How spending so much time out of an education setting can have a devastating impact on a young person

Hello everyone! How are we in September already?! I feel like this year is coming & going too fast.

Anyway, I have began a new job on Monday (1st of September) in a nearby college, and as the above title states, I want to share something very important that I have seen for myself whilst I was working there. This is all in the hope that other people reading this will find this post as insightful as it was for me having to witness it. Plus, this will give me something to do whilst I'm off work ill today as well.

On my 1st day working at a nearby college, I was working in a class where there was a boy who would not come into class, and had spent the whole day standing outside. This was all because he had been out of education for a WHOLE year. With that said, just spending 1 whole day in an education setting was enough for him to be overwhelmed, as he has unfortunately been so used to not being in one for this long. 

Now, you'll be asking yourself: "Why was this boy out of education for an entire year?" The answer was (according to my colleague) the school was having problems with him, so they couldn't cope with him anymore. This, in my eyes, is nothing other than totally unacceptable for any young person. Let alone for anyone who has special educational needs, like this boy does.

There is proven evidence that being out of any educational setting for a prolonged period of time can have a really devastating impact on young people, as they fills their head with so much uncertainty, and not having any learning in an actual learning environment makes young people feel anxious, because they will be behind everyone else, regardless whether they are neurotypical & non-neurotypical people.

Although it is valid there are loads of educational settings that are struggling to accommodate SEN kids due to a sky high new cases for ASD, ADHD or any other condition, it is NOT valid for young people with SEN to be out of education just because the education system cannot find a way to cater for their needs. This is why so many SEN kids are falling behand in life due to a lack of education. I know things are getting done to improve the statistics, but this simply cannot continue for the foreseeable...

Luckily, Challengers (the part-time organisation I work for) have 2 specialist settings in Guildford & Farnham that run during the weekday where they support people from the ages of 2 - 18 who are currently out of education. Although they are not education settings in any shape or form, they do, however, provide these young people with activities that will become really beneficial for their social & emotional development. They know what it's like when a young person with SEN feels insecure by having their education placement broken down, as well as knowing the ripple effects it has on their families.

To gain a more visualised insight, I have attached a video:

Tips on how to form a good working relationship with SEMH students

Hello everyone! Hope you're all doing good.

As the above title states, I thought I'd share some useful tips on how to form a good working relationship with SEMH students. This is especially handy for anyone who is looking into going into this industry. Not to mention that the benefits that come out of this feel immensely rewarding too!

However, I must warn you that the process of forming a good relationship with SEMH students can come with a fair share of emotional obstacles along the way... As I have experienced...

DO:

• Be polite by saying "morning" to them - Even if you see the students walking around who you barely know, it's always good to greet them warmly first thing in school. Especially how it can really secretly brighten up their mood, as they may not be warmly spoken to in that manner at home.

• Try to start a friendly conversation with them - Again, if you come across a student you barely interact with, at least pluck up the courage to begin a friendly conversation with them, such as: "How are you doing today X?" Although a majority of the students (especially the ones I didn't interact with much) will tell you to go away at times, at least they will eventually see in time that you are trying to make an effort to get to know them a bit more.

• Be firm with boundaries & behaviour - I know this will be nerve-racking, but you need to be very consistent with verbally telling students about the inappropriate behaviour they are displaying, as well as to firmly inform them of the consequences should they choose to continue with their inappropriate behaviour. Believe me, they will be thanking you inside their heads later, as SEMH kids crave on a sense of security.

DON'T:

• Keep on changing their routine during their school day - If there is 1 thing that SEMH kids HATE the most, it's definitely change. Every structured routine in their school day must be kept the same where possible, as sudden last second changes can REALLY cause SEMH kids to have some serious dysregulations! Trust me, witnessing a SEMH pupil dysregulated is not the prettiest thing to experience.

• Expect or make them do paperwork for the whole lesson - I know this may sound weird to some people, as you'd typically expect any pupil to get on with doing paperwork for an entire lesson, but with SEMH pupils, that is a different story, and this can cause them to feel tired & overwhelmed, as being in a classroom for too long can stress them out due to carrying an excessive amount of energy then other kids from non SEMH school settings. 

• Make them feel ashamed of their needs - Just because your purpose is to discipline SEMH pupils when they display inappropriate behaviour, doesn't give you the excuse to blame their needs for who they are as a person. The only thing this will do, is cause SEMH kids to have their confidence crushed, as they cannot change who they are inside.

I hope these tips will come into use for anyone who is looking into working in a SEMH environment. Especially having first-hand experience & knowledge. 

*I began this post on the 7/7, but didn't finish it until the 14/7*

How having an interest makes you more confident

Hello everyone! Hope you're all having a good day so far.

I've also just realised as I'm typing this post... We're at the halfway point of 2025 already! It's just flown by so quick!😱

Anyway, I've decided to make this blogpost based on something else that I have experienced during my time working at the SEMH school. Every single kid at that school had at least 1 or 2 special interests that made them more confident at being who they are, and how they are not afraid to show that confident & bright side of their personality to others.

Obviously, I will not be naming any names of the pupils that I have witnessed tell or showcased their special interests to me to protect their identity, but the least I can do is be specific about going into their special interests in detail on here.

There was a boy in my Y11 class, who was very fascinated into art. There was even a large, suitcase size art portfolio where all of his artwork is stashed. Every piece of artwork was inspired by the artists that he had learned about. I've seen for myself how more confident he becomes in himself, as he appreciates how much I say how his artwork is very inspirational, and how it gives him a sense of pride; To make him want to do so well in life.

There was another boy in my Y11 class, who has very in-dept knowledge of theme parks & rollercoasters. He can tell me every single fact & trivia about any rollercoaster from across the world! Again, the more I let him share his wide knowledge of theme parks & rollercoasters, the more confident he feels interacting in class, as this gives him a sense of pride.

In some cases, these interests CAN lead to you gaining a job/career in those industries, because there is a certain saying that goes along the lines of: "Choose a job you love, then you'll never have to work a day in your life." Meaning, you thrive so much with doing something you're wholeheartedly interested in, that it takes away the worry of having to apply to any job just for the sake of HAVING to work somewhere, or to show everyone you do actually work to people please them.

I hope this post was helpful to anyone who can relate as well. 

I do plan on making more blog posts next month, as I'll have some days free where I've got nothing else "out of work related" planned.

A little something for #WorldTeachersDay

Hello everyone, I know I'm a bit late on this, but I felt like I wanted to share my say on World Teachers Day. 

What is my reason for this? This is because I happen to have a passion for education, and I personally feel like everybody has a right to be educated, regardless of who they are & what they are. Moreover to this point, education gives people opportunities to thrive & become successful in the real world.

This is why I want to provide an insight to what it means to be a teacher. Just to be clear, I am not an actual qualified teacher myself, but I do consider to obtain some teacher-like qualities.

World Teachers Day is purposely aimed at teachers all over the world. They work tirelessly hard to the best of their ability to provide education to anyone anywhere in the world. Asides from providing people with education, teachers will happily go out of their way to ensure that a person is well & happy. After all, a well & happy mindset is a healthy combination to the road of success. Well, in terms of success in education anyway.

With all of that said, teachers all over the world should be applauded for all of their dedication to provide education of all kinds. Some of which do not necessarily have to be in a school, college or university environment, as there are also TV programmes that have teaching in them. For example, Abandoned Engineering, as this programme contains history about old buildings that never got finished.

Imagine a world without any education, let alone any teachers; The world would be at a stand still. And quite literally, because if you think about it, no one would have any knowledge to get things done in the world to keep things moving.

Why going to an education setting with so much opportunities can make a person thrive in life

Evening all! Hope you're all enjoying your week so far, whatever you're doing. I'm just trying to keep myself as busy as possible with my extra credit & any upcoming work I have with Disability Challengers.

As the title states, I am going to be discussing why an opportunity-filled education setting can really do people with gifted mindsets the world of good. What I mean by this, is how academic people want to be able to excel, as well as show off their learning ability in an education setting like no other.

And I will be using Epsom College for my chosen example.

Why did I choose Epsom College as my example?

I chose Epsom College, because it has so many learning opportunities like no other place does. Well, that's my opinion anyway. In comparison to other education settings, I see that this one has every single opportunity in stock, whereas other places don't. (Not trying to cause offence here)

What really helps support my option, is that I have watched the virtual tour on YouTube. The video consists of 2 students giving you the tour of the place, as well as talking about what their educational life is like for them there. Here's the video in case if you're interested to see for yourself: 

How does Epsom College cater for the needs of the gifted?

For starters, Epsom College considers the fact that there are (and still will be) people out there who want to wish to be well educated. Not just to be educated, but to be educated to the very best of standards. 

This is done in such a way, because the students who attend there, have an inquisite mindset by wanting to develop their interest in something in every single approachable way possible. It's as if their mindsets are constantly barking at them to be able to learn every bit about what their interested in that will help them what they want to do in the future.

Is there any evidence that those students do well in life after Epsom College?

Yes there is! According to the website, there is evidence that shows the support students get while applying to universities across the UK & abroad. Evidence in the website also include careers talk, discussions of their academic ability & seeking work experience. 

Conclusion:

Not every educational setting has to be made out as a stereotypical "Normal place of learning." Primarily because this particular education setting just happens to stand out more than the rest. As a matter if fact, non-typical education settings seem to achieve more praise due to how well they stand out.