This is a busy time in the school year for staff in schools …….. transition work (old class moving on and new class coming up), report writing, classrooms need to be tidied, displays need to be taken down, assessments need to be finalised, staffing needs to be finalised, Y6 leavers’ play/prom/assembly, sports day, planning subjects/lessons for the autumn term ……….. the list goes on and on. It also doesn’t help that it has been so hot or that there has been torrential rain and thunderstorms.
Busy and hectic.
Within this hustle and bustle, please take time to remember the children. Remember, some children will be dreading the summer holidays. Some will be worried about what the break from school will bring, and for some children, change and leaving their trusted adults for 6 weeks, may trigger past experiences that are hurtful and traumatic.
We may find that children are presenting with challenging behaviours at this time of year – change and loss affect many. The children will not necessarily know why they are behaving as they are, they will just feel ‘wrong.’ Take time to think about why a child is behaving in a certain way and why their behaviour may have dipped.
Many children will be excited about the break from school and will love the fact that they have more freedom to play, explore, see family, and spend time at a more relaxed pace. Some children will just love that they do not have to deal with what they see as the daily stress of school.
Try to understand why a child is displaying certain behaviours – what are they trying to tell us? If we understand why something is happening, we are in a better position to help.
I have seen both sides this week. There have been staff who can only focus on the negative behaviours and what the child has been doing. They are finding it hard to be empathetic and just want the child to stop disrupting, hurting, refusing etc., I have also been with staff who are just as tired, but they are still trying to work out why a child’s behaviour has changed, they are working creatively to support that child and they are being sensitive when that child is in distress.
I know that listening to children, getting to know them, and then working out how best to help them will enable the child to move forward and, with the right support, they will begin to thrive. Just remember over these busy last few weeks of the school year, think about the children.
Reach Behaviour 