I’m sitting having a coffee in between school visits. I’ve done some work and now I am watching the world go by. When you work in education, it is easy to forget that there is a whole world going on outside of the school building. I’m watching a couple chatting and laughing looking relaxed and happy. There is a mum with what looks like a very new baby; she is having a moment of peace while her tiny baby sleeps. A group of builders have walked in laughing and joking and sharing posts on their phones. There is an older man sitting in the corner on his own drinking a cup of coffee – I wonder why he is on his own … is he lonely, or has he got out of the house for some peace and quiet?
I love people watching and could spend so long trying to work out what is happening in peoples’ lives. It strikes me that in school, teachers/TAs are so busy and have very little time to step back and just watch and think about the children in their class. It is a luxury of the job that Claire and I do – we can take time to observe and focus on one child in depth. We then get time to work out what might be going on in that child’s life and that then helps us to plan the support that would be best for them.
Perhaps the summer term is a good time for schools to give teachers/TAs time to observe and contemplate what is happening for the ‘challenging’ children that will be joining their class in September. Observe, talk to the child, and try to see school through their eyes then plan for what they might need to help them be successful in school. There might be something that you have not thought of or noticed before.
Good luck – enjoy ‘stepping back’ for just a moment.
Reach Behaviour 