Trust

"They seem to trust you with their problems but be careful you don't get too involved…" A teacher said to me after the string of learners coming to me with their problems. I assured them that I was aware of the safeguarding policy and that I always made it clear to learners that if the issue effected their safety, I had to refer them or let another teacher know. 

I was told by two teacher that I should distant myself from learners with major problems (safeguarding issues) because I might end up getting caught up in it. I think they said this to protect me and did not mean anything negative but I still felt a little uneasy with what they said. I was pleased that learners trusted me enough with their problems and I did not mind if they needed to talk to me privately about anything. I just made a mental note:

• Make it clear to the learner that you are not a professional - You are a teacher not a trained councillor 
• Know about what support the college offers learners with problems 
• Inform learners that if the issue effects their health and safety, I have a duty to refer them and let another member of staff know 
• Listen to what the learner says but do not put words in their mouth 
• Ask learners if anyone else knows about the issue and what support they are receiving 
• Ask other teacher if I can have access to the pro forma (Student records)
• Depending on the issue, inform tutor and head of department via email 

 

A Teacher Is...

So much more than just a teacher.

The day before I gave the student a blank art book: 'For when you cant articulate your feelings or emotions, write in this book... If you want, you can draw in it too. What you do with this book is up to you and who you show it too is entirely up to you but let it be a form of venting.'

 

Today, the same student came to me. After a rough night of being kicked out the house. The student looked exhausted and drained. I took the learner to their tutor who referred to 'Student Services'. I was told this was an ongoing problem.

 

Another student approached me yesterday: "I'm a father." I wasn't sure how to react but I was shocked. I let the learner know that this was a serious matter, which I was required to share with their tutor. I ran into a couple of problems, apparently this particular student has ADHD:

 

"ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It’s thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects the parts controlling attention, concentration and impulsivity.

This means a child’s behaviour can be anything from being ‘very dreamy’ (or unable to pay attention) through to being ‘always on the go’ (or hyperactive). A person with ADHD has difficulty filtering out all the information coming into his brain, so he’s easily distracted, tends to respond before he has considered things properly and doesn’t know when to stop."

Read more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/adhd/whatisadhd.htm#ixzz2nAy8jsyK

 

Although this was an issue, I tried to put my assumptions to the side. I have come into terms with the fact that learners are all diverse and with them comes various stories, background and experiences. For this reason it is important that I am aware of my boundaries as a trainee teacher: “The setting of professional and personal boundaries… is an important aspect of professionalism… a boundary is a limit on the extent of involvement.” (Francis and Gould: 2009: 12) As a teacher, I may encounter learners with varying degrees of needs such as disabilities, crime, refugees, health or housing issues. In these circumstances, it is important that I remain professional and objective and review points of referral to meet the learner’s needs.

Having said this, it dawned upon me that I am not very aware of all the help the college might offer for students these kinds of circumstances. In my previous college learners were given a diary which contained a long list of internal and external bodies that can support students by offering them information and advice. Any students in need of emotional support can be referred to the college’s counselling service or directed by them or myself to external bodies like the Samaritans (08457 909 090). There was also student finance (0845 302 1444), the National Drug Helpline (0800 776 600), career advice and a Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult team (020 7697 171) within the college.

 

I don't think the college I am in now has that much support but that could also be down to funding. Having been confided in by a couple of learners and in order to maintain good teaching practice, I will be going to 'Student Services' to speak to one of the staff about dealing with learners in difficult circumstances.



Learning Difficulties

To begin, I think it is important that I mention that I have a learning difficulty. I have found that a common misconception around people with learning difficulties is that we are all the same. 

When I tell people I am dyslexic, they are usually shocked because I apparently 'don't look it' or 'come across as having' a learning difficulty. I think this is because: 

• People are unaware of the different levels of learning difficulties
• Once a learner understands the way in which they learn and process information, the learning difficulty is no longer a difficulty 
• Learners are diverse and therefore must be recognised as individuals, which will ultimately affect the way they learn and how we support them.  For example some learners process information more easily through the use of coloured paper handouts whilst others do not. 

I think the best way to approach the situation as a teacher is to look at the ways in which that particular learner processes information and learns. Learners with learning difficulties need to be considered when planning and delivering inclusive learning and teaching. There are several ways I could support students with learning difficulties:

Differentiation

According to Gravells, differentiation is about: “using a range of different approaches and resources to meet the needs of individuals and groups.” (2012: 73) Using differentiation, I can select resources to meet the needs of my learners. Designing resources according to their ability and experience can do this. For example, students with learning difficulties tend to find it difficult to structure essays, I would create a worksheet showing how to construct an essay body or a list of alternative phrases and sentences. These worksheets can also be given to other students who may also benefit from them.

Resources

The resources I use can dictate the effectiveness of my teaching and learning strategies. According to Reece and Walker: “Increase understanding, reinforce key facts, create deeper learning, motivate… and simplify ideas.” (2006 cited Wilson: 2008: 73)  Resources are also important in meeting the needs of my learners and can add variety, which appeals to different learning styles. (Scales: 2008) 

In order to adapt and use a range of resources to meet my learners’ needs, I need to ensure that they are both accessible and inclusive. For example PowerPoint presentations can: incorporate other learning styles (still images, animations, video clips and sound/music), clearly present key points, be printed out as handouts and accessed online. I can also prepare clear handouts with images including one with media terminology and their definitions, create responsibility for their own learning, initiate peer support and communicate clearly without using slang or jargon. (Wilson: 2008) 

Assessment 

Just as resources and learning and teaching strategies are differentiated to meet the needs of all learners; there should also be variety of assessment methods available. To ensure my lessons are effective, I have to identify my learners’ needs, which can be done through an initial assessment. This will find out whether learners require additional support with literacy, numeracy, language or other disabilities. Carrying out assessments at an early stage can also help in identifying learners’ current level of knowledge (Wilson: 2008). Learning styles can also be assessed in order to understand my students’ preferred way of learning. Formative assessments are designed to check learners’ progression through informal methods such as quizzes, discussions or short tasks. If I use my own, I needs to take into account equality, diversity and treat each student as an individual. 

Records

Assessment records must be kept in order to monitor learners’ progression as well as evidence of the teacher’s observation of the learners’ performance. This can be done through initial or diagnostic assessments such ILP, which is also apart of self-assessment. Other records include tracking grades, progression reports, tutorial reviews and feedback. I have created my own form of record keeping for my learners so I can track their progression. I will also create a poster for the photography unit I will be teaching, so learners are aware of their progression with individual pieces of work. 

These records can also be used to assist teaching performance in delivering the subject and future lesson planning. (Wilson: 2008) For students who may not be performing well, teaching and learning strategies can be reassessed to check if they are meeting learners’ needs. In other cases assessment records can also be used to pin point any learning difficulties that a student may have such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. Once pint pointed the learner can be referred to a specialist and given special assessment requirements.

Task 2: Reflective Log Directed Entry 3 – Applying learning theory to teaching practice

For the purpose of this short assignment and as a result on reflecting on my own teaching, I will only be discussing the application of humanistic and behaviourist theory. I have come to the conclusion that keeping a balance plays a significant role in my teaching practice. One of my biggest worries when teaching is the balance between student and teacher relationship. I want to make sure I do not overstep the boundaries but I want to have good rapport with my learners and maintain professionalism. For this reason I have decided to adopt a mixture of the behaviouristic and humanistic approach.

Behaviouristic psychology:

> A person’s environment determines their behaviour hence we learn our behaviour from our environment or conditioning
> Humans are born as ‘blank slates’ and are moulded by their environment
> Humans and animals have similar ways of learning
> Behaviour can be reduced to a simple stimulus response

Humanism rejected the assumption of the behaviourist perspective which, focused on reinforcement of stimulus-response behaviour and heavily dependent on animal research.

The humanistic approach studies:
> Concentrates on individuals to find out, in depth, the ways in which people think or feel.
> Holism: The study of the whole person.
> Uniqueness of each individual: Humanism believes that an individual’s behaviour is connected to his or her inner feelings and self-concept.

Although the two approaches oppose each other, I think using both will ensure a balance within the classroom and my teaching practice. Within my placement I use a mixture to also help with the way I manage my class. I use ‘accommodation cards’ (similar to a voucher. Students accumulate these and get rewards) to reward good behaviour. This reward system motivates learners, creates healthy competition amongst them and helps discipline the class. The humanistic approach is very useful in understanding students’ needs and external factors that may affect their learning. One of the responsibilities of a teacher is to attempt to break down any boundaries that may hinder a students learning, however, there will be instances that we can not be helped and in these cases we will need to refer the learner. I have use the humanistic approach to help me deal with certain situations that requires an emotive response. An example of this is when a student approached me with a serious safeguarding issue. I asked the student if they wanted to talk about but was told by the student that they were unable to articulate their emotions. I decided to approach the matter by suggesting to the student that they can write about their feelings and thoughts instead and what they decide to do with the writing is entirely up to them. The student responded well to this and was able to communicate better.

Creative Arts

At my placement, I am fortunate enough to be a part of the creative arts team, which is a tight group of teachers who constantly discuss and share advice, ideas on lesson planning and difficulties with learners. They are like a small family.

Even though I have one mentor, it sometimes feels like I have a couple. I get a lot of advice and support from most, if not all, the teachers that work within that department. This has helped my confidence and has allowed me to explore other methods and strategies of teaching.

I often like to listen to their conversations because I learn so much from them. I learn a lot about the institution, teaching as a vocation and the diversity of learners. From their experience I understand further that teaching is something that is very much underestimated within our society and that parents rely on us to help their children. 

Music

Even though I am training to be a media teacher, I have been supporting music/radio lessons. Today I was asked to support some learners on the BTEC Music course. As it was my first time with this class, I went in with no assumptions and tried to get stuck in but found that the learners did to respond to me like my other classes did. By the end of the class I was a little confused but intrigued by the learners.

They were so diverse and I am not just talking about learning styles. The dynamics of the class and personalities are like no class I have ever been to…

The class has: 3 girls, 1 Asian guy, 1 Turkish guy and about 9 black guys.

I know I will get judged for highlighting their ethnicity, race and gender but I found that this is a crucial part of teaching. It helps us understand learners’ needs and gives us background knowledge of the area/community and college. I was told at the end of the class about the following students: 

> 1 learner has problems outside of college, which has affected their attendance and home life.

> 2 learners have learning difficulties, which means they have to be spoken to very slowly. Instructions have to be repeated because they often forget what is said to them by the time the sentence is finished. A light bulb flickered in my head when I was told this… No wonder they looked at me cluelessly! I  was explaining how they can structure their assignment so its easier to write and they looked at me like I was speaking another language and then turned to their screens like I had frightened them. They assured me they knew what they were doing but I felt like they wanted to get rid of me. Noticing this, I decided to leave them to get along with their work then check up on them a little later. 

> Most if not all learners have very poor attendance

> 1 learner has a personality that can only be described as “out of the box”. For the lack of a better word and to avoid sounding judgemental, I will attempt to describe it further. This learner is by far the most intriguing student I have ever met in my life. The learner: 

a)     Has a completely blank facial expression, which means no one can identity their emotions

b)     Has a lot of confidence

c)      Has possible learning difficulties 

d)     Does not communicate with other learners in a conventional manner

This is a very small selection of things I have highlighted. There are more but to avoid sounding judgemental, I think it is better I keep them to myself.

I decided to carry on attending this class because I think I can learn a lot about the diverse ways I can meet learners’ needs. This will open my eyes to students who need support in specific areas of their learning and will improve my communication. This will also help with my reflecting from the students’ lens. (Brookfield: 1995)

Critical Incident: Mixed theories

The teacher arrived to the lesson and asked me to give learners who arrived to the class before he did accommodation cards. A learner shouted to the teacher: "I beat you to the class…" and the teacher replied "Good, [My name] will give you an accommodation card. Keep it up!" This suggested to me that this method was used to motivate learners to arrive early to class. I identified this method as a behaviouristic approach.

Later on the class was getting loud and distracted, the teacher addressed this by highlighting whoever completed a certain amount of work will be rewarded with another accommodation card. This pushed extrinsically motivated learners. The teacher also used his knowledge of the class dynamics (rewarding learners in front of their peers) to motivate others.

The teacher noticed one of the students not working so he sat next to the learner and asked if she needed help. The learner started moaning saying she couldn't do the work. The teacher replied with questioning her on the task brief:
Teacher: Whats wrong?
Learner: I cant do this
Teacher: What does it say in the outline
[Learner explains]
Teacher: exactly, well done
Learner: Is that all I need to do?
Teacher: Yes and I'm expecting big things from you!

I liked the fact that the teacher was able to get down to the learners level and encourage and motivate her. I also like that he used questioning to check the learners understanding of the task and allowed her to identify the instructions herself before he explained anything. The approach used here is humanistic.

When the lesson was over, I spoke to students about the accommodation cards and they shared with me that they liked this teacher because he acknowledged their good behaviour and rewarded them regularly, which made them want to do well. They added that he was 'safe' (slang for a cool/good person), which suggested that the teacher had good rapport with them.