Getting Motivated

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Getting Motivated
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A presentation by the staff and students of the
Communication Disorders Unit, Bryn Celynnog
Comprehensive School, Rhondda Cynon Taff
Getting Motivated
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Our School Bryn Celynnog
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What is motivation?
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According to the dictionary It is something
that causes you to behave in a particular way If
you motivate someone, you make them determined to
do something
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• To us it means
• Having a clear vision
• Knowing where we want to go and finding the
  best ways to get there, and to keep on trying
  until we do

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• Our C.D.U. currently supports twelve students

All our students have autistic spectrum disorders
but
they are all very different.
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We are constantly looking for ways to motivate
their learning
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• Staff team of 1 teacher and 5 L.S.A.s

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• We have our own base within the school from
  which the students inclusion programmes are
  managed

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H.Q.
(Communication Disorders Unit)
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Classrooms
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• The students levels of mainstream inclusion
  range from 20 to 90

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Where did we start?
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• We aimed to set up a provision for students
  with ASD to cope with the huge demands placed on
  them by the busy mainstream school day.

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• .. a well structured and supportive
  environment in which everyone works towards the
  same goals

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The starting point was to have a clear set of aims

• The specific needs of our students and creating
  the most appropriate environment for learning
• Working within school policy
• Working closely with parents
• Working with the support of our L.E.A.S advisory
  team

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A climate of warmth and support will be fostered,
in which self-confidence and self -esteem can
grow, and where all pupils feel valued and able
to risk mistakes as they learn without fear of
criticism.
Ongoing assessment and review informs our
programme- set out for the pupils to follow on
our manoeuvres board- a clear, purposeful
structure to every day.
Step by step towards integration, inclusion and
the provision of the most appropriate environment
for learning, based on individual pupils needs.
Working within whole school policy and alongside
subject teachers, year heads and SENCO to ensure
pupils have access to the whole curriculum,
ensuring each pupil feels part of the school
rather than special.
Using positive reinforcement at all times
rewards are stronger motivators than sanctions,
punishment or removal of privileges.
An exciting learning environment will be a
priority, to arouse pupils interest and
curiosity helping those who need extra stimulus
and encouragement to overcome their learning
barriers.
Our Aims
Promoting an environment that encourages
self-awareness and an awareness of others.
Developing pupils communication skills using the
Social Use of Language Programme providing
the pupil with opportunities to work through
situations they might find challenging in a
stress free environment- preparing the pupil for
integration/inclusion.
Providing the pupils with the safe base from
which to grow academically and socially.
Ensuring parents feel welcome to contact the C D
class teacher at any time concerning their
childs progress.
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Organisation

• Students with ASD often have difficulty
  organising their time and meeting deadlines
• They get confused and stressed when there are too
  many things to think about Information
  Overload
• We use a manoeuvres wall to organise their day.
  This timetable clearly sets out where they are
  supposed to be at all times
• It shows additional equipment requirements and
  homework deadlines
• It records unexpected changes to timetable
• It was suggested by a student and has proven
  successful in helping the students meet deadlines

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Manoeuvres board
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The students build visual timetables for clarity
of structure to the day-removing student anxieties
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Some of our students rely on symbols for clarity
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Team Work

• We have found its easier to motivate if everyone
  works together its important that everyone in
  the school is onboard

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What we do

• We collate information from parents, primary
  schools, written reports and assessments made by
  outside agencies
• We meet with parents and students to plan
  appropriate inclusion programmes based on this
  information and student IEPs are drawn up
  together- this has had a very positive effect in
  raising the level of parental support

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• We teach where there are identified learning gaps
  and reinforce new learning concepts
• We run a social and life skills programme aimed
  at developing our students social awareness and
  improving the quality of their inclusion
• We encourage the students to develop their
  special interests . Building on success has
  raised student self-esteem. (A successful
  motivator to move on to attempt things they might
  find difficult)

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Learning by doing
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Learning how to plan a day out supporting our
schools girls rugby team
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Off site learning experiences
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Feeling a part of the whole school is important
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Towards independence
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Practising life skills make the students aware
they are able to contribute
Value as seen by others is a motivator
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Challenges
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Four of our students had never attempted to ride
a bike until this day
.we give them challenges .success is a
motivator
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Building on strengths and special interests
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Time to spend on a special interest raises
student self esteem
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Mistakes are okay
We can all learn from making mistakes
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Then we give them the right amount of support to
succeed
Success breeds success
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IEPs

• We hold informal interviews with the student and
  then with the student and parents before writing
  his/her IEP
• During this interview we give the student time to
  tell us about the things he/she finds easy, does
  well, enjoys doing, finds difficult, dislikes
• Long term targets and future aspirations are
  discussed. Small steps towards these targets are
  suggested

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• All long term targets are broken down into
  small, realistic and achievable targets

Motivation through achievement
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Our emphasis from the start is on the student
guiding the plan and taking ownership of it
Responsibility is a motivator
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• Next we discuss the steps we need to put into
  place to help us meet the long term targets
• Who will be involved?
• The students contribution
• The help they will get from staff
• How the parents can support their learning at
  home

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When everyone agrees to the targets its all
written up as a contract
Everyone is clear about what we are all working
towards
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• Everybody with a contribution signs. A detailed
  IEP has regularly proven itself to be time well
  spent
• The IEPs are given to all contact staff along
  with a student pen profile (relevant background
  information possible triggers and intervention)
• The IEPs are displayed within the CDU to remind
  us of what we are all working to achieve

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• Motivating students by recognising and praising
  all efforts towards meeting targets

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Monitoring for quality of inclusion

• Staff keep integration reports as a way of
  tracking that the level of inclusion is
  appropriate and that the quality of inclusion is
  good
• Tracking for effort and progress in IEP targets
• Learning behaviours (cognitive, emotional and
  social) are monitored and evaluated
• Weekly reward sessions where integration
  reports are discussed with students and any
  progress towards meeting targets is rewarded

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Setting clear boundaries

• In order to manage our students behaviour we
  first had to have a clear picture of the
  behaviour we wanted
• We worked with the students to set the boundaries
  together
• A behavioural code was drawn up that everyone
  knows, understands and sticks to
• The students are asked to sign a behavioural
  contract

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The Behavioural Contract

• This contract encourages our students to take
  responsibility for their own behaviour
• Behaviour is learnt and determined by
  consequences
• Rewarded behaviour increases, unrewarded
  behaviour decreases

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Motivation through positive communication
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• What should you be doing?
• Show them, Tell them, Let them.
• Can you tell me why I am pleased with you?
• Praise, time on a special interest project ,
  certificates, letters or phone calls home are all
  good motivators for improved behaviour
• We use positive emotions when they behave well
  and use systems and procedures to manage problem
  behaviour
• Using positive reinforcement at all times we
  believe rewards are stronger motivators than
  sanctions, punishment or removal of privileges

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• If you chose to break the rule, you understand
  what will happen
• Remember how well you dealt with this problem
  last week
• What should you be doing?
• When you have finished your work then you can go
  to the computer
• You are feeling as if you are always in trouble
  and I think we can do something about that

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• Avoiding long explanations for a quicker solution
  Sit down, Hand up, Jacket
• Following instructions with thank you. It shows
  the assumption that the students will comply
• Using when instead of if. When you tidy up
  we will go out for break
• Positive communication by has resulted in
  improved student behaviour
• There are consequences to negative behaviour and
  the students are reminded of ways to avoid our
  pay back system in their behavioural contract

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Our structure

• A clear set of rules with well defined boundaries
• A clear structure, everyone knows what they are
  doing and what is expected of them
• Everyone working towards the same goals
• Appropriate behaviour acknowledged and efforts
  towards targets rewarded
• More time spent recognising and reinforcing
  positive behaviour
• Weekly tracking interviews during which
  integration reports are discussed and efforts and
  achievements recognised

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Our Ethos

• Positive input

• Positive output

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We use time-out not as a punishment but as a
requirement for controlling stress. We encourage
our students to use time-out before displaying
inappropriate behaviour
Working on a special interest has helped the
students to calm down, raise their self-esteem
and allowed them to refocus
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Strategies that we continue to use because they
work for us in motivating our students
EXCELLENT RIGHT ON TRACK
ENCOURAGEMENT CARDS
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Encouragement cards are adapted for students
personalities
Listen to your teacher Jordan!
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Escape Cards

• Please excuse me
• I am finding things difficult and need to return
  to H.Q.
• I will continue my work there
• Thank you
• This card belongs to

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Alert Cards

• 1st Warning

• Return to HQ
• Take time out
• We will discuss your behaviour

2nd Warning
Alert cards are used by the support staff as a
BEHAVIOUR THERMOMETER during lessons. They are
shown to the student avoiding drawing negative
attention to the student and causing disruption
to the learning of others
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Using a five point scale to set out clear
behavioural boundaries

• Example of voice scale
• Emergencies only
• Football matches, break time games
• Asking a question in class, normal conversation
• Whispering to friends, in the library
• No talking at all

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Recognition of targets met Wall of Honours

• A copy of all certificates and achievements is
  kept in the students Personal Effectiveness
  Files

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YES and NO books

• All efforts, achievements and positive behaviour
  is recognised and entered into the green YES
  book
• The red NO book is intended to record displays
  of negative behaviour. To date there are no
  entries- one glance at the book encourages
  improved behaviour
• The students are always checking for new entries

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Sand timers

• They have been successful in aiding our
  students to understand how long.to work/ to
  wait/time-out

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Once an hour cards

• Displays of repeated minor negative behaviour by
  students can wear staff down- this is boring,
  cant do this
• Allow them to say it once, twice. an hour. Then
  they forfeit the card. It makes them think before
  using it, its all about the students taking
  responsibility for their own behaviour.

This card allows me to.
I agree to think before using
it. When I use the card I must hand it over. I
understand there will be consequences if I repeat
the named behaviour without a card.
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Visual stimulus as encouragement
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Our most recent method for improving focus on a
work task and lengthening work session from 10-30
minutes was an accidental discovery.The school
care-takers had removed a fluorescent light tube
from our teaching room to replace the one in the
nurses room. In its place we put a small desk
spot lamp. We dont know if the bright light from
the spot light focused the students attention
enabling him to work for longer periods or if it
was the removal of the sound from the motor that
drove the fluorescent light that affected him.
Whichever it was it worked- and even though the
fluorescent bulb has since been replaced, were
keeping the desk lamp.
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• We continue to look for new ways to motivate
  our students in their learning so if you have any
  ideas that work please share them with us

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Getting Motivated

• When trying to create an environment which
  motivates effective learning we stick to these
  principles .

If you shock easily please look away now
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C.R.A.P.
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• CHILD CENTRED
• REALISTIC
• ACHIEVABLE
• PROGRESSIVE

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• .and even more C.R.A.P.

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CONSISTENCY ROUTINE AWARENESS POSITIVITY
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