Be CURIOUS

Mindset

Ask yourself……

Is your classroom an inclusive environment?

An inclusive culture is driven by:

·         values and a sense of belonging – by underpinning the above values throughout the school, students with disability will feel more comfortable participating

·         beliefs and behaviours of the school community – as the community becomes more open-minded about students with disability, long held beliefs and behaviours which may have held those students back can be broken down

·         systems and processes – revisiting school systems and processes to ensure that they serve all students, including students with disability, can lead to further participation

·         universal design – designing the environment on a physical, educational, and emotional level to support the participation of all students, including those with disability. Using positive language can also help to build an inclusive culture.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) have established a set of values to guide the development of inclusive school cultures. We will be considering these values and principles across 2025 to identify how these ‘fit’ with our HEATHOS framework.

Do you show Unconditional Positive Regard?

There is evidence to suggest that Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR) not only supports students’ healing and learning at school, but also leads to enhanced teacher wellbeing.

So what is Unconditional Positive Regard?

It was originally developed by psychologist Carl Rogers in the 1950s as a humanist approach to clinical therapy. UPR therapists need to be warm and accepting even when the client has done or said something questionable. By accepting the client just as they are, the therapist helps the client accept themselves – a central element of healing and growth.

Since its formation, UPR has been an essential component of psychology and social work courses. Yet it was only in the last decade that UPR has been introduced into teacher education as an ingredient of working with growing and developing young people.

Conduct

How does the physical space of the classroom impact on learning and behaviour?  

Understanding how different physical conditions (e.g., temperature, seating layouts, noise) influence your students' behaviour allows you to limit off-task behaviour before it occurs. Look to change and manipulate the physical learning environment if needed (e.g., seating plans, different learning spaces within the classroom).

Why do students exhibit off task behaviour?

If a student is consistently engaging in off-task behaviour, look to deal with the motivation or the function of the behaviour rather than just the surface action itself. By understanding the function of behaviour, teachers can develop targeted interventions that educate students on more suitable ways to behave. This may involve moving along a continuum of co-regulation to self-regulation.

Language

What do others think? Seek and respond to feedback from others

Improvement requires critical and accurate feedback. People will feel more connected when they believe that their opinions, thoughts and feelings matter. All members of our community need to feel that they have a voice that is valued.