SUPPORT TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT CASE SEINÄJOEN LYSEO AUTUMN 2018 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

FRAMING OUR LEARNING ORGANISATION What kind of students do we have? How can we support different kind of students in subject based system? What kind of knowledge each teacher needs to be able to teach all students? How is the responsibility divided in this system? What is the limit to take next steps in supporting the student? 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

Leading group for this development work We already have a planning group, teams and a pedagogical support group. Now we also have a leading group for special education to coordinate and organise different supports. Special education support group: Members: teachers from three different kind of special education classes. Tasks: To coordinate special education Resources Clasrooms Equipment Budget Etc… 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

In spring 2018 we started the development work with a questionary Answers were asked from schoolaids and special education teachers. What should be the system to form special education classes or should every student be in a normal class? How should we organise education for students that are taken in custody and sent to Seinäjoki? What kind of special education system will fit into my pedagogical strengths? We get a sum of hours for special education from the city. How should we use those hours? How would our students benefit most? What other resources do we have? What would be the optimal usage for those resources? 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

Should we rotate the jobs in special education? What kind of special education is in your interest? How should we organize eduction for students from social centre, since they come in different times of the year and their age varies? Mainstream students have four periods in their school year in Lyseo. How should special education be organized to be able to integrate? Especially, when the special education class consists of students from two or three class levels? Where and how should we place special education classes in our school buildings when some of them are currently not in use? What is your vision for our special education management system in the future? 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

How do we get the most out of our school support persons? How should we organize support class to get the most out of it? How and by whom should we make the timetable for school support persons? What would be a good and practical way to work for schools support persons? What do you wish from school budget? What do you need/wish from further education? How should we organize and plan further education for teachers? 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

What would you like to develop/learn from our Erasmus project? How should our common work be led/organised? How and where could we find common planning time? (Now we have one shared hour Wed 8-9 in use) What kind of common matters would you be willing to take care of? Such as: trips, checking of pedagogical papers, meeting memos, coordinating purchases, coordinating further education, planning timetables for school supports, coordinating daily changes in all support arrangements 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

What have we found already? Theraphy, coaching, psychologist should meet the students at school. All support persons around the child should meet at least once a year. We work in the field of pedagogical support => we should be able to share information. This all needs leading, it does not happen by wishing. Who does and what and with what kind of support? If we do not have the resources, we should not make promises. We’ll try to get further education courses for us. 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

Support class, check in-check out –system. Flexible services  The aim is to have flexible services, to be able to integrate in both ways Support class, check in-check out –system. The teacher in support class has the big picture of the matter We do respond if the matters need action. Sources for information are: teachers, parents, students and pedagogical support team. With the most challenging students we use pair teaching method. For those 9th graders who cannot attend regular classes there is a possibility to study using the same method than tenth graders. 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

Every student is everybody’s student We do not send students away. We try to find solutions. We do talk about the matters! We try to get friend support to every member of our school (both students and adults) Debriefing takes place in our school, if needed. Support adults to all students –there is no need to be jealous! We do not fight with students. If an adult gets irritated, we ought to be quiet. 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

We should share our challenges – support from the staff is needed. We have to keep promises: confidentiality if student asks for that. We’ll work really carefully, if there are huge problems. Serious matters need to be handled face to face. Rather a meeting than an e-mail. We work in pairs if the matter is hard. Child welfare report will always be done when needed. We can choose the wind and try to navigate well. Principal: ”I do not make decisions about students without seeing the child.” 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

How do we work with special cases? If there is a need for shorter schoolday, the matter should be dealt in private student welfare group, and it has to be documented according to our rules. Also a formal decision needs to be done by principal. Always when we need to make an exception from regular education system, there needs to be a written document about it (Laari, learning plan) With lots of absences the process goes: contacting the parents regularly, informing pedagogical group, pickup service, support class, child welfare report, special educational services… In the beginning of every period each teacher has to inform homes about the facts subject evaluation is based on. Alternative ways to show skills are designed. On every path we need different kinds of proof. The teacher who has the student in his/her group according to the timetable is responsible for student’s evaluation. 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

…and more… If it causes a lot of extra work to the teacher to organise studies for some special student, who doesn’t attend regular classes, the teacher gets extra payment. It has to be written in student’s pedagogical papers, how evaluation will be done. If the aims of a subject for the child are not made officially lower, the aims should be written in student’s pedagogical papers. We should not promise too much. Support class teacher takes care of checking and filing the documents. Class teacher keeps regularly contact with parents, subject teacher in matters concerning his/her subject. Pedagogical support group should be informed. Student’s personal welfare documentation is done by a special education teacher or a student counsellor. 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

The alternative paths to study in Lyseo -these are described to show the diversity of students 1. Severe learning difficulties, L-class (more than two subjects are personalized) 2. Severe learning difficulties in ordinary class (two subjects are personalized) 3. Students that are in danger to drop out. 4. Students that are placed in other municipalities (short/long period) 5. Students that are taken into custody and come from other municipalities. 6. Students with mental problems 7. Students with rather severe somatic problems 8. Students, whose family rotates from place to place 9. Sad surprises. Students who react strongly and surprisingly. 10. Students whose family meets sudden crises 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

14. Chronically absent students 11. Immigrants who came to Finland during elementary education 12. Immigrants who came during junior high 13. Extremely talented (sports/art) whose parents want to give them extra possibilities 14. Chronically absent students 15. Strong challenges in socio-emotional fields (K- and K2-classes) 16. Strong mental challenges in the end of education (9O-class) 17.Mainstream students …Drugs…? Are they present? 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

Pedagogical papers We try to develop pedagogical papers for classes. Cloud we use codes for students, like 17 : 14 : 11 : 12? Teachers are asked for the need for support (going on now) How does the group work in different subjects and situations? Special education leading group and schools pedagogical group uses this information for possible changes in classes. 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

Teachers have discussed: Evaluation How to keep everybody informed What is the responsibility of each staff member How should the classes possibly be changed=> we’ll run a questionary about this. 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

This is only one part of the work in junior high This is pedagogical management This is not student welfare, which is very time consuming, too Where do we find time for all this? 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo

Greetings from Lyseo, a junior high school in the capital of space… Thank you! 14.8.2019 Kaisa Isotalo