A BSENTEEISM. Volume 1. Niedersachsen. Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Lehrerbildung und Schulentwicklung (NiLS)

Transcription

1 Sokrates Programme COMENIUS CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Lehrerbildung und Schulentwicklung (NiLS) A BSENTEEISM STRATEGIES, CONCEPTS AND MATERIALS TO FIGHT TRUANCY Volume 1 Niedersachsen

2 Credits COMENIUS 2.1 Project Absenteeism Strategies, Concepts and Materials to Fight Truancy This project has been carried out with the assistance of the Commission of the European Communities within the framework of the SOCRATES programme. Project Coordination Rolf-Peter Berndt, Bodo Facklam, Doris Herzog, Gustav Neuthinger, Albrecht Schultze Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Lehrerbildung und Schulentwicklung (NiLS) Consultancy Prof Dr Norbert Grewe David Whybra University of Hildesheim Spain: Dirección General de Formación e Innovación Educativa, Consejería de Educación, Junta de Castilla y León United Kingdom: Julie Collick Judy Howard Alan Longhurst Philip Papps West Sussex County Council Research Group Germany Project Partners/Authors Finland: Juha-Pekka Husso Olli Määttä Helsingin Normaalyseo, University of Helsinki France: Dominique Huguerre (DARIC) Annick Libéral (PVS) Alain Badets Marc-Atoine Pottin Académie de Rouen (Rectorat) Hungary: Ildikó Juhasz Agnes Papp Janos Selmeczi Független Pedgógiai Intézet (FÜPI) (Independent Institute of Pedagogy) Netherlands: Hans Velthoen Jose Vos-Adamczyk Ingrado (Vereniging voor leerplicht en RMC) Manfred Evensen, Karl Gröpler, Thalea Huk, Marion Jüttner-Hötker, Wolfgang Kargel, Jürgen Kluth, Reiner Langeheine, Brigitte Laun, Horst Roselieb, Dr Hellmuth Schintzel Reinhardt Spratte, Ilse-Marie Vatheuer, Dagmar Wiesner Additional Authors Margarita Afanasyeva (RU) Anna Bentyn (PL) Elena Emtseva (RU) Eric Ordelman (NL) Sinikka Sahi (FI) DVD Doro Schaffeld Christiane Reinecke Poland: Andrzej Janiak Jadwiga Lewandowska Ewa Superczynska Ósrodek Doskonalenia Nauczycieli (ODN) Russia: Svetlana A. Kozlova Perm Regional Institute for In-service Training in Education (POIPKRO)

3 Table of Contents 1 Credits Table of Contents Preface Classroom Projects Organising Your Day (France) Skip, Skip Hooray! (Germany) The School of Life (Hungary) Getting Dirk Back to School (Netherlands) Rules are Rules (Russia) Cooperative Staff Projects Edusimu (Finland) Major School Projects I m in School and You? (Spain) Red Amber Green (United Kingdom) Parent Projects Stay in Touch with your Child (Poland) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 3

4 Preface Absenteeism is nowadays considered to be one of the standard problems in all European school systems. The early prevention of truancy (rather than intervention and sanction) means improving the chances of young people for the future. The aim of the COMENIUS 2.1 Project Absenteeism Strategies, Concepts and Materials to Fight Truancy ( CP DE-COMENIUS-C21) 1 with eight participating EU countries 2 consisted in developing preventive practice-oriented concepts, strategies and materials to fight truancy. The variety of countries and institutions taking part in the project permitted the combination of the knowledge and experience of educational experts representing different points of view as well as different systems of education (comprehensive education, attendance and welfare systems etc.). Project implementation The project was implemented in three phases: 1. In the course of the initial project meeting in November 2003, the project partners agreed on a common structure for carrying out a national survey of all activities aimed at reducing absenteeism. On the basis of criteria established by the partners (national statistics, absenteeism as a public issue / an issue in Teacher Education etc.), a national synopsis was developed which was meant to document measures and projects against absenteeism existing in the respective countries. Apart from carrying out their national surveys, the partners also agreed to take over inquiries in neighbouring countries not involved in the project, in order to provide a broader picture of absenteeism in Europe. Most countries established national and regional research groups with a focus on accompanying the EU project on a national basis and providing it with additional stimuli. After completion, all national reports were published by the coordinator in print and electronic form on the Lower Saxony educational server website. 2. The second project phase focused on the selection of suitable preventive measures to fight absenteeism. Every partner country had to suggest up to three nationally evaluated projects for evaluation by the participating partners. 3. In the course of the third project year, the project partners chose up to three projects each for testing in pilot schools and Teacher Education centres in their countries. On the basis of standardized parameters the results were then evaluated: teachers, headmasters, participants of teacher training courses and pupils were asked for their opinion concerning the potential implementation and, if necessary, adaptation of projects to national requirements. The analysis of these surveys formed the basis for the improvement of projects for usage in schools and Teacher Education. 1 This publication is based on individual contributions of the partner countries which do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the EU Commission or the coordinator. 2 Teacher Education Institutions and Educational Organisations from England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Russia (as an associated partner) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 4

5 Material package At the end of the project period it was agreed to select one project per country for publication in a material package ( best practice ) the aim of which is to provide an interested public with a methodological variety of media and activity-oriented materials. All projects in the material package are suitable for Teacher Education. However, as they differ in their main focus, they were put into four different categories: 1. Classroom Projects: Projects that are intended for usage in particular lessons. 2. Cooperative Staff Projects: Projects primarily conceived for training cooperative staffs. 3. Major School Projects: Projects that affect the schools policies or programmes. 4. Parent Projects: Projects that foster the cooperation between school and parents Additionally, a DVD was produced that is intended to illustrate the implementation of selected projects in the classroom or in Teacher Education. Conclusion The project was successful in many ways: It raised the awareness of absenteeism among many institutions and persons involved in the project The development and evaluation of projects initiated a lot of activities in the participating countries that caused many schools and teacher education and training centres to implement more preventive measures to fight truancy The project has a long-lasting effect because it led to the implementation of projects on a sustained basis after the end of the COMENIUS Project period Although all projects represented in this volume were thoroughly developed and tested by its authors and cross-evaluated in the respective partner countries, their final success regarding the prevention of truancy widely depends on the commitment of the teachers, parents and pupils involved and will therefore only become evident in the long run CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 5

6 Classroom Projects CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 6

7 FRANCE ORGANISING THE DAY A Timetable Project CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 7

8 I PREFACE ORGANISING THE DAY Many pupils are unable to organise their day. They don t know how to combine the requirements of school with private commitments (family and leisure activities) and complain about a lack of free time. This discontent often leads to school failure and truancy. Organising the Day is a classroom project with materials that help pupils to identify the full range of their commitments. As a result they work out an individual weekly timetable that includes school lessons as well as private activities and leisure time. The project fosters the pupils autonomy and their responsibility for school attendance CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 8

9 II OVERVIEW ORGANISING THE DAY 1 Subject Starting from their school timetable pupils work out their own individual timetable with the help of their teacher. In order to do this they need to identify the full range of their commitments to school, family and leisure activities. These are then slotted into an individual timetable. The result is a typical weekly timetable with work and leisure time clearly indicated. 2 Target group Pupils (aged 10-15) in secondary schools in the first month of the school year. 3 The framework Four sessions in the first month of the school year and up to eight weeks of individual followup if need be. 4 Preparation The teacher in charge of the project gets in touch with all the subject teachers concerned, in order to assess the amount of time that each pupil has to devote to each subject outside school hours. 5 Equipment Class timetable Personal timetable Material timetable Diagnosis card Monitoring sheet Assessment card CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 9

10 III LEARNING FRAMES ORGANISING THE DAY 1 Learning aims Learning how to combine the requirements of school work with private commitments (family life, cultural or sporting interests) Creating a better understanding and acceptance of each others lifestyles Establishing an individual timetable and an intercultural dialogue Identifying difficulties in self-organisation Autonomous learning Learning to understand the correlation between organising one s day and attending school regularly 2 Curriculum relevance Tutor s lessons CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 10

11 IV IMPLEMENTATION ORGANISING THE DAY Module outline Equipment Objectives Module 1 Introduction Pupils are encouraged to speak about their habits and extra-curricula activities. Duration: 0,5 hours Create better understanding and acceptance of the pupils lifestyles Module 2 Class Timetable The school timetable is handed out to the pupils. The teacher goes through the timetable together with the pupils. They add their individual commitments such as out-of-school activities (family, work, leisure). Duration: 1 hour Material 1: Class Timetable. Teach pupils to distinguish between the times devoted to their workload at home, at school and their free time Module 3 Individual Timetable Pupils explain their weekly organisation to their classmates. After that the teacher can give the pupils advice. The timetable is then transferred into the pupils exercise books for the parents to sign. Feedback: The teacher in charge of the project reports back to the other teachers and explains which of the pupils have an excessive workload and which ones are under-occupied. Duration: 1 hour Material 2: Individual Timetable Establish the individual pupil s timetable Establish intercultural dialogue Module 4 Class and Material Timetable The teacher helps the pupils to mark down the material necessary for particular subjects in the Class and Material Timetable. Duration: 0.5 hours Material 3: Class and Material Timetable Learn how to connect personal timetable with school material Module 5 Self-Organisation Phase 1 Week 1 to 3: Subject teachers identify 2 to 3 pupils with difficulties in self organisation. Material 4: Diagnosis Card Identify pupils with difficulties in selforganisation CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 11

12 Week 4: Subject teachers write a report on these pupils which is forwarded on to the teacher in charge of the project. Week 4 to 8: Over a period of three weeks observations are filled in individual diagnosis cards / tally charts. Module 6 Self-Organisation Phase 2 Analysis of the individual diagnosis cards Comment and definition of the objective(s) for each pupil concerned and choice of the means of implementation. Inform the teaching staff: Specification of objectives and operating instructions. Meeting of teacher, parents and pupil. Items to be considered: Explanation of the reasons for the meeting Inform parents about what has been done so far (class timetable + personalised timetable + material timetable) Presentation of the pupil s diagnosis card Comment on the objective(s) chosen Advice for parents: Check the completion of the pupil s tasks, sign the monitoring sheet, add comments etc. Re-formulation of the recommendations by the pupil Appointment for a further meeting in 2 or 3 weeks time Material 5a: Commented Diagnosis Card Material 5b: Monitoring Sheet Establish a mode of individualised action Inform parents and pupil about further steps Module 7 Weekly assessment Once a week the teacher comments on the pupil s monitoring sheet and, if necessary, gives advice on how to achieve better results. Proposal of new steps if need be. Material 5b: Monitoring Sheet Give the pupil feedback on his progress and/or things to be improved CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 12

13 Module 8 Final Assessment The teacher in charge of the project sums up the results of the weekly monitoring sheets on individual assessment cards and passes them on to all subject teachers. Meeting of teacher, parents and pupil: Discussion of progress and/or persistent problems. Decision on further steps to be taken, if necessary. Material 6: Assessment Card Give the teachers, parents and pupils final feedback on the pupils success (or failure) by comparing the initial situation with the current one Decide on further steps to be taken CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 13

14 ORGANISING THE DAY Material 1 Class timetable (with location in school) 8.30am Maths Block 2 Room 1 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Physical French French Technology Maths Education (PE) Block 1 Block 1 Block 2 Block 2 Sport Hall Room 1 Room 1 Room 2 Room 1 Maths Block 2 Room 2 English Block 1 Room Lunch History- Geography Block 1 Room pm French Block 1 Room Life Science (Week B) Block 2 Room English Block 1 Room History- Geography Block 1 Room Lunch Study period Block 1 Room 4 Form period Block 2 Room 2 English Block 1 Room 2 Lunch Art Block 3 Room Cézanne History- Geography Block 1 Room 3 Life Science Block 2 Room 4 Physical Education (PE) Sport Hall Lunch Study period Block 1 Room 4 Maths Block 2 Room 1 English Block 1 Room 2 Music Block 3 Debussy French Block 1 Room CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 14

15 ORGANISING THE DAY Material 2 Individual pupil s timetable am am am am pm pm pm pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Physical French French Technology Maths Education (PE) Block 1 Block 1 Block 2 Block 2 Sport hall Room 1 Room 1 Room 3 Room 1 Maths Block 2 Room 1 Lunch French Block 1 Room 1 Life Science (Week B) Block 2 Room 4 English Block 1 Room 2 History- Geography Block 1 Room 3 Tea 5.00 TV Maths Block 2 Room 1 English Block 1 Room 2 History- Geography Block 1 Room 3 Music Grandmother English Block 1 Room 2 Lunch Lunch Lunch Art Block 3 Room Cézanne Study period Block 1 Room 4 Form period Block 2 Room 5 Music Friends Homework History- Geography Block 1 Room 3 Life Science Block 2 Room 4 Tea Homework PE Sport hall Lunch Study period Block 1 Room 4 Maths Block 2 Room 1 English Block 1 Room 2 Tea Music Block 3 Room Debussy French Block 1 Room 1 Lunch Shopping Homework 6.00 Homework Handball TV Homework Handball 7.00 Evening meal Evening meal Evening meal Evening meal Evening meal 8.00 TV TV Play Station Music Evening meal TV 9.00 Homework Reading Homework Reading CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 15

16 ORGANISING THE DAY Material 3 Example of material timetable Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday am French Block 1 Maths Block 2 am am am pm pm pm pm Physical Education (PE) Sport hall Sport kit Maths Block 2 Room 1 Book and notebook Lunch French Block 1 Room 1 Exercise book Life Science (Week B) Block 2 Room 4 Book and notebook English Block 1 Room 2 Book and exercise book History- Geography Block 1 Room 3 Book and file Room 1 Maths Block 2 Room 1 English Block 1 Room 2 History- Geography Block 1 Room 3 Lunch Study period Block 1 Room 4 Form period Block 2 Room 5 French Block 1 Room 1 English Block 1 Room 2 Lunch Art Block 3 Room Cézanne History- Geography Block 1 Room 3 Life Science Block 2 Room 4 Technology Block 2 Room 3 PE Sport hall Lunch Study period Block 1 Room 4 Maths Block 2 Room 1 English Block 1 Room 2 Room 1 Music Block 3 Debussy French Block 1 Room CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 16

17 ORGANISING THE DAY Material 4 Model of diagnosis card: Make a tally! Homework neglected Frequent requests to the adult Not suitable or forgotten material Insufficient school results Frequent errors of room Homework diary badly filled in or not at all Delays CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 17

18 ORGANISING THE DAY Material 5a Example of individual commented diagnosis cards Homework neglected IIIIII Frequent requests to the adult Not suitable or forgotten material IIII Insufficient school results Frequent errors of rooms Homework diary badly filled in or not at all Delays II III IIIIIIIIIIII II Comment: Bad organisation of the homework diary. Objective and procedure: Each teacher must check the homework diary at the end of each sequence. Material 5b Example of monitoring sheet Week of follow-up: 1 Name of the pupil: Philippe D. Objective: Help Philippe to fill in and use the homework diary better. am 1 am 2 am 3 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Sport kit forgotten Half the homework am 4 pm 1 pm 2 Wrong exercise Particular remarks pm 3 pm 4 Parents signatures Comments Parents signatures Comments Parents signatures Comments Parents signatures Comments Parents signatures Comments CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 18

19 ORGANISING THE DAY Material 6 Example of individual assessment card Initial situation Assessment 1 (after session 3) Assessment 2 Assessment 3 Homework neglected Frequent requests of the adult Material forgotten or not suitable Insufficient school results IIIIIIIIII Frequent classroom finding mistakes Homework diary badly filled in or not at all Delays IIIII CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 19

20 GERMANY SKIP, SKIP HOORAY! Role-plays CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 20

21 I PREFACE SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Skip, skip hooray! is a teacher training course that serves as an introduction to the topic of absenteeism and aims at making teachers aware of the first signs of school absence. Furthermore, teachers are encouraged to exchange experiences they have gathered from individual cases or in particular classes. The nine modules described in detail are intended for working with pupils from the age of 10 to 16 and are to be understood as a role model for direct implementation in class. As a rule, teachers have only little experience with role-play. This makes the following approach even more valuable because it gives teachers the opportunity of gaining their own experience with role-play. At the same time they will get an idea of the high degree of effectiveness of such a method. The modules proposed follow a (psycho-) logical structure. 1) Starting from a motivating introduction (e.g. topic-related newspaper articles) 2) Experience of pupils on how to act out roles and draw pictures of their situations are included. 3) In a third stage pupils learn that the causes for truancy are to be understood as a long process of development and that they can identify with the situation of a truant, e.g. presentation of a series of events as a (picture) story. 4) On that basis, the pupils are asked to reflect and exchange opinions on similar problems and experiences and how they coped with them (group work). 5) As a conclusion to this unit, the particular consequences of their work on how to interact with each other are agreed on by answering questions like How can we support each other and what could be the teacher s contribution? 6) After a test period these agreements are discussed again, conclusions are drawn and, possibly, further agreements are made CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 21

22 II OVERVIEW SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! 1 Subject This teacher training course involves ten 45-minute modules. The training focuses mainly on role-plays, in order to give teachers the opportunity to recognise the various forms of truancy and identify those pupils problems which cause truancy. The teachers develop the ability to collect relevant arguments and go on to understand absenteeism as a multi-faceted phenomenon that involves many groups of people: fellow pupils, peer groups, parents and teachers. Apart from that, other non-personal factors are involved as well, such as learning environment, module topics and methods, classroom conditions, family situation etc. At the same time the teachers increase their awareness of: Recognizing pupils at risk (poor achievement, times of absence, change of behaviour, social conduct, problems of integration, changes in the pupil-pupil, pupil-teacher, pupil-parents interactions) Developing plans for individual help and support Reorganizing module structures Improving the learning environment Improving parental work 2 Target group Teachers of all school forms (but mainly lower secondary level) Group size: maximum 30 3 Role-plays Using the form of a role-play allows a more affective approach to absenteeism than a (cognitive) discussion on that matter. Role-play 1: Skip, skip hooray! (Module 2) Role-play 2: Newspaper reporter - causes of truancy (module 5) Role-play 3: Electronic cuffs for truants? (module 8) Role-play 4: Ball game (module 9) Role-play 5: Collecting ideas - How can I help? (module 10) A role-play makes it possible to practise various forms of social behaviour and combine items that are associated with each other: Taking over various roles stimulates empathy Acting out roles fosters self-assurance CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 22

23 Change of attitude (learning by understanding) Reduction of anxiety (talks with teachers/parents) Training of conflict management in everyday situations (pupil/pupil, pupil/parent) Coping with problems on an affective and cognitive level Training of particular forms of behaviour Verbalising feelings and thoughts Making decisions 4 Work in class and outside class Work in class Ten modules of 45 minutes as outlined in the module summary. Modification proposals by the participants will be taken into account. Work outside class Outside class the participants have the opportunity to adapt information from scientific journals, newspapers and the Internet. Repetitions of role-plays can also be done outside class. 5 Pre-requisite language skills Participants do not need special skills for their role-plays. The course instructor should encourage the teachers to take over various roles and to express their individual feelings 6 Equipment Costumes (hats, glasses etc.) and props are recommended for stimulating the participants imagination and making the play easier The project requires the following equipment: beamer, video camera, computers with Internet access. Participants need to be able to carry out web-based research CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 23

24 III LEARNING FRAMES SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! 1 Learning aims Creating awareness of absenteeism Giving opinions, talking about the causes and forms of absenteeism Discussing the advantages and disadvantages of absenteeism from a pupil s point of view Researching the topic using web-based materials Developing ideas for prevention What does the unit intend to change? Pupils should Understand truancy as a slow process Give truants the chance of return Recognize symptoms of risk in themselves and in others Get to know ways of coping with symptoms of risk (in themselves and in others) Test first countermeasures (support, assessment of the situation, class council, peer advice etc.) What should be avoided? (Risks and side effects): Teacher and class signals like: truants are not part of the class community and can not expect any help. Stigmatising truants and potential truants and excluding them as outsiders 2 Final product/outcome The groups are constantly re-formed for the presentation of the role-plays The presentation incorporates motives for truancy and ideas for its prevention. 3 Curriculum relevance German/English Religious Education Social Sciences Politics Drama Tutor s lessons 4 Assessment opportunities The participants reflect their own school experiences and attitudes towards truancy They correct potential prejudices 5 Evaluation The participants may evaluate the role-plays focussing on the following aspects: What they liked/disliked and why How great is their awareness of the causes and consequences of absenteeism CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 24

25 The usefulness of role-plays as a means of giving information, expressing opinions and feelings about school tiredness The effectiveness of the presentations What was each participant s contribution to the awareness raising and presentation of the role-play What further results are there Suggestions for improvements (sources, use of own script, outcome) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 25

26 IV IMPLEMENTATION SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Note: The following modules are elements that can be regrouped and/or used as alternative approaches. Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 1 Introduction to absenteeism Welcome to participants and presentation of programme Overhead projection of a newspaper article about a truant and discussion Participants discuss their own childhood experiences and cases of truancy Why have a teacher training course on truancy? The course instructor explains the task. OHP Material 1 (foil with newspaper articles) Coloured flashcards Material 2a-c (on the current situation of the respective country) Awareness of the format Results on a pin board Work outside class Participants view/collect information via newspaper articles, Internet Module 2 Role-play I: Skip, skip hooray! Before the actual role-play there should be a warming-up phase (see material 12) The teacher writes the above headline on the board and announces the role-play. 6-8 participants choose their roles and collect reasons on why somebody plays truant The participants write down their first statement (cf. role card). One participant prepares his role as host The participants choose hat, glasses, props for their role and sit down in front of the others The host starts the role-play with an introductory sentence. The play continues according to material 3 One participant makes a video of the whole performance IMPORTANT NOTE: Don t use real truants known to you!! Tables and chairs Name cards Material 3 Material 4: role cards and suggestion cards. Host and 6 9 roles like: pupil, teacher, psychologist, clergyman, father, mother, politician Hats, glasses etc. Digital camera Material 12 Staging the roleplay (group rehearsals) Awareness of different motives of playing truant Staging pros & cons Digital recording Module 3 Discussion on the results of the play Participants watch the video and evaluate the results (various roles and contents). Beamer Collecting different reasons for absenteeism against the pupils social background CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 26

27 Module 4 Drawing pictures Picture: Kevin hasn t been to school for two days although he is not ill. What is he doing right now? Presentation of pictures and discussion on the various forms of presentation Paper Coloured crayons Reflection on the reasons for truancy Picture presentation Wordless presentation of facts (freeze frame) Module 5 Role-play II Reporter Newspaper reporters ask pupils: Have you ever played truant? What was the reason? Documentation of results, e.g. as an eye-catching headline in The Sun (computer) Work in pairs: Two participants take two cases and ask each other: What did you do to cope with that problem? Simulation with a microphone (alternative: recording) Computer Reflecting one s own school life, behaviour and methods of resolution Presentation of newspaper headlines Showing methods of resolution Module 6 Freeze Frame Theatre Presentation of a truant s story in single freeze images Participation of viewers: They open and close their eyes according to orders given by the course instructor Afterwards discussion on typical events that were to be found in the stories See material 5 Wordless presentation of facts (freeze frame) Module 7 Writing stories (poems) (Anamnesis) Course instructor: Becoming a truant is a long process. In the beginning Kevin was a quite normal pupil but then something happened which threw him off track In small groups: Write his story. Afterwards discussion on typical events that were to be found in the stories Copybooks and pens Understanding a truant s career Recognizing that every truant has his own story As an alternative, the participants can write poems as well (cf. material 6) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 27

28 Module 8 Role-play III: What now? Electronic cuffs for truants? Teacher writes the above headline on the board and announces the role-play. 6-9 participants choose their roles (as above) and collect ideas The participants write down their first statement. One participant prepares his role as host One student makes a video of the whole performance (Written) review of the role-plays Module 9 Role-play IV Ball game The participants form three groups: Group 1: Teacher, Group 2: Pupils, Group 3: Parents The groups form three circles. One participant throws a ball at someone else in the group saying out aloud: Kevin hasn t been to school for two days, although he is not ill. What can we do? The catcher can answer and/or throw the ball at someone else, repeating the question: What can we do? In the end the results are collected, written on the blackboard in three columns and evaluated. ATTENTION: Don t take real truants!! Tables and chairs Name plates Material 4/7 (only role cards not suggestion cards) Hats, glasses etc. (as above) Digital camera Three small balls Three circles of chairs Blackboard, chalk Staging the roleplay (group rehearsals) First steps towards measures of intervention Staging pros & cons for prevention Digital recording The pupils addressed react spontaneously (as parents, pupils or teachers) by offering solutions Module 10 Role-play V Collecting ideas In small groups: What can the class / the teacher do to help a truant? Several ideas are tested in a simulated role-play Possibly: Recording the role-play Results and agreements are documented: When will the implementation be discussed? Digital camera Documentation of results in copybooks Material 10 / 11 Concretion of methods of resolution with reference to one s own (school) life Documentation of results Making agreements for the future (cf. material 8/9) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 28

29 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 1: Truants mother didn t learn her lesson Daily Mail, Wed. March 24, CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 29

30 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 2 a: What is absenteeism? Absenteeism is an elastic word. It includes continuous dozing off during lessons as well as total school refusal. In general we differentiate between passive and active absenteeism. Passive absenteeism This form of absenteeism is not easy to recognize and often not considered as absenteeism by teachers. While physically present, the pupil daydreams and doesn t follow the lesson. That s why he often can t keep up with the general standard of the class. Passive absenteeism frequently expresses itself in doctor s certificates and excuses written by the pupils themselves or by their parents. The estimated number of unreported cases of such truants is said to be very high. Active absenteeism Active truants often do not go to school for a longer period of time, some don t go to school at all. Others, who still go to school, show their disapproval and unwillingness openly by their aggressive and destructive behaviour towards classmates or teachers. In both cases these young people are not willing or not able to meet the school s demands. Their extroverted protest behaviour is meant to show parents, teachers and others: I have a problem! The process of absenteeism Careers of absentees develop from a passive to an active form. Excuses like doctor s certificates often mark the beginning of truancy. In some cases illnesses are not even pretended but can be understood as a psychosomatic reaction to demands and difficulties the pupils can t cope with. Frequent tardiness and long terms of absence are typical signs of a gradual transition to active absenteeism. This process can best be described as drifting away. Abrupt occurrences like spontaneous day-today absences are an exception. School Refusal = Playing truant? Pupils totally refusing school are not occasional truants. Nearly every pupil has played truant some time in his life. It is quite normal for young people to show a certain lack of motivation for school sometimes. This should not be dramatized. However, such cases should be closely observed in order to prevent pupils from becoming truants with the passage of time CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 30

31 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 2 b: How many absentees are there in Germany? It is difficult to give exact figures as there are only a few regional surveys. A study conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation (2002) refers to about 500,000 absentees in Germany. However, the grey area is large, for there are many absentees who move between passive absenteeism, occasional truancy and active absenteeism. Moreover, many teachers tolerate the absence of trouble-makers, so that they don t figure in any of the statistics. Unfortunately, it is therefore difficult to say whether the number of absentees will increase in the future because there are no reliable figures, neither from the present day nor recorded in the past. In general, it can be presumed that the number of absentees will increase. The following studies might be of interest here: 1997: 6,600 adolescents were interviewed by the Free University of Berlin. 20 % of them were obliged to take part in a preventive programme because of right-wing extremism, alcoholic excess, drugs or violence. The majority were pupils refusing to go to school. 1998: 83,000 young people, nearly 10% of all school leavers, finished school without a leaving certificate, one third of them girls. A study shows that drop-outs have poor chances of getting an apprenticeship. Two out of three drop-outs don t get any vocational training at all and, consequently, will not have any realistic chances in the job market. (Ministry of Education, 1998/1999). The majority of them, about 80%, are pupils from secondary schools and schools for handicapped children (The Yearbook of Statistics, 1998). Most drop-outs come from the absentee group. 1999: A survey conducted by the Criminological Institute of Lower Saxony among 1,100 criminals shows that these people, without exception, hardly attended school when they were young. International studies also show a high correlation between absenteeism and future delinquency. 2001: The sociologist Michael Wagner analysed figures from a survey by the Max Planck lnstitute conducted among 3,000 pupils from Cologne and Freiburg, according to which 8 % of the pupils from Cologne regularly played truant: of these, 15 % were secondary school pupils, 6 % secondary modern pupils and 5 % grammar school pupils. What makes pupils become truants? For many adolescents, truancy is a means of escape from a situation they are not able to cope with. At the same time, truancy always refers to an individual as well as a structural problem. That s why the reasons for truancy are as manifold as the biographies, mental conditions and various school situations of the young people. In a study of the Deutsche Jugendinstitut (DJI), 57 % of the absentees blamed problems with their teachers, 30 % poor achievement and 27 % difficulties with their classmates as the reasons for their absence. School alone is seldom the reason for school refusal. Problems at home are usually a trigger which is enhanced by events at school. Refusal in itself does not begin abruptly. There are initial signs which teachers ignore or react to in different ways, so refusal may become stronger... It is mostly a series of small events which lead to a final refusal CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 31

32 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 2 c: Structural problems Discrepancy between school and real life For many young people school hasn t got anything to do with their real lives. The content and forms of school learning very often differ considerably from life outside school. Pupils experiences that are not directly related to school subjects are often ignored. Even children and adolescents, who manage to come to grips with school at first glance, tend to see learning at school as more and more useless and feel bound by strict rules (cf. the example of the Bravo study, 1999). Old fashioned forms of teaching As a rule, teaching is understood by young people as a system they can neither control nor influence. The contents and methods of teaching are almost exclusively defined by the teacher. The pupils feel over-directed, not responsible for the teaching process and, consequently, go into withdrawal. Poor support of handicapped pupils The rate of school refusal among adolescents from socially disadvantaged families is alarmingly high. One possible reason could be that pupils with a difficult family background are not sufficiently supported in German schools. The PISA study shows that the relation between social background and poor educational opportunities plays a bigger role in Germany than in any other country. Experts blame the lack of support and appropriate monitoring as one of the most important reasons for school refusal. Individual problems Development phases The beginning of puberty and the growing wish for self-determination can enhance the tendency to go into school refusal. Peer groups and cliques gain more and more significance, whereas the influence of parents and other adults decreases. Fear Fear is one of the main reasons for school absence. Fear can be manifold: Fear of teachers. The teacher-pupil relationship plays an important role, in the history of truants as well as in how to deal with them. Many pupils think their teachers are sarcastic and condescending and feel helpless in conflicts with them. Fear of other pupils. The fact that pupils are teased, threatened, blackmailed or beaten up is a part of everyday school life in Germany. Bullying is becoming an increasingly serious phenomenon that is met by many teachers with helplessness. Fear of failure The demands of schools and parents are an insurmountable obstacle for many young people. Failures lead to further uncertainty and inevitably cause self-doubt and feelings of inferiority. Fear of the future. Many pupils feel - consciously or unconsciously - unsettled with regard to their future school and professional education. The impending lack of prospects for the future is discouraging especially for many secondary school pupils CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 32

33 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 3: Skip, skip hooray! Panel discussion / Talk Show ROLE-PLAY I: For this role-play (panel discussion) six to eight players and one host are needed. Decide on which role you would like to play, e.g. a punk, a teacher, a vicar, a policeman, a father / a mother of a truant or would you prefer to be the host or just sit in the audience? o o Participants of the role-play After you have chosen a role, write down a short statement that explains why pupils play truant. Example: Pupils who play truant should be seen as individuals with social problems or I hate school because my teachers ) The host The host should lead the discussion as follows: Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our talk show - Why do pupils play truant? On my right Kevin, a 15-year-old pupil who hasn t been to school for six months. Beside him his mother, Mrs. Klute At the end of this introduction - the host asks the participants to give their statements - he then opens the discussion: You can now comment on each other s statements or ask the participants questions. - after a while he opens the discussion for the audience: Now the audience can ask questions or make comments by addressing the participants. - the other participants can then take part in the play. o The course instructor offers help whenever needed and gives instructions to the pupil who is making the video CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 33

34 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 4: Role cards for role-plays I and II Host: Suggestions: You lead a panel discussion and have the task of introducing the participants. Ask them to make a short statement on truancy. Make sure that everybody gets a chance to speak. Sum up the results and ask the audience to take part in the discussion. 1. I have invited a few guests that I m going to introduce now: Mr Brook from the Ministry of Education, next to him the mother of a pupil that hasn t been to school for 171 days etc. 2. I would like to ask you to give a statement in one sentence only, on what could be done to prevent truancy. 3. You now have the chance to comment on the statements made by the others. 4. There are a few people in the audience who certainly have their own opinion on our topic Go ahead, you can now ask your questions. 5. (About 20 to 45 minutes later): That was a nice conclusion. Unfortunately, our time is up. Thank you all, have a nice evening The following arguments (on the right) are to be understood as suggestions. Of course, the participants are asked to put forward their own arguments based on their experience and/or imagination CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 34

35 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Clergyman: You are the clergyman of a parish with many families in social exclusion. You have already had a lot of interesting talks with truants and their parents. Clergyman s arguments: 1. You have to show understanding for young people. 2. Parents often don t care about their children 3. Often parents don t know anything about their children. Policeman: You are a policeman in a district with a lot of schools. You have already caught a lot of truants in shops and amusement arcades. Policeman s arguments: 1. I always have to pick up truants that loiter around the town. 2. Truancy makes most young people become criminals (shoplifting etc.) Teacher: You have been a very committed teacher for 20 years now. You have a lot of understanding for kids playing truant. On the other hand, you often feel helpless because you can t make contact with their parents. Teacher s arguments: 1. A lot happens at pupils homes that the teacher doesn t know about, e.g. parents getting divorced, a family member dying, violence or alcohol among parents. 2. Sometimes classmates put others up to playing truant or taking drugs CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 35

36 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Mother: You are a working mother of a truant. You don t have much time for your child. You don t know how to change the situation and what to do but are willing to tackle this problem. Mother s arguments: 1. I leave home early in the morning because I work. That s why I can t support my son/daughter. 2. He/she always cries when he/she comes home and doesn t want to go to school again. Politician: You work for the Ministry of Education. You clearly see the problems schools have, in dealing with absenteeism, but you feel bound by the limited budget in the educational sector. Politician s arguments: 1. There has to be stricter supervision of attendance. 2. More drastic measures have to be taken. 3. The teachers have a package of measures they should stick to. Psychologist: You work as an educational psychologist. You understand the problem of truancy in its entirety but you find the situation is pretty hopeless. You think that especially teachers should get more involved in order to be able to cope with this problem. Psychologist s arguments: 1. Truancy has considerably increased. 2. Often the parents of truants are unemployed, don t show any interest in checking what their children are doing or just don t care. 3. We, the psychologists, have to make up for what teachers can t cope with CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 36

37 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Truant 1: You are a ninth-former in a grammar school. You feel bored in lessons and are often criticized by your teachers because of your poor achievement. Arguments of truant 1: 1. I m fed up with school. 2. This has been going on for nine years; there is no action at school. 3. Apart from that, teachers say stupid things like You re daft anyway! You ll never pass your final exams etc. Truant 2: You are a seventh-former of a secondary school. You haven t been going to school for two months now, because you were mobbed by your classmates. Your parents don t know anything about that. As both of them are working, you spend most of your time at home watching TV or playing with your computer. Arguments of truant 2: 1. The others take the mickey out of me because I 2. I feel at ease at home in front of my computer or TV 3. And what s more: I know all they learn at school anyway. Truant 3: You are a pupil who has been playing truant for two weeks because you were threatened by your classmates. You don t feel supported enough by your teachers. Arguments of truant 3: 1. I m afraid of going to school because there are a few lads who always want to beat me up. 2. The teachers don t notice, because they are much too busy CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 37

38 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 5: Freeze frame theatre Absenteeism Freeze frame theatre is a method that allows us to present a story in single freeze images. The viewer can watch one picture after the other like in a slide show. As a result, he sees a consecutive story. In order to prevent viewers from observing the process of making a freeze image, the participants have to close their eyes between the single images when told to do so by the course instructor ( Open your eyes!, Look for 5 seconds!, Close your eyes! ). Parents / At home At school 1. The parents live in harmony. 2. Their child is a motivated pupil at school. 3. Although the parents start arguing, the child is still 4. The parents problems are getting worse. an eager pupil. The child can t concentrate anymore CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 38

39 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Freeze frame theatre Absenteeism (Cont.) 5. The teacher complains about the child s 6. The parents can t solve their problems. behaviour. The parents are still arguing. The child wants to leave school.. 7. The teacher can t help anymore. 8. The child is isolated at school and in the The child can t cope with the situation. family CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 39

40 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 6: Poetry on the subject of truancy It's Monday today and I don't want to go to school I might go down the park and drink alcohol Or I could fake being ill then go out and steal they call me a skiver and a faker but what do I care? School is boring School is lame school doesn`t teach me anyfingk if i bunk and stay off school I`ll be cool. ******************** ******************** I don't like bunking At skool getting real bored I don't like lying so i jump da g8t but it's the only way start jakin sum stores to get away nearly get caught doin ma fing from the bullies that wait at school. Woz in a alley me an ma m8ts smoking a joint ********************* doin wrong again stop 4 a minute They call me a truant wot am i accomplishin a skiver, bunking off bunkin skool doin drugs but what do they know fings I`m all caught up in? never a moment of revelation nor of realisation ******************* of the sad sad truth, it 's not because of mates, fags or drugs I just sit in the park only to be by my sick mother til its nice and dark lying in her bed. I would go home and watch tv but my parents would be angry at me ****************** ****************** A school day begins I get out of bed Not going to school but to town instead hiding behind a rubbish bin smoking fags and drinking gin. Here come my mates over there we only do it cos' they don't care. g8t = gate m8ts = mates (text language) jakin = stealing from a year 8 tutor group (aged 12 13) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 40

41 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 7: Electronic cuffs for truants? Panel discussion / Talk Show ROLE-PLAY II: For this panel discussion six to eight players and one host are needed. Decide again on which role you would like to play. o o Participants of the role-play After you have chosen a role, write down a short statement again saying what forms of intervention you would prefer. Example: Pupils who play truant should get individual help or Pupils should help each other. They could, for example, phone the truant every morning before school starts ) The host The host should lead the discussion as follows: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our talk show, Electronic cuffs for truants? What can be done to prevent absenteeism? On my right is Melanie, a 13-year-old pupil who hasn t been to school for three months now. Beside her Mr Miller, the clergyman At the end of this introduction - the host asks the participants to give their statements - he then opens the discussion: You can now comment on each other s statements or ask the participants questions. - after a while he opens the discussion for the audience: Now the audience can ask questions or make comments by addressing the participants. - the other participants can then take part in the play o The course instructor offers help whenever needed and gives instructions to the pupil who is making the video CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 41

42 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 8: What can you do? Suggestions for teachers Apart from systemic changes that are related to school in its entirety, there are a lot of possibilities for teachers to react within their means to (acute) cases of school refusal. The following suggestions refer to different stages of refusal and describe measures of direct intervention. Depending on the complexity of individual cases it might be necessary to use a package of measures. Coordinate potential measures with the social workers in charge of the pupil. Clearly define the possibilities and limitations of your own skills and abilities. Don t ask too much of yourself. Inform the parents as soon as possible. Go and see them, if possible, at home. Explain to them that you re meant to be an adviser and facilitator. Appeal to the parents responsibility. Agree on a binding and mutual procedure and offer the necessary support. Give advice as to how parents should cope with the problem: understanding and talks are better than punishment and pressure. The pupil makes trouble all the time Don t treat trouble-makers as a problem that you want to get rid of. Take their behaviour as a cry for help that requires immediate intervention. Talk to the adolescent. Show him that you care and that you take him and his problems seriously. Offer concrete help, accompanied by regular talks, in order to be able to recognize progress or to intervene, if problems arise. Disturbances can mean that a lesson is too difficult, too boring or too inflexible for some pupils. The pupil is frequently absent Try to foster his integration into the class with buddies. First contact pupils who have the closest relationship to the absentee. Discuss with them how you could best help their classmate. If the pupil has a problem with you or another teacher, it could make sense for him to change his class. Perhaps the pupil can get along better with a colleague of yours. Try to admit to the existence of animosities and speak openly about them. In case of learning deficits: try to have them diagnosed. Together with the school psychologist, make up special needs programmes for the pupil. For far-ranging problems, try to get help from special educationalists, school psychologists, welfare officers etc CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 42

43 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 9: Suggestions for pupils If your classmate is frequently absent in school, he usually has serious problems. Who, if not you, can talk to him and keep him from having even more problems? Here you will find ideas that show you how you can help him to cope with various problems: He fails to keep up with the demands. Try to solve the problems by learning together with him. Who is good at what subject? You could set up and follow a common work plan, together with everybody willing to take part in this project. In the morning he is often late for school. Organise a wake-up service. It would be best if one of you agreed to go to school together with him. Most of the time he is alone. Why don t you spend your free time together? Or you set up a pupils cafe once a week in the afternoon, agree on a meeting place in the park, in the youth club etc. and invite him to join you. He has a constant problem with a particular teacher. Which of you is on especially good terms with this teacher? Don t hesitate to talk to him! If in doubt or if you don t know how to proceed, contact your mentor teacher. He is bullied by his classmates. Show the bullying pupils that you as a group can t be intimidated. Get in contact with your teachers. He is an outsider in class. Talk openly about antipathies in class. Tell each other what you don t like about one another. Insults are not allowed but honesty can help to get things sorted out. He is aggressive and violent. Talk openly about his aggressive behaviour. Try to find out why he is so aggressive. Help him to find ways of getting rid of his aggressiveness in a creative way, e. g. by engaging in drawing, dancing, playing the drums, sports The teacher doesn t notice anything. Draw his attention to the absences of your classmate. It is not sneaking, if you try to solve a genuine problem. There are many truants at your school. Try to set up a meeting point or pupils cafe in school, where you can relax and talk to each other. He doesn t go to school at all. Who knows him well enough to know where he might be? Try to get in contact with him. Maybe you also could arrange a contact between him and a social worker or mentor teacher. All your efforts are useless. The rules for buddies say: Don t expect too much. Don t ask too much of yourselves. Matters concerning your heart need a lot of time. Try to look for help, if you don t know how to go on. Don t do anything that you don t want to do CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 43

44 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 10: Evaluation / Questionnaire 1. Which role-play did you like most? I liked most, because 2. What do you think are the main reasons for absenteeism? 3. What could be done to prevent students from playing truant: Teachers should The police could The psychologist The parents The truant The classmate(s) School Others (e.g. social workers, class teachers, the Youth Office) 4. Did this project influence your opinion of truants? If yes, in what respect? 5. What could y o u do to help a truant? I could CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 44

45 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 11: Assessment opportunities Is the project teacher-friendly?... Yes No Is it motivating?... Yes No Is it feasible?... Yes No Are the instructions for pupils clear?... Yes No Was the project useful for you?... Yes No If not, please specify Are the materials learner-friendly?... Yes No Does the material support the awareness of truancy?... Yes No Are the activities feasible?... Yes No Does the project guarantee a growth in learning?... Yes No Are the modules student-oriented and age group-adequate?... Yes No Was there enough room for your own ideas?... Yes No Were your students motivated for the project?... Yes No What was their spontaneous reaction to the project? Were they actively involved and focussed on the project?... Yes No Did your students feel free to speak in the course of the project?... Yes No Were the students attentive throughout the project? Yes No Specify if not: CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 45

46 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 12: Warming up exercises 1. Take some imaginary paint and try to smear someone else s back. At the same time avoid being smeared yourself. 2. Everyone chooses one person A and one person B without saying who they are. Then carry out the following task: Run away from A and hide at the same time behind B. 3. Many participants (up to 12 at the most) form a circle by standing shoulder to shoulder. Eyes shut. Reach out with your hands and find two other hands. Hold on to them. Open your eyes. Now all try to untie the knot without letting go. 4. The participants group according to the numbers which are called to them. The same as a game of dice: when a number between one and six is Called, the participants arrange themselves like the eyes of a dice (without language). 5. Form a large circle. Someone claps to the right. The neighbour to the right claps at the same time. Then he claps to his right, his neighbour to his right clapping at the same time After three or four rounds increase the tempo ad infinitum! 4. Find a partner. The following commands of an organiser are followed (in so doing both participants must carry out the movements together, i.e. touching each other): - Hand on stomach and foot on foot. - Ear on shoulder and hand on back. - Foot on bottom and hand on knee. 5. In pairs. A shuts his eyes and B forms a statue (a frozen figure) in front of him. Then A goes blindly to B and feels him all over. The aim is an exact imitation of the statue. When A thinks he has finished he opens his eyes and compares results. (Then: change over!). 6. Several participants stand in a row while the others watch. One after another, everyone must name his favourite food loudly and make a movement that fits. After the first has done this three times (he must stay in rhythm and carry on) the second and third one etc. starts until in the end all are acting together (word/sentence and gesture) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 46

47 SKIP,SKIP HOORAY! Material 12: 7. In pairs. A leads B (slowly) through the room with the help of the palm of his hand. B must keep his face about four inches (ten centimetres) away from A s hand. Then change over. (A then leads two people, this time with two hands.) 8. A and B stand opposite each other, so that the right feet of each touch on the inner side. The left feet are further back. They hold each other by the right hand. Now each tries to make the other lose balance without his feet leaving the floor. If this does happen: count the points. 9. Extend both hands to a partner, then let go, shut your eyes, take six steps backwards then six forwards. Then open your eyes and see where the hands meet now - The same exercise, but now twelve steps ending in an embrace. 10. Form pairs opposite each other. Distance to partner roughly one foot, feet one foot apart. Now try to make your partner lose his balance with pushing etc. Count points CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 47

48 HUNGARY THE SCHOOL OF LIFE A Publication on Truancy CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 48

49 I PREFACE THE SCHOOL OF LIFE The School of Life Project includes classroom as well as out-of-classroom activities and finishes with a common publication (newspaper, Power Point Presentation, video etc.) prepared and compiled by the students on the basis of interviews with adults, data analysis as well as guided surveys. Its objective is to explore the reasons for and consequences of absenteeism and to create awareness. It focuses on the students experiences obtained in the course of their own activities. In this project the teacher acts as a mentor, partner, advisor, consultant and supervisor CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 49

50 II OVERVIEW THE SCHOOL OF LIFE The School of Life Project can be used as a classroom project or as part of a teacher education programme. 1 Subject Project category: classroom project with an allocated teacher education module Objectives: Exploring the reasons and consequences of absenteeism, raising awareness 2 Learning aims Students learn how to produce a publication on absenteeism Students in groups learn actively how to work for a common conclusion/product Students learn to organise the working process by means of a working diary Students create the imprint of the publication Interviews with adults, data analysis, guided surveys, editing, compiling 3 The framework 2 weeks or more of classroom and out-of-classroom activities, depending on the lessons per week spent on the project 4 Equipment Working diary Role cards Help cards Worksheets Questionnaires Exit cards CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 50

51 III IMPLEMENTATION THE SCHOOL OF LIFE Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 1 Introduction to absenteeism Brainstorming Students sit in a circle. The teacher gives an introduction to the problem and initiates a conversation about absenteeism and its consequences. Questions: Why does Kim play truant? How can it be prevented? What kind of experiences have you Had? How can we help children who play truant? Groups of 4-5 students are formed. Each group gets a large sheet of strong paper and some post-it blocks. The question on the wrapping paper is: What does truancy mean to you? Each group reports its statements to the others. Blackboard Strong paper Post-it blocks Newspaper articles Internet Evoking experiences concerning the problem; establishing the frames of the project Students write their statements on post-it notes and stick them up. Work outside class Participants view/collect information from newspaper articles, the Internet Module 2 Introduction to the project Teacher informs students about the final product, the objectives, subject and workflow of the project as well as consulting opportunities. Teacher asks students what the final product of the project might be like and how they intend to present it to each other and later to the guests. They decide what format (publication, film or poster) they intend to choose for the final product and make suggestions for its common presentation. Then students define their tasks and divide roles up among themselves. Students choose the final product and the method of presentation by themselves for better identification with the project CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 51

52 III IMPLEMENTATION THE SCHOOL OF LIFE Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 3 Working Diary Students are divided into three groups by random methods. Groups choose a name for themselves. They draw by lot which task they are supposed to take over. Then each group elects a coordinator. The coordinator is responsible for keeping to the schedule and deadline recorded in the working diary. Different topics require different roles. Based on the preliminary discussion, the teacher prepares roles. Suggestions for roles are recorded on role cards. Groups are formed and roles are divided up among the group. It is essential that the teacher makes sure that no one remains without a specific role. Groups elect spokesmen and -women to present the results. Groups prepare an action plan in the working diary. (The action plan must include the task, duration, timing, deadline and the allocated roles with the names of the students). Material 1 (Working diary) Material 2A/2B (Role cards) The list of pupils names in each group is recorded in the working diary Raising awareness of individual responsibility as well as cooperation Planning, timing, taking responsibility Module 4 Processing the topics Work outside class Document analysis; interviews; consulting Material 3 (Questionnaire for teachers) Material 4 (Questionnaire for students) Material 5 (Interview guide) Recorder, video camera, digital camera, CD-Rom, DVD, interviewsheets Wording, communication competences, question technique, information search and structuring skills development CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 52

53 III IMPLEMENTATION THE SCHOOL OF LIFE Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 5 Presentation Report by each group on the activities carried out L: How did you cooperate and complete your task within the group Students compile the final products, conducted interviews and analysed documents Aspects: - Difficulties and interesting facts concerning the task; - Cooperation between group members; - Report on the experiences based on the raw material ; - Teacher records comments and remarks concerning the workflow. Blackboard Pin-board Laptop Video projector Reflection on experience, drawing conclusions Groups share their experiences with each other. Module 6 Finalizing the collected material Work outside class Compiling the final product, conducting interviews, analysing documents Material 6 (Processing of Statistics) ICT competence Written text Module 7 Editing Groups receive each other s work and make suggestions for the common publication on the basis of the criteria set out in the help cards Material 7 (Help cards) Students become familiar with each other s work in writing and develop ideas for structuring information. ICT competence Module 8 Compiling the final project Work outside class Film tasks: casting New groups are established for the following tasks and purposes: typography, illustrations, cover sheet, imprint, corrections etc. The final electronic version is given to all groups and then double-checked in terms of accuracy, appropriateness etc. Video material Computer Laptop Digital camera etc. Printed version CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 53

54 III IMPLEMENTATION THE SCHOOL OF LIFE Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 10 Presentation: Celebrating the party Work outside class Preparation of the hall: Seats, decoration etc. Buying cakes, mineral water etc. for the guests Introducing the groups, discussion on the project process Decoration material Video projectors Flip charts etc. Growing knowledge on absenteeism Feedback on students work Module 11 Evaluation Teacher encourages students to reflect on what they have experienced, read and learnt. - What did the topic, its processing and group cooperation mean to them? - How can they link it to their own lives? - How does it affect their views and ways of thinking? - What do they feel or think of the top Now? Material 8 (Evaluation Sheets) Skills of selfpresentation are developed like organising, planning etc CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 54

55 IV ATTACHMENT THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 1 WORKING DIARY Date/ time Place Participants What have we done so far? Results What still needs to be done? Who will be doing what? Systematic planning/ deadlines Problems CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 55

56 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 2A ROLE CARDS: it is essential that nobody in the class/group is left without a role or some responsibility. Therefore the number and types of role cards may be tailored flexibly to the number of group members. Analyser Editor Study writer Interviewer Illustrator Proof-reader Organiser Presenter CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 56

57 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 2B Role cards The group defines the roles with a tutor s help. The roles depend on how the work is carried out, how many pupils there are in each group and on the final product. The key point is that each pupil has his/her own role. In the following you can find some role samples: Analyser The analyzers collect data from statistics and draw conclusions which are recorded and demonstrated at the presentation. They argue and reason using their findings. Editor The editor arranges the articles and illustrations for publication. Study writer If the final product is a publication, the role of the study writer is to compose texts that connect the articles. Interviewer The interviewer conducts interviews: selects the interviewees, asks questions and records the interview. Illustrator The illustrator makes or collects illustrations, e.g. photos, drawings etc. Proof-reader The proof-reader corrects the texts. Organiser The organizer keeps count of and reconciles the tasks of group members, keeps the time schedule and solves problems that occur with the tutor s help. Presenter The presenter demonstrates the project and the final product CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 57

58 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 3 Interview templates, survey forms and questionnaires The forms, templates and elaborated questionnaires are used to collect data and information on the reasons for absenteeism. Students do their own interviews and research, and on the basis of the data and information obtained they reveal the reasons themselves, thus facing the problem on their own. 1. Questionnaire (for teachers): QUESTION I. Please indicate on a four-level range what role the listed factors play in the unexcused absence of the students. Range: 1. It does not play any role. 2. Generally it does not play any role. 3. Generally it does play some role. 4. It plays a significant role. a) Health problems b) Significant negative family event c) Significant positive family event d) Student s attitude to school e) Student s family background f) Student s relationship to the community g) Student s attitude to learning h) Student s current psychological state i) Student s motivation level j) Other: CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 58

59 QUESTION When summarizing, please put the answers into the following categories: II. Name three activities which you do for the purpose of reducing unexcused absence. a) Teaching techniques b) Sanctions c) Contact strategies d) Leisure-time activities III. Name three activities which would be suitable for reducing absenteeism, but their conditions and circumstances are missing. e) Conflict handling techniques a) Teaching techniques b) Sanctions c) Contact strategies d) Leisure-time activities e) Conflict handling techniques IV. Indicate the subjects most affected by unexcused absence CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 59

60 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 4 Interview templates, survey forms and questionnaires The forms, templates and elaborated questionnaires are used to collect data and information on the reasons for absenteeism. Students do their own interviews and research, and on the basis of the data and information obtained they reveal the reasons themselves, thus facing the problem on their own. 2. Questionnaire (for students) 1. What is the reason why so many children are absent unexcused? (You can underline more than one answer.) a) They cannot stand obligations. b) They have no concept about their future. c) They have problems with learning teachers classmates family they have no problems, they just feel better outside school. d) Other (If you have an opinion, write it down here!) 2. What do you think would make school more attractive? a) More interesting classes/lessons. b) More personal relations. c) More help in learning. d) More leisure-time activities. e) More practice, more manual activities. f) Other (If you have an opinion, write it down here!) 3. Do you play truant? a) Yes b) Rarely c) Occasionally d) No 4. If you play truant, is there anybody who excuses your absence? a) Parent b) Doctor c) Other CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 60

61 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 5 Interview guide: Interview someone (anonymously). The interviewee should be somebody where things in his/her life went wrong, but not through his/her fault. Ask him/her about when and where he/she went to school. What is his/her qualification? What did he/she do and where did he/she work? What does he/she think the reason is for the current bad situation? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 61

62 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 6 Employment statistics in light of obtained school qualifications: The processing of statistics can help students reveal the consequences of absenteeism. Pattern exercise: The diagram below shows various data. Based on the data, please describe: a) What do the interviewed students consider to be the reasons for absenteeism? b) What chances do people with the different qualifications have to be employed? RATES OF POPULATION ACCORDING TO OBTAINED SCHOOL QUALIFICATIONS NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED People with no qualification Primary school (8 years) Qualification in vocational training GCSE GCSE and qualification in vocational training Tertiary education 42% 35% 11% 6% 3% 3% CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 62

63 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 7 HELP CARDS PUBLICATION, POWER POINT PRESENTATION OR VIDEO? Help Cards: a system of criteria according to which the target product is to be achieved What should the title of the publication be? What should its cover be like? What font should be used? What fonts should be used for titles (main titles, subtitles)? What kinds of illustrations should be inserted and where? What should be in the imprint? (IN CASE OF SAMPLE, SUGGESTION OR PUBLICATION) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 63

64 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE MATERIAL 8 Evaluation sheet (project work) How did you organize your teams? Were there any difficulties? How did you manage to keep time schedules and establish structures in your team? Was everybody actively involved to the same degree? How effective was the work in your team? What was the teacher s role? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 64

65 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE What should have been done differently? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 65

66 THE SCHOOL OF LIFE Evaluation sheet (absenteeism) How did you feel about the topic? On a scale from 1 10 evaluate whether the topic of absenteeism is suitable for project work? Did the project help to increase your knowledge of the topic? Did the project influence your opinion of truants? If yes, in what respect? Did the project change your attitude towards absenteeism? -if so, how did you change your behaviour? -if not, where do you see the weakness of the project or how would you have introduced the topic to schools? What could you do to help a truant? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 66

67 NETHERLANDS GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL A Case Study on DVD CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 67

68 I PREFACE GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL The DVD "Getting Dirk Back to School" and its accompanying instructional material were developed by the school attendance officer in Groningen, Mr. Eric Ordelman, of the Netherlands, for use in the classroom. The Dutch members of the Comenius project, Mr. Hans Velthoen and Mrs. José Vos Adamczyk, reserved the instructional material for the Comenius project. Everyone in the Netherlands between the ages of 5 and 18 years is subject to compulsory school attendance. Every pupil in this age group must attend school regularly. This means more than just not skipping school; it also means not coming in late regularly. The majority of the pupils go to school as required, but what happens when a pupil fails to do so? There are many types of causes for skipping school or frequent tardiness. A pupil can have problems at home or at school, or he/she can simply not feel like going to school. If you notice this behaviour in one of your pupils, you can speak to him or her and talk to the parents to discover the causes for the absences. Together you can seek a solution to the truancy problem. When holding such discussions, it is also important to point out the consequences of truancy. The pupil's parents must be made aware that repeated absences are reported to the school attendance officer and that this person can in time draft an official report. In 2006,all school attendance officers in the Netherlands got the DVD and the accompanying instructional material from their Union, the Landelijke Vereniging van Leerplichtambtenaren 1, called Ingrado 2 since Now quite a number of school attendance officers use the DVD in their work to prevent truancy, coming in late regularly and leaving early. The DVD was also introduced by several school attendance officers, especially in pre-vocational schools, where the DVD is used by class teachers or school welfare teachers. 1 Landelijke Vereniging van Leerplichtambtenaren: Union of School Attendance Officers 2 Ingrado: The Dutch Union of compulsory school attendance and early school leaving CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 68

69 II OVERVIEW GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL 1 Subject The Teaching Package The package consists of: DVD: Compulsory School Attendance; Dirk Heads Back to School Questionnaire Form with assertions Interview form Coloured cards with questions Coloured cards with assertions Green and red cards for voting DVD: The short and dynamic film is about Dirk. Dirk skips school. He is told of the consequences and in the "option space" he always chooses in favour of skipping. Dirk is heading down the wrong path and ends up with an official report from the school attendance officer. When he goes to court, Dirk hears what the punishment is and then realises that he has got it all wrong. He has another choice, but now Dirk chooses to go back to school. The film takes about ten minutes. The DVD is the foundation of the package. The teacher can choose what he or she wants to use after showing the film. Combinations can be made, for instance of the question form and the interview with the parents. A discussion on the assertions can also be combined with the interview. Questionnaire (see Material 1) This form is distributed after showing the film. It contains 6 questions about the film and about the pupils own attendance behaviour. Approximately 10 minutes are reserved for answering the questions. After that the pupils can go on to discuss their answers. In this section, the coloured cards with questions can be used as a variation on individual answers. These cards are distributed to the pupils so that each one can answer a question. The pupils could also each take a turn to select a card from a box to add a creative game element. Form with Assertions (see Material 2) This element also follows after showing the film. The form contains 11 assertions. For each assertion, the pupil must note whether or not he or she agrees and why. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes are reserved for this CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 69

70 II OVERVIEW GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL There is also a variation for a group discussion of this element. Each pupil gets a red and a green card. The teacher reads out the assertion and the pupil holds up a green (agree) or a red (disagree) card to show whether he or she agrees. Using these answers, the pupils discuss the various opinions. Interview Form (see Material 3) Parents are interviewed using this form to involve the parents in the subject of their truant children. The parents sign the form and the pupil returns it to the teacher within the agreed-upon short term. The results can be discussed with the pupil during a subsequent lesson or individually. 2 Target group Secondary school and vocational school pupils, their teachers and parents. The programme is especially intended for pupils who can still be considered occasional truants (group work with occasional truants). The film can also be used preventively to show pupils the consequences of truancy. Group size: Small groups of not more than six pupils, so that they can be better involved in the programme and there can be time enough for discussion. 3 Work inside and outside the classroom Work in class The four modules can be implemented in up to four meetings of about minutes in and/or outside class. After the last meeting an evaluation meeting can be organized in or outside class. Work outside class Collecting articles on the topic of absenteeism from newspapers and/or the internet. Interview with parents. 4 Language or other skills A good working knowledge of English (or Dutch) is necessary for understanding the Dutch film with English subtitles. 5 Equipment DVD player CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 70

71 III LEARNING FRAMES GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL 1 Learning aims The objective of these instructional materials is to convince the pupils of the consequences of skipping school and frequent tardiness. The programme is specifically intended for pupils who can still be considered occasional truants, i.e. pupils you would not normally report to the school attendance officer, but about who the school starts to worry because skipping school is their major concern. The pupils are supposed to learn the importance of school attendance find out that they can discuss their problems in school and experience that there are persons/teachers who are really interested in their problems what the consequences of playing truant are. 2 Curriculum relevance Tutor s lesson English 3 Assessment opportunities The pupils reflect their attitude towards truancy. The pupils can discuss the pros and cons of showing a film like Dirk CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 71

72 IV IMPLEMENTATION GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 1 Introduction - Teacher announces film Getting Dirk back to school - Pupils are asked to guess the content of the film - Teacher presents film - Pupils make their first comments Work outside class - Students collect articles on the topic absenteeism from newspapers and/or the internet DVD Dirk (10 min) Newspapers, the internet Discussion on playing truant Arouse interest in the topic Module 2 Analysis - Teacher presents the film again and hands out the questionnaire - Pupils fill in the questionnaire (Alternative: Pupils get coloured cards with questions. Each pupil then answers a question.) - Pupils discuss the results DVD Dirk Material 1: Questionnaire Coloured cards (optional). Pupils show that they understood the film and can draw parallels between themselves and Dirk Module 3 Assertions - Teacher hands out Material 2 - Pupils comment on statements - Teacher hands out red and green cards - Teacher then reads the assertions aloud and pupils hold up their green (agree) or red (disagree) card Material 2: Assertions Coloured cards Pupils raise their awareness of absenteeism by agreeing or disagreeing with assertions Module 4 Interview with parents Work outside class - Pupils interview their parents. - Parents sign the form. - Pupils return the forms to the teacher. - The teacher discusses the results in class or individually Material 3: Interview sheet Parents raise their awareness of absenteeism and discuss truancy and school attendance with their children CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 72

73 Material 1 GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL Instructional Materials Questions: 1. Why is there a school attendance officer? 2. Dirk has a choice. What choice does Dirk have? 3. What happens to Dirk when he makes the wrong choice? 4. Why do you skip school? Or why do you come late? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 73

74 Material 1 GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL 5. What has to change for you so that you go to school properly every day? 6. What do you think about skipping school and coming late after seeing this film? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 74

75 Material 2 GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL Instructional Materials Assertions: 1. Going to school is stupid, you don't learn anything! Agree / Disagree Why? 2. You learn a lot more on the street than from books! Agree / Disagree Why? 3. You find a job a lot faster if you have a diploma! Agree / Disagree Why? 4. It's much more fun to collect unemployment benefits than to work! Agree / Disagree Why? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 75

76 Material 2 PLEMENTATION GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL Getting Dirk Back to School 5. If you work hard at school then you'll keep out of trouble! Agree / Disagree Why? 6. Going to school is for idiots! Agree / Disagree Why? 7. I like doing extra homework as a punishment. Agree / Disagree Why? 8. If I skip school now, it can affect my future! Agree / Disagree Why? 9. If I skip school, it will make me popular! Agree / Disagree Why? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 76

77 Material 2 GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL 10. Skipping school or coming in late is cool! Agree / Disagree Why? 11. It really bothers my parents when I'm late for school! Agree / Disagree Why? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 77

78 Material 3 GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL Instructional Materials Interview with My Parents/Guardians Did you know that I sometimes get to school late or skip it altogether? Yes / No Did you ever skip school when you were a kid, and if so how often? What do you think about my getting to school late or skipping it altogether? Why do you think it is important for me to go to school? Have you any idea what things at home are like for me? Would you like to talk to a teacher about it? If so, which? What do you think of this assignment to interview you? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 78

79 Material 3 GETTING DIRK BACK TO SCHOOL Pupil's name Name of parent/guardian: Parent's/guardian's signature Hand in to (teacher) Class CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 79

80 RUSSIA RULES ARE RULES A Panel Discussion CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 80

81 I PREFACE RULES ARE RULES The school code of conduct, i.e. the behavior of students in school, is important for school life and the school community. Children are expected to be responsible for discipline and supposed to observe school rules. The project Rules are Rules can be used as a teacher training module or a lesson unit. It aims at creating a firmer awareness of the rights and duties of students at school and focuses on a democratic panel discussion of problems like compulsory school attendance, the school code of conduct etc. S. Kozlova, M. Afanasyeva and E. Emtseva, the authors of the project, are specialists working at the regional in-service teacher education institute in Perm, Russia. They have used the project material in their teacher training seminars for several years. The material was also implemented in a number of schools in the Perm region which had a high number of absentees CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 81

82 II OVERVIEW RULES ARE RULES 1 Subject The project Rules are Rules involves two 45-minute lessons. It can be implemented as a lesson unit with students not playing truant and/or playing truant. The students are supposed to learn how to collect arguments to justify their opinions on compulsory schooling discuss the school code of conduct as well as their rights and duties exchange opinions on school rules, truancy etc. The project can also be implemented as a teacher training course. It is meant to increase the teachers awareness of their attitude to school rules and students violating these rules. It can help them to find better ways of dealing with truants and other students who don t follow rules. The form of a panel discussion allows the participants to practise forms of social behavior, verbalizing feelings and thoughts, changing opinions and making decisions. 2 Target group Students of all school forms (mainly secondary level I) Teachers of all school forms (mainly secondary level I) 3 Equipment A big classroom, two chairs Three cards (DIN A4) Small cards and pens OVERVIEW Panel d CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 82

83 III LEARNING AIMS RULES ARE RULES 1 Learning aims Putting forward arguments, forming opinions, persuading Listening to each other Working cooperatively Increasing awareness of the students rights and duties Presenting ideas and opinions 2 Curriculum relevance Tutor s lessons 3 Prearrangements The course instructor should make 3 cards with the words Agree, Disagree and I don t know stick the cards on to opposite sides of the classroom wall clear enough space along the wall so that the participants can form different groups there put two chairs in the centre of the classroom at a distance of 0,5 m so that there is enough space around the chairs for the participants to move around 4 Evaluation The participants may evaluate the project using the following questions: Has anyone changed his/her opinion during the discussion? What made him/her change his/her opinion? Was the discussion useful even for those who have not changed their opinion? What arguments could have changed their opinion? Did the discussion change your/their opinion on school rules / truancy? What did they like / dislike and why? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 83

84 IV IMPLEMENTATION RULES ARE RULES Module Outline Equipment Outcome Module 1 Introduction Welcome to participants and presentation of programme Overhead projection of some statistical and analytical data on absenteeism Participants brainstorm ideas about the origin and nature of students rights and duties OHP Raising awareness of absenteeism Motivation for the discussion Module 2 Panel discussion The course instructor explains the task and the statement The school code of conduct should be followed even if not all its rules are fair. The course instructor shows two cards on the wall with the words Agree and Disagree. He asks the participants to define their opinion and to position themselves under the respective cards: Agree, Disagree or Don t know. Those who do not have any definite opinion and hesitate, position themselves somewhere between the cards. After everybody has chosen his/her position according to his/her point of view, the course instructor asks one participant from each group ( Agree, Disagree ) to be the group s spokesman. The spokesmen sit down on the chairs. The other participants position themselves behind the person representing their opinion. Those still hesitating can stay in the Don t know area. The groups spokesmen are given a minute to present their arguments in for or against the initial statement. The other participants listen to their arguments without interrupting or prompting. Having listened to the spokesmen s Material 1 3 cards (DIN A4) with Agree Disagree Don t know Two chairs Paper Pens Raising awareness of the game s format Motivation for the discussion Defining one s point of view and forming groups of supporters Presenting pros and cons Defining one s position by listening to arguments Collecting different reasons for the rights and duties of pupils, attending and missing school, fairness and unfairness of the school code of conduct rules Putting forward arguments, forming opinions, persuading Gaining more awareness of one s own point of view Working collectively, putting forward convincing arguments, forming opinions, listening Specifying one s CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 84

85 arguments, the undecided participants are asked to form an opinion and join one of the two groups. Now two groups are formed: one for, the other against the statement. The groups are given 10 minutes to prepare arguments (pro and con) and to choose a new spokesman to present them. After 10 minutes the newly chosen spokesmen sit down on the chairs with their supporters behind them. The spokesmen are given 3 minutes to present their arguments. The participants are supposed to ask the spokesmen questions. After that the supporters of both spokesmen can change their opinion and move to the group, whose arguments seem to them to be more convincing. position, changing one s opinion Panel discussion, Part 2 Newly formed groups have 5-10 minutes to work out new additional arguments. They choose new spokesmen. The spokesmen are given 3 minutes to present the group s arguments. Once again, the participants are supposed to ask the spokesmen questions. Then there is one more chance for the others to change their opinions and move to the group, whose arguments seem to them to be more convincing. Module 3 Doing a mini project The participants are offered the chance to do a mini project entitled The code of conduct I d like to have at school. The course instructor divides them into groups for the project work. The participants can prepare School rules for pupils and Rules for teachers (see Material 2). If you have limited time for this kind of work or you prefer giving ready-made materials you can prepare some variants for the group discussions (see supplementary Material 2). The participants choose the best variant of the school rules presented, adopt it for implementation in class or recommend it to the school council for implementation on school level. Paper Pens Markers Material 2 Working out school or classroom rules and/or making amendments and additions to existing rules at school, thus accepting or adopting the rules themselves CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 85

86 Module 4 Evaluation and assessment The participants get together for assessment and evaluation Material 3 The participants reflect their school experience and attitudes towards compulsory school attendance, pupils rights and duties. They discuss the results of the training exercise, express what they liked or disliked CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 86

87 Panel discussion on is MATERIAL 1 RULES ARE RULES For the course instructor 1. It s very important that the statements or topics for the discussion (class debate) are controversial, for example: Studying at school is our duty, If I don t go to school I miss out, Rules are rules or are they? 2. The first phase in the panel discussion (class debate), where the participants choose the place along the wall, takes about 2 minutes. Its aim is to define the participants primary position and compare it with the position of the others. 3. The objective of the discussion is to practise the skills of communication and persuasion, to help the participants get a better awareness of the discussed problem. 4. It is worth giving advice to the participants to think of which arguments to present and how to make these arguments sound most persuasive for the opponents. The aim of their argumentation is to attract to their side as many apologists as possible. 5. In the intervals between the presentations, the groups should analyze the views of the opposite side and work out new arguments to make the opponents position weaker in the following round. 6. Do not limit the number of rounds to three, if you want more participants to test themselves in the role of a spokesman. 7. The spokesmen are allowed to make notes of the arguments on the cards and use them during their presentation. 8. The course instructor is expected to take interest in the discussion, to be an activator and facilitator of the debate if the process slows down. 9. If dealing with the topic of school rules, it would be desirable to organize some miniproject work The code of conduct I d like to have at school. That will help the pupils to accept the rules for themselves and become participants of the educational process CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 87

88 MATERIAL 2 RULES ARE RULES School Rules 1. Don t be late for classes. 2. You must not miss lessons. 3. At school pupils must always carry with them: a planner diary, textbooks, exercise books and necessary things like pens, pencils, rulers etc. 4. Homework must be done and handed in on time. 5. Don t drop litter at school! It s your second home. 6. Don t spoil the furniture. It s very expensive. Besides, it s unpleasant when the classroom is in a mess! 7. It is prohibited to spoil books. 8. Smoking is forbidden. 9. Be quiet! Don t run and shout at the top of your voice! Think about other schoolmates and teachers who may be tired. 10. Put on your tracksuits only when you have PE lessons. 11. You must behave at all times with courtesy, consideration and common sense. (Worked out by the pupils of the 6th form, Perm Secondary School, Russia) Rules for Teachers 1. Dear Teachers, we respect you and we love you. But, please, don t be so strict, try to understand us: we are sometimes tired, even exhausted. School subjects are rather difficult. 2. You shouldn t give us much homework. 3. Please, let us sit where we want. 4. Be always kind, tolerant, sincere and helpful. 5. Please, don t criticize our styles and manners. 6. Try to respect our opinions. 7. Never tell us: To be a teacher is so difficult. 8. Treat us with patience and sweet understanding in spite of the foolish things we do. 9. Never forget us /Don( worked ((Worked out by the pupils of the 11th form, Perm Secondary School, Russia) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 88

89 MATERIAL 3 RULES ARE RULES Suggestions for Evaluation and Assessment Ask the participants to think about the aim of the discussion and its results. Find out 1. if anybody has changed his/her opinion during the discussion 2. if yes, what arguments persuaded him/her to change his/her opinion 3. if the participants views have changed because of the arguments of the others and/or group pressure, emotions of the spokesmen, excitement etc. 4. if the discussion was useful for those who have not changed their opinion. Why? What arguments could have changed their opinion? 5. what arguments about compulsory schooling, pupils rights and duties, fairness and unfairness of the school code of conduct have appeared to be the most attractive 6. what their opinion now is about possible ways of preventing truancy 7. if the format of the discussion was pupil-friendly 8. what they liked/disliked in the panel discussion (class debate) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 89

90 Cooperative Staff Projects CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 90

91 FINLAND EDUSIMU Special Teacher Special Teacher Study Counsellor Teacher 2 Teacher 2 Principal Form Master Form Master Written information about aboutthe the pupil pupil Meeting Table Meeting Table School Nurse School Nurse School Psychologist Teacher 4 Teacher 4 Teacher 3 Teacher 3 Teacher 1 Secretary Teacher 5 Teacher 5 An Educational Simulation CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 91

92 I PREFACE EDUSIMU EDUSIMU (Educational Simulation) was originally created to teach Teacher Education studentsat the Normal Lyceum in Helsinki, a School of Teacher Education at Helsinki University. The School is part of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences. The supervisor teachers instruct the Teacher Education studentswith the help of EDUSIMU to come closer to the reality of the teachers daily routines. EDUSIMU is a simulation that helps Teacher Education studentsto understand problems at school. Also it promotes the students awareness of all kinds of situations they might face with pupils and colleagues when they work as a teacher. The process is quite simple, but the implementation needs to have some background material that is useful when EDUSIMU is modified to national and regional settings. This further information consists of a description of the area where the school is situated, a description of the school, and a description of the class plus the role cards of some key pupils who are involved in the discussed case. The participants also need to know something about the characters of some of the teachers and the members of the welfare team. In EDUSIMU students can safely give vent to the emotions that might arise in the meeting with different kinds of persons. And in the end they should evaluate these happenings critically in their essays. EDUSIMU is a simulated meeting of a student welfare team. The participants adopt roles described in separate role cards. The Teacher Education students are supposed to reshape and specify their roles before and during the meeting. The chairman of the meeting is the principal of the school. The meeting participants choose a secretary among the teachers who takes notes and keeps the minutes of the proceedings. The class teacher is responsible for delivering all the material and information needed to the participants. Other participants are subject teachers, a special teacher, a study counsellor, the school nurse and the school psychologist. The welfare teams are compulsory in all Finnish schools. Normally they meet once a week. As in reality, you have to know and understand in what kind of environment the school is situated. Further, you have to know what the school profile is, what your colleagues are like and what kind of pupils you are going to get. The students get the material via the internet and have to prepare the meeting by themselves. They have to become familiar with: the area (Suutarinmäki, description see attachment 1) the class as a whole the pupils in the class the teachers and their characters, their strengths and weaknesses (description see attachment 2) the educational system, the curriculum different supporting bodies outside the schools the case (description see attachment 3) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 92

93 II OVERVIEW EDUSIMU 1 Subject This project involves Teacher Education students or In-service students performing a simulation. During the two 45-minute sessions, learners tackle the problem of absenteeism in a simulation. Learners develop the ability to adopt roles, elaborate their thinking, give opinions and arrive at a feasible solution. The debriefing afterwards involves self-assessment and evaluation. EDUSIMU can be carried out as a classroom simulation or as a virtual simulation on the internet (e.g. with web tool WebCt). 2 Target group Teacher Education students or participants in In-service teacher training. Group size: unlimited (maximum 12 per each student welfare team) 3 Work in class and outside class Work in class: Simulation and critical review: 2 x 45 minutes Evaluation: 45 minutes Work outside class: Individual preparation: 90 minutes The virtual simulation can be carried out entirely on the Internet 4 Prerequisite skills Participants should have a playful mind and they should have read all the material beforehand. A basic knowledge of role-plays and simulations is useful but not necessary. 5 Equipment Name tags, a meeting table. The project participants need computers with Internet access. They need to possess elementary IT skills. The simulation and discussion can be videotaped for further analysis CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 93

94 III LEARNING FRAMES EDUSIMU 1 Learning aims EDUSIMU is a teaching method which should enable Teacher Education students to understand different kinds of actions to evaluate experiences to discuss different views to encourage self-evaluation to build a bridge into professional reality to create awareness for issues like absenteeism, bullying, integration and cultural diversity 2 Final product Each group of Teacher Education students (max. 12 participants per group) presents a simulation. The presentation includes meeting procedures and a model solution for coping with truancy. The Teacher Education students also write reflective essays. 3 Evaluation 3.1. During simulation One of the teachers keeps the minutes during the teachers meeting. The observer(s) write down what happened during the meeting on the observation sheet Debriefing The mentor is a chairperson of the meeting at which the Four E s are discussed (emotions, events, empathy and explanation). The debriefing session follows the formula of the observation sheet. The chairs are arranged in a circle. The meeting is videotaped (not necessarily) Reflective essay Every student writes a reflective essay about EDUSIMU and its relation to professionalism. The mentor writes an essay, too Debriefing sheet Everybody answers a multiple choice evaluation paper about simulation CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 94

95 IV IMPLEMENTATION EDUSIMU A. Preparation (90 Minutes) 1. The school The school and the setting are presented to the participants 2. The roles (11 role cards) The school welfare team (headmaster, form teacher, subject teacher(s) etc.) Additionally: minute taker, observer(s). The session can be recorded on video. 3. The case study Take a case from real life, e.g. Marco is an average boy... B. Simulation (45 Minutes) 4. The role play (role cards, name tags) 45 Minutes All participants sit at a round table. The chairperson presents the study case. He then asks all participants for their opinion and, in the end, for ways of solving the problem. The chairperson opens the conference Introduction of participants Presentation of the case Discussion Part 1 (Comments) Summary of results Further information on the case Discussion Part 2 (Suggestions for a solution) Summary of results Closing of the conference C. Evaluation (45 Minutes) Discussion of the 4 E s (Events, Emotions, Empathy, Evaluation) on the basis of the minutes D. Reflection (45 Minutes) The participants fill in the questionnaire Assessment opportunities CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 95

96 IV IMPLEMENTATION EDUSIMU Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 1 Preparation The power point presentation Background material EDUSIMU is ed to the participants. Attachments 1-4 Awareness of the format Work outside class Participants start familiarizing themselves with the material, their roles and the issue of absenteeism in newspapers and on the net. Module 2 Simulation Simulation Shoemaker Hill Class 8 f, case Marko: Meeting of the school welfare team. One of the teachers keeps the minutes. The observer(s) fill(s) in the observation sheet. Meeting table Role cards Name tags Observation sheet (Material 1-2) Staging the role play Awareness of different motives of playing truant Staging pros & cons Module 3 Evaluation Debriefing session on the basis of the observation sheets Module 4 Reflection The questionnaire Assessment opportunities is filled in. Individual reflective essays are written and e- mailed to the mentor teacher. Essays are published on the Internet. Meeting table Observation sheet (Material 1) Assessment opportunities (Attachment 5) PC with Internet access Creating awareness of the Four E s Reflection on the reasons for truancy CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 96

97 Material 1 EDUSIMU Observation sheet: Events Emotions Empathy Evaluation CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 97

98 Material 2 EDUSIMU Instructions to the observer: Events Observe and take notes about EDUSIMU: pay extra attention to events that carry on the interaction. what happened in the simulation step-by-step the different kinds of moves by the participants which kinds of professional themes were discussed the role of the chairperson the professionalism of the student teachers as participants other observations Emotions EDUSIMU may cause a variety of emotions in the participants: which kinds of emotions were involved the obvious reasons for these emotions which kinds of themes seemed to be sensitive and why which kinds of emotions were not present who was the most emotional and why other observations Empathy During EDUSIMU the participants present many ideas, thoughts and express varying feelings. The interpersonal points of view may differ a lot. Each idea will be well-motivated and justified. Consider the simulation from this viewpoint. Which thoughts were easy to understand, what could you not agree on? Who did you identify yourself with? To motivate your answer, think of: how well the participants were able to take their roles which kinds of difficulties appeared in role-taking how well the participants used their professional knowledge and expertise in their roles how strongly the whole exercise was framed by empathy other observations Evaluation Consider the motives behind different actions and emotions. Think about the connections and applicability to real-life situations. Could the results of the meeting be put into practice? How useful did you find the background material provided to the participants: EDUSIMU as a learning process EDUSIMU as a professional development tool EDUSIMU as a strategy to develop the curriculum and school in general EDUSIMU and new, creative and innovative ideas CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 98

99 Attachment 1 EDUSIMU The area s description: Suutarinmäki is a northern neighbourhood of Helsinki. The river Ruunaanjoki runs through the area. The first inhabitants of Suutarinmäki arrived as early as the middle of the 1600 s. From the 1930 s on, one-family houses were built there. The first apartment houses were built at the beginning of the 1970 s. More homes were needed in the 1990 s and the regional planners and the social sector were fully employed. Suutarinmäki has two faces: its urban centre and a surrounding green landscape. The apartments are owned by the City of Helsinki. Example of a subject teacher s profile: Kyllikki Berg is an innovative teacher who loves to adopt new methods. Her fellow teachers are afraid of her, because her idealism creates an uncertain atmosphere. Some even envy her dynamic power which makes all the flowers bloom. Kyllikki is capable of finding ideas which nurture her school. She is a real innovator who loves her students and understands them. Kyllikki is knowledgeable in child psychology and in her subject matter. She is very professional. Kyllikki s didactic view could be defined as constructivism. She thinks that you cannot transfer knowledge. The environment of the student frames his/her learning. Learning is situational and the learning process is important to Kyllikki. She appreciates co-operation in teaching and learning and at school in general CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 99

100 Attachment 2 EDUSIMU Examples of the pupils in class 8f: Maija is the little beauty of 8f. She is more mature than the boys in the class. Her thoughts are somewhere else. She reads quite a lot of girls magazines. At school she is quite smart and has many skills. Maija plans to become an academically educated woman. However, she behaves at times in a rather silly way. Her parents give her enough money to spend on clothes. Maija is a kind of opinion leader among the girls according to the sociometric evaluation made in the class. Ville is a trouble-maker in class 8f. He is quite a tall boy. Among his interests are soccer, ice-hockey and bodybuilding. He spends a lot of time in gyms where the older boys are around. Ville learned too early the ways the older boys behave. We know that he smokes and during the weekends he probably drinks beer. Ville does not concentrate on his homework, although he is not stupid; actually he is quite talented in mathematics CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 100

101 Attachment 3 EDUSIMU The case study: Marko is a quite ordinary boy, maybe a little bit shy, but not lonely, according to the sociometric analysis. Marko has moved to Suutarinmäki (the name of the neighbourhood). He is not a trouble-maker, but he has plenty of lengthy absences from school. The written explanations from home have always arrived in time, but the class teacher starts to doubt, when parents claim that the notification of the absenteeism came as a surprise to them. Marko is the only child in the family and both parents have a demanding profession. Father is a lawyer and mum works as a chief communication officer in a big company. Especially the father is reluctant to work the problem out with the school, blaming his busy schedule. After discussing the matter with Marko, the class teacher receives an odd text message. He consults the school principal and together they decide to take the case to the student welfare team. These are examples at the very beginning of the simulation. The next step is to try to solve the case. Every student will get their teacher roles and simulate the meeting in their character roles. The welfare team is ready to get together and the simulation is ready to start. The role-play is not finished when the simulation is over. Debriefing is a substantial part of the method, where the participants go through such things as emotions, empathy, events and different explanations. Reflective essays and debriefing sheets are individual assignments. The debriefing sheet is also important to those who want to develop the method CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 101

102 Attachment 4 EDUSIMU Role biography The role biography enables you to get a better idea of the role described on your role card. Please stick to the following key questions and structure: General data: o What is your name? How old are you? o Where do you live? o What is your standard of living / economic status? Appearance: o What do you look like? (height, physique, face, hair, clothes) o How do you express yourself? (motion, gesture, facial expression, voice) Origin: o What social environment do you come from? o Who are / were your parents? o What previous experiences influenced you most? Attitude: o What is important for you? (profession / work, family, religion) o What makes you glad? o What makes you afraid? o What do you dream of? o What are you busy with most of the time? Relation to others: o Who do you live with? o Who are your friends? o How important is good company for you? o What are your political views? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 102

103 Attachment 5 EDUSIMU Assessment opportunities Is the project teacher-friendly?... Yes No Is it motivating?... Yes No Is it feasible for teacher training?... Yes No Are the instructions for participants clear?... Yes No Was the project useful for you?... Yes No If not, please specify Are the role cards helpful?... Yes No Is the preceding warming-up phase useful for the role play? Yes No Does the material create a better awareness of truancy?.. Yes No Which factors causing absenteeism are mentioned? Are ways of solution shown?... Yes No Have you changed your attitude towards truants?... Yes No Did you actively participate in the simulation?... Yes No CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 103

104 Major School Projects CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 104

105 SPAIN I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? A Reception Plan for New Students CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 105

106 ABLE OF CONTENTS I PREFACE SPAIN I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? This teacher training activity is part of a set of preventive measures the aim of which was to systematically reduce school absenteeism in Castilla y Leon, Spain. The measures are based on an understanding of school absenteeism as inadequate integration in schools that can lead to maladjusted behaviour requiring intervention. The proposed activities follow a series of basic principles: Acknowledging and respecting diversity in the classroom. Learning to coexist with others by developing positive behaviour patterns. Encouraging the collaboration of all responsible authorities, as progress in social and educational areas involves all social authorities. Developing a planned process, divided into stages, which focuses on the main risk factors. a) Reception Plan The Reception Plan is a set of activities that are carried out when new students arrive at school. It is supposed to minimise the risk of maladjusted behaviour. Several factors that especially affect absenteeism are considered: Change of educational level, from primary to secondary education. Early intervention at the beginning of the school year. Lack of integration because of disadvantaged circumstances. Need of compensatory education. Lack of knowledge of the language in which the curriculum is taught. Characteristics of the students origin. b) Activities for Fostering Coexistence in the Classroom A second factor that may contribute to absenteeism is the lack of positive behaviour patterns for getting along and coexisting peacefully in the classroom. Each student must come to accept his/her classmates as different, which involves acknowledging that all students are of the same worth and have the same rights. It means not discriminating against others just because they are different CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 106

107 II OVERVIEW I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? 1 Subject The aims of the teacher training course I m in School and you? are to raise the teachers' awareness of school absenteeism and its causes, and offer steps that can be taken to reduce it. The course also proposes teaching strategies that help to prevent absenteeism. The course is designed in two blocks with six modules. Block 1 - Activities for Fostering Coexistence Module 1: Customs. Module 2: Multicultural canons. Module 3: Role-play on discrimination. Module 4: Multicultural stories. Block 2 - A Reception Plan Module 5: Welcoming activities for new students: Developing a Reception Plan. Module 6: Presentation of the Reception Plans developed by teachers attending the training course. Evaluation of the exercises, the speakers and the training activity itself. 2 Target group Teachers of Primary and Secondary Schools Group size: Maximum 30 3 Equipment Computer with Internet access Video-projector Coloured crayons, pencils, paper, blackboard Costumes, bed sheets, cushions, hats Questionnaires CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 107

108 III LEARNING FRAMES I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? 1 Learning aims Gaining awareness of absenteeism. Training teachers in educational strategies that make it possible to prevent absenteeism. Coordinating the actions of primary and secondary teachers for the prevention of absenteeism. Developing social skills that create awareness of the cultural diversity of the student body. Learning about guidelines and strategies for developing a Reception Plan. 2 Final product/outcome Reception Plan adapted to the needs of each school. Implementation at school. Reflections on possible solutions for preventing absenteeism. 3 Curriculum relevance First Language Foreign Language Social Sciences Art Music Drama Politics 4 Assessment opportunities Participants reflect their own school experiences and attitudes towards truancy. They correct potential pre-judgements. They learn how to deal with students with a different background. 5 Evaluation Learners may evaluate the practical activities of the course from the following aspects: What they liked/disliked and why. Usefulness and effectiveness of the interactive activities. How each expert has contributed to this course. Suggestions for improvement CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 108

109 IV IMPLEMENTATION I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? BLOCK 1: Activities for Fostering Coexistence Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 1 Customs Jaima (1.5 hours) (See Material 1) Video projector Bed sheets Typical costumes from other countries Cushions Tea Appreciating differences in growing up together. Making the classroom a pleasant place for everyone. Feeling welcome at school. Module 2 Multicultural canons Musical canon of greetings (1.5 hours) Paper and pencils Communication, tolerance. (See Material 2) Block 1 Module 3 Role-play on discrimination Taxi, Taxi (1.5 hours) (See Material 3) Paper and pencils Digital video camera Hats for taxi drivers Coloured pencils Tables and chairs A big room Respect for each other as a precondition for a good school atmosphere. Reflection on the reasons for discrimination. Module 4 Multicultural stories Different like you (1.5 hours) Listening to and/or telling a story is a community event to discover places and situations that enrich our appreciation of other cultures. Stories Video projector Computer Paper and pencils Costumes Listening and oral expression skills. Ability to relate to people from other cultures. (See Material 4) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 109

110 IV IMPLEMENTATION I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? BLOCK 2: A Reception Plan Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 5 Block 2 Welcoming activities for new students Developing a Reception Plan Visit to primary schools, where the new students will be received. Meetings between teachers, parents and students. The teachers are given one month to prepare a Reception Plan for implementation in their classes. (See Materials 5 and 6) Video projector Questionnaires Sample Reception Plan: How can students be integrated into the school and its environment? Module 6 Presentation of Reception Plan Presentation of the teachers work. Final Evaluation (1 hour) (See Material 7) Video Photos of activities performed Overhead projector PowerPoint The affective and emotional involvement of teachers and families. Creating favourable and encouraging conditions so that all students attend class CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 110

111 V MATERIAL 1 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? A School for Everyone: A Jaima in Class 1 Target group Age: Subject A lack of knowledge about other cultures may contribute to school absenteeism. An Arab child joins a primary school class in which all of the students are of the same race. This boy does not want to go to class. He feels different and is ashamed of his family. 3 Description / Format Brainstorming Would you like to go to your classmate s country? Shall we find out where it is, how far it is from here, how they speak, what they eat, how they dress? What do we know? What would we like know? The information found is listed on continuous-feed paper in class. Looking for information At home. At the library. On the Internet. In newspapers. By asking our classmate. We decorate the classroom as if it was a Jaima (which is an Arab tent, using bed sheets, veils, cushions, scented candles, etc.) with the collaboration of the students' parents and grandparents. There is a closing party for all participants. The parents of the Arab child bring sesame and tea to share, as well as traditional music from their country. They show us how to relax, and we learn how to greet each other in Arabic and how to write a few words in their language. 4 Equipment Books from other countries, bed sheets, tea, sesame, cushions, typical objects from the country, songs, the collaboration of parents and grandparents CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 111

112 V MATERIAL 1 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? 5 Evaluation The integration of immigrant students into an environment that is totally unfamiliar to them should not be forced. On the contrary, we should all learn from and be enriched by the different cultures that coexist in our classrooms CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 112

113 V MATERIAL 2 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? Musical Canon of Greetings 1 Target group Age: Subject Music is the key for mutual understanding and harmony, for overcoming discrimination and rejection and taking a step along the path to tolerance. 3 Description / Format This exercise is a musical canon in which each participant plays a key role in the song. Groups of four people are formed. Each group writes a greeting of a country on a large sheet of paper, so that there are four groups with four greetings in different languages: Spanish: Buenos Días! English: Good Morning! German: Guten Morgen! Zulu: Saku Bona! Each group sings its greeting. Next, the conductor brings in the greetings of each group until everyone's voices can be heard in unison, thus creating a lovely canon whose musical quality and feeling take precedence over the language. 4 Equipment Paper and pencils. 5 Evaluation The aim of this activity is to demonstrate the universality of music in bringing together cultures and people, enabling us to form part of a group that accepts us as we are and in which we play a key role, increasing self-esteem and fostering teamwork CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 113

114 V MATERIAL 3 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? Game TAXI, TAXI 1 Target group Age: Subject A role-play on discrimination, intended to explode stereotypes. 3 Learning aims Assessing that discrimination brings conflicts and injustice. Appreciating that culture hands down certain models that may need to be changed. Learning the meaning of stereotype. 4 Description / Format The group of students is divided in two smaller groups. One group leaves the classroom, while the teacher gives instructions to the rest. Students that remain in the classroom are passengers asking for a taxi. They only need to call up the taxi driver, tell him where they would like to go, hold their shoulders and when they arrive at their destination, they must pretend to pay their fare. Passengers are asked to write down the name of the place they want to go to. This paper needs to be signed by the taxi driver to confirm he has completed the trip. There will be a time limit for this activity. While passengers do the above, the teacher is outside with the taxi drivers. Students outside the classroom are taxi drivers. Each one of them must have a specific phobia or prejudice such as: I do not pick up any passenger wearing glasses or wearing blue jeans or with short hair and so on. Every taxi driver must have a prejudice. If a passenger with any of these characteristics calls a taxi, the taxi driver must ignore him and must not speak to him. The rest of the students can take the taxi and complete the trip. Once the two groups get together, the game is played. The activity goes on until there are enough angry passengers who do not understand what is going on (around five minutes). The activity is videotaped for later analysis. 5 Equipment Paper and pencils Digital video camera Hats for taxi drivers A big room with tables and chairs CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 114

115 V MATERIAL 3 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? 6 Evaluation Passengers are the first to explain how the game has gone, expressing their feelings. Taxi drivers must listen carefully. Each taxi driver explains the reason for his behaviour and feelings. The teachers asks questions such as: Did any taxi driver break the rule? Why? At this point, the debate starts to focus on the question of what kind of discrimination affects the development of potential individual capabilities. It is very difficult to fight discrimination. Feelings of hatred towards the oppressors. Students think about their feelings and begin to understand how much discriminated people suffer. We, the teachers and educators, need to provide a safe environment, so discrimination has no chance. After this activity students are ready to point out when someone pretends to do something wrong and discriminates another student. They react quite well when this problem is presented as their own problem, as a personal situation CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 115

116 V MATERIAL 4 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? DIFFERENT LIKE YOU 1 Target group Age: Subject Stories know no borders. They travel from place to place, are universal and suitable to break down cultural barriers. 3 Description / Format Create awareness for foreign cultures, e.g. the gipsy culture, by trying to convey a positive image of the gypsies. Foster the active participation of all students. The story is narrated in the students own language. Reading comprehension of the story. It is very important to treat this subject with a great deal of tact and respect, as it is a basic issue relating to the students personal experiences. If there are gipsies in the class, their contributions should be sought, in order to learn about and accept the similarities and differences in lifestyle. Learning that gipsies travel a lot. It is essential to see the fact that some people consider itinerant lifestyles as normal. For some (Berbers, Eskimos and gipsies, for example), it is a question of culture while for others it is related to their job (traders, circus folk and theatre troupes). Recreate the story. Memorise and recite a poem, e.g.: The caravan moves slowly Along the high and craggy path, Old, rickety wagons, Whose axles weave my song. I am destined to roll along the tracks, Never stopping to rest. Like the stars on their night journey, My destiny is to live on the move. (Repeat) Dramatisation: Improvisation of a journey by wagon, with tents, on foot, on horseback, etc. Relate this activity with the recreation of the story. 4 Equipment The story in digital form, computer, video projector, pencil, paper, costumes CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 116

117 V MATERIAL 4 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? 5 Evaluation Reflect on this story and extrapolate it to your own situation. This diversity, much feared because of ignorance or a lack of resources in the classroom, can be used to great advantage to enrich the shared school environment, with everyone helping to make it a pleasant place where each person's involvement and contributions are crucial. it was a very cold his grandfather told had travelled to. While Why don`t we stay The most important thing was that always the family had remained together. They had horses to raise and sell. They were also the best metalworkers. They did not have to worry. They could eat and even buy clothes and necklaces CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 117

118 V MATERIAL 5a I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? RECEPTION PLAN A WELCOMING SCHOOL : I FEEL ALL RIGHT WELCOMING ACTIVITIES FOR NEWLY ENROLLED STUDENTS 1 Objectives Facilitating an easy adjustment for students to their new school. Fostering integration among students. Preventing school absenteeism. Getting to know the students behaviour outside school. Giving important additional information about students to their form teachers. Creating new ways for fostering the cooperation of parents with the new school. Informing parents of the curricula and school system. 2 Target group Parents and students to be newly enrolled at a secondary school 3 Implementation STAGE 1: End of old school year 1. Teacher and parent conference days at the secondary school. 2. Meeting of the secondary school s Headmaster with his new students. 3. Meeting of Deputy Headmaster with the primary class teachers of new students at their primary schools 4. Open day at secondary school. STAGE 2: Beginning of new school year 1. Headmaster chooses class teachers for new students. 2. Meeting of Deputy Headmaster and new class teachers. 3. Reception of new students by their class teachers. 4. First lesson on school orientation. 5. Role-Play: Taxi, Taxi (see Material 3). 6. Activity: Getting to know each other (see Material 5d and e). 7. Initial evaluation of every group of students (see Material 5c). 8. Field trip for newly-enrolled students. 9. Conferences with the parents of new students (see Material 6) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 118

119 V MATERIAL 5b I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? Teachers Checklist for Developing a Reception Plan I. Ethnic background How does the school integrate students with an ethnic background? Who will take care of these students? When will the integration measures start? II. Preliminary analysis Analysis of the school s socio-cultural situation. Determining the students who are the target of special attention. General aims of the Reception Plan. III. Information for students and parents Information about the National Education System. Information about necessary documents (municipal registration, birth certificate, passport, residence permit, social security card...) School calendar School hours: Class hours and parents reception hour School rules Description of what students learn at each stage Information about services, extracurricular activities, assistance options, field trip, scholarship, organisations that collaborate with the schools. IV. Organisational measures Assignment of new class teachers Reception of new students Initial evaluation of each group of students Field trip for new students Conferences with the parents of new students V. Evaluation of Reception Plan CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 119

120 V MATERIAL 5c I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? Name: Primary School: Town: CLASS BEHAVIOUR THE PRIMARY SCHOOL S FINAL INDIVIDUAL REPORT Attendance: always irregular never Discipline: excellent normal bad Motivation: high normal low Special family circumstances: Other important information: SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS Areas: Causes: Modifications to the curriculum: Results: GENERAL INFORMATION Primary Certification: yes no Developed all capacities and showed effort: yes (If answer no, please explain) no RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION Free choice Subjects Reinforcement Curriculum Modifications -2nd Foreign Language -Maths Workshop -Language Workshop -Other -Maths -Language -English - - IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS -Maths -Language -English CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 120

121 V MATERIAL 5c I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? PERSONALITY ASPECTS Aggressive Shows interest in learning Low self-esteem Assertive Sad Irresponsible Rejected by mates Needs emotional support ACADEMIC ASPECTS Good oral expression Motivated Fast learner Good written expression Good problem solving Good memory SPECIAL NEEDS Poor vocabulary Bad spelling Needs extra time Low interest in learning Curriculum modification Reading difficulty FAMILY SITUATION Separated parents Shows interest Overprotective Under supervision by Social Services Collaborating with school Difficult to contact THIS INFORMATION MUST BE ENCRYPTED! CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 121

122 V MATERIAL 5d I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER QUESTIONNAIRE Look for somebody who and write down his/her name Can play an instrument Can swim Likes rock music Read a book last week Has travelled to a foreign country Likes the same sport as you do Has a mascot Has brothers and sisters Knows how to drive a motorbike Dislikes watching TV You have 15 minutes, try to get as many names as you can, do not repeat them in another line, and enjoy yourself! CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 122

123 V MATERIAL 5e I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? NAME AND SURNAME: DATE COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES I like Happiest time of my life I would like to know about I regret The best What it bothers me the most is People I do not wish Girls A mother I feel I fear While at Primary School I cannot Sports When I was growing up My tutor My classmates I suffer when I failed when Reading I need I can I CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 123

124 V MATERIAL 6 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? GUIDELINE FOR PARENT CONFERENCES (To be used by form teacher). Class teacher presentation: name, experience, subjects that he/she teaches Important information regarding the class teacher s role as the: Coordinator of students assessments Link among parents, students and subject teachers Collaborator in the students learning process Person responsible for holding periodic parent conferences, if need be Information about the class: Total number of students in class Free choice subjects Personal opinion of the group: attitude, behaviour Schedules General information about the: School system Criteria for moving up a class and certification Rules about school: absence, schedules Reinforce the importance that parents have for their children s education Collaborating with their children Supervising their homework Checking their school results, time they spend studying, playing etc. Do not justify unjustified absences and/or wrong behaviour Maintain an open dialogue with the school Questions CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 124

125 V MATERIAL 7 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? FINAL EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE INSTRUCTIONS: The questionnaire is individual and anonymous. In each section, assign a value of 1 to 4 to the different issues that are asked about. Circle the number that reflects your opinion according to the following scale: 1. Insufficient not much. 2. Sufficient average. 3. Good. 4. Very good. 1. USEFULNESS AND QUALITY OF THE ACTIVITY THE LEVEL OF INTEREST THE ACTIVITY AROUSED IN ME WAS 1.2. THE KNOWLEDGE I ACQUIRED IS 1.3. THE USEFULNESS OF THE ACTIVITY IN CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS IS 1.4. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE WAS 1.5. I THOUGHT THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE ACTIVITY WAS 1.6. I THOUGHT THE PROGRAMME WAS A- PERFORMANCE OF THE PRESENTERS NAME 2.1.A. FAMILIARITY WITH CURRENT EDUCATIONAL REALITY 2.2.A. KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER 2.3.A. CLARITY OF PRESENTATION 2.4.A. AROUSING INTEREST 2.5.A. WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE 2.6.A. APPROACH TO THE SESSION B- COORDINATION WORK 2.1.B. THE COORDINATION WORK WAS 2.2.B. THE ADVISOR S WORK WAS METHODOLOGY 3.1. THE EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES WAS 3.2. THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE WERE 3.3. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUBJECT AREAS WAS 3.4. THE APPLICATION OF TECHNIQUES SEEMED TO ME CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 125

126 V MATERIAL 7 I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? 4. GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS: 4.1. THE GROUP S LEVEL OF COLLABORATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK PLANNED WAS 4.2. THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE ATTENDEES WAS PERSONAL SELF-ASSESSMENT: 5.1. MY PERSONAL OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN MET 5.2. I FEEL MY LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION WAS 5.3. EXPANSION OF MY TRAINING RESOURCES: 6.1. THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE ACTIVITY AS A WHOLE IS 6.2. THE FACILITIES WHERE THE ACTIVITY TAKES PLACE ARE OTHER REMARKS: Subjects to eliminate: Subjects that were not discussed: Suggestions: Proposals for future activities: CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 126

127 VI PROJECT TEAM I M IN SCHOOL AND YOU? The following persons / institutions participated in the development of this project: Manuel Medina Vaquero, Head of the Programmes Area of the Provincial Directorate of Palencia. Maria Teresa Manzano Parra, Director, CFIE of Palencia. Irene Muñoz Díez, Pre-primary Education Adviser, CFIE of Palencia. Milagros Rodrigo Pisano, Diversity Adviser, CFIE of Palencia. Encarna Gutiérrez Caballo, Primary Education Adviser, CFIE of Palencia. Fco. Javier Manzano Mozo, Natural Sciences Adviser, CFIE of Palencia. Sem Tob Secondary School in Carrión de los Condes. Nuestra Señora de Ronte School in Osorno. Santo Ángel School in Palencia. Andrés Galán, author of the video. Juan Ramón Lagunilla, Director of Studies, Sem Tob Secondary School. Habib Ba, Tunisian yoga instructor (presenter) Boni Ofogo, storyteller from Cameroon (presenter) Joseph and Olga Sinankope, music teachers (presenters) Amparo Muñoz, Director of the children's play centre (presenter) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 127

128 UNITED KINGDOM RED AMBER GREEN Attendance Project CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 128

129 I PREFACE RED AMBER GREEN 1 Introduction This teacher training is aimed at emphasising the importance of good school attendance and suggests an approach that could improve it. The approach is based on proven methods developed through research. It employs a simple colour coding system to identify attendance problems early and provides positive strategies to improve attendance. The training is suitable for teachers and school support staff. Training is arranged in six modules: 1. Attendance Why does it matter? 2. Monitoring What do the attendance patterns mean? 3. Key factors affecting attendance 4. Group work with pupils 5. Interview work with pupils 6. Evaluation After training, participants should be able to: Understand the importance of good school attendance Be aware of the factors involved in good attendance Interpret the attendance patterns of individual students Be creative in involving pupils in assuming personal responsibility for good attendance Develop skills in interviewing and supporting pupils with attendance difficulties Develop strategies for preventing poor attendance The project is a culmination of development work done by West Sussex County Council's Education Welfare Service. It incorporates research into studies and recommendations of Professor Ken Reid, Deputy Principal of the Swansea Institute of Higher Education, Wales, who identifies a colour coding system to highlight target groups, together with solutionfocused brief therapy and a system of rewards. This combination forms the UK Red/ Amber/ Green Project. 2 School Level Application of Red/Amber/Green In 2000 West Sussex County Council s Education Welfare Service began to colour code schools, based on their level of unauthorised absence and also their overall attendance. Schools categorised as Red are those with high levels of absenteeism, Amber denotes schools where there is a medium level of concern and Green indicates levels of absence above expectation. This approach can be applied within schools, or at a wider level to groups of pupils, classes or individuals using computerised registration systems in schools. In this way those in the Red category can aim to improve and become Amber and then on to Green. Extra support is directed to schools and pupils in the Red and Amber groups to help them reduce their absenteeism. The aim is preventative as the approach is positive and works through early identification of concerns CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 129

130 I PREFACE RED AMBER GREEN 3 Pupil Level Application of Red/Amber/Green In 2000 the West Sussex Education Welfare s Service Pupil Retention Team developed an interview programme with secondary school pupils whose attendance was declining. The work of the Pupil Retention Team linked to the overall Education Welfare Service colour coding system for schools. The identified group of pupils came within the Amber colour group, identified by the modified percentages agreed with each school. In 2001 a group of schools in Worthing, West Sussex developed the colour coding approach to reward pupils at pupil level, for example with certificates, vouchers and ceremonies. The level of attendance of every pupil was monitored on a weekly basis, using colour coding with percentages appropriate to the school. Both approaches produced positive results, so from 2002 onwards, West Sussex Education Welfare Service s new Attendance Project team took forward a combined formalised approach. Pupils were identified for support by the Attendance Project team, based on their attendance percentages in line with the Red, Amber, Green categories. Following discussions with the school, they identified pupils whose attendance level fell within the Amber category, they were monitored by the Attendance Project team on a weekly basis, and then selected for interview. The purpose of the interview was to explain the expected level of pupils for school attendance, to identify issues which might be affecting their attendance, and to support and reinforce school policy such as first-day contact, bringing notes from parents, the effects of unauthorised attendance. The training course has been developed to support schools in developing this approach. 4 Project Learning Targets for Teachers Teachers will have greater awareness about the importance of good school attendance and how to support pupils in maintaining high levels of attendance. Teachers will be able to identify the issues that contribute to poor attendance and be able to suggest a practical way forward in dealing with this. The patterns of attendance in groups of pupils need to be understood by participants, to provide a solid basis for supporting improvement. It is not enough just to look at attendance statistics for an individual pupil. Central to this support work is interviewing the pupils. The training provides a context within which interviews can take place and suggestions about the form such interviews might take. The approach to training is to involve teachers in thinking through the problems and being creative in adapting the Red/Amber/Green approach to finding solutions so that they are able to have ownership of the approach within the general framework. 5 Project Learning Targets for pupils Pupils will be helped to recognise the value of attending school regularly. They will understand the impact on their futures that poor attendance can have. Pupils will become more open about the issues that are preventing them from attending school and begin to see ways in which they can overcome difficulties and take personal responsibility for improvement CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 130

131 II OVERVIEW RED AMBER GREEN 1 Subject The teacher training is arranged in six modules as follows. The length of each module can be adapted according to the needs of the participants. Module one: Attendance Why does it matter? Presentation one hour Module two: Monitoring What do the figures and patterns mean? Discussion one hour Module three: Key factors in attendance Discussion & case studies one hour Module four: Context for students group work Group work two hours Module five: Interview Techniques Presentation, paired work, case studies one hour initially, but supporting modules would be very helpful to develop the approach Module six: Evaluation Discussion based on case studies one hour 2 Target group Teachers Newly qualified teachers Student teachers Classroom assistants 3 Skills An ability to use Information Technology through computerised registration 4 Equipment Dummy registers, individual pupil attendance print-outs, case studies CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 131

132 III PROJECT TARGETS RED AMBER GREEN 1 Learning aims To enable participants to understand the importance of good school attendance be aware of the factors involved in good attendance interpret attendance patterns of individual students be creative in involving pupils in assuming personal responsibility for good attendance develop skills in interviewing and supporting pupils with attendance difficulties develop strategies for preventing poor attendance 2 Evaluation Through the use of evaluation forms, participants need to evaluate whether they can identify pupils with developing attendance issues make use of interview techniques understand the issues that cause poor attendance and how to address it CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 132

133 IV IMPLEMENTATION RED AMBER GREEN Module outline Equipment Outcome Module 1 Attendance Why does it matter? Presentation (1 hour) Awareness of the links each of these has to attendance and each other Overview of effect on Achievement Crime Safeguarding from harm Self image Specialist follow-up and research on each of these areas by the participants (See Attachment 1) Module 2 Monitoring What do the figures and patterns mean? Discussion (1 hour) Questions to be raised Is 90% attendance good? What is a good attendance pattern? What about holidays in term time? What about genuine illness? What about punctuality? Are there particular days when an individual student is regularly absent? (See Attachment 2) Dummy registers Dummy individual Pupil prin-outs Raised awareness of impact of what seems like a small amount of absence Increased ability to identify absence patterns early CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 133

134 IV IMPLEMENTATION RED AMBER GREEN Module 3 Key factors in attendance Discussion (1 hour) Home situation Chronic illness Acute illness Trauma factors Potential bullying Particular teacher Peers Siblings Inaccurate registers Involvement with other agencies Follow up reading. This list is not exhaustive but all points should be prompted to come out in discussion (See Attachment 3) Case studies Raised awareness of the complexity of the issues surrounding absence Understanding of the need for sensitivity and a listening ear when interviewing pupils Module 4 Context for pupils group work in the classroom Practical group work (2 hours): First hour in groups. Second hour creating own planning and reporting back to group. Use attendance print-outs Identify patterns Dummy interviews Ideas for questions and development (See Attachment 4) Individual attendance print-outs Develop practical ways to work on attendance issues in a group or lesson situation CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 134

135 IV IMPLEMENTATION RED AMBER GREEN Module 5 Interview principles Lecture (1 hour) Background Use Additional supportive modules would be helpful. These modules would be largely practical using the tools of the approach with each other and then discussing how it went (See Attachment 5) Case studies Increased skill in interviewing, listening and gaining a positive outcome as a result Module 6 Evaluation Discussion (1 hour) What constitutes success with an individual or a group? How do we support continued success? How do we measure it? Is it just data? How do we maintain attendance that is already good? (See Attachment 6) Case studies Awareness of statistics relating to attendance Ability to look behind the statistics at the person CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 135

136 V ATTACHMENT 1 RED AMBER GREEN Background Information for Each Module Module One Attendance Why does it matter? The participants research and report on the following Evidence of links between attendance and achievement Evidence of links between poor attendance and crime Evidence of links between poor attainment and crime Evidence of links between poor attendance and safeguarding from harm issues This will lead to the importance of promoting a culture of Education Matters Attainment In the United Kingdom 450,000* students are absent from school every day. There are very significant variations between the five A* - C grade GCSE performance of secondary schools with relatively high rates of absence and all other schools in the same free school meal band. Free school meals are the chief indicator to compare schools regarding levels of deprivation. Analysis of attendance and attainment data at individual pupil level shows a strong correlation between attendance and attainment even after other significant factors have been taken into account. At fourteen years of age this was most evident in relation to the achievement in English. At sixteen years of age there was a reduced probability of attaining five A*-C grade and an increased probability that young people would not obtain any GCSE s above a grade D. Across both Key Stages, the impact of pupil absence on attainment was more apparent amongst boys than amongst girls, particularly in relation to unauthorised absence. Further research is required to determine what weight should be given to these initial findings CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 136

137 V ATTACHMENT 1 RED AMBER GREEN Crime Every day over 50,000 (source BBC News online) students miss a day of school without permission. Research shows that these are children who are the most vulnerable and are easily drawn into crime and anti-social behaviour. The 2002 MORI Youth Justice survey of young people showed that those who play truant are more likely to offend than those who do not. Two thirds of truants have offended compared with less than one third of those who have not played truant. A similar link between truancy and crime was stated in the 2004 MORI youth Justice Survey. Safeguarding from harm Truants tend to come from groups which are already vulnerable. They often put themselves at greater risk through not being in school. They are more likely to have opportunity for self-abuse e.g. through drug abuse. They are more likely to become victims of crime. Self Image Truants often see themselves as: Failures Misfits Isolated Bored Victims Overwhelmed CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 137

138 V ATTACHMENT 2 RED AMBER GREEN Module Two Monitoring What do the figures and patterns mean? Dummy Registers and individual pupil print-outs provide the basis for discussion of the impact of poor or irregular attendance. Information related to the impact of absence needs to be provided. These can be taken from real figures with the pupil names removed to ensure confidentiality. Attendance Statistics Attendance for a year is based on: 190 days divided into morning and afternoon sessions Making 100% attendance the equivalent of attending 380 sessions Attendance statistics in a full year: 90% represents attendance at 352 sessions 85% represents attendance at 333 sessions 80% represents attendance at 314 sessions 70% represents attendance at 276 sessions In percentage terms the impact is greater early on in the year, e.g. after 100 sessions, of which, due to a family holiday of 10 days, the pupil had attended 80 sessions, attendance would be at 80%. By a full year, with no further absence that percentage would have risen to 94.9% When selecting pupils for interview regarding poor attendance, it is important to consider what the statistics are really saying. Attendance Patterns Attendance Patterns may add more information and should be looked at carefully. Examples of patterns are: Broken weeks a significant number of weeks for a pupil who does not have full attendance in those weeks A large number of Mondays or Fridays show non-attendance suggesting a pupil taking long weekends Many Tuesday afternoons showing non-attendance perhaps a particular lesson is being avoided Exercise: Which of these students is a concern? Discussion should take place about the percentages and patterns shown below and how to identify concerns which are not so readily apparent. Student A 100% After 1 day of year Student Q 70% After 1 term block absence in hospital Student W 85% After 1 term 10 days holiday Student E 40% After 1 week no reason given Student R 90% After 2 terms several absences, all of 1 to 2 days at start of week Student T 92% After half a term every Friday Student Y 95% After two terms Student U 88% After 3 weeks Student I 88% After 2 terms no pattern Student O 75% After 3 weeks off twice, each time for 2 days Student P 80% After 3 weeks one 2-day absence, one 1-day absence CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 138

139 V ATTACHMENT 3 RED AMBER GREEN Module Three What are the factors that trigger problems with attendance? How can we assess the importance of each of these factors in individual cases? Key factors in attendance Introduction Case studies Feedback Actions Summary Reaction to factors below Possible ways forward to deal with the factors The basis for selection of pupils for monitoring and interview is initially statistical, but consideration of the factors below is essential to balance this. Pupils may be removed from the potential interview list, if it would be inappropriate for their absence to be followed up. E.g. in the case of chronic confirmed illness. Discussion of these factors should take place: Home situation Particular teacher Chronic illness Peers Acute illness Siblings Trauma factors Inaccurate registers Potential bullying Involvement with other agencies The questions below can be prepared prior to an interview using information that is already known. The interview will add to this information. It may not be necessary to use these questions in simple cases, but they can be useful in more complex cases or as a reference where there is a reoccurrence of the problem after a few months or years. 1 LOSS AND CHANGE HIGH MED LOW 1.1 Death of parent, relative or friend 1.2 Death of a pet 1.3 Sudden traumatic event 1.4 Sudden separation from a parent 1.5 Moving house/school/area 1.6 Loss of a classmate 1.7 Parent, relative, friend, illness No issue Not known CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 139

140 V ATTACHMENT 3 RED AMBER GREEN 2 FAMILY DYNAMICS HIGH MED LOW 2.1 Inappropriate parenting 2.2 Birth of a new child 2.3 Parents separated 2.4 Parents arguing/fighting 2.5 Practical problems bringing to school 2.6 Problems with parental control 2.7 Jealous of siblings at home 3 CURRICULUM/LEARNING ISSUES HIGH MED LOW 3.1 Low literacy 3.2 PE and/or games problems 3.3 General learning difficulties 3.4 Specific subject difficulties 3.5 Exam or test anxieties 3.6 Difficulties with a particular teacher 3.7 Problems keeping up in lessons 4 SOCIAL/PERSONAL HIGH MED LOW 4.1 Being bullied 4.2 Seems to have few friends 4.3 Ethnic/language issues 4.4 Dislikes play/break times 4.5 Few leisure interests 5 PSYCHOLOGICAL/WELL-BEING HIGH MED LOW 5.1 Often seems to be tired 5.2 Low self-esteem 5.3 Seems somewhat depressed 5.4 Seems somewhat anxious 5.5 Keeps feelings to self 5.6 Has a pessimistic nature No issue No issue No issue No issue Not known Not known Not known Not known CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 140

141 V ATTACHMENT 4 RED AMBER GREEN Module Four Context for pupils group work Introduction Group work Feedback When working with a group of pupils a no blame approach needs to be taken to facilitate full discussion. No blame means being positive and not making value judgements based on our own perspective A dummy attendance print-out (see below) is a useful starting point, with an explanation of the codes. Students could also produce their own dummy print-outs to show different patterns of absence with suggestions as to the underlying causes that might accompany such patterns. Questions can be developed from these e.g. numeracy related to the impact of absence on attendance percentage this varies considerably depending on how far into the academic year you are. Literacy write the script for a dummy interview. This could be acted out. Art design posters/slogans to promote attendance ICT design your own imaginary attendance print-out Media studies make a five-minute video on some aspect of attendance The list is endless. As part of the training module these could be developed. Key to registration codes / Present (AM) \ Present (PM) C Authorised Circumstances E Excluded H Annual family holiday (agreed) L Late M Medical/Dental N No reason yet provided for absence O Unauthorised circumstances V Educational visit X Only staff should attend Y Enforced closure # Holiday for all CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 141

142 V ATTACHMENT 4 RED AMBER GREEN Dummy Registration Certificate for POLLARD Victoria Class 7C MON TUES WED THURS FRI Week Beginning AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM 01/09/2003 x x x x / \ / \ / \ 08/09/2003 H H H H H H H H H H 15/09/2003 L \ / \ M M / \ / \ 22/09/2003 L \ / \ M M / \ M M 29/09/2003 L \ / \ M M / \ L \ 06/10/2003 L \ Y Y M M / \ M M 13/10/2003 M M L \ L \ / \ / \ 20/10/2003 / \ O O / \ / \ O O 27/10/2003 # # # # # # # # # # 03/11/2003 L \ / \ M M / \ / \ CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 142

143 V ATTACHMENT 4 RED AMBER GREEN 10/11/2003 L \ / \ L \ M M M M 17/11/2003 / \ E E E E / \ / \ 24/11/2003 L \ / \ / \ / \ V V 01/12/2003 / \ / \ L \ / \ / \ 08/12/2003 L \ / \ N N / \ N N 15/12/2003 L \ C C M M / \ / \ 22/12/2003 # # # # # # # # # # 29/12/2003 # # # # # # # # # # Questions related to the dummy print-out What do you think Vicky s teacher was doing on the 1st September? Where was Vicky? Why do you think that Vicky is late nearly every Monday? Vicky was happy on 7th October. What happened and why? Vicky s registration certificate is coded as E on Tuesday and Wednesday 18th and 19th November. What might she have done? You are the teacher. What mark/code in the register would you give Vicky if she walked into school five minutes after the register? Why do you think that Vicky is off school sick on all those Wednesdays? Where was Vicky from the 8th September on for one week? What could a registration code N on Vicky s certificate mean on the 12th December? On Tuesday, 16th December Vicky has a registration code C. What might have happened? Where was Vicky and all her class on the 28th November? Vicky has a registration code O on the 21st October. Why? What does an O mean? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 143

144 V ATTACHMENT 5 RED AMBER GREEN Module Five Interview Principles Interview principles Paired work Summary/feedback The main interview principle revolves around a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy approach: The basic principal is to have a positive framework for the interview. There are three key questions to ask the pupil. If the pupil can discover the answer to these, they are largely able to improve their attendance using their own resources. The interviewer s role is to facilitate the use of the pupil s own ideas. The key questions are: What are your best hopes from this meeting? What would happen to your life at school (and your attendance) if these hopes were met? What are you already doing, or have done in the past, that might help you to achieve these hopes? An extended summary of types of questions: Welcoming and Introduction I know very little about you. What are you interested in? What are you good at? How would your best friend describe you? Best hopes for the meeting What are your best hopes for this meeting? How will you know whether this meeting has been worthwhile? The Miracle question Imagine that after you have gone to bed tonight a miracle happens and your problems are gone. When you wake up tomorrow morning what will be different? How will you know that a miracle has taken place? What will be the first thing you notice? What will you see yourself doing differently? Imagine a day going well for you. How will you know the day is going well? Exceptions When are the times the change seems to be less intense? Scales On a scale of with 0 being the worst that things have been and 10 representing how you want things to be, where are you today? So what is it that you are doing that means that you are not at 0? Where on the scale would be good enough for you? How will you know that you are there? On a scale of 0-10 where would you rate your desire for change? On a scale of 0-10 how confident are you that the problem will be solved? Stopping things getting worse What have you been doing to stop things getting even worse? Building on strengths What other difficult situations have you handled? What did that tell you about yourself? What have you learned from this experience that would be useful to you in future? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 144

145 V ATTACHMENT 5 RED AMBER GREEN Changing Who would be least surprised by the change in you? What did that person know about you that others did not know? How will your teacher/parents/friends know something has changed? Follow-up sessions What has been better? What has been different? The focus of the work is to collaborate and agree with the pupil, encouraging the pupil to make full use of the approaches that are already working for them. A number of websites give more information on this approach and the background to it. These include: Guidelines regarding the interviews are suggested below Make sure pupils and parents know that the attendance of the pupil is being monitored and that the pupil and, if necessary, his/her parents may be called for interview. This in itself may lead to improvement in attendance and an interview may not be required Check patterns of attendance and overall level of absence for the pupil Check if there are reasons why the pupil should not be seen. E.g. a parent has died, serious illness or other trauma Check whether attendance is getting worse or improving Arrange to see pupils whose attendance is falling Interview pupil. Set targets for improvement and/or agree strategies to achieve this. Tell the pupil that they may be interviewed again. Inform the parents that the pupil has been seen Monitor attendance Recall the pupil for a second interview or congratulate the pupil and parents for the improvement The questions below can contribute to an overall picture of the pupil and can support the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy approach where appropriate. They need to be done at an early stage. It may only be necessary to involve the pupil in filling in this form in complex cases. Where there is immediate improvement further interviews with the parents may be inappropriate. The questions are coded a, b, c, or d so that the general area of concern can be identified. Code a. Negative emotion These suggest certain stimuli that evoke negative feelings, which the pupil may seek to avoid Code b. Situation avoidance These suggest certain situations or demands that could be stressful and thus cause the pupil to avoid Code c. Need for parental attention/contact These suggest the pupil s need to be with parents more than one would expect Code d. Tangible reinforcement These suggest the extent to which the pupil seeks fun, stimulation out of school more than in school CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 145

146 V ATTACHMENT 5 RED AMBER GREEN Pupil Interview HIGH 3 MED 2 LOW 1 Code 1 How often do you have bad feelings about going to school because you are afraid of something related to school? X (Example) a (Example) 2 How often do you feel like staying away from school because it is hard to speak to other kids? 3 How often do you feel you would rather be with your parents than go to school? 4 If you are not in school during the week (Monday to Friday, how often do you leave the house and do something fun? 5 How often do you feel sad or unhappy at school? 6 How often do you feel embarrassed at school? 7 How often do you think about your parents or family when you are in school? 8 If you are not in school during the week (Monday to Friday), how often do you talk to or see other people (other than your family)? 9 How often do you feel worse at school (e.g. scared, nervous, sad) compared with how you feel at home? 10 How often in school do you feel you do not have many friends there? 11 How much would you rather be with your family than go to school? 12 If you are not in school during the school week, how much do you enjoy doing different things (e.g. being with friends, going places)? 13 How often do you have bad feelings about school (e.g. scared, nervous, sad) when you think about school on Saturday or Sunday? 14 How often do you think the school work is just too hard for you? 15 How much would you rather be taught by your parents at home than by your teacher at school? 16 How often do you not want to go to school because you want to have fun outside the school? 17 If you had fewer bad feelings (e.g. scared, nervous, sad) about school, would it be easier for you to go to school? 18 If it were easier for you to make new friends, would it be easier for you to go to school? 19 Do you think you like to be at home with your parents more than other kids your age do? 20 Would you rather be doing fun things outside of school more than most kids your age? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 146

147 V ATTACHMENT 5 RED AMBER GREEN Parent Interview HIGH 3 MED 2 LOW 1 Code 1 How often do you have bad feelings about going to school because you are afraid of something related to school? X (Example) a (Example) 2 How often does your child stay away from school because it is hard for him/her to speak with other kids? 3 How often does your child feel he/she would rather be with you or your partner than go to school? 4 When your child is not in school during the week (Monday to Friday), how often does he/she leave the house and do something fun? 5 How often does your child stay away from school because he/she will feel sad or depressed if he/she goes? 6 How often does your child stay away from school because he/she feels embarrassed in front of other people at school? 7 When your child is in school, how often does he/she think about you or your partner or family? 8 When your child is not in school during the week (Monday to Friday), how often does he/she talk to or see other people (other than family) 9 How often does your child feel worse at school (e.g. scared, nervous, sad) compared with how he/she feels at home with friends? 10 How often does your child stay away from school because he/she does not have many friends there? 11 How much would your child rather be with his/her family than go to school? 12 When your child is not in school during the week, how much does he/she enjoy doing different things (e.g. being with friends, going places)? 13 How often does your child have bad feelings about school (e.g. nervous, sad) when he/she thinks about school on Saturday or Sunday? 14 How often does your child think the school work is just too hard? 15 How much would your child rather be taught by you or your partner at home than by his/her teacher at school? 16 How often does your child refuse to go to school because he/she wants to have fun outside the school? 17 If your child had fewer bad feelings (e.g. scared, nervous, sad) about school, would it be easier for him/her to go to school? 18 If it were easier for your child to make new friends, would it be easier for him/her to go to school? 19 Would your child like to be home with you or your partner more than other kids his/her age would? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 147

148 V ATTACHMENT 5 RED AMBER GREEN 20 Would your child rather be doing fun things outside of school more than most kids his/her age? HIGH 3 MED 2 LOW 1 Code CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 148

149 V ATTACHMENT 6 RED AMBER GREEN Module Six Evaluation Monitoring of individuals, groups and schools is a key component of the process. Success will be relative for the individuals concerned as outlined in the solution focused approach. That success needs to be supported by praise and possibly tangible reward. How might this take place? What constitutes success with an individual or a group? How do we support continued success? How do we measure it? Is it just data? How do we maintain attendance that is already good? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 149

150 V ATTACHMENT 7 RED AMBER GREEN Additional Materials Letter to Teachers The Amber Project The Attendance Project is planning to run an Amber Project in school. The Amber Project seeks to identify pupils in the Amber category of attendance and prevent pupils from slipping into the red category. A member of the Attendance Project monitors the attendance of the identified pupils and interviews them in school if necessary. Parents are also made aware that their child s attendance is being monitored and are contacted if necessary. The Amber Project has been successfully run in various secondary schools and has always resulted in overall improvement in school attendance. The Amber Project has been improved in order to turn it into a whole school approach for raising attendance. Whilst, in the past, the Amber Project has been run with a select group of pupils for a set period of time, it is now being run as a rolling project, taking pupils off the project or bringing them onto it depending on their current attendance. In order for the Amber Project to have maximum impact on attendance across the school, it is hoped that you will give it your full support. It would be appreciated if you could explain to your pupils in their next tutorial that the Amber Project is taking place and, that if their attendance deteriorates, they are likely to be brought on to it. The members of the Attendance Project understand that it can be disruptive to have pupils taken out of class, but would request your co-operation with this as it is the only feasible way of us being able to interview pupils. We would like to thank you in advance for your support in making the Amber Project a success for school in improving the attendance levels of pupils and ultimately contributing towards their achievements CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 150

151 V ATTACHMENT 7 RED AMBER GREEN Letter to Parents Dear Parent/Guardian School Attendance: Education Act 1996/Children Act 1989 The Education Welfare Service is running an Attendance Project with. School/College as part of the school s continuing strategy to improve overall pupil attendance. An important part of the project team s work will be to raise awareness across the college of the importance of regular school attendance. You should have recently received an information sheet on attendance, which we would ask you to take the time to read (if you have not already done so). (Parent s Information Sheet 1) Pupils whose attendance has fallen below 90% this school year may have their attendance monitored and pupils whose attendance does not begin to show improvement may be asked to attend an informal interview with a member of the project team in school hours. The purpose of this meeting will be to update your child on their individual attendance record and to provide an opportunity to explore attendance issues. Pupils maintaining above 90% attendance will be taken off the Project and those falling below will be taken on as the year progresses. If you would like further information about the Attendance Project, please phone. The Attendance Project and. School/College are committed to supporting you in enabling your child to gain all possible benefits from their education by ensuring regular attendance. Yours faithfully CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 151

152 V ATTACHMENT 7 RED AMBER GREEN Letter to Parents Dear, School Attendance: Education Act 1996/Children Act 1989 Pupil Name: We write further to the letter sent by the school last term concerning the Attendance Project Team s work on improving school attendance. Your child has been identified, alongside a number of other pupils, as falling within the Amber category (under 90%) and whose attendance of xx.x% gives cause for concern (attendance record enclosed). s attendance will be monitored and should his/her attendance fail to improve, he/she will be interviewed in school by the Attendance Project Team to discuss any attendance issues he/she may have. If you have any concerns, or require help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us on the above number and we will be happy to discuss any issues with you. Yours sincerely, CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 152

153 V ATTACHMENT 7 RED AMBER GREEN Congratulations Letter to Parents Letter to Parents congratulating pupil On achieving 90% and over Dear Mr & Mrs.. Re: (pupil s name) Attendance as at % We would like to congratulate you and (pupil s name) for working together to achieve over 90% attendance this term. As a result, (pupil s name) will be taken off the Attendance Project next term and we would hope to see this improved attendance maintained. Regular attendance will ensure that full benefit can be gained from the education offered and your child will be able to achieve their best. Please do not hesitate to contact the class tutor to talk about any concerns that may arise in the future. It is better to deal with problems before they escalate. Well done (pupil s name)! Yours sincerely, Enc. Registration Certificate CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 153

154 V ATTACHMENT 7 RED AMBER GREEN Student Interview Record AIA - PUPIL INTERVIEWS Pupil Name School Year Group Date, Time & Interviewer(s) Name Notes/Discussion Action to be taken (if appropriate) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 154

155 V ATTACHMENT 7 RED AMBER GREEN.continuation sheet AIA - PUPIL INTERVIEWS Pupil Name Date, Time & Interviewer(s) initials Notes/Discussion Action to be taken (if appropriate) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 155

156 V ATTACHMENT 7 RED AMBER GREEN Communication Sheet WEST SUSSEX EDUCATION WELFARE SERVICE THE AMBER PROJECT INTERVIEWS Communication Sheet To: From:.. Pupil:. Date Issue Raised by Pupil Comments/Action taken by school (if appropriate) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 156

157 VI BIBLIOGRAPHY RED AMBER GREEN Audit Commission UK, 1999: Missing Out Audit Commission UK, 2005: Improving School Attendance in England BBC News online BBC Radio 4 News Website DfES, E-Registration,2006:4 MORI Youth Justice Survey, 2002 MORI Youth Justice Survey, 2004 Reid, K. Truancy short and long term solutions, 2002, London: Routledge Reid, K. Tackling Truancy in Schools, 2000, London: Routledge Solution Focused Brief Therapy, and CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 157

158 Academic year Audit Commission Authorised absence Citizenship Compulsory school age Department for Education and Skills Education Welfare Service Free school meals General Certificate of Secondary Education/ General National Vocational Qualification (GCSE/GNVQ) GCSE five A* - C grade INSET Days Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2 Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4 Local Authorities UK GLOSSARY OF TERMS 1st September to 31st August Government body which audits the use of public funds The school has either given approval in advance for a pupil of compulsory school age to be away, or has accepted an explanation offered afterwards as satisfactory justification for absence Part of the National Curriculum for secondary pupils covering social and moral responsibility, community involvement and political literacy From the start of the term commencing on or after his/her fifth birthday until the last Friday of June in the school year that they reach sixteen Central Government Supports families and schools to ensure the legal duties regarding school attendance are fulfilled The levels of free school meals are seen as a measure of poverty (as free school meals are only available to low income families) The national examinations at the end of secondary school An accepted level of basic qualification In Service Training Days 5-7 years 8-11 years years years An administrative unit of Local government - there are around 150 in England, Schools that are funded by a local education authority Funded by the local education authority via taxes The national educational inspection body Maintained schools Maintained schools Office for Standards in Education Primary school Maintained school for Key Stages 1 and 2 (pupils aged 5 to 11) Secondary Schools Maintained school for Key Stages 3 and 4 (pupils aged 11 to 16) Special schools Unauthorised absence Schools that have pupils with special educational needs and disabilities All absences other than those accepted as authorised CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 158

159 Parent Projects CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 159

160 POLAND STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD A Workshop for Parents and Teachers CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 160

161 I PREFACE STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD The process of educating a child starts at home. Even though most parents do their best to raise their children effectively, the number of educational problems at home has been on the rise for the past years. Unfortunately, the same is true about schools. Statistical data are alarming the number of students who struggle with emotional problems, who turn to drugs, play truant and commit crimes is steadily increasing. Often it is a teacher or a parent who is blamed for this situation. But instead of accusing adults, it is better to offer them trainings and workshops so that they can tackle these problems more effectively. This workshop entitled Stay in Touch With Your Child is based on the 40 hrs workshop called the School For Parents and Teachers written by Joanna Sakowska. It has been implemented in Poland for the past few years and has already got some positive feedback from the participants. During the meetings parents and teachers learn how to communicate with children effectively and to build a proper relationship with them. The workshop is addressed to people who look for a closer, deeper relationship with their children. Learning how to communicate with a child, reflecting on your own behaviour as a parent, exchanging experiences are just small steps to achieving a goal which is to create a close, deep relationship with a child. This workshop is also about learning to talk to a child and to create bonds based on respect for each other. The workshop helps parents and teachers to create a strong relationship with a child. This in turn makes this workshop an effective prevention measure. As the recent research on prevention of students misconduct (which includes playing truant) shows, the most important prevention measure is establishing a strong relationship between a child and a person who is treated as an authority by a child (a parent/teacher). Specific meetings show and teach how to establish a close relationship with a child through understanding and accepting what children feel, defining clear boundaries, being consistent and treating a child with respect. Such a behaviour gives the child an inner strength which will help him/her overcome potential problems in the future CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 161

162 II OVERVIEW STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD 1 Subject The meetings are of an educational character. They offer parents and teachers some simple guidelines of how to treat a child with kindness, trust and at the same time to respect a child s autonomy The workshop lasts 16 hours (4 sessions/units, each lasting 4 hours) It is recommended that the meetings should take place once a week (the time between meetings should not exceed two weeks) 2 Target group All parents and teachers, including those who do not have any educational problems with their children. The number of participants within one group should not exceed people. The parents and teachers education as well as the number of children in the family and their age is of no importance. 3 Language or other skills Participants do not need any special language skills Course instructors should be prepared for conducting psychological and educational classes Course instructors should be parents themselves (if the workshop is conducted by two people, one of them should be a parent) 4 Equipment Large sheets of paper (charts) Marker pens Pieces of paper ( DIN A4 and DIN A5) Name tags Adhesive tape for hanging the charts on the wall Electronic equipment: a notebook and a projector Small pieces of paper CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 162

163 III LEARNING FRAMES AND METHODS STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD 1 Learning aims During the workshop the participants realize that their behaviour and the way they talk can have an impact on their children s behaviour and that an effective upbringing to a large extent depends on the parent/teacher learn and acquire important skills in establishing a proper relationship with children learn about a child s emotional development learn how to develop responsibility learn how to solve conflicts and problems 2 Implementation methods All meetings have the same structure: Introduction Checking homework Introducing the subject to be covered during the meeting/unit Coffee/tea break (at least 20 minutes); a chance for participants to talk and to integrate Assigning homework End of the meeting During the workshop different teaching methods are used: Working in pairs Working in small groups Individual work Discussion Short lectures Role plays It is important to keep charts that were produced during the meetings. Many of them will be needed later on. It is recommended that all the charts that were produced by the participants should hang on the walls all the time. Thus, the participants can revise at any time what they have learnt so far. WORKSHOP STRUCTURE 3 Evaluation Evaluation is done on a regular basis. After each meeting and after a difficult task/exercise the course instructors ask for a feedback. Another important form of evaluation is homework. Each meeting starts with checking whether the homework was done correctly. This type of evaluation provides the course instructors with information whether the meetings and the topics touched upon during the workshop are understood by the participants and whether the participants are aware of the fact that they acquired new skills CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 163

164 IV IMPLEMENTATION STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD MODULE 1 Equipment Outcome Step 1 Introduction to workshop Reception of participants and presentation of programme Focus on acquiring practical skills to be used for establishing a good relationship with children Step 2 Establishing rules for participants The course instructor writes down the rules on the chart and hangs it on the wall. The chart with rules should be placed on the wall during every meeting. Step 3 Introduction of participants The participants talk about themselves. They give as much information as they are ready to give at this stage. The course instructor asks the parents/teachers to give some information about their child/children (age, sex, names). Each participant is given a name tag and writes his/her name in capital letters. Step 4 Expectations of the workshop The course instructor writes down the participants expectations on a large sheet of paper. He/she informs the parents/ teachers which expectations can be met (remember the educational and not therapeutic character of the workshop) Raising parents awareness of what they want to learn most, what changes they expect to happen, and what problems they face. Electronic equipment to present the workshop outline Large sheet of paper Marker pens Adhesive tape Name tags Large sheet of paper Marker pens Adhesive tape Rules binding for all participants Chart with participants expectations of the workshop CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 164

165 Step 5 Exercise: Approval diagram The participants first work on the exercise individually. The course instructor asks the parents/teachers to draw a rectangle (more rectangles if the participant has more than one child). The rectangle represents the participant s child and his/her behaviour. The course instructor asks the parents to indicate which part of this rectangle they accept and which part they do not accept. Pieces of paper (DIN A5) for each participant Teaching parents to notice positive features in their children + - The course instructor asks the participants to work in small teams (3-4 people). Every participant tells the other team members what the minus in the rectangle stands for. The course instructor asks the participants to come up with 5 positive features of their child s character, write them down in the part of the rectangle marked with + and then to read them out for the other team members. Step 6 Comments on the Approval diagram exercise The teams discuss the proportions of the rectangle. They try to answer the question whether it was easy to find 5 positive character features of their child and whether they found more positive aspects as they were listening to other participants. It is important that the course instructor tells parents that everyone has features of character that can be accepted and approved and that sometimes it takes time and a great effort to find them. If a parent pays more attention to these positive character features, his/her child will be better motivated to change CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 165

166 Step 7 Exercise: What is the adults educating all about? The course instructor asks the parents to work in pairs. He/she gives instructions: Let s think for a moment what the purpose of upbringing and educating a child is and what behaviour we expect from our children. The pairs who sit next to each other create larger teams (4 people) and try to come up with an answer to the question What is the adults educating all about? The course instructor gives an adequate amount of time for the participants to complete the task. Later he/she writes down the parents suggestions on the chart. Producing this chart is to make the participants realize that raising and educating a child is a complex process, that they should pay attention to many issues such as teaching a child responsibility and autonomy. The next meetings will be devoted to these issues. Large sheet of paper Marker pens Adhesive tape Making parents aware of what they care about when raising their children Step 8 Homework The course instructor asks the participants to encourage the family members (a husband, children) to do the exercise approval diagram at home. Step 9 End of meeting one Every participant comments on the topic: What was important for me in today s meeting? The course instructor answers this question, too CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 166

167 IV IMPLEMENTATION STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD MODULE 2 Equipment Outcome Step 1 Start of second meeting The course instructor asks the participants about how they feel before the start of the meeting. He/she asks if anybody wants to tell everybody about something important. The course instructor informs the parents/teachers that the subject of today s meeting will be our emotionality and helping a child to cope with its own emotions. Step 2 Checking homework The parents talk about their homework. They tell other participants whether they decided to do the exercise (approval diagram) with other family members or not. They comment on the results of the exercise. Step 3 Exercise: Creating a joined list of emotions a) The participants sit in a circle. They all get self-adhesive slips of papers. The course instructor suggest that they should come up with a list of human emotions b) The parent who suggests an emotion writes it down on a selfadhesive piece of paper and places it on a chart entitled List of emotions. c) When the participants have no more examples of emotions, the course instructor makes a comment that some of the emotions that can be seen on the chart are referred to as positive emotions and some as negative emotions. d) The parents/teachers decide which emotions should be placed on the Self-adhesive slips of paper Two charts: 1. List of emotions 2. Positive emotions Negative emotions Chart with a list of emotions split into two parts: positive emotions and negative emotions CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 167

168 second chart under the heading Positive emotions and which under the heading Negative emotions Step 4 Comment and discussion a) The course instructor makes a comment on the classification proposed by the participants and asks whether it is well justified. b) He/she asks the parents/teachers if there are any advantages of experiencing negative emotions such as anger, fear, shame (see attached material for the course instructor). Step 5 Exercise: Forbidden emotions The course instructor asks the participants to work in groups of three. The participants, based on their experience and knowledge, work on the following issue: What emotions weren t you allowed to show when you were a child? Which emotions were perceived as something embarrassing by adults at that time? The course instructor writes down the participants answers on the chart. In the same groups the parents/teachers work on another problem: What are the emotions that your child is not allowed to show? Again the course instructor writes down the parents answers on the chart next to the answers given to previous questions. The aim of this exercise is to make the parents/teachers realize that if somebody prevents us from showing some emotions (e.g. he/she says don t be angry or don t be sad ), this does not mean that we do not experience them. We hide these emotions, but still we experience them. Suppressed emotions may explode at the least expected time and with unpredictable intensity. We should not fight emotions, we should learn to name them and express them in an adequate manner. Large sheet of paper Marker pens Adhesive tape Chart with emotions parents were not allowed to experience in their childhood and emotions their own children are not allowed to express Making parents realize that there is a close link between how their children feel and what they do (when they feel all right, they do not play truant) Making parents realize that there is a close link between how their children feel and what they do (when they feel al lright, they do not play truant) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 168

169 Step 6 Exercise: An incident which evokes emotions a) The course instructor asks the parents/teachers to get into the spirit of the story he/she that will be read out. The course instructor asks the participants to write down what they feel about statements made by people who commented on the incident. b) The participants analyse the emotions they experienced when listening to the comments on the incident. c) The course instructor comments on the exercise and sums it up. It is important that the course instructor underscores what people really need when they experience strong emotions is another person who would listen to them and understand what they feel. Some pieces of paper (DIN A 4) Material 1 (see Teaching Aid 1) Step 7 Exercise: What will you say to the child? a) The course instructor reads the text which contains a child s statements when he/she comes back from school. Each participant writes down the answers he/she would give to the child b) When one of the participants reads his/her answer, the rest of the group listens to him/her imagining that they are children. They should decide if they felt they were understood and that the parent actually listened to them. c) the course instructor s comment based on the material 3 Step 8 Lecture: How to help a child control and cope with emotions a) the course instructor elaborates on the issues from material 4; he/she gives examples b) He/she gives handouts to the participants Some pieces of paper (DIN A 4) Material 2 (see Teaching Aid 2) Material 3 (see Teaching Aid 3) Material 4 (see Teaching Aid 4) Showing parents what their children need when they are tormented by strong emotions CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 169

170 Step 9 Homework Write down some real dialogues which show a new way of communicating with a child Step 10 End of second meeting Every participant expresses himself/herself on the topic: What was important for me in today s meeting? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 170

171 IV IMPLEMENTATION STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD MODULE 3 Equipment Outcome Step 1 Start of the third meeting a) The course instructor asks the participants how they feel b) He/she informs the parents/ teachers that this meeting will be devoted to the subject: Cooperation between parents and teachers. Developing responsibility. Step 2 Checking homework a) All the participants tell other parents whether they tried to react to their child s statements/behaviour in a way that was proposed during the workshop. They try to assess whether the attempts were effective or not. b) The course instructor reminds the parents that we do not argue about emotions that another person experiences and we do not deny them. Instead, we do not agree to the way they are expressed and teach children to show them in a way that is accepted by society. Step 3 Exercise: What do parents do to make children behave the way parents want a) The course instructor asks the parents a question: What do parents do to make children behave in the way that parents want? He/she writes down the answers on a chart. b) The course instructor informs the parents that the answers on the chart will be used and commented on later in connection with another exercise. Step 4 Exercise: Our mom comes back from work Large sheet of paper Marker pens Producing a chart What do parents do to make children behave in the way parents want CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 171

172 a) The course instructor gives the participants instructions: Imagine you are children. Listen to your reactions and analyze emotions when you hear the words uttered by your mom. The course instructor plays the role of a mom. He reads the text in material 5A. b) He/she poses questions: What did mom mean when she came back home? What did you feel when you heard her words? The course instructor lets every participant express his/her opinion. c) The course instructor repeats the exercise, but this time he/she reads the text from material 5B d) The course instructor asks the participants to talk about their feelings/impressions e) The course instructor concludes the exercise using material 6. He/she emphasizes that the way we talk to a child about such problems as truancy, mess in the room, aggression etc. is extremely important. Depending on the way we talk about all these problems, the child will either cooperate with the parents or refuse such cooperation. In the latter case the parents will have to force a child to cooperate, and this will disrupt the relations between a child and an adult. Material 5 A (see Teaching Aid 5a) Material 5 B (see Teaching Aid 5b) Material 6 (see Teaching Aid 6) Producing lists of emotions experienced by particular parents when they acted out a role play (see Teaching Aid 5a and 5b) Making parents realize that if they want their children to cooperate with them, they should be able to send clear messages to their children that are easily understood Step 5 Analysis of charts produced in first and third meeting a) The course instructor puts the two charts next to each other and says that these two charts as well as the conclusions from the exercise Our mom comes back from work show that it is difficult to raise children and teach them responsibility, autonomy or sensitivity through threatening, preaching, manipulating, corrupting and undermining the child s self-respect. b) The course instructor encourages the participants to express their opinions about it. Chart produced during the first meeting (see Session 1, Module 4) and during the third meeting (see Session 3, Module 3) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 172

173 Sample charts produced by participants of the workshop: WHAT DO PARENTS EXPECT FROM CHILDREN responsibility autonomy (self-dependence) that they will become good people that they will be curious about the world resourcefulness ability to enjoy life respect for other people ability to take advantage of their lives WHAT DO PARENTS DO TO MAKE CHILDREN BEHAVE IN THE WAY THAT PARENTS WANT ask shout order corrupt manipulate lie threaten preach take other children as an example promise MODULE 3 Equipment Outcome Step 6 Types of statements and their consequences a) The course instructor makes a reference to the exercise What do parents do? (Session 3, Module 3) and to mom s statements (Session 3, Module 4). He/she points out that such words as You idlers, slobs, you are not grateful for what I do for you are very critical and the child s reaction to such a statement will be self-defence. In consequence, a conflict between a child and a parent is likely to break out. b) The course instructor reminds the participants of the mom s statements from material 5B c) He/she informs the parents that statements from material 5B are so called I statements. d) The course instructor hands out an info sheet on how to produce I statements. e) He/she gives the participants exercise sheets and asks them to fill them in. f) The participants and the course instructor analyze the results g) Summing up: advantages and disadvantages of producing I and YOU statements in every day life. Material 7 (see Teaching Aid 7) Material 8 (see Teaching Aid 8) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 173

174 Step 7 Encouraging the child to cooperate (based on the book by Mazlish & Faber) a) The course instructor gives the participants the material and comments on some of its points b) He/she asks the participants to remember the situations in which they have to force their child to do something. c) He/she asks the group if somebody wants to solve his/her problem using the methods suggested during the workshop d) If there is a volunteer to describe his/her problem, the group starts working on this case looking for a solution. If there is no volunteer, the course instructor analyzes the situation prepared by him/her beforehand. Material 9 (see Teaching Aid 9) Step 8 Homework Write down which methods to encourage the child to cooperate you managed to implement. Step 9 End of third meeting Every participant expresses himself/herself on the topic: What was important for me in today s meeting? CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 174

175 IV IMPLEMENTATION STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD MODULE 4 Equipment Outcome Step 1 Start of the third meeting The course instructor asks the participants how they feel Step 2 Checking homework All the participants tell the course instructor if they tried/did not try to use the methods of encouraging children to cooperate that were discussed during the workshop. They also talk about what has happened at home since the last meeting. Step 3 Exercise: The educational aspect of punishment a) The course instructor asks the parents to answer the question: What is the purpose of punishment? He/she makes sure that the parents do not give reasons for punishing and that they enumerate functions of punishment. For example, some of its functions are to teach respecting norms and rules, distinguishing between good and bad, and preventing the misconduct of a child. b) He/she asks the parents to work in pairs and to ponder on this issue. c) The participants suggestions and conclusions are written down on a sheet of paper. The course instructor reminds the parents once again that what they see in the chart are the effects of punishment and its functions. Large sheet of paper Marker pens Pieces of paper (DIN A4) Producing a chart: The educational aspect of punishment Step 4 Exercise: What do children feel when they are punished? a) The course instructor asks the participants to imagine that they are Large sheet of paper Marker pens Acting out a role play What do children CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 175

176 teenagers and to listen to a story. He/she asks them to jot down what they feel after they heard the parents different reactions b) He/she asks three participants to act out the role of parents c) The course instructor reads the story d) The three participants who play the parents read their lines e) The participants read out their feelings, thoughts that they wrote down earlier. The feelings are written down on a sheet of paper f) The course instructor asks the participants whether they remember what they felt when they were punished (expanding the list of emotions) g) The course instructor sums up the exercise Material 10 (see Teaching Aid 10) feel when they are punished? Step 5 Alternatives to punishment (based on the book by Mazlish & Faber) Presenting the material. Discussion. Material 11 (see Teaching Aid 11) Step 6 What should I do if alternative actions are not effective? a) The course instructor briefly talks about the conflicts and problems that may be encountered at home and at school. b) He/she presents the procedure of solving these conflicts and problems. Material 12 (see Teaching Aid 12) Step 7 Exercise: Solving problems in real life a) The parents work in groups of three b) The participants try to come up with some concrete situations/problems in which they can use the procedure of solving conflicts. c) The problems and conflicts that were discussed within the group are presented in front of the whole group. d) The course instructor suggests Material 12 (see Teaching Aid 12) Some pieces of paper (DIN A4) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 176

177 acting out a scene in which a parent talks to a child (the parent uses the procedure mentioned). e) If there are no volunteers to act out the scene, the course instructor suggests solving a concrete problem/conflict (prepared by the course instructor beforehand) in small groups of three. A version for teacher-participants a) The teachers work in groups of three and decide on which problems they would like to solve with the class, e.g. coming late to classes, fights, swearing, failing to do homework b) The teachers produce a lesson outline during which such a problem would be solved c) They present their action plan in the form of a short scene. Producing a lesson outline during which class problems can be solved Acting out a role-play based on the lesson outline Step 8 End of the workshop a) Every participant expresses himself/herself on the topic: What was important for me in today s meeting? b) The course instructor puts the chart on the wall c) He/she asks the question: Have my expectations been fulfilled? Chart with the participants expectations produced at the beginning of the workshop (see Module 1) CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 177

178 MATERIAL 1 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 1 Session 2, Module 6 An incident which evokes emotions Imagine the situation in which your husband is asking you to do some extra work. He wants you to finish it by the end of the day. You plan to get to work immediately, but because of a chain of events you forget about it. There are some matters that need your attention you hardly have time to prepare lunch. When you sit down in an armchair to drink some coffee and watch the evening news, your husband comes back and asks you how you coped with the task. You try to explain him quickly how difficult it was for you to do that job. He does not let you finish, though. He is furious and shouts: I am not interested in your explanations. I have to do everything myself and you can only sit and drink coffee. I cannot count on you at all! When you try to say something, he says: This conversation is over and leaves. You try to calm down the children who are worried by the fact that their parents yell at each other. A moment later your friend visits you. You do not hide that you are upset and tell him what happened. He tries to help you in many ways. Below you will find his potential answers. After reading each answer write down your reactions (remember, there are no good or bad emotional reactions. It is important what you really feel). 1. Denying emotions. There is nothing to worry about. He was just tired and you are blowing everything out of proportion. It is not that bad, I am sure. Come on, smile. You look so nice when you smile. 2. A philosophical answer: Well, that is life. You do not always get what you want. You have to learn to accept life the way it is. Nothing is perfect in this world. 3. A piece of advice You know what I think? When your husband comes back, tell him: Ok., I admit it was my fault. Then think together how to fix it. Don t worry about this whole thing, but if you care about your husband, make sure that something like this will never happen again. 4. Questions: And what were those matters you had to settle immediately and which prevented you from helping your husband? You knew that he would be upset if you didn t do it, right? Have you ever done anything like that before? Why didn t you try to stop him and explain everything? 5. Finding excuses for the husband: I do understand your husband s reaction. He is stressed out. You are lucky that he does not lose his temper more often CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 178

179 6. Feeling sorry Poor creature. It is terrible. I am so sorry. I feel like crying. 7. Psychologist-amateur: Don t you think that the real reason for your being upset is that your husband reminds you of your father?? I guess when you were a child you were afraid of him, you didn t want to upset him, and now, when your husband scolded you, your inhibitions have returned. Am I right? 8. Empathic answer: Indeed, that was an unpleasant situation. Being verbally abused after such a tiring day must have been difficult to cope with CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 179

180 MATERIAL 2 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 2 Session 2, Module 7 Imagine that your child comes home from school. He is definitely upset. He says: This school is terrible, and my history teacher is unfair because she gave us a quiz that she had not told us about before. I guess she wanted her revenge on the class because we were too noisy. Everything sucks. Wojtek and I had a fight and then he said things about me which were untrue. Now the guys are laughing at me. Examples of answers that do not give the child emotional support: 1. Nothing happened sweetheart. Don t worry for no real reason. Don t worry about what your friends think of you. 2. Well, my son, You have to learn that things like this will happen very often. You do not always get what you want. That is life. 3. Listen, I know what you should do. Prepare yourself for tomorrow s history class and ask your teacher to give you an oral. Or should you write a paper apart from that? And apologize to her that you were naughty. 4. Tell me everything. What was this quiz like? Did you learn anything yesterday? Did you misbehave during the lesson then, too? 5. Your teacher is there to teach you history and discipline. There are thirty of you and she is only one. If she were lenient, you wouldn t learn anything at all. Don t criticize Wojtek either, because it is you who starts fights first. 6. I am so sorry. They come up with crazy ideas in this school. You poor creature. Wojtek is an urchin and he pretended to be such a good friend. I am so sorry. 7. You see, the problem is that you cannot work systematically, you cannot organize your work.you have to work on it and when you do, you won t be taken aback by quizzes in history. You have fights with Wojtek because you are oversensitive. You have always been like this CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 180

181 MATERIAL 3 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 3 Session 2, Module 7 EMOTIONALITY Emotions are important and a precious element of human nature. They are as important as intellect. They were given to us and we are all equipped with them. They help us grow up and gain maturity if we treat them with care and respect. In everyday speech, and also in the psychological and pedagogical publications the terms feelings and emotions are used interchangeably. Feelings, unlike emotions, are constant and they are not innate. We learn them as we experience different situations every day. Feelings and emotions complement each other. We should permit ourselves to have the right to experience all feelings and emotions and learn to express them in such a way as not to hurt our neighbors. Therefore, the classification into positive and negative emotions seems to be groundless. For instance, anger, classified as a negative emotion, sometimes motivates us to change an unpleasant situation we are in. We should neither fight emotions nor give into emotions. We have to learn to recognize them and express them adequately. In order to understand what other people feel, we have to be aware of what we feel as well. Accepting the child s emotions is a great problem for teachers and parents. More often than not, the adults pay attention to what the child does and not what the child feels and experiences. In this situation they try to persuade the child not to feel what he/she feels, to deny his/her emotions instead of helping the child to cope with these emotions. There is a direct link between the children s emotions and behaviour. Difficult situations cause uncomfortable emotions. Naming and accepting these emotions help the child to overcome the problem. It is easier to accept the pain or a loss when somebody understands how much we suffer. When the child understands his/her emotions, he/she will have the courage to tackle them. Sharing emotions with other people is one of the most important methods of dealing with stress CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 181

182 MATERIAL 4 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 4 Session 2, Module 8 HELPING A CHILD TO COPE WITH HIS/HER EMOTIONS Listen to your child carefully Accept his/her feelings/emotions Name these emotions Change a child s desires into fantasy CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 182

183 MATERIAL 5A and B STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 5A Session 3, Module 4 Our mom comes back from work Version A What a mess, it s a regular pigsty in here! You are horrible you idlers and slobs. You do nothing but sit in front of the computer. No respect for us we work so hard, your father and I, and you show no gratitude. Egoists. Clean the room, now! Anyway, when your father comes home, you ll be punished. You have to understand that I want you to become good people. You have to learn responsibility and diligence. You will have your own family some day and you will see how difficult it is. I know that not all children are so nasty. My heart bleeds when I listen to my friends talking about their children they are polite, willing to help, have good grades at school. Shame on you! From today on, no meeting friends, no playing games on the computer, no going out. TEACHING AID 5B Session 3, Module 4 Version B Kids, I can see the terrible mess in here. The garbage and the clothes are on the floor. I do not like it and it makes me upset. I can t really imagine preparing a lunch in such conditions. I need your help. I want you to clean the room and then to help me in the kitchen. In future I expect that you will clean your room after you come home from school CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 183

184 MATERIAL 6 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 6 Session 3, Module 4 COOPERATION When building relations with children, we should express our expectations in a clear and precise manner so that they should know what they can and cannot do. For example, when a child is told to start learning, he/she starts doing it according to his/her own plan first the child will play the games on the computer, listen to music, call a friend An effective message for the child is when it is precise. I would like you to start learning at 4 p.m.., and do only that for at least two hours. The key words here are I need you to, I would like you to, I want you to. What is ineffective?: Threatening If you do it one more time, you will not be allowed to go out after school for a week! Corrupting If you do this, I will buy you a new pair of jeans. Promises made by parents or making the child promise something; e.g. promise that you will be obedient. The child makes a promise because the parents want it he/she wants to be left in peace. This does not come form his belief or needs, so keeping this promise is unrealistic Criticizing (sarcasm) comments which are aggressive result in the child s need to counterattack and make the cooperation impossible. Preaching do you really think it was O.K. to behave like that? I see you do not realize how important it is to attend school regularly Comparing Why can t you be like Wojtek. He has good manners, helps his parents and has good grades at school... Orders Clean the room, now! Prophecy Do you know who you will become in the future? Someone whom nobody will trust! An issue which is related to the problem of cooperation is responsibility. Being irresponsible is characteristic for children who are instructed and told what to do all the time. They have no chance of making choices and judging different life situations. Moreover, it is difficult to expect responsible behaviour from a child while adults are irresponsible themselves CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 184

185 MATERIAL 7 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 7 Session 3, Module 6 I statements The I statements consist of two parts: 1. description of events and facts related to the receiver s behaviour 2. description of sender s reaction to the above-mentioned facts and events. These reactions are usually emotions, thoughts, behaviour or certain expectations. The structure of the I statement: Facts tell us what is going on, what you can see and hear Emotions tell us how you feel\about this fact (name emotions) Expectations tell us what you want to change in this situation Example The YOU statements You are irresponsible, you should organize your time better The I statements You have been late for the English lesson for the second time this week. It upsets me- I do not want this to happen any more. Using the I statement, you do not judge the other person, you do not blame him/her, and you don t accuse him/her. By using the word I you simply inform the other person about your feelings and you take full responsibility for them. You also mention what changes in behaviour you would expect CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 185

186 MATERIAL 8 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 8 Session 3, Module 6 The situation The YOU message The I message Your son/daughter played truant by going to the internet cafe with his/her friends 12-year-old Zuzia has spent 3 hours doing her homework. You need her help but she says she has not finished her homework. A biology teacher called you informing that your son disturbed her during the lesson he did not react when he was told to stop On your way back home from work you met your neighbour who told you that your son and his two friends spend the whole morning at home instead of being at school. In the morning, when it is time to leave, your child informs you that she is sick and that she is not going anywhere. You are as irresponsible as your colleagues with whom you played truant You are so slow doing your homework... What the hell are you doing? Are you serious? Your biology teacher called me again saying you disturbed her during the lesson.. Weird. Don t you have anything to do? Do you spend your time watching your neighbors? You are being untruthful as always. Hurry up or you will miss the bus CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 186

187 MATERIAL 9 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 9 Session 3, Module 7 In order to encourage a child to cooperate: 1. Describe what you can see or define the problem Present facts that you can hear and see. Do not interpret and do not blame anybody. 2. Give information Information should be short and concise so that the child can listen to the whole message: You mustn t write on walls, write on paper. 3. Say it in one word Children react in a different way to a single word than to preaching for a long time; e.g. Wojtek! time to learn! 4. Describe how you feel about the child s behaviour or his/her statement; e.g. I do not like it when you speak to your father like that. 5. Write a short letter Write short letters or messages to a child; e.g. write a short message and put it on the computer screen: Before you turn me on, think have you done your homework yet? Letters will not be effective if they are too long: After you come back from school, walk the dog, do the shopping, make lunch CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 187

188 MATERIAL 10 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 10 Session 4, Module 4 Imagine that you are a student who is 13 years old. During the intervals you like talking to your female friend who is in another class and her lessons take place at the other end of the building. Thus, after the bell rings you are often late for your lessons, usually for mathematics, as the mathematics teacher is very punctual. Recently you were chatting for quite a long time and you were a few minutes late several times. But today you did your best to be on time, you ran to the classroom as you were chatting for too long again. Unfortunately, you were late, not much, but still you were late. Your mathematics teacher called your parents and asked hem to come to school. When you get back home you hear: Parent I Parents reactions: I am sick and tired of your explanations. I know that you cannot be trusted. Next week after you come back home, you will not be allowed to go out. But don t you think you will sit in front of the computer, no way! We are taking the computer from your room. Parent II Oh dear, I see you are upset with your being late for mathematics. Promise me you will not be late any more. I am stressed out because of you. Sit down and have lunch. I might call somebody from your class and ask him to lend you the notes from the lesson. Parent III You are telling me that you were in a hurry so as not to be late for maths. I am glad to hear that. But I am upset that once again you missed the beginning of the lesson. I expect that from tomorrow you will get to the class on time, and you will organize your time today in such a way so as to make up for the lost time CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 188

189 MATERIAL 11 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 11 Session 4, Module 5 ALTERNATIVES TO PUNISHMENT 1. Show how a child could help you, give him/her a hint how he/she should behave and what models of behaviour to emulate Specify what the child can do to meet parents expectations. For example, I ve heard you are disappointed with your friend s behaviour. It would be better if you told me about it without using vulgar words. 2. Protest but do not attack the child I can t accept that you use such vulgar words! 3. Specify your expectations I expect that you will find another way of telling me how upset you are. 4. Show the child how he/she can undo the bad thing Tell me about it one more time, without using words that I do not accept. 5. Offer a choice You will either say it using words which are not offensive to anyone or I will leave the room and won t listen to you. 6. Make the child realize he/she has done something wrong I can imagine what happened between you and your friend and that it was very difficult for you, but I do not feel like listening to your dirty words CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 189

190 MATERIAL 12 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHILD TEACHING AID 12 Session 4, Module 6 & 7 Solving the problem at school and at home (based on the book by Faber, Mazlish, and Gordon) 1. Name the problem Decide who and what caused the problem 2. Try to understand what the child feels and thinks Do not attack the child, show that you want to understand him/her and try to find out his/her needs. 3. Summarize the child s way of thinking By doing so, you will find out whether you understood the child correctly or not. 4. Express your feelings and needs Tell the child briefly and precisely what you feel about his/her behaviour 5. Look for solutions together First, try to get some solutions form the child, propose your solutions at a later point. 6. Write down all the ideas without judging them The most important thing is to avoid judgments, showing disrespect 7. Decide with the child which solutions you agree on Only now, when you are sure that there is no other suggestion to solve the problem, can you choose the solution that will be acceptable for both you and the child CP DE-COMENIUS-C21 190

191 Published by: The Lower Saxony State Institute for Teacher Education and School Development (NiLS) - European and International Affairs- Keßlerstrasse 52 D Hildesheim Germany Phone: Fax: ecp@nils.nibis.de Internet: This publication was supported by EC funds for the COMENIUS 2.1 Project Absenteeism - Strategies, Concepts and Materials to Fight Truancy CP DE-IUS CP DE-COMENIUS-C21