Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Testing
I haven't used this blog for a couple of years as have been using MyPortfolio instead. I need to try out a couple of things re saving e.g. PicPlayPost to a blog. Am using a spare laptop as mine decided to not start a couple of days ago, so am getting rather frustrated with the technology.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Appraisal Goal: Professional relationships
Goal: To establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of all akonga (students)
One family (of the SN children I work with) in particular has been difficult to effectively and positively communicate with. I decided that I needed to really work on further building the relationship for effective collaboration for the good of the child (obviously!!)
I found a short reading which summarised why the parents are likely to feel misunderstood or not heard :
"Parents of children with special needs have many conflicting, often overwhelming feelings to deal with. Fear, frustration, isolation… Sometimes it can be impossible to put these emotions to one side and they bubble up, making relationships with other people fraught and difficult."
"Anger is the response to other negative feelings. It comes as a consequence of feeling intimidated, frustrated, disappointed, misunderstood or not heard."
("Emotional Parents" by Sheila Brill and Andrea Wershof)
Other readings have also given me an insight as to how families must feel, including
"Welcome to Holland" by Emily Perl Kinsley. This is an analogy to the experience of international travel, learning the language and customs of one country - and ending up at a completely different destinaion
Another very valuable article:
"The dance of Partnership: Why do my feet hurt? Strengthening the parent-professional partnership" Janice Fialka. again an analogy...as the title suggests, to dance.
I have also shared both of these with the teachers and teacher aides, and will with new staff working with the SN children.
"Welcome to Holland" by Emily Perl Kinsley. This is an analogy to the experience of international travel, learning the language and customs of one country - and ending up at a completely different destinaion
Another very valuable article:
"The dance of Partnership: Why do my feet hurt? Strengthening the parent-professional partnership" Janice Fialka. again an analogy...as the title suggests, to dance.
I have also shared both of these with the teachers and teacher aides, and will with new staff working with the SN children.
Family A:
During the year I have made a real effort to build up a relationship with the mum in particular, by catching her as she brings her child to school, always saying hello to and chatting to the younger preschool sibling, (as well as mum and child of course) and commenting on something the child has done recently. Luckily most times, it has gone well.
One time in particular though, when the mum came to pick the child up she had a concern (I can't remember now what it was!) and pretty much cornered me near the classroom door and relayed her issues. I was very aware that the children were about to exit the classroom foyer, and didn't want to be caught in the onslaught, so kept my back to the door to talk. There were a few other parents starting to gather and I was distinctly aware of them, and I couldn't really ask her to talk elsewhere as she would specifically have been wanting to collect the child from the classroom. Asking to talk at another time would not have been acceptable either. She started to discuss her concerns and one other parent actually moved closer to listen!!!!!!! I listened and rather than address issues (not appropriate in the place) I acknowledged her concerns and said that I would follow them up - then: 'saved by the bell!' I did follow up on the concerns at the time.
Having got to know the mum over the past 2 years, once things are 'off her chest' so to speak often the initial issues resolve (often with my follow up) or something else crops up that supercedes them.
I have found that the 'casual, friendly' approach has been successful most of the time. I think I have achieved (at least for the time being) my goal, as at the end of last term when discussing the input (or her percieved lack of input) from other professionals, she burst into tears. While that sounds very harsh, I felt that I had finally gained her trust enough for her to acknowledge her true and deep feelings about the situation to me.
When having formal meetings,I always ask the Sp Ed key worker to facilitate the meeting and this also ensures that any information from the MOE perspective is accurate. Having little experience myself in dealing with many of the issues, having an 'expert' involved always helps.
Sheila Brill and Andrea Wershof also suggest ways of dealing with meetings:
"Give the parent information about the meeting:
why it is being called
how long it will last
the aims of the meeting
who will be there
whether the child will be attending for some or all of the time
what will happen next."
So far I have found that even if the purpose of meetings etc are stated, the family usually come with other issues that might be bothering them. When I have tried to set up specific meetings to address such issues (and other issues as they arise) that time is not offered (by the family) to attend and often the issues either resolve themselves or other issues overtake them.
Family B:
Another family are variable in their communication with school, and with a family breakdown, it has got even worse. Before the latest family crisis, I often had difficulty making sense of what the family was relating to me about visits to the paediatrician etc. (I know now to ask for the family to give the Dr's permission to send reports etc to the school as well)
When some medication turned up at school with little written indication of when to dose etc, and my knowledge conflicting with the family's understanding I had to consult with other professionals. As a result I suggested next time when the family needed to go to a medical appointment that I was happy to go along to support them. They were very grateful. It meant that I heard first hand what the concerns were and how to deal with them, medication, next steps etc, and I could also ask questions (the family specifically requested this) I found that while they know their child's situation so well, there were some things that they just didn't know about, to even ask about. It was VERY helpful and I also attended 2 other appointments, as well as hosting some appointments at school to make it easier for the family (and me) to access them, rather than having to travel out of town.
Unfortunately, the present family crisis is impeding communication with the mum in particular not often coming in to school. She has recently confided in me about some upcoming events and situations, so it is now a 'wait and see'
Family C:
The relationship with this family (mum 99% of the time as dad works away from home a lot) is strong. Due to the medically fragile nature of the child's condition, she has been absent many times from school. To keep in touch I made home visits during the day. I always ring first (obviously!) but at least once woke mum (who survives on very little sleep due to the erratic sleep patterns and health needs of the child). When visiting I take an activity or resource to work with the child. Sometimes the child has been asleep when I have rung, and Mum has still invited me around - Mum appreciates the adult interactions and also has a chance to discuss how things are. She has also confided in me some of her personal issues...that have arisen as a result of things happeneing with her other children.
Family D:
The relationship with this family is very strong and open. The relationship with the Teacher Aide and the family is also strong with direct contact happening.
I do feel very privileged to be invited into other people's lives and homes, to be confided in, and to share in such intimate parts of their family lives. I need to be careful to keep a professional distance but at the same time keep the communication channels open. To be non judgemental, is a very important aspect, it is not for me to judge, but to support as much as possible in whatever is best for the children.
Sheila Brill
and
Sencos often feel anxious when meeting parents and carers.
Sheila Brill and
look at these encounters from the parents’ perspective
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Learning Stories
Reflection: (For my appraisal.)
Professional Knowledge in Practice; Criteria 11: Analyse and appropriately use assessment information, which has been gathered formally and informally.
Learning Stories:
I write learning stories for thr SN children as a record of their learning activities and achievements.These sometimes are based on learning experiences that show learning that are not necessarily planned for, and some that are planned. Most link back to the IEP's , sometimes directly based on goals, some as supplementary activities that had the added advantage of addressing some goals. Some are based on unexpected learning, and in retrospect, I should add some of these to the IEP's, using them more as working documents, rather than reference documents. As most of the children's learning can't be assessed using specific schedules such as running records, then other ways of recording the learning need to be accessed. I use a lot of photographs, and some portfolio samples are often a sreies of photos showing learning activities but are not analysed in depth. Some are of group activities, with some 'shared' information and some parts specific to the individual children. the formal recording uses the children's IEP's as a reference, which are written (at the moment) using the Key Competencies as the stucture. Goals and Learning Intentions are specified and then statements are made describing the learning activity and how it addresses the LI's and goals. 'Next Steps' have mostly been about the what we expect to see happen next. Recently I have also started to suggest some activities as ways of achieving the expected outcomes. These have helped to reduce the work involved, as I can give the Teacher Aides a copy of the Learning Story and they have the Learning Intentions, the pathway of activites/learning outcomes, and where to next. These will also hopefully help them to see the importance of the Evidence of Learning records and the types of active comments that need to be made, rather than just a list of activities undertaken. This also addresses one of my personal goals, which was to
Key Indicator: Actively contribute to the professional learning community.
Another key task in this area was for the
Professional Knowledge in Practice; Criteria 11: Analyse and appropriately use assessment information, which has been gathered formally and informally.
Learning Stories:
I write learning stories for thr SN children as a record of their learning activities and achievements.These sometimes are based on learning experiences that show learning that are not necessarily planned for, and some that are planned. Most link back to the IEP's , sometimes directly based on goals, some as supplementary activities that had the added advantage of addressing some goals. Some are based on unexpected learning, and in retrospect, I should add some of these to the IEP's, using them more as working documents, rather than reference documents. As most of the children's learning can't be assessed using specific schedules such as running records, then other ways of recording the learning need to be accessed. I use a lot of photographs, and some portfolio samples are often a sreies of photos showing learning activities but are not analysed in depth. Some are of group activities, with some 'shared' information and some parts specific to the individual children. the formal recording uses the children's IEP's as a reference, which are written (at the moment) using the Key Competencies as the stucture. Goals and Learning Intentions are specified and then statements are made describing the learning activity and how it addresses the LI's and goals. 'Next Steps' have mostly been about the what we expect to see happen next. Recently I have also started to suggest some activities as ways of achieving the expected outcomes. These have helped to reduce the work involved, as I can give the Teacher Aides a copy of the Learning Story and they have the Learning Intentions, the pathway of activites/learning outcomes, and where to next. These will also hopefully help them to see the importance of the Evidence of Learning records and the types of active comments that need to be made, rather than just a list of activities undertaken. This also addresses one of my personal goals, which was to
Show Leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning.
(Teacher Aides)Key Indicator: Actively contribute to the professional learning community.
Another key task in this area was for the
Teacher Aides to be able to record effective indicative comments in Evidence of Learning books.
I have worked with the Teacher Aides on an informal 1-1 basis as prime opportunities have presented themselves. Some TA's have needed very explicit instruction in this area and some have understood easily what sort of comments are needed to be a record of Evidence of Learning rather than just a note of the activity undertaken. I sometimes write the comment myself, when I have observed a TA working with the child, to model the type of explicit statements, and explain clearly why I am writing it using appropriate language etc and make suggestions for other types of comments. When I work with the children myself, I also write clear statements to provide further models of expectations.
To check my progress in this area, I will copy some pages rorm throughout the year and compare initial comments to later comments.
I do need to revisit this, and maybe work more formally with the TA's on this aspect. This however is much harder to manage in terms of needing release for the TA to be able to work with me, unless I take advantage of times when the child they work with are away (if I am available of course!)
I also use 'Rainbow Time' to model how to work with specific activities with the cildren, and especially the type of language to use. When I create activities to use specific resources, I always make a card for each piece of equipment, stating "I am learning to.." statements that usually cover a range of learning intentions (not all to be used at once, but so each piece of equipment can be used for multiple reasons and activities). Some Learning Intentions are so explicit that they almost explain how the equipment is to be used. I then either write a set of step by step instructions, including language to use (much like the old BSM programme), or for a Learning Intention, will suggest a variety of different types of equipment/resources that will expose the child to the same learning intentions in a multitude of activities. The equipment is then put into a plastic bag or container, along with the LI card.
Some TA's use these as intended. Some further develop the use of the equipment although this can lead to the Learning Intention to be lost. Sometimes this is fine, if the way things work out, usually some sort of learning takes place, but sometimes it can be frustrating. One or two TA's have not always used the cards (a few have completely disappeared!) and as such the learning has not continued as planned.
I talked about this with a colleague, who suggested that at least to try and keep the cards with the equipment, that I put a photo of it on the back of the LI card. Makes sense, and might help with keeping to the task intention. A "To Do"
I do find that the TA's don't always take the activities back to the classrooms to revisit them multiple times (which is what these children need) It is something I still need to work on
I also try to develop the use of resources/activites as further opportunities - particularly links to other areas of learning - arise. This is usually passed on to the TA's verbally, often as a result of us discussing needs etc, lots of collaboration, and team work.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Framework for Autism NZ Course
18/19 October
A very valuable 2 days.
Strategies of note:
Teaching the Toy: using e.g. lego figures to teach behaviours/social situations
Try activities with 'no talking' to help teach children to read faces/body language
Velcro spots: to use as countdown visuals - they don't need to be at say 1min intervals on a formal timer, can be adjusted to each situation, could use pegs instead
Ingrained behaviours/patterns; take away the steps that lead up to the pattern and change to a new pattern - you don't have to try and change just the step with the problem
Rehearsal: preparing for new situations, : e.g. have 'big kids desk' in room for turns at sitting to transition to a new class
Backward chaining: do first steps for child; they do the final step, continue reducing the number of steps you do, one at a time, until child can do all
Plan for success: analyse in detail (using framework) order of events, visual supports, triggers, calming strategies/distractions, exit strategy, afterwards
Use functional analysis of behaviour: settings, triggers, results, prevention
One idea that clicked for me was about using children's intersest (obsessions??) An example of using maps was given. That gave me an idea to address an issue with a child at school who doesn't have much spatial awareness, impacting on the classroom when he just barges through the room, not worrying about where anybody is etc. talking to his TA, she reminded me about how he loves mazes. So I have been working on a plan of his classroom so that he can use it as a 'maze' to plan his route to different places in the classroom, and/or use the "Teach the Toy" strategy, using the plan. We'll see how the practical application works.
A very valuable 2 days.
Strategies of note:
Teaching the Toy: using e.g. lego figures to teach behaviours/social situations
Try activities with 'no talking' to help teach children to read faces/body language
Velcro spots: to use as countdown visuals - they don't need to be at say 1min intervals on a formal timer, can be adjusted to each situation, could use pegs instead
Ingrained behaviours/patterns; take away the steps that lead up to the pattern and change to a new pattern - you don't have to try and change just the step with the problem
Rehearsal: preparing for new situations, : e.g. have 'big kids desk' in room for turns at sitting to transition to a new class
Backward chaining: do first steps for child; they do the final step, continue reducing the number of steps you do, one at a time, until child can do all
Plan for success: analyse in detail (using framework) order of events, visual supports, triggers, calming strategies/distractions, exit strategy, afterwards
Use functional analysis of behaviour: settings, triggers, results, prevention
One idea that clicked for me was about using children's intersest (obsessions??) An example of using maps was given. That gave me an idea to address an issue with a child at school who doesn't have much spatial awareness, impacting on the classroom when he just barges through the room, not worrying about where anybody is etc. talking to his TA, she reminded me about how he loves mazes. So I have been working on a plan of his classroom so that he can use it as a 'maze' to plan his route to different places in the classroom, and/or use the "Teach the Toy" strategy, using the plan. We'll see how the practical application works.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Sensory Fun with Autumn Leaves
In Autumn, we had heaps of sensory fun with leaves. We went out for a walk and collected some giant leaves (from a plane tree I think). They were quite leathery and are fabulous for writing on. each child took a couple of leaves home to share their day...one with their name and one with a couple of sentences about our walk. There were lots of varied coloured leaves to touch and look at while out walking.
The following week there were piles of leaves on the ground at school. We got the kids out of their wheel chairs and had so much fun. To start with we picked leaves up and dropped them down over them children like leaves falling from the trees. I also had found a song about falling leaves to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus" One Teacher Aide played the guitar while we sang the song as we played in the leaves. One wee girl eventually started to pick up leaves and lift them above her head dropping them over herself. This from a wee girl who usually has her hands in her mouth and rarely picks things up of choice far less deliberately using her arms and hands so purposefully. She has to wear splints on and off during the day to try and keep her from putting her hands in her mouth frequently (as the saliva has affected her skin and fingernails). She was wearing her splints while playing with the leaves...I think they helped her to get her arms up high, as they were well positioned.
We lay the children on the ground (it was a warm dry day) and covered the kids in leaves. Another girl has very little control over her body ... she was rolling from her back to her side in the leaves.
There was even an apparent deliberate initiation of interaction by one child towards another, the first seen.
We sent a copy of the song home with each child so that their families can sing it for them.
So that we can keep on having fun with the leaves, we collected a few bags of dry leaves, and have a big flat cardboard box that we can put them on and play with them.
The following week there were piles of leaves on the ground at school. We got the kids out of their wheel chairs and had so much fun. To start with we picked leaves up and dropped them down over them children like leaves falling from the trees. I also had found a song about falling leaves to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus" One Teacher Aide played the guitar while we sang the song as we played in the leaves. One wee girl eventually started to pick up leaves and lift them above her head dropping them over herself. This from a wee girl who usually has her hands in her mouth and rarely picks things up of choice far less deliberately using her arms and hands so purposefully. She has to wear splints on and off during the day to try and keep her from putting her hands in her mouth frequently (as the saliva has affected her skin and fingernails). She was wearing her splints while playing with the leaves...I think they helped her to get her arms up high, as they were well positioned.
We lay the children on the ground (it was a warm dry day) and covered the kids in leaves. Another girl has very little control over her body ... she was rolling from her back to her side in the leaves.
There was even an apparent deliberate initiation of interaction by one child towards another, the first seen.
We sent a copy of the song home with each child so that their families can sing it for them.
So that we can keep on having fun with the leaves, we collected a few bags of dry leaves, and have a big flat cardboard box that we can put them on and play with them.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Learning Stories and Resources
I have recently been writing up some Learning Stories for the Special Needs children I work with. Such little things for us are such major steps for them. I love celebrating their achievements...and of course all the hard work put in by the Teacher Aides that work with them.
Creating/Collating resources is fun...most of the time. Tomorrow I plan to hit the Op Shops for bits and pieces to make alphabet kits.(Idea from the Visual Resource Centre) I need to make sure that as many items as possible are realistic as pink cows for instance would not be recognisable. And Story packs...I have 3 bears...I just need Goldilocks now! (Idea from Awatapu College Special needs Unit) No doubt I will find other interesting bits and pieces that will give me more ideas as well.
I have also made a huge crackly pillow...full of plastic packaging (from biscuit packets)I'm sure the kids will love rolling on it and hearing the crackling sounds. The idea came from one I saw at Awatapu College Special Needs unit.
June: The crackly/sensory pillow is a hit with the children. They love rolling on it and feeling the bumpy bits as well as hearing the crackling of the plastic packaging. Lots of people are helping to keep up the supply of plastic, as it gets squashed quite quickly. I had some fabulous bright stripey fabric that makes it look great too.
Creating/Collating resources is fun...most of the time. Tomorrow I plan to hit the Op Shops for bits and pieces to make alphabet kits.(Idea from the Visual Resource Centre) I need to make sure that as many items as possible are realistic as pink cows for instance would not be recognisable. And Story packs...I have 3 bears...I just need Goldilocks now! (Idea from Awatapu College Special needs Unit) No doubt I will find other interesting bits and pieces that will give me more ideas as well.
I have also made a huge crackly pillow...full of plastic packaging (from biscuit packets)I'm sure the kids will love rolling on it and hearing the crackling sounds. The idea came from one I saw at Awatapu College Special Needs unit.
June: The crackly/sensory pillow is a hit with the children. They love rolling on it and feeling the bumpy bits as well as hearing the crackling of the plastic packaging. Lots of people are helping to keep up the supply of plastic, as it gets squashed quite quickly. I had some fabulous bright stripey fabric that makes it look great too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)