(25.
September - 16.October 2011)
Introduction
of my person:
-
Special teacher / special educator for 15 years
- 6 years of university
- 2 years of practical courses in school
- Reason: Lovely children, who can learn a lot for their life. Closer
contact - more stressful, but I get more reaction and feedback
Description of my work in Germany:
-
Work with disabled children:
- Physical and mental disability: syndromes, wheelchair,
- difficult behaviour: Autism; frustrations from other schools,
- speaking problems, as well non-speaking children
- concentration and motivation problems
- They learn individual very different.
- We give normal lessons as well as practical orientated lessons,
like cooking, dressing, washing, helping in household (lay and clear
table, dishes), shopping
- Extra therapy lessons: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech
therapy (as well for non-speaking children), horse riding therapy,
psych motoric lessons
- Individual helping plans
German school system in change:
-
Situation now: Special schools for children with physical and mental
disabilities, speaking problems, learning problems and difficult behaviour
- Physically disabled children are integrated in normal schools, often
with a special helper.
- European law: All children have the right to go to the same school
(Inclusion)
- More integration of disabled children in normal schools.
-
German school system has to change:
Better educated teachers in psychology, sociology, pedagogics and
didactics
Team teaching lessons
Helper for special needs children
Smaller classes
Special equipped classrooms
Individual learning
School facilities for special needs children
- Big discussion, many teachers, parents don't want the change (reasons!)
- In India is only one kind of school; some children are integrated,
many not!
With what kind of difficulties, problems, conspicuousness and disabilities
of the students are you confronted in school daily ?
-
Concentration and motivation problems
- Learning problems (slow learning; can't remember the contents of
lessons)
- Children don't work in the classroom
- Children don't make home works
- Children stay away from school, don't join the lessons
- Difficult and unsocial behaviour, like aggressive behaviour in and
outside the class (courtyard)
- Speech problems
- Hygienic problems
General dealing with conspicuous behaviour:
-
The relationship between teacher and students is very important!
- Be passioned!
- Don't put pressure on the students with difficulties.
- Give more time and breaks if necessary.
- Work with rituals and repeating.
- Integration in class and school is important! It is always easy
to integrate every student in subjects like singing, dancing, arts
and sports.
- Let them sit in the front line.
- Contact to parents! But be careful, if the problem is at home.
- Is it necessary to give marks? Bad marks are not motivating, maybe
a report is better (write positive!).
- Take problems of the students honest and don't blame them.
- Be clear with your rules in the classroom
How can I make my lessons more interesting? Possibilities in the classroom:
-
Let students with difficulties sit in the front line.
- Give them fit neighbours, who can help them in the lessons if they
don't understand.
- It has to be quieter in the classroom!
- Work with clear rules and follow them strictly (after some time
you can be easier and open if the rules are working).
- Try to integrate the interests of the students, let them choose
themes to talk about. Not only the teacher is responsible for the
lesson as well the students.
- Give students a voice: Elect a class monitor, school monitor (representative).
- The monitor is working generally for the students not for the teachers.
He/ she can present ideas of his/her class maids to the teachers and
principal.
- The monitor should not be the right arm of the teacher!
- All monitors should have monthly meetings to discuss interesting
school items.
- Have you got a teacher of confidence/trust for the students?
- Work with different social forms: Frontal lesson, position change
(student in front of the class; give a paper), discussions, work in
small groups and present the results to the class afterwards, silent
work, learn out of a book and present the result, visit a company
or a farm (practical lessons), invite people to talk about special
themes …
- Change learning location: classroom, courtyard, garden, practical
lessons outside the school
- Let the students write a report or protocol
- Change voice while speaking (loud, normal, whispering)
What to do if I have students in my class …
All
ideas might work with one student but not with the next one. As well
the might only work for some time but not forever!
-
… who have concentration or motivation problems and don't
work in the classroom:
Give
time and breaks (5 minutes).
Work in shorter terms (begin with 10 minutes and rise).
Give them space to move (exercises in sports).
Give them extra support, extra tuition.
Hire a school or lesson helper who can help students in the class
or give them lessons in small groups or individual in a different
room/place.
Give them support through other students.
Change the social forms during the lessons.
Give positive motivation and feedback.
- … who are not doing their home works:
Speak
with the parents.
Give them extra home works.
Let them stay longer in school to make the home works (not as punishment,
more like an offer for parents and students for extra lessons).
Give them a duty inside the class or school like cleaning the board,
the classroom or the courtyard.
- … who are not coming to school:
Speak
with parents.
Speak with the student to find out the reasons for not coming.
Try to give him/her the support he/she needs, maybe you can get rid
of the problems.
- … who are showing a difficult, unsocial or aggressive behaviour
or coming always late:
Speak
with parents.
Give student extra home works or a duty inside the class or school.
Let student stay longer in school.
Speak with student and take him/her honest, try to find a fair solution
and reasons (can be inside or outside the school) for the bad behaviour.
With younger students you can work with a bonus system.
In difficult situations you can make a contract with the student about
consequences for bad behaviour.
Try to give positive feedback as often as possible.
Try to give positive feedback as often as possible.
Lock out from school for 2 weeks can put pressure on student or parents.
- … who have learning problems:
Try
to integrate in class and school as much as possible.
Be passioned. Expect less.
Give student more time for learning.
Work with rituals and repeating.
Don't put pressure on the students during the lessons.
Don't give marks, write a report.
Give student extra support in classroom and through extra lessons.
Work with a helper.
Give individual exercises, reduce the exercises.
Make an extra and more practical programme: Help in the kitchen or
the caretaker, go shopping.
Reduce the lessons and the time in school (maybe 2 hours are enough
at the beginning, if this goes well the time can rise).
Change the social form in the lessons.
- … who have a hygienic problem:
Speak
with the parents.
Ask for the reasons, maybe you can find a solution; maybe other parents
can help out.
- … who have speech problems:
Having
speaking problems does not mean to be stupid.
There is a big variety of speaking problems.
Be passioned and give time to speak.
Give speech therapy if possible.
Emotions and pressure make speaking more difficult and worse for the
student.
Let the student relax before speaking.
Breathe in and speak slowly while breathing out.
Speak slowly and try to pronounce properly.
For problems with pronunciation give exercises for tongue and lips.
Let the student speak in front of a mirror.
Philip
Hoheisel, Special Education Teacher
