Having spent the last seven years teaching internationally, I find myself back in the UK teaching in London. This is the circlest of full-circle moments. I love many things about being back in the place I grew up in and where I honed my classroom practice almost two decades ago. London is diverse, eclectic and so multi-variate. With this energy come significant challenges such as high levels of deprivation and complex social issues. Some of my pupils have had experiences which make it no small miracle that they are still attending school. For many, life has been very hard, but here they are, still showing up, still attending almost every day for the most part. The least I can do is show up for them with my best self.
My international experience seems so juxtaposed to my current context. I wanted to write about this. Partly as a way of reflecting on this experience – a kind of semi-realtime documenting. Secondly, perhaps what I will share can help others facing challenging contexts and working with pupils who deserve our best.
SEND and the full extent of pupil needs
One of the first differences I noticed between most international classrooms and those back home in London is the ballooning SEND issue. I have a KS3 class of 31 students, 13 of which have an additional learning need and/or disability. This is more than one third of the class. Most lessons I have a support assistant who works tirelessly to guide those who struggle. This is a significant challenge, but one I am determined to face head on. There are a number of ways in which I aim to teach in such a way that supports the most disadvantaged.
Practical strategies for supporting learners with SEND
- Learn the needs of all your pupils with SEND as quickly as possible. I have my seating plans and class lists printed for each teaching set with their needs scrawled on each one. Like a Y11 going over their GCSE flashcards, I regularly glance over these documents to remind myself of their needs. These are the students I go to first whenever I set the group off on an independent or group task.
- Systematically check for understanding. I make sure I know where the mini whiteboards are; I embed slides with multiple choice and true or false tasks involving thumbs up/down voting so I can survey the whole class and pick up on misconceptions with laser-like focus. We’re not moving on until everyone has got it. I strategically place these slides after each concept is taught so I can see who has got lost along the way.
- Showing up with compassion for the most challenged. One student who is often sullen towards me and sometimes confrontational deserves my patience and understanding. I know that she is carrying immense trauma in her tiny frame and is easily triggered. But she’s here, every lesson and I am determined to get her through. I never let her off the hook for poor behaviour, but I seek to understand her and her background. She’s the one I will go out of my way to have a restorative conversation with so that we can put any issues behind us and focus on learning the next lesson I have with her. This is a key recommendation from the EEF – know your pupils and their influences.
Growth areas – pursuing excellence
Even after 20 years in the classroom, there are things I am still learning. This is what I love about my job – excellence is an ever-changing bar.
One particular area I’d like to focus on is having a more effective partnership with the LSAs who support my classes. Working with Teaching Assistants can be a game-changer. The EEF suggests that when support staff are effectively deployed, this can have a significant impact on attainment and progress for learners with additional needs. I’d like to get better at sharing resources in advance and discussing pupils and their needs and how they can be best met.
Unlike many of the students I taught in private international schools, the pupils in front of me are mostly not the type to have 20 books each year or go skiing during the winter, but they are mine and I love them, with all their flaws and challenges.