Teach Secondary 13.8

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nikki Cunningham-Smith is an assistant headteacher based in Gloucestershire TRY ITYOURSELF – BOX BREATHING Sit or stand in a comfortable position – eyes can be open or closed Relax your shoulder and jaw muscles Inhale slowly through your nose while counting to 4 Hold your breath for a further count of 4 Slowly exhale through your mouth while counting to 4 Having exhaled, hold your breath again for another count of 4 Repeat the process until you’ve attained the desired level of relaxation and focus focused on their efforts and growth. By doing so, you can help pupils better understand their own learning processes and how they might be improved – think ‘show your working’ in a maths equation, but applied to a pupil’s learning journey. Accompanying this should be celebrations of pupils’ achievements, big and small. Marking those small wins will foster a positive, growth-orientated classroom atmosphere, while also bringing about a form of intrinsic motivation that’s hard to achieve, but plays a big role in educating the whole self. Build strong teacher- pupil relationships Taking the time to learn about your pupils’ individual needs, interests and strengths can produce strong and trusting relationships that will thrive within a supportive learning environment. Awillingness and ability to model positive behaviour in your interactions with pupils will demonstrate to them your genuine care for their wellbeing, and further contribute to the creation of an environment where learners feel safe in expressing themselves. This can also help you navigate and manage the fear some pupils can have of appearing wrong in front of their classmates, and prevent them from opting to disengage so as to avoid humiliation. If they can feel safe in their incorrectness, yet supported in their willingness to try regardless, then a willingness to learn through uncertainty will surely follow. Incorporate mindfulness practices Engaging with widely used mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or guided imagery, could provide pupils with a valuable form of support and help themmanage their stress levels. Mindfulness activities can potentially take place during natural transition periods within lessons, thus avoiding any impacts on learning time. For example, when a resource is being handed out to the class (think books or worksheets), use that that time to practise box breathing (see panel) to help get the class more focused. When transitioning from group to individual work, you could deploy a music cue to trigger a change of work tone, or a movement break, to help pupils re-energise and refocus. Get creative Interdisciplinary approaches to learning present opportunities for connecting across subjects, which can in turn create space for self-expression and critical thinking beyond the curriculum– fusing, say, elements of history and art together, or combining science and drama. By utilising holistic approaches to teaching, you’ll be able to build an environment that’s more impactful for the learning experience. If educators are willing and able to look beyond their immediate curriculum demands and engage with such practices, then there’s a high likelihood that pupils’ motivation levels will increase, accompanied by boosts in their persistence, resilience and eventually, overall performance. Your classroom environment will have become a more engaging and positive space in which to spend time, making pupils more inclined to return to that place lesson after lesson. 57 teachwire.net/secondary P E D A G O G Y