What is Adaptive Teaching? Adaptive teaching is an approach that teachers use to meet the learning needs of all students, regardless of their background or learning ability. The goal is to respond to each student’s strengths and weaknesses. A key element is to overcome any barriers to learning that may arise. I have seen the … Read more
Today, we’re diving into the topic of why a special school is more than just an educational institution, but a vibrant and supportive community. At my school (SEN), we believe that fostering a sense of community is crucial in creating an inclusive and empowering environment for our students. It’s important to first clarify the vision … Read more
Introduction. A key part of the application process for a Teaching Assistant job is the personal statement. A personal statement is a document that tells the panel who are doing the shortlisting about your motivations for wanting to become a Teaching Assistant. This guide will teach you how to write an effective personal statement for … Read more
What is a Teaching Assistant? A teaching assistant is responsible for supporting pupils with special educational needs in the classroom. The main duties include working alongside classroom teachers to plan and implement lessons, providing one-on-one support to pupils, and helping to create a positive learning environment. This may be in a mainstream school, a special … Read more
Developing pupil motivation using 10 evidence based strategies. Teaching Assistants (TAs) play a vital role in supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the classroom. One of the most important aspects of their work is to help these pupils develop a strong motivation to learn. This is crucial because pupils with SEN may face … Read more
10 Teaching Assistant Interview Questions & Answers: Your Complete Guide to Landing the Job (Free PDF) Landing a teaching assistant position requires thorough preparation for the interview process. Whether you’re applying for SEN teaching assistant roles or learning support assistant (LSA) positions, the questions you’ll face are designed to assess both your knowledge of TA … Read more
Sensory Play Activities: Jelly Play Who doesn’t love sensory play to keep their children occupied, off screens and having fun? We have been trying out a range of sensory play activities this year as with 5 children in the house days out can quickly get expensive. This year we have had a few behavioural challenges … Read more
Teaching Students with Speech and Language Disabilities Many young children face speech and language learning challenges and often enter school without proper language skills. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Education, 7.2 million students with disabilities in the 2020-21 school year were served under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). … Read more
An Introduction to Immersive Reality Virtual Reality (VR) is so immersive – it takes you to a completely new world. Unlike other popular forms of media such as television, it provides a sense of really being there. Instead of ‘what do you want to watch?’, the question becomes ‘where do you want to go?’ – … Read more
A Spooky Sensory Experience. Are You A Monster? Halloween Sensory Story is similar to Are You An Elf? and Am I a Pirate? These are “Dressing Up” Sensory Stories. The idea is that each element of the story will be revealed from a bag or box and worn by the learner, this means these sensory … Read more
Free Christmas Sensory Story for PMLD/SLD pupils Slightly different from a more traditional sensory story Are You an Elf Christmas Sensory Story is one of our free “Dressing up” Sensory Stories. Throughout the story the learner will become an Elf through the addition of props and dressing up. As with any activity the storyteller needs … Read more
Teaching in the Educational Metaverse When Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s rebranding into Meta in October 2021 the word Metaverse spread throughout the world. To see the potential benefits and pitfalls of this for education we need to look beyond the publicity and hype. Now in 2023 usage and hype have plummeted which allows us to … Read more
A Discussion on Children Masking at School and Home. This is a record of the #SENexchange discussion from 2nd February 2022 about children who mask. We based the chat on the article: The tip of the iceberg: SEND, masking and multiple needs written by regular discussion contributor Sara Alston. I have edited some responses for … Read more
What is ableism? Discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities. An example could be a school trying to ‘train’ a child to present as more neurotypical. This can lead to distress, or a need to mask then stress building as well as longer-term impact A beginners guide to Ableism tapestry.info/a-beginners-gu… This topic is so important. … Read more
Who doesn’t love a chance to dress up! This pirate themed sensory story is a little different to our others. I have tried to make it accessible to learners who need minimal language and repetition. I have tried to write for the earlier stages of our sensory story progression stages. Through this pirate adventure, learners … Read more
Teachers Interaction styles and Impact on Learning Individual interaction styles can have a huge impact on learning. When working with young people with SEN there are many different strategies and approaches to engage them in learning. What is often overlooked is the adult’s interaction style. This can influence not only engagement but behaviour, wellbeing and … Read more
Leadership Lessons From The Coronavirus Pandemic and Other Challenging Times. Research conducted during the pandemic suggests that schools facing challenging circumstances need leaders who demonstrate a broad range of leadership approaches. This study “Leadership for Challenging Times” by Gurr and Drysdale (2020) gives some insight. Skills in these areas are most effective when underpinned by … Read more
Shopping for good-quality educational toys can be difficult. There are so many to choose from and the quality varies hugely. We have 5 children between us so have got a pretty good idea of what they have enjoyed at different ages. Working in A special school I am also always on the lookout for toys … Read more
A Reformed Functionalist. Acting in a certain way to get out of something is commonplace for many children and young people. And adults come to that. If you have attended a PBS (positive behaviour support) course or any behaviour training you may have heard the term “functions of behaviour”. Attempts to get away from, out … Read more
This is a record of an #SENexchange online discussion on Making Schools Listen: Amplifying Parent Voice in Education. This aligns with value 5 of the School of Joy Approach – community and coproduction. A few years ago I co-wrote a post with Claire Ryan on school/parent partnership. I wrote it from the perspective of the … Read more
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