[senco-forum] Training for all teachers

Widening the scope of this discussion a bit;- let's also consider how
teacher training is actually delivered in practice.

When I did my Initial Teacher Training in the secondary sector some
five years ago we got just one day of SEN training ...or was it only a
single afternoon? I don't recall. Anyway the total SEN focused
training given us during our college based sessions was woefully small
and inadequate. However complementing this we should also have
received considerable input regarding SEN issues when we were out in
schools during teaching practice. Only as I recall to a great extent
this simply didn't happen.

Yes I was asked to shadow a statemented SEN student for a whole day
during all of her lessons. Furthermore I quickly picked up on the fact
this student was extremely short sighted yet she did not wear glasses
and hadn't been to see an optician. Yet none of the teachers I spoke
to had cottoned on to this. Worse still, nor did they give a damn!

During teaching practice I also made a point of always talking with
TAs about how they could best work with me when I was teaching and
vice-versa. Indeed they were eternally grateful for this as they never
received any feedback at all from my teaching mentors.

Anyway the point I really want to make is it's important to start with
the fact that the time allocated to the formal training of new
teachers in regard to SEN is hopelessly inadequate. Furthermore this
is not likely to change in the near future. TAs a consequence it's
vitally important to prioritise the single most important maximum five
or so aspects of SEN that new teachers should be made aware of in the
very limited time that's made available.

However one doesn't need to stop there. For once teachers are out in
schools here's nothing to stop SENCOs and other teachers from grabbing
hold of trainee teachers as soon as they arrive in your school and
inviting them to come shadow you or your best TAs and SEN teachers for
a few sessions. Furthermore during this time you can sell them on the
benefits of finding out about more about practical aspects of SEN and
how best to deal with this in the classroom.

So how about we jointly put together a schema or syllabus for
educating trainees regarding SEN when they come into our schools
during teaching practice. Good idea?

David Bowles

PS: As for the importance of working with parents, during the whole of
my teacher training I was never once given even a single opportunity
to meet with any parents on school premises. Mind you I did
occasionally bump into students keen to introduce me to their mum
while out shopping in town. On these occasions I was often thanked for
the extra help I'd given their son or daughter. Yes parents are often
wised up to those teachers who are best at supporting SEN students and
also the worse ones as well!!!