[senco-forum] What are we for? (very long

hi Amanda

Don't you dare think about leaving, your experience is too valuable to
loose, and I enjoy our banter.  Love your analogy with the GP and I agree
with your 'rant'.

I've been a forummer for almost ten years and can remember discussions
similar to this in the past.  The problem then was generated by a small
number of people who had a particular axe to grind/political (small 'p')
view point. Eventually they left perhaps because they couldn't change the
policy through the forum.  They too had the theory but not the practice that
SENCOs have.  It is about being pregmatic and practical within a school
setting.

This is an invaluable resource for us busy SENCOs who have little time and
need to tap into a wide range of experience and knowledge base.  How many
times has it saved us from re-inventing the wheel?

I don't want to see the forum populated solely by SENCOs (had that
discussion before), others have a wealth of invaluable knowledge about
specific needs.

Forummers need to feel supported and helped, not beliegered and shouted at.

The humour has gone at the moment, perhaps the return of the Friday Funny is
needed, I'll look back at my 3207 unopened e-mails (still haven't deleted
them, they are like old friends)!

Now, back to work.

Richard

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of Mary Kelly
Sent: 29 October 2006 10:47
To: 'Amanda'; 'senco-forum'
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] What are we for? (very long - sorry!!)

Dear Amanda,
I think you put that very well. I hadn't realised until I read your posting
and you're absolutely right - it's the difference between wanting to give
real practical help and wanting to change policy. I do hope people listen
and begin to keep their personal crusades to themselves, or to another
forum. I don't want to be preached to, or have my thinking fixed, I just
want to be able to ask others for help when I'm stuck or need to clarify my
thinking, and to pick up ideas that may not otherwise have occurred to me. I
have to admit that some of the crusaders are wasting energy on me anyway
because I see the name and delete the posting without reading it.
It sounds like you are doing a fantastic job and carrying a huge amount of
responsibility - my own job is much smaller in scope but I love it just as
much.
Don't leave, whatever you do - I'd love to be able to continue to tap that
experience when I need to.
With thanks,
Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Amanda
Sent: 29 October 2006 09:56
To: senco-forum
Subject: [senco-forum] What are we for? (very long - sorry!!)

Hello everyone

  Time to declare myself, I think.
  What has happened to senco-forum?  Where's the wit, the humour, the
support factor?  Why does it seem to be full of people who are shouting into
both my ears?  What has happened to the SENCOs who used to answer?  Have we
almost all turned into lurkers?

  I try to live my professional life by this, my adaptation of an old
saying:
  Oh Lord, give me the will to change what must be changed
  The strength to endure what must be endured
  And the wisdom to know which is which.

  I've been on this Forum for years.  Since 2001, anyway.  People come and
people go - many find the sheer number of postings difficult to deal with.
Some retire - get ill - get a different job.  I've stuck with it because I
really like talking with people from everywhere and I have got some great
advice over the years.

  But I have never felt so strongly that we seem to be dividing into two
sections.

  There are those who want to change the system and see the Forum as a means
to do this.
  There are those who are working to make an inadequate system work as well
as possible for current students in the circumstances that exist now.

  Please - if you want to change the system go and talk to those who control
it.  This Forum doesn't have the power to change policy at a local or
national level.  Plus SENCOs only have the power to change practice within
schools if there is the will to do this at Senior Management level.  Telling
the Forum how to change the system is not helpful to us who are SENCOs.  We
need instant, practical, specific advice which comes from practice not
theory.  And we are already 'the converted'.  Preaching to us is a waste of
your energy.

   I am proud to say that I am a 'generalist'.  I think I work like a GP,
seeing every kind of problem and, usually, knowing how to solve it.  When I
don't, I refer upwards to those who do.  If there is a waiting list, I do
what I can in the meantime.  The difference between me and a GP is that
'what I can do' involves affecting the behaviour of other teachers, parents
and pupils and not just a patient.

  Just an idea of what I have on my books at the moment - dyslexia,
dyspraxia, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, APD (yes, I do deal with this), ASD,
ADHD, attachment disorder, MLD, SLD, access arrangements, transfers in and
out of the school - oh and I teach classes for 19 out of 30 lessons a week.
I run a team of 14 TAs, not all of whom are full time, liaise on a daily
basis with two teachers of the hearing imparied plus the HI TA and manage
all the liason with outside agencies dealing with pupils with SEN.  I'm an
AST (though I don't do a day a week out of school at the moment).  I'm on
the school's policy committee (middle management level) and I am spending a
year on the SMT (one HoD a year joins SMT).  I'm one of two teacher
governors.  I don't say this to make people feel sorry about my work load -
I love the job and the extra work - but to show that the role of a SENCO is
a complex business, much more so than some of the posts from non-SENCOs seem
to suggest or, indeed,
 understand.

  I am going to have to start auto-deleting the posts of those who want to
affect national and local policy because it is driving me mad.  I feel that
I am being shouted at about  problems I can do nothing about and it is
getting in the way of me doing my job as best I can.  At the worst, it will
drive me off the Forum.  It has already meant that the Forum has lost some
excellent contributors not to mention a sense of humour.  What happened to
the Friday funnies?  And I'm a SENCO - the very people this Forum was set up
to support.  If you are a SENCO and you have read this far - thanks.  And
have a good run up to Christmas.

  Tirade over.  I'll go back to lurking.  All answers to the whole Forum
would be appreciated.

  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall

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