Module Code - SJIE4006 Principles of Learning and Teaching Amy Glass – 1602407 Word count -1580 Discuss three specific strategies that support the delivery of effective teaching and learning in a classroom. Use academic literature and examples from your own setting to support your response. This assignment will provide information on three specific strategies which support the delivery of effective teaching and learning in the classroom. It will provide a discussion around the usefulness and effectiveness of each strategy with references from relevant literature and examples from personal experience of working in an education setting. It will critically evaluate the need for each strategy, providing a well-informed discussion. Within a diverse and multicultural school environment many issues arise which create barriers to learning. One issue which is common within my education setting are children who lack the personal and social skills needed in a school environment to progress. According to SEAL, (Welsh Assembly Government, 2017. P6), personal and social skills are classed as ‘emotional literacy; emotional intelligence; social and emotional competence; and social, emotional and behavioural skills’. These personal and interpersonal skills play an integral role in the progression and development of school aged pupils and enable them to become competent learners who have the ability to manage feelings, become resilient and independent young people who are able to overcome and deal with disagreements in a healthy and mature way. SEAL (Welsh Assembly Government, 2017. P7) states that ‘Where pupils have good skills in these areas, and are educated within an environment supportive to emotional health and well-being, they will be motivated and equipped to be effective and successful learners, make and sustain friendships’ and ‘deal with and resolve conflict effectively and fairly’ (Welsh Assembly Government, 2017) A strategy used within my learning environment to promote personal and interpersonal skills is Restorative Practice (RP). According to Oliver (2016) ‘Restorative Practices is a framework of addressing school discipline and behavior through a lens that honors and places relationships at the center of our work with students’. RP uses open questions which require the pupils involved to think about their actions, why it happened, how each party is feeling, what the consequences were and how the situation can be resolved or managed. The questions provide pupils with a learning opportunity which enable the people involved to address the issue which is or could lead to poor behaviour for learning; and while doing so, improving social and emotional skills such as empathy, communication and emotional literacy. Oliver (2016) states ‘Restorative Practices seeks to repair the harm that was done to people, relationships, and the school. When this is accomplished, educators and students can engage in teaching and learning’. Once learned and developed, pupils become more aware of their own actions and have a deeper understand of the consequences these actions may have on their peers, environment, teachers and their education. Although used to resolve conflict between pupils, the education setting discussed plans to embed this strategy throughout the whole school community. Behaviour specialist Paul Dix, (2012) suggests that to improve behaviour for learning as a whole school approach, schools need to scrap detentions and punishments and replace them with a script for difficult interventions and a restorative follow up. This means to place RP at the heart of the school community, providing teachers with the ability to use the restorative dialogue to address poor behaviour in lessons. In his theory of Pivotal Education (Dix, 2012), Dix states that ‘For children who are scared of the Punishment Road it can be an effective deterrent. Yet for children who are behaving differently because of emotional trauma suffered at home or because they have communication and learning difficulties the Punishment Road heaps pain on problems’. He makes the point that issuing harsh punishments such as isolation and detentions on damaged and vulnerable pupils is unjust, unfair and cruel. Some people may disagree with the view of the ineffectiveness of punishments and state that these systems, although cruel, are effective in modifying challenging behaviour. According to Paton, (2009) ‘Nick Gibb, the shadow schools minister, said old-fashioned detentions often remained an effective tool for cracking down on bad behaviour’. The Donaldson Report (Donaldson, 2015), suggests that the system and curriculum structure is ‘too complicated’ and ‘prescriptive’ (Donaldson, 2015). In his report he provides evidence for a need for ‘a simpler, more connected curriculum that would provide breadth, enable greater depth of learning, ensure better progression and give scope for more imaginative use of time’ (Donaldson, 2015). Within my education setting there has been a view that there is a needed to provide a more holistic approach to learning, to provide children with activities to develop soft skills, to promote engagement in school life and the wider community. This strategy is called Enrichment. It is a whole school initiative, where pupils are offered a range of different activities, from sports, creative arts, cookery and technology to debate clubs and writing classes. Pupils continue with their chosen activities for a term and then move on to another, to develop and learn a new skill. The key skills developed during enrichment sessions are work-based, hands on learning, team work and collaborative skills and personal development. These skills are developed at a pace which suits the individual, without pressure from teachers to attain a certain grade. This promotes success, positive self-esteem and a sense of achievement. Jones (2016) states that ‘Now more than ever, developing a thriving enrichment programme is an essential part of promoting employability, academic attainment and teaching young people the skills they need to make good choices’. This backs up Donaldson’s view on a need for curriculum re-structure and an urgency to provide a more engaging and enthusing package of support for pupils at school. As a direct result of the Enrichment programme, attendance has improved, positive behaviour around the school and in lessons has increased and relationships between staff and pupils have strengthened. Jones (2016) writes that ‘The programme can boost self-confidence, develop leadership skills, instil self-motivation and can evidence good time-management’. This has a positive impact on effective teaching and learning within the school because it fosters and produces young people who are better equipped with a skill set which promotes resilience and determination, relationships and leadership skills, planning and problem solving, confidence and creativity. Some parents may feel that the enrichment programme is taking away valuable teaching and learning time in a classroom. They may feel that the two hours spent on extracurricular activities is a waste of time, money and resources. Norman (2017) suggests that these activities will have a negative impact on pupils’ attainment. She stated that ‘while your child is in school, maintaining focus on grades is his most important job’ (Norman, 2017). Suggesting that this time could be better spent in a classroom is a valid point, however, the evidence to show the impact that enrichment activities have on a child’s attainment, progression, attendance and overall wellbeing far outweigh loss of teaching time. The last strategy discussed in this assignment is Person Centred Learning. Person centred learning refers to a variety of educational approaches and learning strategies designed to address the learning needs, interests and cultural backgrounds of individual pupils. It holds the belief that pupils thrive in an environment which enables them to take a lead in learning activities, participate in class or group discussions and design learning projects through exploration of topics which interest them. According to Wheeler (2017), John Dewey, an American psychologist ‘argued that rather than the child being a passive recipient of knowledge… children were better served if they took an active part in the process of their own learning’. Within my education setting the pupil centred approach has become a valuable strategy to support the delivery of effective teaching and learning. Pupils are given a theme and provided with challenges and tasks which need to be completed for their qualification. Through group discussions and individual research, the young people are given the freedom to develop new learning in an area which interests them and present their findings creatively through a variety of mediums. This has supported the delivery of effective teaching and learning by igniting an interest and enthusing pupils. Young people play an active role in providing information to the class and enjoy the activities they have chosen. This has had a positive impact on behaviour and attendance to lessons, which has consequently improved attainment levels. Dewey (1938) suggested that children progress and gain a deeper understanding of a topic when they are given an active involvement in the curriculum and interact with their environment. Within my learning environment, classrooms are setup in a way which promotes group activities. The tables are grouped rather than in rows, there are resources and computers available and trained staff able to facilitate and support the learning process. Person centred learning could be criticised for relying too heavily on the learner’s ability to discover and retain new information independently. According to Wheeler (2017) ‘Dewey was wary of placing too much emphasis on the child’s abilities, but preferred to place his trust in a more balanced approach to education where teacher, students and content were given equal importance in the learning equation’. In keeping with Dewey’s theory (Dewey, 1938), although the school has adopted a person centred learning strategy, it values the knowledge and guidance which staff provide. This shows that pupils alone would not succeed without teaching and support staff and their ability to effectively guide and facilitate the learning process. In conclusion, this assignment has shown how three different strategies support effective teaching and learning within the classroom. It has, through referencing of academic literature and personal experiences, demonstrated a critical understanding of how the strategies are applied effectively within a learning environment. References • Dewey, John (1938). Experience & Education. New York, NY: Kappa Delta Pi. • Dix, P. (2012). Punishment Road. [online] Pivotal Education. Available at: https://pivotaleducation.com/punishment-road/ [Accessed 5 Nov. 2017]. • Donaldson, G. (2015). Successful Futures - Independent Review of Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales. [online] p.109. Available at: http://file:///C:/Users/Windows%207%20User/Downloads/Donaldson%20Report%20-%20Successful%20Futures%20-%20Independent%20Review%20of%20Curriculum%20and%20Assessment%20Arrangements%20in%20Wales.pdf [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. • Jones, E. (2017). Delivering an effective enrichment programme. [online] Sec-ed.co.uk. Available at: http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/delivering-an-effective-enrichment-programme/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. • Norman, L. (2017). Reasons Why Kids Shouldn't Have Extracurricular Activities. [Blog] Live Strong. Available at: https://www.livestrong.com/article/1000551-reasons-kids-shouldnt-extracurricular-activities/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017]. • Oliver, B. (2016). Restorative Practices. AMLE Magazine, (3), pp.30-32. Welsh Assembly Government (2017). Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning - Cymru. Welsh Assembly Government, pp.6-7. • Paton, G. (2009). Tory Plans for 'No Notice' School Detentions. The Telegraph. [online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6655368/Tory-plans-for-no-notice-school-detentions.html [Accessed 5 Nov. 2017]. • Welsh Assembly Government (2017). Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning - Cymru. Welsh Assembly Government, pp.6-7. • Wheeler, S. (2017). The Pedagogy Of John Dewey: A Summary. [online] TeachThought. Available at: https://www.teachthought.com/learning/pedagogy-john-dewey-summary/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2017].