Hey,
This talk was spoken by Fiona Barr who is a part of WHISPA. Whispa looks at the children that are considered to have a problem when they are just different and learn differently to others, and how different environments can help the children learn. They also look at what the perfect environment for all children could be as sitting in a classroom all day isn't the best thing.
Creating this environment, you first have to understand complex people. Right now, you are probably thinking, 'what the hell does that mean?' You have to understand the pupils' health and have acceptance of it. You have to have engagement in what they (the child) likes and they interests. The child needs security, they need to feel safe. They also need meaning and achievement for what they have done. The child also needs a physical environment whether that be indoors or outdoors.
One of the main issues of teaching is that we are quick to judgment about what a pupil is doing. We do not look at the complex. An example is that maybe a child is playing with some pencils and you think they are not paying attention, so you remove them, but really paying with the pencil is when they are best engaged.
Behaviour is communication
When assessing a child you need to look at many things that are: Health, Hunger, Thirst, Emotions, Stress, Anxiety and Sensory processing needs. Change the environment to help not the person, meaning don't try and change the pupil. 'Our bodies are our homes', don't try to normalise the child but accept they are different and embrace who they are.
Example:
All that was wrong with this person is that the adults didn't recognise that they were object dependent. The teacher tried to remove the objects to change a normal environment but that wouldn't help this child engage and learn.
Look at me, I am a person.
Communicate with me,
Accept and Respect me.
Children learn by experience so let them play so they can repeat the action. We need to focus on what we need, not what others THINK we need.
Dr. David Whitebread (Senior Lecturer in Psychology in Education - 2012) said:
"Play in all its rich variety is one of the highest achievements of the human species, alongside language, culture and technology. Without play none of these achievements would be possible."
We need to teach the children how to be independent so they can develop on their own. They need loving support which can be done by creating an engaging environment. This doesn't have to mean a desk, it could be the natural world. Nowadays we don't spend much time in the natural world which is ridiculous as there is so much to learn from it. 10% nowadays is spent in the natural world but probably like 20 years ago, it was 40%. Now there is something very wrong with that.
To know love and who you are, you will succeed.
Any comments or questions please use the contact box,
Thanks for reading
Amy x
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