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1/ Morning guys. After a bit of reflection (& bedrest) I wanted to talk a little about children with Social Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties & how to engage them.
I wrote a blogpost talking about making a ‘Social Contract’ to compliment the School Rules which
I wrote a blogpost talking about making a ‘Social Contract’ to compliment the School Rules which
2/ proved a bit controversial. I was told that it was ‘vague & confusing’ & that we as teachers should take a ‘hard line with the behaviour policy’ until they follow it.
If you are dealing with children who can self-regulate & can verbalise their feelings that is fine but
If you are dealing with children who can self-regulate & can verbalise their feelings that is fine but
3/ for children that have SEMH needs not only will this not work but this could be potentially catastrophic.
In my experience, kids who are severely disruptive often have untold traumas that affect their interpersonal relationships. In clinician speak they have ACEs which mean
In my experience, kids who are severely disruptive often have untold traumas that affect their interpersonal relationships. In clinician speak they have ACEs which mean
4/ Adverse Childhood Experiences which are anything which could disrupt their expected childhood development. Research has proved the more ACEs that a person has, the more likely they will have problems with their mental health, addiction & bleak life outcomes.
5/ ACEs include being emotionally neglected, physical & verbal abuse, having a member of the home abusing substances, living in unsafe housing etc. These kids often have maladaptive defends mechanisms that make it very difficult to adapt to highly structured places like schools
6/ & tragically are rejected by the very system that should be designed to help them. Will taking a ‘hard line’ work with them.
Lastly let me give you a case study.
I worked with a boy, who I will call ‘John’ who was referred to us with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
Lastly let me give you a case study.
I worked with a boy, who I will call ‘John’ who was referred to us with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
7/ John was thrown out of school for serial aggression & for bringing in an axe to attack another boy with. He was 15.
John was bounced around the Alternative Provision system until he landed with us.
Working with our Safeguarding & Wellbeing teams, we discovered that John was
John was bounced around the Alternative Provision system until he landed with us.
Working with our Safeguarding & Wellbeing teams, we discovered that John was
8/ raised in a chaotic home. John was the family scapegoat. Even although the parents had a 3 bedroom house, John was forced to sleep on the floor so that his siblings could have the beds.
His mother had an undisclosed mental illness that meant that she hoarded things
His mother had an undisclosed mental illness that meant that she hoarded things
9/ she bought from the market & the house was crammed with rubbish. John’s Dad was an alcoholic who regularly wet himself in the home & had violent fights with his Mum.
John’s Mum repeatedly told him that he was ‘nothing’ & could never live up to reputation of his oldest
John’s Mum repeatedly told him that he was ‘nothing’ & could never live up to reputation of his oldest
10/ brother ‘Sam’ who was a budding footballer scouted for a Premier League Team.
John has severe difficulties forming relationships because he was afraid that they would either leave him or turn on him so he ended up pushing people away.
John has severe difficulties forming relationships because he was afraid that they would either leave him or turn on him so he ended up pushing people away.
11/ His disruption became his only outlet for attention & his pain & most of the schools that had dealt with him, didn’t adequately (to no fault of their own) deal with his severe needs hence why he was with us.
12/ Teachers in his previous schools were not supportive & thought threats & sanctions would ‘get him in line.’
Nothing worked & he was told that he was a ‘lost cause.’
As part of the orientation of coming to the Centre we told him this could be a fresh start with the SC.
Nothing worked & he was told that he was a ‘lost cause.’
As part of the orientation of coming to the Centre we told him this could be a fresh start with the SC.
13/ The Social Contract that we formed with him & his class was probably the first time that anyone asked his opinion on anything. It told him that he was a valued member of the school & gave him boundaries designed to help him grow rather than punish him &
14/ he started to do better after that.
I think what bugged me about the ‘everyone should follow the school policy’ comment is the assumption that Education in ‘one-size-fits-all.’
No it doesn’t. If we are not even attempting to understand your students most complex needs
I think what bugged me about the ‘everyone should follow the school policy’ comment is the assumption that Education in ‘one-size-fits-all.’
No it doesn’t. If we are not even attempting to understand your students most complex needs
15/ then we are doing them a disservice.
I know John is an extreme example but part the problems we face post-COVID is a lack of understanding of the emotional impacts that trauma does to our students lives.
Remember our kids follow behaviour policies, they follow role models.
I know John is an extreme example but part the problems we face post-COVID is a lack of understanding of the emotional impacts that trauma does to our students lives.
Remember our kids follow behaviour policies, they follow role models.
