Learning To Teach Students More Effectively

 Many years ago, when I began teaching, the students who had a unique approach to learning, who didn't fit the 'stereotype' and/or had challenging behaviours, were largely labelled as naughty, brats, 'feral', and other such labels. Their parents were seen as lacking good parenting skills and generally speaking, were regarded as part of the problem. Thirty or more years ago, ADD, ADHD, OCD, ODD, Autism Spectrum, etc., were not a regular part of the teacher's knowledge and vocabulary and quite frankly when children exhibited extraordinary behaviour, we tried different teaching strategies to help support our students, with little direction and support from mentors and school organisations.

There were students who broke my heart as I tried to find a way forward for them. I remember one young boy who had a challenging home life, begging me to allow him a special privilege even though he hadn't earned it. He said, "If you love me, you would let me do it," and I replied, "Because I love you, I can not." (Obviously there was more to it but for confidentiality and privacy, I choose not to say more.)

Over the years, we have become more aware of the many different learning needs of students and have learned different strategies for providing an optimum learning environment for them. We have many different PDs we can attend, books/papers to read, and people who are specialists in fields that we can access to obtain resources and practical help from. When I think back to that boy mentioned in the previous paragraph, I wish I could go back and use the knowledge and experience I have now, to support him better in his learning. He possibly had Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) and it was quite likely he was on the Autism spectrum with a comorbidity of ADHD.

When I was learning about educating children with special needs as part of my Masters, ODD scared me somewhat. How do we educate children who look you in the eye and lie without any remorse if they're found out to be lying? I watched an episode of "New Amsterdam" and the child psychiatrist was faced with an 11 year old girl who would hurt her brother and cause serious injuries and yet appeared charming. I called someone who is a psychologist and asked him if there was any hope for children diagnosed with ODD and he said there is in the early stages and if people were willing to take the time to work with the child.

A few years ago I was teaching a student who would get up close in my face and demand to use the bathroom or demand to be allowed to do something that was against the ethos of the school. He could be very charming but even his school friends would try to move away from him without him noticing. He would argue with the PE teacher and in the art room, he would throw scissors on the floor and argue that there was no room on the bench for them. We tried a lot of different strategies but none of them seemed to work for more than a day.

Being in a classroom, teaching 25 students, all of who have a wide range of learning needs, can be a daunting task. There will be days you feel like you're on top of it and many days when you just want to curl up under the blankets and wait until it all goes away. I want to encourage you to not only hang in there but also be proactive about dealing with a challenging class while also looking after your own wellbeing. You can make a difference; it might not be a fireworks-hooray moment, you might not get teacher-of-the-year award and in fact, it's likely that you might be the only one who notices the almost-imperceptible moment when a student finally gets it.

A well-known person who runs courses and provides practical resources in Autism, is Sue Larkey. If you have not heard of her, look her up, listen to one of her free podcasts and I can assure you, you will not be disappointed. Sometime last year, I listened to one of her podcasts on teaching students with pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and I also bought a book she recommended called "Collaborative Approaches to Learning For Pupils with PDA" by Ruth Fidler and Phil Christie.  The book describes what PDA is and how it impacts a child's learning, as well as giving practical strategies to implement in the classroom. I wondered if the students mentioned above had PDA.

Individuals with PDA share difficulties with other people on the autism spectrum but often seem to have a better social understanding which means their difficulties may be less obvious at first. "PDA is best understood as an anxiety-driven need to be in control and avoid other people's demands and expectations."  If you want to know more about it, you can check out this site: What is Pathological Demand Avoidance?

My purpose in writing this post is to encourage you to know your students and do your research, not because you have to fill out an IEP but in order to help you teach your class more effectively. When I was faced with those 2 students, I wasn't sure how to best support them in their learning as well as provide a safe learning environment for the other students in my class. When you know your students well, when you find strategies that work, it will help you and give you more confidence. It is important that you reach out for support from someone who can help you. Find them. Go to a PD and network with others. Find like-minded colleagues who you can collaborate with, share with, and who help you find solutions.

If this post resonates with you, feel free to contact me and if you need support, please reach out. 

Students and Their Phones

 My parents were one of the last of their friends to invest in a phone. I still recall a family friend coming over to tell us some news and complaining that if we had a phone, he wouldn't have had to drive around. Mum's response was she preferred people to drop in. When we finally got a phone, if you missed a call, you missed it and had no way of knowing who had tried calling you. If you were in the bathroom, or if you went out, you didn't answer the phone and there was no message bank.

As a teenager, I would hideaway in my parents' bedroom to make phone calls to boyfriends and school friends and hoped that that no one would notice. When we got a 2nd telephone, it was not uncommon for my siblings to listen in or for mum to pick up the phone and tell me to get off the phone as I'd already seen them at school, so what more did I need to say?

Fast forward 20 years or so and every person has a mobile phone or 2 handy, even children younger than 10 years old. As an adult, when I upgraded my mobile phone, my son would get my 'old' phone. Being more techno savvy than his mum, he played that to his advantage. One time I upgraded my phone when he suggested it was time. After the deal was done, the salesperson asked why I had upgraded when the older phone was better. My son just grinned.

On my first mobile phone, I loved the 'snake' game and enjoyed being able to send messages. Mobile phones back then were simply to make and receive calls and send messages. Obviously phones these days far outshine the first phones. These days phones have:

• better memory space
• calculator
• cameras
• Google 
• dictionaries
• apps for health
• access to face time 
• etc etc

I remember when my parents saved up to buy an encyclopaedia each week until they had received the whole set. We would pore over those books, using them to find information to our projects and trace over the pictures to copy on to posters. Nowadays, we keep phones handy so that if we have a query about anything, we can check on our phones. We can use it to see where our child is going, what our friends are eating, and look at photos that are shared over social media. We can read the news and listen to politicians and others spouting off their ideas.

A few years ago I was in a school that went into lock down as an alleged criminal was on the run about 5kms away, supposedly headed in our direction. Within moments of the lock-down, parents were calling the office wanting to know what was going on because they'd read it on Facebook. It was handy to have my mobile phone so that I could communicate with other staff about what was going on and reassure the students I had with me, that it was all good.

Students and their phones - to be or not to be, at school. If you make a list of pros and cons, I'd venture to guess each would be about the same length, however, if you weigh each pro and con against its value, there is evidence to prove students should not have mobile phones at school. Cyber bullying, cheating on tests, addiction, lack of social skills outweigh the positives and surely students should be able to have a phone-free zone?

Research has been conducted in Australian schools (and internationally) that confirm the banning of mobile phones has a positive impact on students and their academic performance. Students achieve higher results, there is decreased bullying in schools and students are more focused on completing their work without the distraction of mobile phones.

Interestingly enough, when news readers speak of this, their questions go along the line of, "This is great for schools, but how do they do it and how do I get my teenager to put down their phone?" 

When it was time to take my Year 5/6 class on a camp, I debated whether or not to let them bring devices &/or mobile phones. It was going to be a long train trip. It would be nice for parents to talk with their children while on camp but on the other hand, what would happen if a child lost their phone/device? How much time would they get to use their device with all the other things we had planned and how could we monitor it after 'lights out' to ensure they were getting enough sleep? My concession was that while devices and mobile phones were permitted, I'd prefer students didn't bring them. I also said that they were the sole responsibility of the student and we (staff) would not be looking after them.

Students and their phones will always be a part of our lives. So, as one article I read said, "These findings do not discount the possibility mobile phones and other technology could be a useful structured teaching tool. However, ignoring or misunderstanding the evidence could be harmful to students and lead to long term negative social consequences." (1.) 

Make it a conversation you have regularly with your colleagues and your students. Evaluate how it's going, with or without the ban and check in with your students with regards to their use of phones and their social emotional wellbeing. It's also a great topic for a 'persuasive' essay. 

1. https://theconversation.com/banning-mobile-phones-in-schools-can-improve-students-academic-performance-this-is-how-we-know-153792

Gossip in the Workplace

 Staffroom gossip is a serious problem in the workplace that nobody wants to admit to being a part of, nor does anyone want to be a victim of. The insidious nature of gossip causes: broken trust, broken relationships, hurt feelings, and an unhealthy workplace environment that inhibits creativity and productivity.

Definition: idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. 

Synonyms: hearsay, scandal, slander, chatter, meddling, defamation.

Definition of insidious: operating in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect.

It would be safe to say that there is nothing good about gossip and the person who likes to indulge, even in a "little bit of gossip", is part of its poison. I make no apology to the person reading this who might be thinking, "that's a bit harsh". If you are able to give me an account of someone who has benefited by gossip in a positive way without anyone getting hurt, then by all means, please let me know.

Why do we listen to gossip? I must admit it feels good when a colleague comes to me and in a conspiratorial whisper, asks, "Do you want to hear a little bit of gossip?" It sounds like they want to include me because they trust me and want me to be part of their group. My first reaction is to say "Yes" because I want to be popular and I want to be liked. One of the first schools I taught at, the principal used to say, "If someone it talking to you about someone else behind their back, you can be sure they're doing the same to you." 

Sometimes I might be listening to a colleague chat and then the conversation turns and I am listening to the faults and problems of another staff member. Gossip is not always clearly labelled especially if you trust the person who is speaking and believe them to be speaking honestly. I must admit though, that when I have listened to gossip, I don't feel good. It is discouraging and unhealthy and can often set up the demise of another person's reputation.

The Bible has very clear instructions on the words that come out of our mouths. I looked up Ephesians 4:29 in a number of versions and have included them here for you:

The Living Bible: Don’t use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing.

NIV: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

NLT: Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

If you have been a part of gossip and perhaps it's become a habit to join in with others, admit it and take action to remove yourself from gossiping. When someone invites you to join in with them, say "No" and challenge them to "Stop with the goss".  Simply put, step away from the gossip and/or the gossiper. Proverbs 20:19 says, "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much."

If you are friends with someone who gossips, or begins to gossip with you, call them out on it. Speak the truth to them and encourage them to choose words that build others up and benefits the listener. Having said that, clarify with your friend the purpose of the conversation - is it they need clarification/support in their relationship with the person they are talking about, or is it gossip?

Go to the colleague who has been gossiped about and stand with them. Support and encourage them, understanding they're more than likely feeling alone, betrayed and discouraged. I am not suggesting you go to them and tell them they're being gossiped about, simply go to them and ask them how they're going. Listen to them with genuine kindness.

If you are a victim of gossip, seek help from someone you trust. Depending on your school structure, go to someone in leadership, a chaplain, or HR. Gossip is a form of bullying and should not be tolerated in any school. While some may encourage you to "Don't let it get to you", or "Rise above their gossip", you and I know that's easier said than done. It should be dealt with and the gossipers should be reprimanded. Seek action.

How we speak to one another reflects the culture of our school. If we want to build a positive, supportive environment amongst our students, it begins with the staff. The students see how we treat each other and although they might not know how to articulate it, they often know which staff members are kind to their colleagues and which ones are not. 

So, let everything you say be good and helpful. Use your words to encourage those who hear them and bless others. 

School Camps

School camps - What's your opinion of them? Beneficial? For fun or for educational purposes? Length of stay? Age groups? Cost?

My first class camp I was in Year 6 and we went for a trip to Monbulk. I was on a top bunk and I remember talking with the other girls, long into the night. I vaguely remember it was cold but now it is all so long ago, the rest is not a blur - there is nothing else.

As a teacher, one of my favourite camps was a trip to Sovereign Hill, Ballarat. I remember rolling down the hill with my students and getting up very dizzy. Another colleague who had never rolled down a hill before, made it her mission to try it. She would begin rolling and when she felt she went crooked, she would readjust her body to make sure she was rolling straight down the  hill. The bus trip was long so on the way, another colleague and I made sure to sing lots of songs, camp songs, modern songs (that we changed the words to) and we sang loud and for most of the trip. Everyone joined in, although one of the staff members tried to sleep. On the way home, after a week away at camp, my friend/colleague and I were both so tired, we slept. I can never hear the Corr's song, "Leave me breathless" without thinking of that time when we sang, "Heave me breakfast". It was a lot of fun!

I've been to beaches, forests, the city and caves, camped in tents, old buildings with cracks in the walls, modern facilities and everything else in between. I've travelled on buses, trams, trains, canoes, and boats. I've climbed on ropes, trees and rocks, abseiled, rode horses and hiked.  I've seen the sun rise, sun set and been on camps where there was no sun, just grey clouds and rain and on one camp, there was even snow. Looking back, I can not remember any camps that weren't good. There were some moments that weren't great but overall, each camp had reasons for me to rate it as successful. 

What makes a camp successful? It's a good camp if I haven't lost anyone and no one has been seriously injured, if at all. If I managed to get any sleep, that means the students were quiet and possibly sleeping, so that's a bonus. Most camps I can remember the fun we had, the laughs, the late night snacks, the talks where a child shared their struggles, watching children encourage each other to do something challenging and toasting marshmallows on the camp fire.   

Each camp teaches valuable life lessons and I have been privileged to go on so many. Next week, I get to go on a camp to the city with my wonderful students and I am looking forward to it. I am not looking forward to getting up so very early in the morning to meet them all at the railway station but I know that it will be worth it. When I told my husband what time he had to drive me to the station, he laughed. He keeps asking, "What time do you have to go?" and every time I reply, he laughs. One time he managed to hold back the laughter but his eyes still laughed. If he dares to ask again, I will not reply.

Please feel free to share your stories of camps with your class in the comments below. I would love to read them!

Tip #4 Love Learning

 If you asked me to use one sentence that best describes my philosophy of education, I would say that my goal is to give my students a love for learning and give them the skills/tools to pursue those passions. For me, no matter what occupation you have, where you travel or how you want to spend your adult years, a love of learning will undergird all that you aim for. 

Undergird: to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around, to give fundamental support; provide with a sound or secure basis

When I think of a love of learning, I am reminded of a quote in Sister Act 2 when Sister Mary Clarence is talking to a girl who wants to be a singer. "If you wake up in the morning and you can't think of anything but singing, then you should be a singer, girl."

What if we applied that to us? "If you wake up in the morning and you can't think of anything but learning, then you should not only be a learner but teach others to be a learner too." 

Sounds corny now when I write it but my heart is still in it. If we want to teach our students to love learning, then we need to be passionate about learning. We need to have a curious mind and a willingness to grow in our knowledge. The moment we think, "I know it all now" is the moment we lose our love for learning.

Years ago I was walking in the woods in Washington State, USA and my partner showed me the marks that the woodpecker had made in the trees, he explained the tracks the snow had left as it had melted down the mountain and pushed away the growth and we watched salmon battling against the tide to get home. I saw a deer standing on the road and I approached quietly so I could take a photo. My partner looked at me and wondered that he took it all for granted having seen it so many times.

When I was doing my Masters, I loved the learning part of all the subjects. Some topics were more intense than others. When I was doing 'Child Abuse and Neglect' and reading real life cases, I had to get up and do something every hour or so, to take a break. When I was doing 'Individual Testing and Assessment', I called my friend Sharyn and asked how she could love data and stats so much. But overall, I loved researching and learning! It wasn't all new, some of it confirmed what I had already learned, but what a privilege it is to discover information that is relevant to your situation and gives you ideas and strategies for ensuring your students learn in the best possible way for them.

We all learn in different ways. As teachers we know there are different styles of learning, we have created individual learning plans for our students, we have considered their strengths and weaknesses and we have been educated in how different learning needs to be addressed in order for our students to achieve their learning goals. 

But what about you? What is your learning style? What are you actively learning at the moment? Are you learning to play an instrument or maybe learning about an area of history you are interested in? It is important for your own wellbeing that you are learning about something you're passionate about. While I write this, my guitar sits in the corner inviting me to come and revise what I started learning a few years ago and then to learn some more. Maybe tomorrow I'll pick it up and strum a few chords or at least, tune it....

For fun, I took a free Language Learning Style Quiz while writing this post. The last time I took a similar test was a few years ago but the results were still basically the same. My optimal learning situation is: 

• Good engagement of feelings and highly emotional situations.
• Practical end to the project – i.e. a certification or reward.
• Active learning methods that involve communication and presentation of ideas.
• Repetition of material and thorough examples.
• Physical materials available to study and engage with.

I certainly don't disagree with any of that. If you haven't done any learning style quizzes, have a go - just for fun. 

Tip #4 Love learning and make it a priority to learn about something you love.

A Million Ideas Are Keeping Me Awake

 I have an idea. Well, I often have an idea and it's a bit like the song "A Million Dreams" - just change dreams to ideas and world to 'class' and it's good to sing.

Cause every night I lie in bed

The brightest colours fill my head

A million dreams ideas are keeping me awake

I think of what the world my class could be

A vision of the one I see

When I have a million ideas keeping me awake, sometimes I reach for my phone and put it into notes so I can remember the next day. My problem is the execution of my ideas. I am not particularly arty/crafty despite wishing I was, so when I get a picture in my head, I have to communicate it to a colleague who is arty and fortunately for every school I've taught at, there's been a person or 2 who is/are able to take my ideas and make it happen.

When I first started teaching, there were no laptops, no Twinkl, Pinterest or Teach-Starter. Even computers were limited in memory and design apps. While a picture was downloading, you had time to use the bathroom, go for a walk, make yourself a sandwich and even call someone on the landline. When you came back the picture might still be downloading or it could be on the screen in all it's pixelated glory. Worksheets that were home-made were basic and I was so excited when I discovered Publisher and could use pretty borders and headings. I would spend hours trying to create interesting worksheets and posters but when I look back at those things now, I think they look so simple and amateurish.

Back in the days my husband was first teaching, (about 30+ years ago) he used a Gestetner all the time, for all of his classes. He would handwrite the instructions, and draw pictures that he had copied from Mad Magazines, then use the handle to churn worksheets through. Sounds like a lot of hard work to me! Even though he taught humanities, he was in the Maths teachers' staffroom and he said they all used the photocopiers but he found the Gestetner was easier to use for more creative stuff. He also used it to explain to his students what they needed to get an A or a B result. (Back then it wasn't a 'thing' nor was it called a rubric.) He felt that he was being more inclusive by using those instructions. 

My point for writing this blog is to remind you that these days you do not need to spend hours and hours re-inventing the wheel. There are so many (free or very cheap) resources online including posters, PowerPoints, page borders, rubrics and lesson plans. You can download topic worksheets and small portions of eBooks that cover the curriculum you are using. So, whenever possible, use them. Google (or Bing or other search engine) your idea, see if someone has already thought of it and if so, take advantage of it. When you can't execute the ideas in your head, find someone who can, or find a program that has done it for you.

Having said that, if you find that creating your ideas brings you joy, then do it. As much as I might not be able to draw, paint, sew competently, knit and so on, I love reading, writing and taking photos so I can incorporate that into some of my teaching methods. Do what you gives you joy and that sense of professional achievement as that will refill your bucket. Don't waste your time on things that drag you down and steal your joy of being in the classroom.

Gesetner

Tip #3 The Right To Disconnect

France was the first European country to introduce a law that gave workers the right to disconnect. That is, giving people permission to unplug from their workplaces after hours, including not being required to check work emails or respond to work related phone calls, after hours. While this is not a law in Australia, some companies have put in to place an Enterprise Business agreement that grants their workers the right to disconnect. The right to disconnect is not the same as quiet quitting.**

Many teachers I talk to say they can't switch off after hours. They have to plan, they have to respond to emails, they have to organise, sort, work and more. I admit there are times when it is necessary to work after hours but there needs to be a balance. Your health - physical, emotional, mental, relationships - is so much more important. 

During the lock-downs and restrictions in 2020 and 2021, people were forced to work from home if at all. I found myself working longer hours as I researched new methods of teaching and communicating the curriculum to students who were on a computer screen, rather than in the classroom. In some ways it was challenging and rewarding as I learned new things and looked for creative ways of teaching the same 'ol in an engaging way. At other times, it was also draining as I missed the social side of being with colleagues and with my students.

During lock-down, people grew accustomed to working from home and the benefits that it provided. Not having to endure peak-hour traffic, not having to get up too early and avoiding staffroom politics were some of the benefits that people acknowledged to me. 

What I wonder is; how long did it take for you to get back into the old habits once you were back on-site?

When I had been teaching for about seven years, a business manager looked at me and said, "If something was to happen to you, you would be replaced. No one is indispensable." He wasn't trying to be cruel, he was simply pointing out the truth. Yet we, in all our flurry of activity try to prove him wrong. We want to be indispensable so we work long hours, answer emails before they have time to get cold and tell our families, "It will quieten down soon... " 

Have you seen that look in your partner's/child's/parent's/best friend's eye when you say that? It saddens them to watch you succumb to another germ/virus going around the class because you're not getting enough rest for your immune system to strengthen. It breaks their heart as they see you pour all your energy into your work and then crash one the weekend when you could be enjoying an outing.

I am not trying to guilt-trip you at all!!! I am trying to remind you that you are important and to be the best you can be, as a person and as a teacher, you need to invest in yourself and your health. You need to live life. You need to be loved and supported by your family and friends. There might not be a law giving you the right to disconnect but it is a choice you can make. Give yourself the right to disconnect. 

Edited: It is not only your right to disconnect, it is your responsibility to disconnect. Your responsibility to yourself, your family and friends and to your workplace.

**Quiet quitting is when a person doesn't quit their job, they quit going above and beyond. It has implications, not only for the person involved, but also the business and those who they work alongside of. It can be construed as a form of passive-aggressive withdrawing.