As teachers, teaching assistants, learning mentors, family support workers, welfare assistants and other staff that support in schools, we want the best for our children, that’s why we do the job. Staff we meet can be hard on themselves because they will tell us about the things they have not managed to do and where things have gone wrong. Think about a day in school and think about everything that there still is to do at the end of each day. The job is never ending and there is always something else on our ‘to do’ list.
I have visited a number of schools this week and I have seen so much good practice and I wanted to think about what we do get done and all the successes that we achieve rather than those that we still need to complete.
In classes this week:
I have seen staff who have built trusting, positive relationships with their children and who have a great sense of humour that they use well with those children.
I have seen children who have developed resilience and who will make mistakes and know that they can learn from these to get better and better.
I have talked with children who feel valued and liked by the staff that support them.
I have seen staff deal with challenging situations and children in distress in a calm and relaxed way so that the child feels safe and secure throughout the meltdown.
I have seen staff who know the little, important pieces of information about their children, so they feel liked e.g., the name of their pet or their favourite food. Small details that mean the world to a child.
I have seen children in a reception class tidy up their room in the most efficient and calm way. These children knew exactly which area to tidy (because it was there in a display that they actively used) and they knew how to tidy the area (because they had been taught what to do specifically). They showed a real sense of pride in the job they were doing and happily cleared each area.
I saw a class of children being directly taught listening skills. They were learning how to listen to each other and were encouraged to practise these skills during the session. The room was calm, and the children were enthusiastic and involved in the session. They then used the skills learnt in the following session and throughout the day.
I have seen a ‘Now and Next’ board used with the class (aimed specifically at one child) but I watched all the childrenlistening attentively and looking at the visual support during the end of a session.
I have watched staff who know their children so well they intuitively understand when a child needs a movement break or brain break.
I could go on and on but what I am trying to say is try to end each day in school thinking about the success and the achievements for you and the children. Yes – we can always do more, but it is important to stop and remember how much we have done well each day which has had an impact on the children we teach (no matter how small).
Look around your school and remember to say well done to staff who you notice doing something for the children in your school. Look for the good – try not to focus on the negative. Schools are amazing places and the staff working in them give their all. Recognise it and praise and thank staff when it is due.
Reach Behaviour 