Staff Development - 15 May
Clifton staff were most fortunate to have had a team from Bella Vista school in Johannesburg deliver an inspiring, fulfilling staff development session on Wednesday 15 May. With broad experience in education, psychology, and occupational therapy, the overarching theme was towards making Clifton a ‘safe harbour’ for its children and the broader community. The intention is to ensure greater collaboration between teachers and parents going forward, with a focus on supporting, developing, and growing our children still further.
There were 2 main facets evident in the presentations:
The role of metacognition in a Safe Harbour School, incorporating Structural Cognitive Modifiability. It was here that we were introduced to Cognitive Enrichment Advantage (CEA) and the thinking of Reuven Feuerstein. The Feuerstein Method posits that all humans are able to learn, irrespective of age, ability, ethnicity or IQ ratings, with an “If you believe you can achieve” mindset. CEA is a relationship-driven approach, and one which involves parents, children and teachers working collaboratively. It focuses on creating building blocks and approaching learning with a desire to explore and plan, identifying of problems, goal orientation and making meaning to consolidate the process.
Supporting children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) in the school environment was fascinating. This delved into the defining of ASD, the characteristics of ASD, and outlining considerations given when working with children with ASD. The focus was entirely on supporting and understanding the child with ASD, as well as how to best support them during the school day and on the sports field. We were provided with tools to support the ASD child in physical activity, relaxation and socially, as well as being given invaluable input into classroom and playtime considerations.
We look forward to the second part of the process in July. As a follow-on, we are very excited to share our learning with you in upcoming ‘coffee and cognition’ chats to share our learning with you and to grow our partnership still further.
