Monthly Archives: January 2014

‘ENGAGE’ (ACTION NOT TALK) TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

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The second of two articles on this subject published by the ‘Northern Territory News’ on Saturday January 25 2014.

FIXING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

The issue of school attendance in both remote and urban school situations is one attracting attention. Solutions are suggested, but rarely actioned.

While the issue of school attendance is one that dominates thinking for remote areas, the issue is of equal concern in urban schools. It impacts both Indigenous and non- Indigenous students.

An interesting and relevant point is that for many years, while school attendance was obligatory once children were enrolled, enrolment of children who were school-age was not mandated. In 2009 the act was changed and enrolment of school age children by parents or primary caregivers was made compulsory. However, there are still many school aged children in the Territory who have never been enrolled.

Numerous reasons for excusing school attendance by indigenous children are offered. It’s been justifiable for absence to occur over sorry business, ceremonial purposes and so on. There is also the phenomena of regular movement from place to place. This makes it hard to keep up with children and families. Computerisation of school records to track the movement of children from school to school has limited success.

Similiarly for non-indigenous children in urban schools, absence for a raft of reasons occurs during term time . A major factor is that of families taking holidays during school terms when airfares and accomodation are cheaper. Time away from school happens because of religious observances, visits by relatives and families deciding to take their own long weekends. Often children return late from holidays and leave before the end of term. Truancy and non-attendance are system issues for all schools.

Excuses

I have often heard people say that school is not relevant for indigenous children. Students out in the bush might be “doing traditional things”. Who is to say they are not getting a better and more enriched education than provided by school.

From time to time people suggest that school is a mile to far because children are being instructed in the secondary language of English. This conflicts with the fact that many aboriginal people over the years have stressed the importance of schooling being conducted by English speaking teachers modelling in a way that does not dilute the English language. They don’t want speech and speaking in broken language idiom. People with whom I have worked in three communities have all expressed this need. Interestingly, none of them have been speaking from a background provided by interstate schooling. Their perceptions are based on local needs and understanding.

Lead from the front.

I believe a key problem is that principals and school leadership teams in communities are too often “reactive” when dealing with attendance issues. They know the problem but do nothing to fix it, waiting for others within the community to lead. They don’t do anything about overcoming the issue. They may be frightened that being proactive will bring retaliation. As a principal in remote schools, I got out there and dealt with attendance issues! I felt my job was to get the children to school. That needs to be the stance of school leaders everywhere.

Indigenous Australians respond to people as people rather than people occupying positions. There have been in remote and urban schools, a number of principals who have been very, very effective in engaging aboriginal children and their families within school contexts. That was because of their personal approach, their deep interest in and empathy with children and families. It is critically important to engage at a personal level with Indigenous Australians. Often that isn’t done.

Part of this has to be a willingness to sit and talk with members of remote, rural, town and urban communities. Conversation can help build mutuality and respect from which change can be launched.

It is important to deal with Indigenous Australians on a personal level, not as ‘persons apart’ and separated from their communities. It is for this reason I believe that teachers (and other government workers) who work within communities but live elsewhere face credibility and commitment challenges. “Why don’t they want to be in their communities” is thought and asked.

Urban School Characteristics

We are increasingly a multicultural society with a significant number of indigenous children enrolled in urban schools. This personal approach works in all contexts. I know about and respect the efforts of a number of current and past principals who, through engagement with their indigenous community cohorts, lifted attitude and attendance within town and city schools. The system would do well to contact and talk with these leaders who built outcomes through care.

We need to have high expectations for Indigenous students. Countenancing the development of separate programs for Aboriginal children in schools is distasteful because expectations for all students need to be set at a high level. Watered down expectations and modified programs set a low bar. Awareness of ‘double standards’ can discourage indigenous children from attending school.

More than slogans needed

Slogans and pieces of legislation being touted to solve attendance problems can be pretentious. The only thing that solves problems are solutions derived from action. Planning change without follow-up implementative practice is a waste of time. It simply perpetuates existing problems.

In the Territory we have moved in slogan terms from ‘catch the school buzz’ to ‘every child, every day’. In some local areas there are ‘no school, no pool’ programs. We have had truancy officers in the past. There were authorised school attendance officers as far back as the 1980’s. They have been employed, albeit under varying titles, on and off ever since. The Scullion initiative is a new take on a program more than thirty years old. ‘What will make it work this time’ is a burning question.

There needs to be follow up for all students on issues of school attendance regardless of whether they are Indigenous, non-indigenous, in remote, rural, town or urban schools. That has been an issue of the past, with very few programs leading to behaviour changing outcomes.

Plans need to follow through and be fully implemented. If that does not happen this ‘new’ initiative, essentially a re-run of past approaches, will be no more than a huge waste of time and money.

TRUANCY – TOWARD EDUCATIONAL RUINATION

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The first of two articles in the ‘NTN News’ and ‘Sunday Territorian’

TRUANCY PLACES EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS

A few months ago, along with many thousands of Australians, I watched the Memorial Service held for Doctor Yunupingu in Arnhem land. Many tributes and testimonials were offered, confirming his contribution to education and music.

One of the things that stood out most particularly was the way in which “older” Indigenous Australians spoke. What impressed me was evidence of the education obviously offered to them as young people. Their confidence, articulation and capacity to hold an audience through their conversational logic took me down the historical path – back to the “Mission” days of schooling and immediately after that period. Senior adults, as children, used to attend school regularly and learn a way that offered them sequenced, progressive and English based learning.

Since those days, education has become far more occasional for many Indigenous Australians. Irregular school attendance has negatively impacted on education.
A great deal of soul-searching goes on because Indigenous Education these days is failing. Certainly there are highlights now and again but all too often the downside of education is revealed. In my opinion it all comes down to one major issue – school attendance.

“Tempting” children and students to school

There are many inducements held out to encourage regular school attendance in community schools. Extended excursions, often interstate, are offered to reward long-term school atten!dance. Sport programs may be on offer. In some places there is a “no school, no pool’ policy. A significant number of communities offer meals provided to children when they attend school.
.
While school staff and government agencies do their level best to encourage school attendance, it is up to parents, primary caregivers and children themselves to respond. Far too many communities have school attendances in the 20, 30 and 40 percentile ranges; It is no wonder very little learning progression takes place. Neither should it be surprising that so many of the upcoming generation are functionally illiterate and not able to negotiate in the major language of our country. English is our transactional language and without it citizens are not going to succeed.

Unless there is a significant and uniform upturn in school attendance (and inducements don’t really make change happen – it has to come from the heart) nothing is going to alter except for a continuing diminution of educational outcomes. Attendance and punctuality habits must improve if so many of our younger Indigenous Australians are to go anywhere near emulating the achievements of their elders.

The problem is Territory-wide

The issue of school attendance and punctuality is not limited to remote areas. It also impacts on town and city schools.

A matter of real concern in many schools, remote and urban, is that of “lateness”. Significant numbers of children and students have an ingrained habit of being regularly late to school. A student who is 15 minutes late each day, misses out on 9.5 school days (nearly a fortnight) each year. It’s time that children can ill afford to lose! The early part of each day is key learning time.

One empathises with children who miss school because of illness and hope for their speedy recovery. There is however, a lot of absenteeism that occurs for reasons of a non-medical nature. Children miss school for a myriad of reasons – and all disrupt learning! It may be a case of birthdays, relations visiting, extending camping trips, taking extra days before and immediately after school holidays, adding to weekends– and so on.

When lateness and absence are added together, there are for many children, a significant number of school days and weeks missed each year. This takes from education and learning opportunities, playing negatively on student learning outcomes.

Skewed Holidays

In the Territory, school attendance is often affected by the timing of annual family holidays. During school holiday periods airfares are at their peak with accommodation costs considerably hyped. It’s very expensive to travel away during school holidays!

Many Territory families take their holidays during school time because to do so is considerably cheaper and more budget friendly. This is an economic decision and one easily understood – however it impacts on school attendance and student learning opportunities. Could airlines, in the interests of education, be persuaded to up costs of travel during school term time and decrease airfares and packages during the student holiday season? That would solve a myriad of school attendance issues.

System-wide challenge

Irregularity of student attendance in our schools is a sad negative, one contributing significantly to reduced student learning outcomes. Truancy, absence and sporadic attendance have a deleterious and challenging impact on far too many Territory Schools and their students. It can be fixed but that will take courage.

CLASSROOM MANAGMENT – PUTTING THE HORSE BEFORE THE CART

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ESTABLISHING CLASSROOM PROTOCOLS

a .. CLASS RULES AND DISCIPLINE
A Precursor to Teaching and Learning

One of the issues that may confront teachers is a belief they must teach soon as they take responsibility for a class of children. This may apply at the beginning of a year. the beginning of a semester, the start of a term or whenever a teacher takes responsibility for a new class.

It seems teachers feel the need to jump in from the first bell, beginning to reach in a ‘go, go, go’ manner. Some go for it as if there is no tomorrow. Others may approach the task more slowly but it seems the majority are for making an impact from the first minutes of the first day the class is theirs.

That is areal worry. By c. CHILDREN NEED TRAINING

Without diminishing or in any way tarnishing the intelligence of ‘homo sapiens’, I sometimes think about the development of children in the same way I’d consider dog obedience classes.

I think of a delightful dog with a happy disposition and carefree nature. It is a lolloping, happy, unrequitedly playful yet totsally uncontrolled, undisciplined and range-free canine. in dog-like terms, and basing past the puppy stage, it is now adolescent and possibly past the age of recovery. Untrained as a puppy, its road to rectification of manners, deportment and attitude will be long and tortuous with only minimal change to ingrained behaviour being possible. The dog is set in its ways.

Children go through a period of formulation and formation. During their formative years they are impressionable, responsive to training and development. They are receptive.

Just as young dogs need to be taught dog obedience when they are puppies, children need to be developed while young. very young.It is never too early to start with these necessary developments. But it is easy to leave the commencement of this moulding until it is altogether too late.

One of the things that really rankles, is to hear people say that the nurture of young children can be left at the moment because they are so young. the message put about is there is plenty of time to develop them as they grow older. What sad, ignorant and arrant nonsense. The Catholic Church used to say that the age of impression was up to and including seven years of age. if children were trained in the art of catholic devotion prior to the age of seven, they remained with the church in a steadfast and generally unwavering way for the whole of life. They might drift off from time to time, but inevitably come back to their belief platform.

In educational terms, we would do well to think in the same way. Frazer Mustard made the point that brain malleability – its capacity for development and absorption – declines precipitously from birth to three years of age, continuing in sharp decline until the age of ten. Brain malleability then plateaus and continues a gentle descent that parallels the increasing chronological enhancement of the individual. He makes the point that young and impressionable individuals have less resource put into their development that for those who are older. This I feel follows in educational terms – to the detriment of children.

Educationally speaking, resources tend to be prioritised toward tertiary, senior secondary and junior secondary students in that order. Then come upper middle and finally lower primary children. (There is some recent focus on primary age children but the longevity of this focus is yet to be confirmed.) There seems to be a belief that the older children and students are, the more that has to be devoted to their education because of accountability factors.It often seems the only thing taken into account in measuring educational development, is how well children do in Literacy and Maths.

I worry about the short-sightedness of measurement tools that consider only one developmental domain.

The holistic (I sometimes use the term ‘wholelistic’ for impact) notion notion of development is a much more rational and logical alternative. It takes account of the social, emotional and moral/spiritual development of children.

There is a sad juxtaposition attaching to this issue. On the one hand, we reawd of the desirtes of educxastors vto develop chgildren in a complete, rounded and fulfilled manner. On the other we have acquiescence to ‘narrow gauge’ rather than ‘broadband’ measurement. We focus on academics forgetting or minimising our appreciation of the other elements that should be part of the developmental framework.

Routines and procedures are the linchpins on which sound classroom development is predicated. While much of the reutilisations does not directly impact on academics, processes and procedures help in the development of children as whole people. the process of developing maturing personality has benefits in terms of enhanced attitudes to work and learning. The environment and atmospheric ‘set’ is critical to focussing children and students on work and learning. outcomes are enhanced of procedures are in place to help make things work better.

This training needs to precede learning. Rules outlined in an earlier article translate into positive attitudes, quality routines and a wholesome classroom operational manner. This is on a day-to-day not an ‘occasional’ or ‘sometimes’ basis. Procedures in place become operational precepts which in turn become ingrained as practised habits. Good habits. Children’s attitudes in terms of classroom care, property management and respect for resources, builds atmosphere and promotes harmony within the learning environment.

Part of sound routine and procedure are the working habits developed with and for children. these habits (go) beyond classroom rules and procedures because they are about individual training. These habits and work attributes include the following.

1. desk habits including pencil hold, paper position and writing posture.
2. Use of loose sheets of paper including storage in books and files.
3. Gluing paper (right places) and fixing into work books.
4. Using cloth for wiping up spills. The teacher may rinse the cloth every so often with children trained to use it automatically to wipe up spills.
5. Correct school bag and lunch box storage with bags and boxes stowed by habit at the start of the school day or vat the end of lunch eating periods. Included is refrigerator opening and closing procedures, recess and lunch eating habits, rubbish and wrapper disposal.
6. Movement habits in and around school buildings including places for walking, running and playing. Hats on and off depending on the area of play. Lining up and readying procedures at the end of recess and lunchtime are part of the ‘movement and motion’ strategy.

I maintain that training, the establishment of routines and procedures MUST be the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY in any classroom at the start of
the school year. Once these processes are in place, then learning can occur. Habits are important. I have read that it takes twenty-two days for a habit, good or bad, to establish. Once established, practice and adherence ensures they stay in place.

While it takes time to set these strategies in place, it is time well spent. Good classroom habits and practices, that sit aside and in a complimentary way to class rules and procedures, ensure through their practice that things go smoothly. The time initially spent on this ordering returns tenfold in benefit terms because interruptions and disruptions are avoided. Boundaries are established. Expectations that have been discussed and programmed, unfold in a practical day-by-day manner in support of the class, teaching, learning and development.

[The pity is that as children move up the grades or experience different teachers on rotation, the training can lapse and attitudes can deteriorate. reinforcement and gentle reminder are necessary. The most important is the need for the school A principal or delegate to ensure that incoming teachers are aware of the need to establish procedures with the class in the ways already discussed. Each teacher has to develop his or her set of overall routines, procedures and expectations. They are not inherited and don’t pass by right from one teacher to the next.]

Teaching is spoiled and learning diminished if management devices are not in place and practised. Teachers can be too busy in valiantly attempting to control, manage and discipline, to teach. They wear themselves to frazzles and finish up with a group of students who range from the very disruptive (those setting the class social agenda) to the very frustrated (those who want to learn but are not taught because the teacher is too preoccupied to teach).

Process, procedure, rules and regulations can be reinforcing and satisfying. That satisfaction embraces students, teachers, the class as a community of learners and the school as a whole. over the top with teaching a class, it can be that teachers lose the group. it is ever so important that the initial time teachers spend with a new class is a ‘steady as she goes’ period.

Set the Scene with the Children

A losing strategy for any teacher can be an attempt to set the classroom scene without involving the children. ironclad rules and tight procedures will quickly lose their impact of they are set without the involvement of the class. It is essential that class rules and procedures are established by teacher and children in concert. The class needs to own its governance. Rules won’t work if they are dictatorially set then maritally announced. collectivity, the group contributing to and therefore owning governance is the smart way to formulate procedures.

‘Us shaping’ rather than ‘me saying’ and ‘you doing’ is essential. Groupship is empowering. Without having the right approach to classroom management, a teacher can become an awfully isolated and almost unappreciated individual. No teacher wants to be overbearing to the point of being ‘sent to Coventry’ by her or his class.

First and Second Level Ownership

The way classroom procedures are developed confers first or second level ownership. Children who feel a fart of the ownership stratagem are more likely to be compliant and act in accord with agreed procedures than otherwise would be the case.(There will be exceptions but aberrance may not be tolerated and therefore quickly corrected in a ‘recalcitrant’ by the collective.) Rules break down and lose impact when there is little commitment and scant adherence on the part of children.

1. Developing rules ‘with’ children rather than ‘for’ children is essential.
2. Expectations need to be encouragingly rather than punitively worded.
3. It follows that if children are participants is creating classroom procedures they will regard them in a prime way rather than with a secondary sense.

All this points back to the need for teachers with new classes to spend time in a ‘getting to know and understand you’ phase with children and students.

Part of this will be (or should be) development of the class environment through shared shaping of agreed procedures. Several essential precepts come to mind. They are simple. based on common sense and easily overlooked.

1. Children and students need to be organised
2. Children and students are best predisposed toward being organised if they share in creating organising structures, including classroom rules and procedures.
3. Routines established should be based on fair and predictable management and administration. There is a need for impartiality and even-handedness in all situations.
4. teachers can’t teach control but should teach in a way that gains control. This happens best in classrooms where the principles included in this paper are applied.

Rules, organisation, routines and procedures are important. They need to be established by teachers working in away that sees the first days and weeks being spent on getting to know and understand children and students in classrooms. Students and their teacher need to get to know each other. This is ever so important and ought not to be overlooked.

Once this has happened and once ground rules are in place, teachers will be able to teach with the confidence that underpins successful teaching and learning strategies.

Teachers who go full on from day one and ignore the need to establish management strategies with children may well set themselves up for along period of tiring and frustrating teaching effort.

b. CLASS RULES AND PROCEDURES

I have pointed out that teaching is more effective once controlling devices are locked into place. It’s not a case of irrevocable ‘locking’ because circumstances may dictate the necessity of change. Fluidity is essential. However the general precept stands. If there are controlling and managing measures place to underpin classroom operations, teaching will be more effective and learning more meaningful than would otherwise be the case.

Rules and procedures are best developed via memorandums of understanding. That happens when those with stake and interest in a learning domain contribute to their formulation. Creating is but the beginning. Outcome and consequence, the way in which those involved adhere to statements and precepts, will be based largely on the shape and wording of documents. all need to feel ownership of the process.

To indulge in lots of ‘dont’s’ and ‘cant’s’ is negative overkill. Children will look. They may shudder but one can bet they won’t comply, at least not willingly, with forceful and aggressively worded edicts. ‘Softly, softly catchee monkey’ is the smart way to go.

I have pointed out that to establish procedures facilitating class management and control needs to come before teaching. That process is best developed when the whole class feels ownership what is put in place. Dictatorship is definitely not the best way forward. Classroom teachers should never be educational Idi Amin’s.

EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENCE IN SHAPING CLASS PROCESSES

In developing this article I have drawn on some very good examples of teaching practitionership. I want to highlight some educators who had and have the goods when it comes to setting up procedures and routines upon which classroom organisation is excellently underpinned.

Louise Wright and the Golden Rule

Louise wright was a teacher at Leanyer school for a period during my principalship. As an ex-Milingimbi educator she had gained insights into classroom management in away that portrayed her class as one within which democracy reigned. That was truly obvious.

Ms Wright,s class had the following as its mission statement :

” Remember the Golden Rule and choose to help each other.
1. Choose to help each other.
2. Choose to respect each other.
3. Choose to be kind and caring.
4. Choose to work and learn ‘together as one’.
5. Choose to be happy.”

Curious, I asked Ms Wright for a small text explaining the class and its operational precepts. She responded to me in the following terms.

” I asked the children what sort of classroom they would like to have. They all said, “a happy one”. Then the question ‘how do we make a happy classroom’ was brainstormed. We talked about choices and being responsible for the choices we make.

I told the children The Golden Rule. “Do unto others, or treat them as you would like to be treated.” They reckoned that was pretty fair so we decided to make the choice to be a happy bunch be developing the above attitudes. They saw that those attitudes and behaviours were embracing of the school motto (Together as One) and so it all just came together. It is working.”

Fran’s Wisdom Rubs Off

Mrs Fran Selvadurai was (and is) the Early Childhood Senior Teacher at Leanyer School. With her Year Three class she developed the following Belief statement. The group saw it as their Statement of Purpose.

” In Year 3 Selvadurai, we choose to be
RESPECTFUL
SAFE
POLITE AND ENCOURAGING

And to complete ALL our work to
THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.”

The class has a posting of positive consequences and outcomes that flow naturally from adherence to this statement of purpose:
1. Praise
2. Good comments
3. Stickers, stamps and visible rewards
4. Merit awards
5. Invitation to share good work with other teachers and (then) Mr Gray.
6. Free activities.

Evidence revealed that these statements of purpose and anticipation of cooperating, caring and sharing process were working very well.

Mrs Quinn’s precepts

Mrs Bev Quinn was a teacher at Nakara School. A practitioner for many years, she displayed the following precepts and principles in her classroom. These simple, effective and ever so wise statements were on display as reminders to children of agreed class principles.

1. Everyone in this class is special.
2. Everyone in this class is important.
3. Everyone in this class is valued
4. A smile is free.

(And in the ‘time out area’, a timely reminder)
5. Everyone has the right to learn and to be safe and happy.

Application

For each and every class there is a new beginning. These teachers and others do not carry forward exhortorary statements from year to year as a matter of passage. Each year they work with their ‘new’. class in a way that causes these precepts to be developed in a fresh, meaningful and ‘owned’ way. Although the wording may vary from year to year the principles are the same. Children and teacher work together to develop their class platforms. owning these principles and precepts as they go forward into the excitement that learning underpins their forty weeks of togetherness.

The Best Rules

The best class rules – invoked as precepts and procedures – are those co-created by teacher and students. cooperation in creation confirms this co-ownership and guarantees an adherence that does not come with imposition. if children are involved in the development of class rules, this shared ownership will validate their relevance and meaning to all class members.

The best expectations are those designed to add to classroom comfort because of the consideration children have for each other. Quality classroom environments have a powerfully positive impact on children’s learning.

Flexibility in application should be inherent in the rules that are put into place. To make everything absolute and inviolate can be too unbending because on occasions there may be exceptions that should be considered. An example might be a child who has to leave the room suddenly and without gaining permission because he or she is about to vomit, has diarrhoea and so on.

Rules apply in normal circumstances. If there are special circumstances affecting some class members, empathy and understanding should imbue the thinking of the group as a whole. Children accept special circumstances as part of the accord embracing the group as a whole.

Conclusion

Rules, regulations and procedures c are not ‘nailed onto’ classrooms as restrictive devices. they need to be considered and embraced as cv part of the operational and cooperative thesis upon which good classrooms are predicated.

Appreciation:

Thanks to Ms Louise Wright, Mrs Fran Selvadurai, Ms Bev Quinn and my wife Margo Gray for source material, thoughts and ideas.

c. CHILDREN NEED TRAINING

Without diminishing or in any way tarnishing the intelligence of ‘homo sapiens’, I sometimes think about the development of children in the same way I’d consider dog obedience classes.

I think of a delightful dog with a happy disposition and carefree nature. It is a lolloping, happy, unrequitedly playful yet totsally uncontrolled, undisciplined and range-free canine. in dog-like terms, and basing past the puppy stage, it is now adolescent and possibly past the age of recovery. Untrained as a puppy, its road to rectification of manners, deportment and attitude will be long and tortuous with only minimal change to ingrained behaviour being possible. The dog is set in its ways.

Children go through a period of formulation and formation. During their formative years they are impressionable, responsive to training and development. They are receptive.

Just as young dogs need to be taught dog obedience when they are puppies, children need to be developed while young. very young.It is never too early to start with these necessary developments. But it is easy to leave the commencement of this moulding until it is altogether too late.

One of the things that really rankles, is to hear people say that the nurture of young children can be left at the moment because they are so young. the message put about is there is plenty of time to develop them as they grow older. What sad, ignorant and arrant nonsense. The Catholic Church used to say that the age of impression was up to and including seven years of age. if children were trained in the art of catholic devotion prior to the age of seven, they remained with the church in a steadfast and generally unwavering way for the whole of life. They might drift off from time to time, but inevitably come back to their belief platform.

In educational terms, we would do well to think in the same way. Frazer Mustard made the point that brain malleability – its capacity for development and absorption – declines precipitously from birth to three years of age, continuing in sharp decline until the age of ten. Brain malleability then plateaus and continues a gentle descent that parallels the increasing chronological enhancement of the individual. He makes the point that young and impressionable individuals have less resource put into their development that for those who are older. This I feel follows in educational terms – to the detriment of children.

Educationally speaking, resources tend to be prioritised toward tertiary, senior secondary and junior secondary students in that order. Then come upper middle and finally lower primary children. (There is some recent focus on primary age children but the longevity of this focus is yet to be confirmed.) There seems to be a belief that the older children and students are, the more that has to be devoted to their education because of accountability factors.It often seems the only thing taken into account in measuring educational development, is how well children do in Literacy and Maths.

I worry about the short-sightedness of measurement tools that consider only one developmental domain.

The holistic (I sometimes use the term ‘wholelistic’ for impact) notion notion of development is a much more rational and logical alternative. It takes account of the social, emotional and moral/spiritual development of children.

There is a sad juxtaposition attaching to this issue. On the one hand, we reawd of the desirtes of educxastors vto develop chgildren in a complete, rounded and fulfilled manner. On the other we have acquiescence to ‘narrow gauge’ rather than ‘broadband’ measurement. We focus on academics forgetting or minimising our appreciation of the other elements that should be part of the developmental framework.

Routines and procedures are the linchpins on which sound classroom development is predicated. While much of the reutilisations does not directly impact on academics, processes and procedures help in the development of children as whole people. the process of developing maturing personality has benefits in terms of enhanced attitudes to work and learning. The environment and atmospheric ‘set’ is critical to focussing children and students on work and learning. outcomes are enhanced of procedures are in place to help make things work better.

This training needs to precede learning. Rules outlined in an earlier article translate into positive attitudes, quality routines and a wholesome classroom operational manner. This is on a day-to-day not an ‘occasional’ or ‘sometimes’ basis. Procedures in place become operational precepts which in turn become ingrained as practised habits. Good habits. Children’s attitudes in terms of classroom care, property management and respect for resources, builds atmosphere and promotes harmony within the learning environment.

Part of sound routine and procedure are the working habits developed with and for children. these habits (go) beyond classroom rules and procedures because they are about individual training. These habits and work attributes include the following.

1. desk habits including pencil hold, paper position and writing posture.
2. Use of loose sheets of paper including storage in books and files.
3. Gluing paper (right places) and fixing into work books.
4. Using cloth for wiping up spills. The teacher may rinse the cloth every so often with children trained to use it automatically to wipe up spills.
5. Correct school bag and lunch box storage with bags and boxes stowed by habit at the start of the school day or vat the end of lunch eating periods. Included is refrigerator opening and closing procedures, recess and lunch eating habits, rubbish and wrapper disposal.
6. Movement habits in and around school buildings including places for walking, running and playing. Hats on and off depending on the area of play. Lining up and readying procedures at the end of recess and lunchtime are part of the ‘movement and motion’ strategy.

I maintain that training, the establishment of routines and procedures MUST be the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY in any classroom at the start of
the school year. Once these processes are in place, then learning can occur. Habits are important. I have read that it takes twenty-two days for a habit, good or bad, to establish. Once established, practice and adherence ensures they stay in place.

While it takes time to set these strategies in place, it is time well spent. Good classroom habits and practices, that sit aside and in a complimentary way to class rules and procedures, ensure through their practice that things go smoothly. The time initially spent on this ordering returns tenfold in benefit terms because interruptions and disruptions are avoided. Boundaries are established. Expectations that have been discussed and programmed, unfold in a practical day-by-day manner in support of the class, teaching, learning and development.

[The pity is that as children move up the grades or experience different teachers on rotation, the training can lapse and attitudes can deteriorate. reinforcement and gentle reminder are necessary. The most important is the need for the school A principal or delegate to ensure that incoming teachers are aware of the need to establish procedures with the class in the ways already discussed. Each teacher has to develop his or her set of overall routines, procedures and expectations. They are not inherited and don’t pass by right from one teacher to the next.]

Teaching is spoiled and learning diminished if management devices are not in place and practised. Teachers can be too busy in valiantly attempting to control, manage and discipline, to teach. They wear themselves to frazzles and finish up with a group of students who range from the very disruptive (those setting the class social agenda) to the very frustrated (those who want to learn but are not taught because the teacher is too preoccupied to teach).

Process, procedure, rules and regulations can be reinforcing and satisfying. That satisfaction embraces students, teachers, the class as a community of learners and the school as a whole.

LOOKING, LISTENING AND SPEAKING – THE NEGLECTED LITERACY SKILLS

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Looking, listening and speaking are often neglected literacy skills. While educationists, to some extent recognise and rue literacy loss among students, many do not place a high priority on these three literacy elements.

For the past several years and especially since NAPLAN became a major item on the annual education agenda, we have been told of the need for students to reinvent themselves in literacy terms. The focus is on reading and writing. How sad it is that the prime communications skills of looking, listening and speaking are not sufficiently a part of this recognition.

Learning by looking

As children grow into life ‘looking’ is an initial literacy skill. First and foremost, children as babies and young toddlers learn by looking. From that grows an awareness based on listening to parents and siblings. Speech is what happens as very young children begin to verbally copy and respond to circumstances by talking.

Communication skills evolve slowly. Literacy competence does not happen overnight but builds over the years. It never stops developing.
When children arrive at school learning too often focuses far too prematurely on reading and writing. While both reading and writing are important, the continued development of looking, listening and speaking is essential. Early learning leading toward formalised testing (remembering that NAPLAN testing first impacts in year three) with its prime focus on reading and writing makes it easy to overlook listening and speaking needs.

Key needs discounted.

Education at home and school should take prime account of the need for students to be taught the skills of listening and speaking. Sadly, this essential need is too often relegated and accorded only minor importance.

It is critically important that children be taught to listen. Without listening skills being carefully developed, students often fail to pause, think and respond on the basis of having thought through questions being asked. They tend to anticipate responses which can be incorrect because they have not listened with understanding. Another bad habit which develops can be children not hearing questions because they expect their teachers will repeat them a number of times before moving on to the next requirement. A common example is that of teachers repeating mental maths questions or spelling words over and over again. Parents at home and teachers in schools need to recognise how important it is that children learn to listen. For adults to model this as a skill to the younger generation, will help. ‘Do as I do’ is an ideal way of setting the example when it comes to the development of listening skills.

In the same way, it is important that adults model correct speech so children grow up learning by hearing and then copying correctly enunciated vocal patterns. There is nothing more important than young people learning by rote, when it comes to the basic elements of communication. The practice of correct speech and speaking is essential if we are to be clearly understood. It is also important that adults model elements of correct speech to young people, who observe and copy. We ought not overlook the need for speech to be careful and correct.

Eye contact

Eye contact is another neglected attribute. People tend to be very indirect when it comes to eye contact, often looking away from and avoiding their eyes engaging during conversation.

Failure to make eye contact can lead to hesitation and embarrassment between those listening and speaking to each other. That should not be the case. Confidence in communication, both listening and speaking, builds when those engaged in discourse look at each other. I believe the eyes to be the most powerful of all tools supporting conversation between people.

Engagement.

In our modern times, looking, listening and speaking often seem to be the lost arts of communication. They are very important observational, auditory and verbal elements of literacy. Revisitation and reinstatement of these essential skills needs to be part of the educational focus at home and school.