Primary Teaching Job of the Day!!

Are you looking for a Special Needs Teaching job in the Medway area, Kent?

TimePlan Education is working in partnership with a outstanding school that specialises in students with Severe Learning Difficulties to seek a professional and committed long term SEN Primary teacher.

This full-time teaching position will commence in January 2106 and continue on for the entire year.

This impressive School that has been awarded OFSTED Outstanding is currently located within pleasant surroundings and caters for students aged 3-19 years old spread over 2 sites. As the school is devoted entirely to Severe Learning Difficulties it has exceptional educational resources at its disposal

This is an exciting opportunity to fill a vacancy in a passionate, hardworking Primary school but it is important to note that due to the conditions and complex needs of the students, continuity and consistency of support is paramount. Therefore, only those who can dedicate a full year to this post will be considered.

An experienced teacher is preferred but NQT's are welcome to apply.

Knowledge of SLD is favourable however comprehensive training and induction will be provided.

In return for your commitment to this Primary role TimePlan will be able to offer:

* Competitive rates of pay

* Continual support

* Opportunities to continue your professional development.

If you are interested in applying for this Special Needs teaching job in Kent please apply online today or call Paul Chuter on 01732 373340 at TimePlan.

Interviews for this Medway school are to be held imminently so please apply as soon as possible.

We Are Too Quick To Label Children Who Aren't Perfect.

 ‘If everyone spent less time fretting about the many ways in which our children aren’t perfect and perceiving their natural variations as a defects, our jobs would be much easier.’ says Secret Teacher. Photograph: Alamy

“You don’t want to be in 4J, you’ll get dyslexia.”

This has been the standing joke in our staffroom for years, owing to the teacher’s over-zealous approach to diagnosing any child not brilliant at reading as “dyslexic”. She’s a great teacher who is passionate about children and who gets good results (which could be why she needs to find a reason for anyone not making the grade under her watchful eye). However she is a labeller – one of the many idealistic adults who can’t bear to believe a child is less than perfect unless it’s because there’s something wrong with him or her that’s nobody’s fault.

The range of options available to the discerning child-labeller is growing: social issue, learning difficulty, behavioural need, obsessive tendency, food intolerance or – my all time favourite – being “on the spectrum”. As a teacher I find this immensely frustrating for a number of reasons. First, the diagnosis is often performed by someone with no skills, qualifications or expertise – a well-meaning colleague, an over-concerned parent, a kindly friend. The only requisite is that they have access to the internet or have seen a TV programme about the condition in question. Second, it is upsetting and insulting to people who battle with genuine problems that others casually assign themselves and – most of all – because we as teachers are increasingly forced to pander to them.

Supporting students with dyslexia: tips, tricks and tech for teachers

 

Read more

I am an experienced class teacher and special educational needs co-ordinator (Senco). I have a real passion for helping children with additional needs. I don’t profess to know everything and I constantly worry something may go unnoticed and a child won’t get the help required. In that respect I certainly don’t object to parents or professionals who raise concerns, research conditions, investigate options or seek professional opinions. But it’s not fair to those who genuinely struggle for others to use the label to disguise other issues.

Dyslexia is another favourite. When Professor Julian Elliott challenged the “dyslexia myth” in 2005, there was uproar. Waves of dyslexia-believers took their stance against his blasphemy, and it became more fashionable than ever before. At parents’ evenings, if I mention that any child is struggling to read or spell I know dyslexia will crop up. I’ve heard all sorts of reasoning (usually unrelated to assessing the child’s abilities and needs): “It runs in the family”, “our neighbour had it and he said Harry’s definitely got it”, “I’ve always thought her father was dyslexic” and, of course, “I’ve looked it up online and it’s definitely what he’s got”. I want a conversation about specific areas of concern and ways we can help, not dyslexia. Of course it may be dyslexia – let’s not rule that out – but by jumping to conclusions we could overlook other possible causes and deprive the child of more holistic support.Last term a parent informed me that their child had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), reading a list from Google of the “symptoms”. It was difficult to persuade the parent to consider other possibilities. “Difficulty paying attention”, “hyperactive” and “impulsive” could at times describe most of the children in my school, yet I sincerely doubt they all have ADHD. But try to find a way to suggest a child is in need of attention, has a high-sugar diet or suffers from a lack of boundaries and you suddenly realise how much more appealing ADHD is. It can be nigh on impossible as a teacher to resolve these (often more obvious) issues until you've expended a great deal of time and effort ruling out the sought-after diagnosis. 

Food problems are another minefield and one that, as educators not medics, we have no sway in. I've experienced the agony of parents whose children have been hospitalised with near-fatal allergies or ravaged with cruel diseases like Crohn’sand coeliac. These experiences make it harder to swallow the fact that Jemima “can’t have bananas because they make her feel sick” or Alfie “can’t eat anything red unless it’s ketchup”. Last time I checked, it’s not possible to be allergic to a colour and yes, Alfie might be “on the spectrum” with his aversion to red foods, but I know Alfie, and I highly doubt it. Currently, our school kitchen caters for more than 30 “special diets” . Two of them are for religious reasons and five for medical, but the rest (in my unprofessional and totally controversial opinion) are dubious. Incidentally, I'm not convinced every child who gets short of breath after cross-country needs an inhaler, either, but we have a cupboard full just in case.

Secret teacher: I am all for inclusion in principle, but it doesn't always work

 

Read more

If everyone spent less time fretting about the many ways in which our children aren't perfect and perceiving their natural variations as a defect in need of special treatment, our jobs would be much easier. The more we pander to it, the worse it seems to get: my school’s list of children’s individual needs gets longer every term, and we now have a slot in the weekly staff meeting to help us keep abreast of them all. Of course we need to enable all children to succeed, but part of that is teaching them to embrace their differences and adapt to different situations. We should teach them that it’s normal to be different, not that every version of “different” needs a label and prescription. Adults must model this attitude, otherwise children make up their own allergies because they think it sounds cool and, before you know it, the whole class is allergic to something or other.

For now, though, we have no choice. Suspect as some labels may appear, it generally does less harm to play out the charade – however indulgent it may feel – and provide the special coloured paper, the stress-ball or the alternative school lunch on a coloured plate, than it is to challenge the assumption and be wrong.

Source:http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/jun/20/secret-teacher-too-quick-label-children-arent-perfect-adhd-dyslexia

23 ways to get you up to speed with SEN

Special educational needs is a huge and bewildering arena. Anthea Davey unravels a few of the complexities

1. KNOW YOUR PUPILS

Make sure you know of any special educational matters for each child who you teach, and check that your records are up-to-date. Keep to the facts — don't make assumptions and label children without evidence; this can lead to low expectations and pigeon-holing.

2. FOLLOW THE CODE

The current SEN code of practice (since January 2002) gives advice on how to identify children with special needs and provide for them within the education system. Most children who have special needs are in mainstream schools, so the code affects every teacher.

3. LISTEN AND LEARN

Talk to colleagues about any children you teach with particular special educational needs — they could have some useful strategies for dealing with individuals. If another teacher in school has learned the hard way, maybe they can help you avoid some classic mistakes.

4. GET PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Children with special needs, particularly emotional difficulties and challenging behaviour, can make you feel incompetent. Get expert help from professional organisations.

5. ASK FOR TRAINING

Your school might have specific SEN training every now and again, but ask about courses run by external providers. The school will pay course fees if you can justify it as part of your professional development and they can't train you in school.

6. 30 LESSONS IN ONE

Differentiate: This doesn't mean a different lesson for every child — just make sure that you simplify for the pupils who find the work particularly difficult and give extension activities to the whizz-kids.

7. KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON TARGETS

Each child on the SEN register has an individual education plan (IEP), which should list three or four targets for that child and strategies for achieving them, plus a review date. Pay attention to it.

8. TALK TO YOUR SENCO

You need to know who your Senco (special educational needs co-ordinator) is. He or she is responsible for organising the special needs provision, so get to know him or her. You can help each other, and he or she should be able to offer you advice and expertise.

9. DON'T MISS OUT ON EXTRA HELP

The school's SEN procedures should be explained to you during your induction. If you don't know them, find out now. Some of your class might qualify for extra support in the classroom or be taken out of class and given extra help in certain subjects.

10. KEEP UPDATES TO HAND

A formal meeting, known as an annual review, takes place when a child has a statement of special educational needs, but keep a check on the progress of all pupils on your SEN list, and update as often as you need to. Keep records of targets attained, too — you might be asked at short notice for evidence of progress by, for example, the Senco or an outside agency.

11. WORK IN A TEAM

You will probably need to liaise with at least one of a number of other professionals: the Senco, the school nurse, occupational therapists and educational psychologists. If you have a learning support assistant in class, keep them informed of plans for your lesson. The more they know, the more help they can be to you.

12. TALK TO PARENTS

Make sure you keep in touch with home, so that parents, or other carers, feel fully supported. They will often be the best people to give you advice about their child.

13. DEFER TO THE EXPERTS

Don't agree any diagnoses of special needs with a parent, or give commitments to extra provision, even if a distraught parent demands it — those decisions aren't yours to make. Talk to the Senco, who can organise relevant experts to assess a child's special needs.

14. MAKE YOUR CLASSROOM WORK

The layout of your classroom affects how your pupils learn. If you have children who can't see very well, sit them near the board. Those with hearing problems might need to lip read, so think carefully about your position and how you move round the room while you're talking.

15. LEARN THE LANGUAGE

Make sure you understand the information you are given on a child. The characteristics of a disorder can vary enormously. Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), for example, is the term used to describe a range of disorders within the very wide spectrum of autism. It's not good to generalise, as every child is different. There is lots of specialist jargon, so if you don't know what something means, ask.

16. NOT GETTING THE THREE RS

Pupils with dyscalculla have difficulty with mathematical skills, such as understanding simple number concepts and learning number facts and processes. Dyslexic pupils have difficulties learning to read, write and spell. Concentration, organisation and pronunciation of common words can also be affected. If you spot a child with any of these difficulties, look again at their IEP. If they haven't got one, ask your Senco about the possibility of setting one up.

17. "CLUMSY KID"

Pupils with disorders such as dyspraxia find movement, co¬ordination and balance difficult so can sometimes appear clumsy. The knock-on effect can be hesitancy in their actions and poor social skills. In physical work, build up confidence through slowly developed targets. Be patient if you have pupils with difficulties like these — it's even more frustrating for them. Take extra time to explain tasks.

18. TACTICS WITHIN STRATEGIES

You may need to adapt your teaching strategies depending on the severity of a child's special needs. If you teach children with hearing, visual or multi-sensory impairment, for example, what impact will background noise or the effect of light and shadow in the classroom have on their ability to concentrate in your class?

19. TALK UP SUCCESS

Children with learning difficulties, whatever the cause, may suffer from poor self-esteem. That's why target setting is a priority and praise is important. Be positive; if a child isn't succeeding at something, remind them how they've done well before.

20. DROP A FEW NAMES

Talk about others who have overcome difficulties. There are many famous dyslexics, for example: Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Orlando Bloom and Benjamin Zephaniah. See www.dyslexia.com for more.

21. BE OPEN-MINDED

If you are told about a child's medical condition or physical disability, don't assume they have special needs. Many will take part in the standard curriculum or may only need minor adjustments to it. Don't turn pupils into victims.

22. SPEAK AND BE HEARD

If a child has speech and language difficulties, they may have trouble understanding the meaning of words, following instructions, making themselves understood and paying attention. Try to keep your sentences short, repeat what you say if you need to, and feel comfortable using gestures and props. Speak slowly and simplify your language as necessary. You can do this without sounding patronising. Make sure you leave time for the child to speak too.

23. ALWAYS ASK

Other teachers are a wealth of information and advice, and there are always new disorders and unfamiliar words. You might find yourself teaching a child who seems to be presenting behaviour that you've never seen or heard of before.

Source: http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/content/23-ways-get-you-speed-sen