Many children need extra support that is difficult for teachers to deliver in a classroom setting. This may include help with their behaviours and understanding the syllabus. It also involves working with children who have emotional and behavioural challenges.
Education support services include academic advising, transportation assistance, day care expenses, clothes, books and supplies. Some also provide tutoring and open use computer labs.
Communication skills
Teachers must be able to communicate well with their students if they are to succeed in the classroom. They need to know if their students are understanding the material and if they need further explanation. This is especially true for special needs students who can be difficult to understand if their language skills are lacking.
The best way to teach communication skills is by using methods that allow students hands-on practice and clear directions. This can include role-playing, acing out skills and encouraging discussion of issues such as empathy and nonverbal cues. It is also important to create an environment that encourages students to ask questions and discuss their subjective and objective doubts.
Students who lack good communication skills are more likely to become disengaged in school and may even drop out. This can have a negative impact on their future and could lead to a lifetime of learning difficulties. Some of the most successful people in the world have great speaking skills. These include Abraham Lincoln, Malala Yousafzai, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Behaviour management skills
Behaviour management skills are a key component of teaching and can be used to address behaviour problems in the classroom. These techniques can be used by teachers, healthcare professionals, and other support workers to encourage positive behaviours in individuals and groups. They are also useful in supporting students with behavioural issues, such as ADHD or autism.
Effective classroom behaviour management involves using a variety of strategies to help students behave well and focus on learning. These include positive reinforcement, defusing a situation, and redirecting students. It is important to remember that student misbehaviour is often not personal – students act out because they’re struggling and don’t know how to cope.
It is also helpful to develop a teacher network, a support system for dealing with challenging student behaviour. This can involve reaching out to other teachers, or attending teacher training sessions that cover a range of classroom management tips and techniques. It is also helpful to use an online behaviour management system such as Class Dojo, which rewards good behaviour and encourages a positive classroom culture.
Providing support to children with special needs
Children with special needs face many challenges that are often more complex than those of typically developing children. Whether it’s emotional or physical disabilities, these issues can affect their schooling experience. However, there are ways to support students with special needs and improve their chances of success in the classroom.
Education support workers include paraeducators, administrative assistants, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and other school employees who are vital to the learning process. These professionals help children with academic and behavioural challenges, as well as those with emotional and developmental disabilities.
They work in collaboration with teachers and other support staff, as well as parents and other family members. These relationships are key to ensuring the child is receiving the necessary support in a way that’s consistent with his or her individual needs. They also work to ensure that families have the resources they need to be successful advocates for their child. Ultimately, they want to empower their students with the skills needed for success in life and to live a fulfilling, independent lifestyle.
Working with children with emotional and behavioural challenges
All children are naughty and defiant from time to time, but some of these behaviours are outside the normal range and could be a sign of a more serious behavioural disorder. Working with these children requires patience and empathy.
Education support workers also have the knowledge to understand how these disorders develop and can offer support to help them through the process. This may include parent management training, family therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy to teach the child new ways of dealing with their emotions.
It’s hard to imagine a school operating without dedicated and caring ESPs, and it’s great to see them getting the recognition they deserve. Congratulations to Angela Vigna, the 2022 Dolores McCracken PSEA Education Support Professional of the Year. You can read more about her story here. Education Support (formerly Teacher Support Network, Recourse and Worklife Support Partnership) is a UK charity which champions the good mental health of teachers, lecturers, schools and their support staff.