Presentation 5
Mark Le Messurier, New Year 2019, educator workshop 5 of 12 (3 hours)
Strategic ideas to grow productive organisational habits in young people
An optimistic collection of activities and conversations that support the emergence of organisational habits.
Once upon a time, it was usual for teachers to turn a blind eye to a student's organisational problem, to blame them, to have a go at them, or blame their family's chaos. No one expected a teacher, a school or a system to take any strategic responsibility to develop a student's organisational capabilities. Today, there is a clear expectation on educators to play a very strategic role to build these capacities of young people in our care.
Why do we now address this? Today we recognise 'executive dysfunction' and know it becomes more apparent as children move into middle primary. It is estimated it runs as high as 50% on a sliding scale of severity. It mostly appears in students with the classic diagnostic labels of ADD, ADHD, ASD, APD, Learning Difficulties and so on, but can be present in young people who do not have any kind of diagnosis. And, yes! It often runs in families. At the conclusion of this session you will be able to identify the students, you work with likely to have 'executive functioning difficulties,' and a clear plan about how to better support them.
What follows is a collection of strategic organisational ideas to build new thinking and new habits in the young people we teach and coach. They'll provide you with a thought-provoking start for all students. I've grouped these interventions into 5 broad categories.
- Designs to enhance classroom structures and procedures
- Easing physical restlessness
- Help for concentration and impulsivity
- Ideas to keep belongings and commitments together
- Compensating for time and planning blindness
Keep in mind, these support ALL students, because they are proactive, structured and consistent teaching practices.
Educator workshops are intended for staff working in schools, for clinicians such as counsellors, psychologists, OT's, speech pathologists, social workers and youth workers working in private practice and for parents running home school. To arrange a workshop at a time that suits your staff, simply contact Mark:
Mark Le Messurier
Phone (08) 83320698,
email mark@marklemessurier.com.au
