[senco-forum] Training for all teachers

Let's not make SEN too crushingly boring. ;-) I don't think teachers need

Agree with this and would like to add the concept of multidisciplinary 
approach (multi professional ).
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <astryngia at tiscali.co.uk>
To: <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 12:37 AM
Subject: Re: [senco-forum] Training for all teachers


> Let's not make SEN too crushingly boring. ;-)  I don't think teachers need 
> to learn what's in the SEN Code of Practice - that's the job of the SENCO. 
> In my experience the change needed at classroom level is in skills and 
> attitude.  In particular, I'd like to see parents being put first, not 
> last. Parents are the greater expert in their SEN children, in their 
> children's disabilities and how to manage those disabilities; furthermore, 
> it is their legal responsibility to ensure their child is educated 
> according to age, ability, aptitude and special educational needs.  They 
> have every right to be fully involved.  At the same time, they have little 
> knowledge of - or power over - the system. That can be very threatening, 
> leading to conflict and misunderstandings.
>
> 1.  To listen to parents, to create a positive working relationship and to 
> manage that relationship by treating parents as equal partners and as 
> experts in their own field.
> 2.  To recognise and value difference
> 3.  To understand the concept of invisible disabilities and to practice 
> that required 'leap of imagination'.
> 4.  To understand that all behaviour has a purpose and that if there is 
> 'behaviour' then the teacher needs to stop and 'listen'.
> 5.  To have confidence that there really are simple solutions and that 
> small adaptations can be hugely effective.
> 6.  To know that they don't have to have all the answers (but that the 
> child probably does ;-))
> 7.  To understand the impact of the Expert Patient concept and the aims of 
> SPP and similar in creating parents as experts 
> http://www.expertpatients.nhs.uk/parents.shtml; 
> http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=217
>