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My specialist SEN experience (general):
My final placement at university was within a local special needs school and although I had no previous experience within this teaching area, I quickly grew to love it.  Whilst my friends would tell me experiences of how their class were learning about the Romans, I found it so much more rewarding hearing a child say their first word, making an early mark or gaining my trust.  I was lucky enough to be offered a job in this school and now have 8 years of experience working with a range of different abilities, and adapting a lesson 10 ways to support each individual need!

My experience supporting children with autism: I have been fortunate enough to work with a wide range of needs within my experience however most of the pupils I have supported have a diagnosis of ASD. I have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each individual and their needs. I have also benefited from a wide range of sensory processing training that has provided me with ideas and techniques to best support our pupils with Autism to encourage them to reach their potential. I have previously identified the needs for sensory circuits, visual supports (including first & then boards) and even fidgets (e.g. putty) to meet a child’s sensory needs whilst engaging within activities. Developing routine, structure and clear boundaries have been vital within my role so that I can support the child to focus on the learning concept being introduced.  One intervention that I really enjoy using is attention autism, a fun attention building activity that can also reinforce the learning outcome. This has allowed children I have previously worked with to greatly develop their attention, communication and key skills, including play skills.

My experience boosting confidence and self-esteem:  I have worked with a range of children that may have previously been faced with a range of setbacks or situations that have left them feeling more anxious about themselves or their work. As suggested within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,  it is important that pupils achieve “belonging” and “self – esteem” before they can reach “self-actualisation.”  As a result, I find it very important to take time to get to know each individual and building a positive relationship with them. Sometimes, I have praised children or something that others may find very small, but to the child it holds great importance. Ways in which I build confidence are not always verbal and for some pupils, I have found body language or a simple high five can be extremely motivating and confidence boosting.  Within my experience It has proved that if you demonstrate to a pupil that you believe they can achieve something, they very quickly start to believe this too.

My specialist experience providing fun sessions to help inspire a love of learning: As you can see within my teaching philosophy below, I am a firm believer that if a child is not enjoying or motivated by the activity then they are unlikely to want to engage and consequently, learn! As a result of this, one of the first questions I will always ask a pupil or their key person includes the special interests that the child has. By knowing these, I try to make learning relevant and motivating for the individual and as a result, hopefully maximising engagement and progress.  I am extremely enthusiastic within my teaching and I try to use this to make learning fun, hands on and that we always finish with a smile and positive reinforcement.

Experience with behavioural challenges: Within my career I have experienced a range of behaviours and identified strategies of how to best support these. It important that relationships with parents/carers are also formed so that a consistent approach can be used to encourage success. I believe that a behaviour normal arises as a result of a need that the child may struggle to otherwise express. I am not afraid to support with behaviours and (hopefully!) identify how to reduce these.

Developing early skills: Without firm foundations, it is impossible to secure progress. I enjoy using a range of motivating non-conventional activities, such as “Write Dance” or “dough disco” to develop fine motor skills  which can later aid writing or even tying shoe laces! I enjoy being creative within activities so that children are provided with memorable experiences to continue their later learning. In 2020 I attended a phonics course and it has been so exciting to implement this in class, and hear some of our pupils start to recognise their sounds or even read!

I always set …. high expectations: Merton’s theory of the self fulfilling prophecy is one which I try to implement within my teaching. Previously I have had students in one class, which were learning to count, whilst also encouraging some other pupils to tell the time and learn about clocks. I enjoy planning activities for a wide range of levels and encouraging each child to always reach towards the best of their ability.

My experience supporting children to develop their focus and concentration skills.  If I am not interested or motivated by something then I struggle to sustain my usual focus within this. This is something that is also extremely true of our young learners and something I always remember within their lesson planning. I take time to get to know each individual and the types of lesson that will motivate them and encourage them to develop their focus and sustain attention throughout activities. However for some  children sustaining attention to activities can still be a bit of a challenge and therefore I try to break tasks down into manageable “chunks” to ensure learners know that there is an end in sight and they do not become unmotivated. Over time I work to gradually increase the size “chunk” provided and similarly increasing attention and focus to the activities provided.