclusion is something that is at the heart of my teaching philosophy and I am passionate about the notion of EVERY student feeling as though they are a part of the classroom environment. As an integration aide this means that when working with students in the learning space there is more to the role than assisting students in completing their ‘work’.  The idea of inclusion incorporates assisting students with social strategies as well as effective communication strategies. It may also mean providing students with assistance for mobility or other needs specific to that student to ensure they are able to actively engage within the learning space. These inclusion strategies may extend beyond the learning space into the playground.

How do I incorporate an integration aide into my classroom?

In my role as an integration aide I have been able to gain some insight into how teacher’s can best utilise an aide through collaborative practices. It is important to note that although your learning space may have students with special needs, an integration aide may not always be present, if at all.

Collaboration is vital within the school setting; whether it is between staff or with parents, it is the key to a successful learning environment. Teacher and integration aide collaboration is best achieved through effective and consistent communication to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for students. Allowing access to unit planners or weekly planners is a great way to ensure each party is working towards a common educational goal or outcome for the student. In particular, as a future teacher it is important to ensure these planners are specific to the learning goals of the child with special needs as well as being clear to anyone who reads them.  It is also important as the teacher to liaise with the aide during the session to ensure the student is on track. Alternatively, you can have a brief discussion post session to discuss how the student worked and what areas need to be improved on for the next session.

Overall it can be a great asset to have an education support member in your learning space. However, as discussed, it is vital that they be used effectively to ensure not only inclusion of the students, but to also assist them in achieving the best educational outcomes possible.

- Nick

5 Ways to Prepare Your Classroom for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

5 Ways to Prepare Your Classroom for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

20th October, 2015

Matt talks about creating a classroom space that caters to children with ASD and passes on some tips from an Occupational Therapist 

 

When I first set out to write about students with ASD and their unique position in the school environment, I originally planned to create a top-ten or top-five list of ways to engage with such students. Upon conducting some research, however, I found that this approach was at best short-sighted. Having recently assisted in the coordination of a social skills program for primary school students with ASD, I became aware of the variance in difficulties a teacher can face with ensuring that an environment is supportive for such students.

I find it important to mention that although the creation of classroom environments conducive to the learning of those with special needs has formed part of our teacher education, it is extremely vague. Not that it wasn’t useful; it taught us about the importance of doing so (though that is common sense). It was simply that it gave little attention to specific special needs. With ASD diagnoses becoming more common in the modern day, I personally feel that learning as much as we can about catering for diverse learning needs will prove useful in our future teaching careers.

Therefore, to do my best to comprehensively cover this topic, I have decided to write a series of articles, each of which will focus on tips and advice from a professional Occupational Therapist (OT) on how to integrate children with ASD safely into the school environment and thus best provide for their learning needs.

I decided to start from the beginning; how can one prepare their classroom to be (using classic university language) a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for children with ASD. These ways will refer to mostly physical aspects of the classroom; there will be more information at another time on classroom processes. To reiterate, this is not a top-five list; each of these is equally important.

1. Bags/Lockers: As most of us can recall from our schooling days, when students go to the ‘bag area’, whether to hang up their bags, retrieve their lunch or leave school for the day, it is loud and chaotic, with students arguing, pushing and generally causing a ruckus as they try to be the first to reach their luggage. One of the first facts people learn about children with ASD is that they can become distressed when exposed to uncomfortably loud noise, and many children with ASD also dislike being touched or crowded. To avoid this as best as possible, set aside a specific bag hook or locker at the end of a row, so that the student can access their belongings without being fully subjected to the chaos.
2. Quiet Area: If your student is starting to become overwhelmed, it is important that they have a place to retreat to, where they can begin to calm down. This can be a designated area of the classroom such as a reading corner or a quiet table, or a space just outside the classroom like the hallway, an office or similar. This will depend on the preferences and requirements of the student. It may also be useful to, in the classroom, seat your student near their quiet area so that they can access it quickly and easily if needed.
3. Schedules and Timetables: Predictability and routine are very important in an ASD-friendly classroom; sudden or unexpected change, as well as not knowing what is coming next or how long activities will take, is very distressing for most such students. Schedules and timetables should therefore be prominent in your classroom and presented in a variety of formats. To further alleviate student anxiety, students can be provided with a timer to support the student and allow them to keep track of the length of activities. According to my OT consultant, these schedules are absolutely ESSENTIAL no matter the age of your student.
4. Sensory tools or objects: Tools that engage the senses, particularly the tactile sense, are very useful for helping children with ASD to maintain focus on activities, process information and keep calm. These could include safely chewable items such as pen/pencil toppers and chewy necklaces, or toys known as ‘fidget toys’ which are often bendable. If you are worried that students will become distracted, I can assure you that I have seen these in use; although sometimes they can distract other children and make it appear that a student is not listening to you when in use, it does sharpen focus, as the children in my focus group were able to easily recall information given to them as they engaged with their sensory tools.
5. Seating Position in the Classroom: This aspect does not just involve their seat at a table; this also includes seating during time on the mat, assembly and school events. It is important to optimally position your student according to a number of factors; who they are sitting with, how close they are to distractions (such as the bookshelves or computers, depending on their interests), proximity to the teacher and to sensory distractions; these can include areas of greater/lesser light, louder noise or hanging objects. As aforementioned in discussion of quiet areas, some students will prefer to be close to a door so that they can leave if required.

Although it is not simple or easy to prepare a classroom to be safe and supportive for students with ASD, with adequate preparation many uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing situations can be avoided. I hope that you have found these classroom preparation tips useful. Check out next time, where I will discuss five ways to design classroom procedures and processes to be inclusive of children with ASD.

-Matt