Classroom management for a flexible learning environment
Classroom Management for a flexible learning environment
with Carol Allen & Richard Hirstwood
3 February: 9 am – 12 noon
Every learner needs sensory stimulation, which can be incredibly engaging and effective if it is personalised for them.
But is your classroom environment responsive enough to meet various sensory needs? Does your classroom support you in implementing a sensory approach to teaching and learning?
This course will consider the critical elements of a sensory classroom and how you can improve the range of sensory opportunities for your learners.
9.00 am Admissions and virtual tea/coffee to start the session
9.05 am Welcome & introduction: Warm-up session
9.15 am Session 1 The key elements of a sensory classroom: light and sound – furniture & flexibility
Richard will consider the impact, both positive and negative, of getting the lighting and sound in your classroom correct.
Carol will discuss the advantages of flexible furniture arrangements and how this can influence communication, teaching and learning.
10 am Follow-up: Chat/Breakout Task
10.15 am Session 2: The key elements of a sensory classroom: powerful displays.
This session will look at a variety of display ideas and consider their impact on teaching and learning. This may include: interactive displays, projected displays, tactile displays, personal displays and information carrying displays.
10.45 am COFFEE BREAK and mini online learning course
11.10 am Session 3: Available Appropriate and Accessible
Introducing the ‘AAA’ principles of a multi sensory room: availability, appropriateness and achievability! Your multi sensory tools and equipment need to be available when you need them – and to work first time. How can your multi sensory room suit all of the learning needs of the learners who use it?
11.25 am Session 4: Storage
Following on from the last session, we look at a variety of ways to ensure your resources are available and fit to use, exactly when you need them!
11.35 am Session 5: Quick fire: ideas ideas ideas!
Richard and Carol will co-present this lively session where lots of ideas, resources and links are quickly presented to the group. As always, the focus will be practical and easy to replicate ideas so that you can put new things into your own work situation with relative ease.
11.50 am Q & A session
12 noon Plenary, thank you and end of session!
This will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, who are working with pupils with complex learning needs and/or autism.
The following resources will be available in your account for one week after the course date: a digital recording of this event, any resources shared/signposted during the session and a transcript of Zoom chat.
Each place costs £75 plus VAT
Each place costs £60 plus VAT (£72 in total.)
You can choose to pay by credit card for this booking. You can also request an invoice by confirming your booking by entering a Purchase Order Number on the booking form.
‘It has been one of the best courses I have attended recently! Loved the enthusiasm’
‘It was very informative and has given me lots of further avenues to explore.’
‘The trainers are able to engage the listeners in an amusing way. Questions were answered promptly and links or resources are shared immediately.’
‘Practical ideas and a renewed understanding of sensory differences’
‘Learning about creating the learning environment and expanding use of sensory resources’
Richard Hirstwood is passionate about enabling educators/practitioners to maximise the impact of delivering sensory learning opportunities, in a sensory room or other learning environments, with the available resources. His extensive experience is based on practical knowledge, giving him insight into what works and what doesn’t in multi sensory practice. Regular sessions with children and adults with autism and all additional needs in a variety of multi sensory and classroom settings enable him to maintain this excellent practice.
Carol Allen is an education advisor for ICT and Inclusion, currently offering specialised support to Local Authorities, schools, parents and carers and a wide range of educators worldwide. She has taught since 1980 in both mainstream schools – primary and high, and schools for students with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties. As an English specialist, she recognises that communication lies at the heart of all effective teaching. Accordingly, most of her work has centred on technology’s creative and engaging use to support communication in its broadest sense.
