Dyslexia Multi-tasking

The suspension files arrived yesterday so I began the task of relocating from the SENCO filing cabinet in the admin office to the new SEN room.  I had also discovered other files in other drawers so these moved too.  Now all files are together but are yet to be meaningfully looked at and sorted into categories.

So far I have a drawer dedicated to children who have a "Cause for Concern" , SA, SA+, Statement, Medical and a drawer for LAC files, both of these I have sorted through so they contain the relevant material and children (some still contained files on children who had left more than three years ago!)but the other two drawers are filed with a miscellany of files.  If anyone has suggestions about the important categories then I'd love to know.

I also managed to sort out more of the room by putting things away into the desk and the filing cabinet of social and emotional support which was initially in the room.  The two tables and chairs are now in place and only a few more things to be put away (hopefully less than 1/2 an hour) and the room will be operational for teaching and meetings - hurray!

My role in school also extends this year to school librarian and the state of the library is something to behold!  Choosing three willing volunteers from my class for lunchtime library duty we set about trying to put some of the books back onto the shelves from the piles that have just been dumped around the library.  It soon became evident that one child who I have suspected of dyslexic tendancies (bright, interesting & out of the box ideas, bizarre spellings) could not use the alphabet without trying to recite from A each time (for filing books in the M-R sections) totally confused after F (H G K J!) and unable to say what came after M (even after two reminders).  This library exercise gave further evidence so I am really pleased with the multi-tasking involved and may use it with another two children who I also believe have dyslexic tendencies.  The atmosphere of laughing at the unbelievable mess of books and the bonding process of how much work we all had to do to sort just a few shelves meant no-one knew I was gathering information and certainly the child in question enjoyed the task because of the support given and the help they were giving me.

Filing Cabinets Arrive for Duty!

Yesterday, much to everyone's amazement the filing cabinets arrived (less than 24 hours signed, sealed, delivered!)  Our wonderful caretaker had put them into position in the room I am trying to turn into the S.E.N. Centre, so all that is left is for me to now transfer the S.E.N. files into them (I had hoped to do this yesterday during my SENCO morning but my time was taken up with other, more pressing issues) and await the delivery of a batch of suspension files to create my new filing system which hopefully will allow information on each child or targeted teaching group to be easily accessible.

I also had a meeting with a member of the behavioural team (privately we're renaming it "The Support Team") who brought and explained details of the various things they do.  As a class teacher I have had contact with certain people regarding children displaying really bad behaviour in class, as the SENCO I realised how much support is actually out there so why can't class teachers tap into it more?

Chasing up an urgent case via phone calls regarding panel occupied some of the morning as well as trying to contact people for the IPM - school e-mail system went down, so not much doing!  Reading the proposed statements for a couple of children that arrived in the post also took up more of my time.

I have begun to realise just how much work is involved and possibly why the filing is in the way it is! 

As class teachers have not yet had their review meetings about children who are falling behind, T.A. managed groups have not yet been set up nor one-to-one sessions & targeted teaching for me either, so I hope to make the SEN Centre ready this morning as I hope some groups will be able to start next week and I want somewhere for them. 

First Annual Review

First annual review done today as Senco, and I have to admit a steep learning curve - luckily our LA representative volunteered to chair as I said it would be my first - also I could not find the relevant blank forms so took copious notes to fill forms in for later.  Have also been told to schedule at least an hour per child for the review - as it was we speeded through to deal with two children who should have had reviews last school year but due to two cancellations by various important parties had failed to happen.  Therefore these have been done as late reviews and I should schedule this year's review for late in the school year 2012-2013.  At least I felt it had gone well with additional hours sought and two staff members not one to do the hours all agreed in principle by everyone.  Tomorrow I will write most of it up and get outreach support added when they come next week to assess ICT arrangements.

New filing cabinets arrived and are now installed in the room that I am to turn into the special needs and SENCO room.  No actual suspension files in them though so will have to order some of those before can actually sort and file vast quantitites of paperwork!!

Things are progressing, but slowly.

New Thoughts on Assessment, Dr. Who & New Knitting Project

I am currently reading a book (Helping 5 to 8 year olds with special educational needs by Chazan, M Laing A.F. & Davies, D 1991) that devotes its first 7 chapters to the assessment of children with possible special needs.  Already it has hi-lighted to me that often in school we only use assessment for what the child can or cannot do.  The words "assessment should aim to discover how a child learns" are making me realise that this is probably the most important reason for the observations I will do in classes as SENCO and how that could help focus everyone on how we get these children to proceed in their learning.  It's at this point I would really like some contact with others in education or parents with children with S.E.N. that are helping their child learn and could give me more ideas.

This will be a short post as Dr. Who begins tonight and it's a ritual in our house that we all watch it together.  Harks back to my own childhood, spent watching from behind the sofa!

Lastly, have decided to begin knitting jumper for daughter with wool donated by my mother (Wendy Naturelle in brown/white 1980's?).  Of course, daughter has idea of what she wants it to look like, slash top, simple cables, but can I find a pattern for it in chunky - no.  So it looks like I will be creating my own and fingers crossed it will turn out alright!

New Beginnings

It's the first time I've ever blogged so I hope anyone reading this forgives my errors and newbie ways.

My hope is to document my steep learning curve as a new SENCO and to communicate my findings, trials and tribulations and possible breakthroughs in the ways of teaching those children in mainstream primary school who find it so hard to learn like the majority.

I also want to share the wonderful creativity there is in the world in all its forms that's helps make life bearable as well as some of my own efforts in creativity and craft!

During the bank holiday weekend I attended the International Festival of Glass held at Stourbridge and was blown away by the beauty and incredible techniques and mastery of the glass workers.  I learnt so much and witnessed pure magic as people created amazing pieces of art in front of my eyes.  The event encompassed a number of venues of which I only managed to get round the Ruskin Mill, Broadfield House and the Bonded Warehouse in the one day, however as the exhibitions are running until 15th September I'm hoping to be back to see more soon.http://www.ifg.org.uk/

The photo shows the glass vase I bought from the student stall.  The young man who sold it to me (as well as being the craftsman who had made it!) has just completed his three year course and talked so animatedly about the things he had learnt during his time there; he was a brilliant ambassador for the college.

 

The photo was taken on a very dull and rainy day so you just have to imagine how beautiful it truly looks when the sun is shining through it!

 

The next three photos unfortunately show what is happening to the glass industry as more people choose to buy cheaper imports from abroad.  I can remember visiting this Stuart Crystal site during the 1990s to buy various glass decanters as wedding gifts (I wonder how many jobs were lost when it closed to move to the much smaller premises across the road?)