The term 'special educational needs' has a legal definition. Children with special educational needs (SENs) all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it more difficult for them to learn or access education than most children of the same age. These children may need extra or different help from that given to other children of the same age. The law says that children do not have learning difficulties just because their first language is not English. Of course some of these children may have learning difficulties as well. They may have difficulties in thinking and understanding, physical or sensory difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, difficulties with speech and language or how they relate to and behave with other people. Many children will have SENs at some time during their education. Schools can help most children overcome their difficulties quickly and easily but some children will need extra help for some or all of their time in school.

Special Education Needs could mean a child has difficulties with: all of the work in school reading, writing, number work or understanding information expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying making friends or relating to adults behaving properly in school organising themselves some kind of sensory or physical needs that may affect them in school. Help will usually be in the child's ordinary mainstream early education setting or school, sometimes involving outside specialists. Just because your child is making slower progress than you expected or the teachers are providing different support, help or activities in class does not mean you should assume your child has a SEN. The Government has set out in the Early Learning Goals of the foundation stage of education for children from three to five years what most children should be able to do by the end of school reception year. The National Curriculum for children from five to 16 years also sets out what most children will learn at each stage of their education. Children make progress at different rates and learn in different ways. Teachers are expected to take account of this in the way they teach: they will consider their options and choose the most appropriate ways to help each child learn from a range of activities. This is often described as 'differentiating the curriculum'.

Behavior Difficulties Many pupils do not conform to what we would consider 'good' behaviour. Sometimes this is related to other problems in their lives which lead to them having a special educational need. The behaviour may be caused by a physical or medical problem or a learning difficulty.

Learning Difficulties The most common special needs you are likely to find in your class are learning difficulties of various types. These may or may not be related to a physical or medical condition. Learning difficulties can range from moderate ( to severe. In the North of Ireland these are usually termed MLD and SLD. In the Republic of Ireland, these are classified as Mild, Moderate, Severe and Profound general learning difficulties

Physical Difficulties Increasing inclusion has meant the removal of barriers to access and this is encouraging more parents to have their children educated in mainstream schools alongside their peers. Increasing advances in technology is making this more and more successful.

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Practical Tips 1. Voice matching: Your voice should be at the volume and intonation you expect from the pupil. A loud and aggressive voice will usually result in a loud and aggressive response. 2. Self-calm: Practice all your self-calming skills. Remember that the first person who needs to calm down in a confrontation is you! 3. Move in: If you are speaking to an individual pupil, dont shout across the room or remain rooted behind your desk; move in. Be aware of your speed of approach! 4. Move out: Once you have spoken to the pupil, the temptation is to remain close by, waiting for compliance. You are far more likely to see success if you move away, expecting compliance. This enables the pupil to make a good choice without the stress of your presence. 5. Personal space: For most of us, personal space is approximately the radius of an outstretched arm; any further away, and it is difficult to work out who is being spoken to. Any closer and you begin to invade intimate space. If you need to be that close, consider standing slightly sideways and avoid a confrontational manner.

6. Hurdle help: Use positive posters as rule reminders (written and illustrated) to help pupils overcome the hurdles that prevent them from complying with your rules and expectations. 7. Positive ethos: Set a positive ethos in your classroom from the outset. Be on time, be prepared and concentrate initially on the pupils who are on-task and complying with the classroom guidelines. 8. Proximity: This is similar to personal space remember that simply standing near the off-task pupil will be sufficient to make them consider their behaviour. 9. Proximity praise: Rather than giving random praise, spot the off- task pupil and make sure you praise the pupil nearby who is on task and complying. This is far more positive than simply noting the wrong behaviour. 10. Non-verbal language: Be aware that more than 60% of all communication is non-verbal. What is your body language saying?

11. Antiseptic bounce: This is a classic strategy. Send the target pupil to a colleague with a note or message. The note says, Tell (pupils name) Well done and send him or her back! The pupil has been removed from the problem situation, received praise and has returned in a fresh state of mind. 12. Meet and greet: Some pupils are simply not in the right frame of mind at the start of the day or the lesson. Set up a system with you or a TA to meet and greet and settle the pupil. 13. Track behaviours: It is vital that you have an accurate and objective system for tracking, monitoring and evaluating behaviour. 14. Refocus: Dont be verbally misled by arguing pupils. Refocus them on the issue by using a statement of understanding ('Yes, I see, but that is not the point; you need to...') 15. Broken record: Avoid engaging in an argument, and be prepared to repeat your instruction or direction up to three times (use the exact same wording) before raising the level of your response

16. Time out/Change seat: A change of environment will often help to focus a pupil. Dont forget, the emphasis should be on time. Make sure you have a plan of how to reintegrate the pupil back into your teaching group. 17. Think sheet/Self-review: A simple process to enable the pupil to reconsider their actions and to decide on a more appropriate course of action next time. 18. Rules/Rewards/Consequences: Involve pupils in the development of rules. 19. Hierarchy of response: Have at least five levels of response and remember that your role is to use the responses to keep the pupil at the lowest level possible; not to escalate the problem! 20. Communicate: Make sure that you have systems in place to enable the sharing of information with parents, other staff and the named pupil. It is easy to determine hot spots, problem lessons, personality clashes and how different adults perceive the pupil if information is shared.

What physical factors can you think of, that contribute towards bad behaviour in the classroom environment? Please write at least 5.

Hot or cold in the class room Stuffyness Ill health Crowded classrooms Sitting next to ill liked person

What emotional factors canyou think of, that contribute towards Bad behaviour?

Broken Homes Broken relations Loss of a dear one Bullying Stress due to illness Financial stress

Overview The fundamentals of classroom management at the college level are based upon the effective communication of goals and expectations as well as a willingness to articulate and enforce behavioral standards.college Communication Clearly articulating standards and expectations from the start of the class is endemic to fostering a well-managed classroom. Some students may be legitimately confused about proper behavior and etiquette in classrooms at the college level. Proper behavior should be spelled out in the course syllabus and should be covered verbally by the instructor, as well. If a student becomes disruptive, it should be immediately communicated to him or her. Limitations and Enforcement Behavioral limitations, such as whether or not eating and drinking and taking cell phone calls is allowed, should be articulated clearly to all students, both orally and in writing. While it may seem like common sense that students do not talk in class or that they should turn off their cell phones, students often misinterpret the freedom of college life for a lack of limitation in the college classroom

Dos and Donts Student Preparedness It should be made clear that it is not only a student's responsibility to himself, but also to others and to the instructor that he or she comes to class prepared. This needs to be communicated clearly and enforced actively. Students who come unprepared should be reminded that it may be reflected in their final grade. It is also smart to remind students that their education, the one they are paying for, is what they make of it. Its real value depends on them. Disrupting the classroom not only makes their own education less valuable, it also makes other students' lass time less valuable, too.education Instructor Preparedness Instructors should hold themselves to the same standards as they hold their students. Additionally, instructors should attempt to learn all of their students' names. This reduces feelings of anonymity in the classroom atmosphere and allows instructors to deal with students directly when disruptions arise. It is also a good idea for instructors to articulate student expectations through an explication of the instructor's own corresponding responsibilities.

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