Changing roles of special education teachers in nsw public Schools

Direct support in the classroom

Consultations in the classroom range from first-hand advice to teachers and teacher aides on setting learning goals to behaviour management. The diversity of individual needs is such that there is no single strategy to improve learning outcomes: each approach is highly individualised.

There are many small and constant pressures that make the everyday tasks for teachers and aides highly demanding. The ability of the class teacher and teacher aide to effectively manage behavioural issues is high on the list of challenges and the experience of the case study schools illustrates the point: the nature of each crisis for the individual student is unpredictable and therefore difficult to plan or prepare for. These random events cause high stress levels in the classroom and what schools, parents and teachers valued most is the direct support of a person with expertise and understanding precisely at the time they needed it.

The consultant supporting the case study schools estimated that almost half of the time is spent on showing teachers and teacher aides how to respond to specific outbursts, and providing them with optional strategies and potential approaches to managing them over time. This work is highly valued by the schools and provides a major contribution towards the teachers managing challenging situations that emerge as the student develops and new approaches are needed.

A range of support resources are provided by DSV, such as books and classroom activity guides, for teachers, teacher aides and parents alike. However, personal contact with DSV consultants is regarded as the most highly valued resource of all, particularly timely advice in a crisis situation tailored to suit the specific needs of the individual student.