The Incredible Years Teacher programme covers:
- building positive relationships with children
- proactively preventing behaviour problems
- using attention, encouragement, and praise to turn behaviour around
- motivating children by giving them incentives
- helping children learn social skills, empathy, and problem-solving
- using appropriate consequences for undesirable behaviour.
An area of professional learning for our teachers this year has been around academic and social/emotional coaching with children. The word coaching itself is interesting. The term originated in a town called Kocs in Hungary, where the 'coach' was invented. It "carried people over rough terrain". Well, children, all of us, need to learn the skills to carry ourselves........ eventually. Teachers/parents/managers........... aren't carriers but we can provide direction, nourishment and the environment for growth.
Combining coaching with our emphasis on wellbeing/positive education, our 3 key principles and the national focus to make the move from punitive to restorative practice, we are reviewing our current 'behaviour management' practices.
FROM: PUNITIVE RESPONSES THAT FOCUS ON PUNISHMENT
TO: RESTORATIVE RESPONSES THAT FOCUS ON ACCOUNTABILITY, HEALING AND NEEDS
What happened? Who has been affected? How? What needs to be done to put things right?
Adapted from Jansen and Matla, n.d. (adapted from Zehr, 2002)
Are our consequences supporting social and emotional growth? What part do children's strengths play? Where are we at with our own understanding of restorative practice? It's a work in progress...... watch this space. Any thoughts for consideration, please chat with Suzanne or Gillian. It's a really interesting area of learning and there are always many perspectives.
We have 3 weeks of Term 3 to go, and talk about packed and requiring your help!
- Celebrations of Learning - SLCs + Treasure Hunt. 30% of our children do not have a booking, these close next week. Eek - help!
- PFP brings Sew Love: Next week - please see separate item.
- Tuesday afternoon 6 September is a Paid Union Meeting for teachers. Please try and help out and pick your children up at 1.00pm or let the office staff know if they need to stay until 3.00pm
- 22 September - Year 3/4 Sleepover here at school - requires parent volunteers too. Please help!
- 22 September is also World Character Day. If you can make a coffee at 9.00am in the staffroom, I would love to chat with you about what the focus on character strengths is all about. I will also pop the main points in a newsletter, as I realise not everyone will be able to make it.
- The Treasure Island Fair of the Year - 13 November. Some Fair Stalls are filling up fast, some are already full, other lovely parent volunteers are looking a bit lonely. Please get onto popping your name down ASAP. This is the main fundraising/ community event that everyone get's involved in. Help out, it's fun!

PRINCIPAL’S AWARDSI am a goal setter... (self management) |