Wake up tired, wake up wired
Wake up sad,wake up happy
No matter as each day
I must always be tougher
Tens of souls, twenty eyes
Twenty ears, they hear all lies
See your grace, hear your cries
I’m an example for their lives
These angels know your walk
They copy even the way you talk
Such a responsibility
Such a privilege
I’m surrounded by mirrors
The kind with inquisitive brains
Mold them I must
As this ain’t no game
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Inspired by today’s Daily Prompt
PINGBACKS:
Our days are organized around numerous actions we repeat over and over. What is your favourite daily ritual?
I spend a large amount of my time everyday with children and young people who have Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). Autism is characterized by individuals’ difference in social interactions and repetitive and stereotypes interests. Most people with ASC, particularly my students, prefer visual representations, especially visual timetables. Visual timetables help make each school day predictable for people with ASC. By looking at their timetables, each pupil would know what activity they need to do next, and how long it is until home-time!
Putting up my each of my students’ visual timetables is the best daily ‘ritual’ that I have. I love starting the day by helping my students prepare for their day. ‘Timetable-time’ is also a great opportunity for me and my students to casually talk about what they did the night before, what they had for breakfast and what they would do after school. I also make sure that their mood is as positive as it could be by pointing out the exciting lessons and activities of each day.
I love this ritual more than anything else.
Oh, have I mentioned that I love my job because of my students? Well, I do, and this seemingly simple morning routine is one of the ways that I can make their day better.
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In response to today’s Daily Prompt: Just Another Day
Other entries:
Last Sunday, Kevin Healey, Sean Flanagan and I discussed challenging behaviours that people with Autism may exhibit. This hangout was quite a short one due to technical difficulties and to the fact that there were only 3 panel members.
This week is anti-bullying week in the UK and I want to share the things that I have read, watched and heard about how to fight against bullies. Also, I want to share how bullying affects everyone. Today, I’m posting a link to the film Cyberbully made in 2011.
This week is anti-bullying week in the UK and I want to share the things that I have read, watched and heard about how to fight against bullies. Also, I want to share how bullying affects everyone. In the video below, Dr. Dan Olweus explains what bullying is and why it is important to stop it.
In the next video, children explain their experiences with bullying and how the Olweus Programme helped their school stop bullying.
This week is anti-bullying week in the UK and I want to share the things that I have read, watched and heard about how to fight against bullies. Also, I want to share how bullying affects everyone.
Below are words and phrases commonly used by teachers when speaking to students and parents. Immediately next to them are words that should be used instead to create a more positive atmosphere during parents’ evenings and/ or whilst disciplining children.
Taken from Smith et al., (2004) Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings.
Students misbehave, some much worse than the others. This is a fact that parents and teachers are more than aware of. Inappropriate behaviours range from low-level disruptions such as whispering, up to shouting, swearing or physical aggression. These behaviours have destructive consequences to their academic and social well-being. Not only are they destructive to themselves when they misbehave, but they can also disrupt the harmony of the classroom and the school.
Behaviour management in schools usually involve verbal reprimands, time-out, parent-teacher meetings, and exclusions. Having worked with students of different age-groups, in different environments for almost a decade, I still find it a challenge to find a way to better improve students’ behaviour. Most of what is done in schools (mentioned above) only manages to stop the behaviour from occurring in the short term.
Recently however, it occurred to me that every behaviour is a form of communication. Each utterance and action is a result of something that is happening or have happened to a child. Once this occurred to me, I aimed to approach children differently. Instead of getting angry straight away, I ask the children why they are behaving the way they are. I always tell them:
I want to speak to you because I am worried about you. You’re not behaving the way you always have. What’s the matter?
Once children hear that I am concern about them, and that I want to hear their side, they became more likely to explain the reason of their behaviours. In addition, because I have explicitly told them that I know they can behave well, they are more likely to change their behaviours. Such a change, as one can imagine, takes time. But I have found that this positive approach brings about desirable results better than other approaches.
Imagine if you wake up one morning and found out that you are the country’s Secretary for Education. What would you do? What initiatives will you introduce, and why? What will you take away from the current education system? Will you focus strictly on academic achievement or will you aim for more of a holistic education which includes well-being and social development?
More importantly, consider how your policies could affect students, teachers and parents?
Please send me an email (found on the (About The Author tab on the top left corner of this page), a tweet (@carryonlearning) or post a comment below.
Understanding and Embracing Diversity 