Anne Jakins

This problem solving strategy is only meant to be used with individual students in SEN units or in the pastoral system and not in a classroom situation. However, I think that most teachers become involved in talking to students who have problems that need resolving on an idividual basis. Whilst I think that people may use a modified version of this technique as you suggest, in my experience the power of this strategy lies in being able to support an individual whose problems seem so overwhelming to them that they are unable to help themselves.

A Problem Solving Approach to Changing Behaviour Has anybody tried the following strategy? When working with individual students I can really recommend it. This approach requires a structured setting in which the student agrees to the need for change. The discussion should start in general terms and it is important to discuss what is going well before focusing on areas of difficulty. When the discussion moves to problem areas it is important that the student decides which area needs to be worked on. Once the area of difficulty has been established discussion needs to focus on times when the student has managed to achieve success in this area. What is it that helps to achieve success? List the student’s strengths and resources that contribute to success. Draw a line representing a scale of 0 - 10 where 0 = the worst it could be and 10 = utopia Ask the student to indicate where they feel they are on that line, mark the place with the appropriate number. Ask the student where they would like to be and mark that place with the appropriate number. Find out what it would take to move towards the desired position, what it would feel like and what would be different. Ask the student to provide the solutions. Set achievable targets. The advantages of this approach are: The student is encouraged to take responsibility for his/her behaviour. The student feels listened to. The approach has a positive effect on self-esteem. I would be interested to hear about anyone’s experiences using this approach which I consider to be as much a life skill as an educational strategy.

Vladimir Our school has been involved in a series of international visits all over the world covering a range of studies. The exchange of ideas has proved extremely rewarding . I would be very interested to hear more about your particular role in education.

There hs been much written on the forum concerning deteriorating student behaviour. Poor self esteem is often cited as the cause. Students with poor self esteem frequently feel they cannot do things and behave in such a way that adults give all their attention to the behaviour while students are distracted from the set task or lesson outcome. If children live with criticsm they learn to condemn. If children live with approval they learn to like themselves. As teachers do we find enough things to 'catch our students being good at ?' Are we careful enough in the way we treat our students ?

On a serious note , the article Derek refers to seemed to me to be an example of judgemental journalism. In a small town with two comprehensive schools unbalanced articles in local papers create alarm and prejudice among the parents of potential students.The scenes of students leaving the final Yr 11 assembly reflected a very different story from the rampaging adolescents described in the offending ( in my opinion ) article.

I think that parents are partially to blame for the disruptive behaviour of their children and that this probably results from their own negative school experiences. However, in my view the situation has been aggravated by the general reduction in the authoritarian approach to education that has taken place over the last forty years which has allowed potentially disruptive students to exploit more relaxed teaching regimes.

David Hart was fairly uncompromising in his view expressed over the weekend that parents are to blame for their children's disruptive behaviour at school. Is his point of view valid and if so what is the answer?

A much greater emphasis has been placed on successful transioning from primary to secondary school in recent years. I start working with vulnerable Yr6 and give them additional visits and time to ask questions . It often appears to be an even more anxious time for parents as well and I am sure that significant anxiety is often transferred from parent to child.Surely much of this so called drop in wellbeing could be due to the onset of adolescence and all its insecurities.

By' including ' students with significant behaviour problems in our mainstream schools are we are setting them up to fail ?.Should a school placement be allowed to break down and a student face permanent exclusion before action is taken.Home tution is hardly the answer.

The NAS / UWT spoke out yesterday against the Government's policy of educating children with emotional behavioural difficulties in mainstream schools, calling the policy a disaster.The unions reported that schools were unable to cope with disturbed and violent students.There was much agreement that children's life chances were being destroyed by an inclusion policy that condemned many SEN students to failure and left other students trying to learn in classes that were constantly disrupted. The conference in LLandudno called for the reopening of special schools as an alternative to ' enforced inclusion ' Does inclusion actually deny students the equal opportunies that the policy claims to promote.? I would favour a compromise solution with properly funded outreach support . Where special school placement is necessary working links between them and the mainstream schools can produce effective reintegration as long as the support is ongoing.

There is nothing quite like the threat of litigation to focus the minds of the policy makers! In my view it is very difficult to define a cut off for inclusion as this depends on many factors, such as funding, curriculum flexibility and the complexity of the student need. Your posting raises an important issue. Should informed parental/student choice be a more important criterion for inclusion than it is now?

Good for Jaywalker for highlighting this area - we probably all have to take some responsibility for the number of women contributing to the Forum. Are sufficient women colleagues being asked to join the Forum? The women I work with tend to use the small amount of free time they have to follow different creative pursuits but this is not necessarily a comment on their computer literacy. I think that lack of women contributors impacts significantly on sections such as Special Needs - seen traditionally as an area which employs mostly women. Are male colleagues seeing these topics in a broad enough context ? After all Educational Inclusion for example (posted 03.03.04) is an important issue which affects all teachers.

Visit to Toulouse 18th-21st March I would like to thank Richard Jones-Nerzic for organising such an interesting and stimulating programme over the four days we spent in Toulouse. Following our arrival on Thursday 18th March Les Albiston, the principal, gave us a tour of the International School, Toulouse (IST) which proved to be one of the highlights of the trip. IST has established itself as a school that makes excellent use of ICT to deliver and enhance the learning opportunities it offers its students. The school benefits from a high level of technology and a teaching staff who are highly skilled computer users. IST is probably the only school in Europe where you will find more computers than students.The school, which is primarily for the children of Airbus employees, is comprehensive in its intake and offers an English language based education for pupils aged 4-18. It is situated in a stunning building with a wide corridor which ascends into a high cathedral style roof creating a calm and quiet working environment. A high standard of artwork was on display. All students from eight years upwards have their own notebook computers for use in school and at home. Every member of staff also has their own notebook computer for lesson planning. Demonstrations are carried out using LCD projectors which are part of the standard equipment in classrooms. The pride taken by the students in their school and their commitment to work was very apparent. The timetable is flexible and independent learning is encouraged. Late on Friday afternoon the students could be seen enthusiastically rehearsing flamenco dancing to display during their forthcoming annual culture week. During our time at IST Bamber Gascoigne gave us a presentation of his impressive History World Web Site. We all joined in his quiz and enacted our own version of ‘University Challenge’ with Bamber asking the questions. This was great fun. As part of the Aviation Project we discussed the needs of students with special needs and those for whom English is a second language. At IST intensive oral and vocabulary courses are available to these students in order to boost confidence and instil a working knowledge of the English language. It is seen as essential that all students access the curriculum successfully. I hope to be able to extend my work on differentiation and forge links between International School, Toulouse and Sackville Community College where I am Head of Special Needs. Thank you again to Les Albiston and Richard Jones-Nerzic for such an interesting and enjoyable trip and for the memorable visit to Airbus.

What are your experiences of a reduced curriculum at KS4 for those with learning difficulties ? Is a work related curriculum equally valid for the disaffected and if so should these students be taught together ?The dynamics of these groups can differ from one year to another but in my experience most students thrive on a curriculum of three core subjects, additional literacy,ICT and a Young Enterprise business venture. In Yr 11 a minority opt for a week which includes two days of work experience. As we head towards timetabling for the next academic year , I am interested in any creative solutions to enrich the curriculum for these students.

I am interested in differentiating any materials that are part of the Aviation Project, reviewing material and identifying areas that pose possible difficulties for SEN or ESL students. I feel that increasing accessibility is an important aspect of any project and look forward to hearing from you.

I would agree that not enough time is invested in looking for alternatives to ritalin. However,some of our students are only able to complete their education at school because ritalin goes some way to modify their impulsive behaviour. In response to Jane, the role of the TA is such a crucial one in student management. As well as setting the necessary boundaries and guidelines the TA is in the unique position of being able to form a positive and personal relationship with the student. I know these students are highly complex and often seem to exhibit signs of other 'disorders ' such as ASD . I have no magic answers but would like to recommend 'The Attention Deficit Disorders Intervention Manual', (1994) by McCarney, published by Hawthorne. I found this very useful for finding strategies and setting targets.

Very interested to hear about Special Needs in Tasmania.We are sometimes prevented from including students with physical disabilities as many of our aging purpose built secondary schools do not have the required facilities or accessibility. Although every school has an access development plan there is not the money to support it. However, we do have increasing numbers of students with statements for complex needs both medical and behavourial and this impacts on the subject teachers as well as SEN staff. Does increased inclusion diminish the status of the special school?

' Those arguing the case for inclusion are often tempted away from the path of logic into the realms of ideology.'- British Journal of Special Education As increasing numbers of students with complex needs transfer to mainstream schools how possible is it for all students to get a fair deal from education?

I agree that video conferencing is generally artificial and limiting. However, I have seen it used effectively to link children in hospital with their classmates in school. In this context video conferencing seemed to fulfil inclusive practice and gave the recipients an opportunity to participate.

SEN contribution to the Aviation Project is differentiated material now available on Otto Lilienthal, Percy Pilcher and the Wright brothers. Modifying John's work sheets has prompted me to read R.G. Grant's 100 years of Aviation.

The above posting from Andy matches my own experience . Staff in the schools I visited could not do enough for us but in spite of enormous enthusiasm on both sides no lasting contacts were made. I would very much like to have returned some of the hospitality I received but life in schools moves on at a fast pace.

I visited Atlanta Georgia as part of the pilot scheme for this initiative . It was an exceptionally well organised and interesting trip and I would recommend similar visits to anyone. It may be down to individual schools how well these trips are advertised in the staff room so you may have to make your own enquiries. Don't be put off by the fact that these visits always seem to take place during Half Term holidays . It's worth it .

Hi - interested in your posting - would like to know more about the Lycee Pasteur and your European Project . I am a Special Needs Coordinator in a secondary school in Sussex - we have one student from Brazil and we have talked extensively about his family and country. We would like to be a part of your project - what kind of information would you like?

What do fellow teachers think about the plans to spring short notice OFSTED inspections on schools. By drastically reducing the preparation time, will this make inspections more or less stressful?As SEN is an area dominated by paperwork I know how important it is to match policy with practice and to keep departmental handbooks updated. Is this a positive move or one guaranteed to raise general levels of anxiety?

I agree that too often the behaviour of specific students with emotional difficulties can impact directly on the learning of others. Do schools have sufficient strategies in place to empower teachers to deal confidently with these students should they disrupt teaching and learning? How effectively do these strategies work? I think that planning for the individual continues to be important. However, accessing appropriate support for students who cannot meet their behaviour targets, during the school day, can be difficult when pastoral staff have demanding teaching timetables.