Today during our PLD, Heidi from IOSIS shared some information on what the signs and indicators of abuse are. We dissected the signs or patterns for different abuses. The signs may include physical signs, behavioural concerns, developmental delays, changes or signs, the child talking about things that may indicate abuse and the family environment.
Our job as teachers are predominantly to report to management of we are concerned about a child. We are the eye and ears on the ground. We could rather flag something and it turns out to be nothing, than keeping quiet. Our first priority is the children's wellbeing and safety.
The part that stood out for me was the guidelines for response. There are some basic things you say when a child discloses to you. Believe what they say, say I am glad they told me, say I'm sorry it happened, let them know it's not their fault and let them know I will help.
Never ask questions, don't say it will be okay, don't make any promises and keep a poker face.
Take note: If a child refuses to chat out of fear that you will tell somebody, you know something is wrong and should flag it with management.
The second part of our day we looked at Seesaw which I feel pretty confident about. Looking forward to trying it out in the senior classes.
So what:
It was good to get a better understanding of the SWISS processes and the role and responsibilities. And it was good to hear that there are people working behind the scenes helping students in need.
I have a better understanding of the signs of abuse/neglect and will make notes if I am concerned about a child, keeping track of specific incidents and dates it happened.
Thursday 30 January 2020
Wednesday 29 January 2020
PB4L PLD
Today we had the privilege of catching up with Karen. We focussed on the 3 'R's" of PB4L. Ratio, Routine and Relationships.
Relationships:
It is crucial that we take the time to build relationships at the start of the year. Steer away from questions that might be simple to us as teachers but might be really hard for students e.g. how many brothers and sisters do you have. When doing an "all about me" activity, focus on questions about school and what their goals might be. Look at the 2/10 Strategy of the PB4L booklet (page 20). Connect with focus students for 2min daily for 10 consecutive working days.
Routine:
In routine there is safety. Ensure a clear easy routine to eliminate anxiety. Think of little things that you want to instil in your class and feed it in without students realising it e.g. I really liked how you walked in with whispering feet. Do you all know what whispering feet are? What it looks like?
Ratio:
For every 1 incorrect behaviour, there should be 4 corrective behaviours. Concentrate on this as it is really powerful. Do not shout or yell, there is no value in it. Smile and boost the positives. If a new skill that is taught work on a ratio of 1:7. It can taper off as it gets generalised. Always remember to have an element of fun in your teaching.
So what does this mean for me?
- I am going to sit down with Shalen and we will decide what our expectations for our class will be to ensure we are on the same page.
- Start working on our class matrix from day 1.
- Ensure our matrixes are visible in the class at the applicable spaces.
- Ensure my ratio is high when I introduce new skills. Referring back to them as much as I can.
- Use the right language as set out in our Matrix which was decided by our students.
- I will make the time throughout each school day to connect with my students and build a strong relationship.
- Something I am not very good at but has done before is to phone home with positives. I am good at chatting about it when I speak face to face to the parents, but there are students being left out as I never see their parents. I really do want to try and improve on this.
Here we go 2020!
Relationships:
It is crucial that we take the time to build relationships at the start of the year. Steer away from questions that might be simple to us as teachers but might be really hard for students e.g. how many brothers and sisters do you have. When doing an "all about me" activity, focus on questions about school and what their goals might be. Look at the 2/10 Strategy of the PB4L booklet (page 20). Connect with focus students for 2min daily for 10 consecutive working days.
Routine:
In routine there is safety. Ensure a clear easy routine to eliminate anxiety. Think of little things that you want to instil in your class and feed it in without students realising it e.g. I really liked how you walked in with whispering feet. Do you all know what whispering feet are? What it looks like?
Ratio:
For every 1 incorrect behaviour, there should be 4 corrective behaviours. Concentrate on this as it is really powerful. Do not shout or yell, there is no value in it. Smile and boost the positives. If a new skill that is taught work on a ratio of 1:7. It can taper off as it gets generalised. Always remember to have an element of fun in your teaching.
So what does this mean for me?
- I am going to sit down with Shalen and we will decide what our expectations for our class will be to ensure we are on the same page.
- Start working on our class matrix from day 1.
- Ensure our matrixes are visible in the class at the applicable spaces.
- Ensure my ratio is high when I introduce new skills. Referring back to them as much as I can.
- Use the right language as set out in our Matrix which was decided by our students.
- I will make the time throughout each school day to connect with my students and build a strong relationship.
- Something I am not very good at but has done before is to phone home with positives. I am good at chatting about it when I speak face to face to the parents, but there are students being left out as I never see their parents. I really do want to try and improve on this.
Here we go 2020!
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