Nearly three weeks in Skolen ved Stadion...

We - Lilla and me - spent our practise in Skolen ved Stadion - the same school, where we already had practise before. Most of the time we were with the same class, than before. There are 8 boys in the class - in the age of 10-11- and all of them suffer ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. They have two teachers: Deby and Lars.
I have already written about system of this school and the daily routine of children in this class, so I'm going write only those things, which were new for me or I got more information about what I have already known before.

Events of the 3 weeks:

The day usually starts with the morning sing for all of the pupils in the great hall. Then continued by 'runden' (round) in the classroom, when children are riported about what happened with them since the day before. For these children the frames, rutines are very important, because they feel themselves secured in this way. After this the day countinues by F.U.T., which is the combination of running and repeat the spelling of certain words. They have to run round and round in the school yard and Deby asks for a word of pupil by pupil in every round. It takes about 10 minutes and they usually take 4-5 rounds in the yard. For these children is really difficult to be calm and focusing only one thing, so it's a very good way to make them work.

The next lesson is usually Danish, where they can pick up any book from the library and they have to read in their own (with Lars) in the silence room and after that they have to read one by on to Deby. They also have to work in workbooks, which are different depending the each level - 1- 4 grades - what they have.

They have quite long - 30 minutes - break twice a day, because they need more physical activity than the other children. They can become agressive easily and sometimes there are some conflicts between them. That is the reason - when the break finishes - they usually have to wait outside - at the entrance of the building - an then the teachers can question them what happened. They usually tell the children there, what will be the next task. There are some "do it again-rules", for instance: if they still shout after entering the building, they have to go out and come back again.

They started a sort of "project" weeks ago, so they continued this during the weeks, when we were there. They were divided in groups and each groups had to choose a country and find out as more as they could about it. They had to use computers to this task and find these general information about the choosen county: language, capital, president, valuta, history, military...etc. It was really hard for them to work in pairs and to focus only the information above, so they were really slow and they haven't finished it yet.

Their favourite subject is gymnastics. One of the week (it's only once a week) they played basketball. Normally they have difficulties to understand the rules of the game and playing against each other in fair way, so they needed some warming-up excersises:

• Playing basketball alone - They bounced the ball in their owns.
• Working in groups: throwing the ball to each other and then changing pairs.
• Working in two groups: they were diveded to 2 groups - 3 and 3 - and they had to play underneath each backboards. They had to stand in a triangle and pass the ball to each other and the person from the middle had to throw the ball into the basket. Then they changed the position (The game was going around.)
• After all of these excersises above they had a "real"game together.
  

The basketball finished by the "carrot-game": children had to hold each other arms tightly and Deby tried to pull out them one by one from the "bunch".
Finally they finished by lying on a rug and and listening classical music. The latter is very hard for them to staying in one place without moving and with shouted eyes.

In the other week they practised for a championship, which is for special schools. We went out with them to the football ground. They had to run, jump into the sand and play (a sort of) baseball. They were spread on the ground and they had to pass tennis balls to Lars, who tried to hit them back.

In every week they go to the swimming pool, which is close to the school. Lars teaches them to swim and Deby stays outside to gives instructions from them. It usually takes half an hour and at the and there are five minutes to play, what they want. This activity is very good for them to make them tired.

Before Easter they prepared some handcrafts: cards, stickers to the window wiht a special paint,...etc. They needed lots of help from both of the teachers and us as well, because it is difficult for them to concentrate to the task, being precise.

One of the Art lesson they went outside to draw the buildings of the school from different angles. They had to spread in the school yard and draw, what instruction was given. They were on their owns, but Debby and Lars kept go around to help them and we also encouraged them. One of them it was told to start a new one, because he finished that too early. He was nearly cried...According to this most of them have a good sense to draw. It was really suprising for us, because to draw something you have to be patient and have a "good sight" to see the tiny details.

One day 5 out of 8 didn't do their homework. If this happens teachers have to report the parents in the message books.

In every year teachers testing the developement of children in Danish and Math. We just saw the testbooks of Danish. There were 4 different levels - 1-4 grades -, because the knowledge of these pupils in different levels as well. Therefore there are 4 different kinds of testbooks:

• In the first grade one: there are one word and four different pictures in one row. Pupils have to find the appropriate picture, which matches with the word.
• Second grade is nearly the same, but more difficult words.
• Third grade is the same structure, but with short sentences instead of words.
• Fourth grade is the same like above, but with more difficult sentences.

The results were satisfying: one of them could manage the most difficult one and the first grade one became too easy for them. These tests only for measure their knowledge, but a new law came out and from next year the special schools will also participate in National Test.

Whenever a child enroll to the institute, teachers have to do a statement about each of the children and they have to update it in every half year (December, June). This statement contains:
1. Some personal information about children: name, personal number, which social service the child belongs to, when he/she started the school, name of the parents, who made the statement? when?...etc.
2. Absolutions: all of the national tests, gradings, exams
(Whenever a child absolve of a subject, gradings...etc., it has to be reported to the principal the social authority and they send the document forward to the Department of Education. Then they check the reasons and they approve or disapprove it. So it's a long process...)
3. Teaching: how the child copes with it from the beginning
4. Personal characteristics: generally: does the child has a normal height, weight, comparing with the age of him/her; what the pupil able to do?: e.g. express feelings...etc. (present); goals for the future with the student
5. Social functions (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.)
6. Physics (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.)
7. Communication, ability to communicate (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.)
8. Danish (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
9. Math (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
10. Gym (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
11. Functions in practical a musical subjects (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
12. Extra subjects (in the same dimensions, like in number 4.) + used materials
13. Other important information: e.g.: general knowledge is very limited, lack of realistic thinking about world, telling lies...etc.
14. Conclusion: summary of the whole statement

In the great hall the "Ergo therapy" takes place in every Tuesday. It's for an other class - 1-2. grade - with the same disorder. This therapy help them to cordinate their movings (legs, arms, eyes...etc.). First there are some warming-up excercises (during that the music is on), then they get drawing boards and papers. First the therapist draws to the blackboard, and then they have to repeat the same movements and put everything to the paper and it continues deatails by details until the drawing being completed.


On the third week we spent 2 days in one of the class of the oldest pupils with ADHD as well. There are 6 boys in the class with two teachers. They also come from a hard social and family bacground. It was a nice experince to be there. We could manage to communicate them in English. (It was nearly impossible in the lower class, because they can understand only Danish.)
They have nearly the same routine then the younger ones, but they don't need to participate in morning sing (they're too old for this); they have 'Dugens' instead. Dugens is about the teacher ask funny and strange questions from a book, and pupils have to find out what is the explanation of them.

We had English with them: we played 'Simon says'-game, which is about: one of the pupils has to sit front of the others - he is 'Simon', who gives instructions for the others. But the only case when it's allowed to change the position, when the person, who gives the instruction add these words to it: 'Simon says turn around'. So if the instruction is "turn around", it is not allowed to move. Pupils easily get confused, because after a while everything comes automaticly and they change the position without the words - 'Simon says...' as well. If it happens that person(s) fall(s) out from the game.
It is a good game to make them concentrate and practise English as well (the instructions are in English).

Even they are 14 years old, some of them have only 1-2. grade level in Danish. So they use different kind of books, workbooks as well. This is the reason they are separated in to groups: the weakers with one teacher, and the better ones with an other teacher, in different rooms.
One of the pupils have to go back a lower class from next semester, because he backwards from his classmates in all of the subjects and mentally as well.

Before the breakfast there is a 15 minutes "computer-break", when they can play with selected games. After 10 minutes the teacher needs to count back in every to minutes, otherwise if she would interrupted them without gradation, they would became very agressive.

When we said goodbye they huged us and they seemed to be disappointed to leaving them.
It was the same with Deby& Lars class. When Debby said them we won't come back anymore, all of them said: 'no'. It was hard for us as well. It's always the same with practises: by the time you get use to everything and children start to trust in you, you have to leave..

Visit to the Skolen ved Stadion

Today we – Lilla and me – visited a school – it called Skolen ved Stadion – where handicapped children study. I’m using this expression – handicapped – generally: it means children with learning difficulties, early stage demage, alcohol syndrome (teratogen), down syndrome, autism, disability, hyperactivity (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD) , super-hyperactivity. Some of the children have different problems in the same time, for instance : physiological disorder – eg. hyperactivity - and other disease – eg. down syndrome or disability and down syndrome...etc.

We went a class, where mostly hyperactiv children - boys - are, between the age of 10-11. The sooner they get to this special institute the easier to cope with them.
The daily rutine is quite important in this institute, mainly for autistic children, because they just can’t exist without it. But it is also important for all of the children here, because it gives a „frame”, a secure atmosphere for them.
The different groups, classes live separately in the institute, depending the age, the problem and the standard what they have. The avarage number of kids in each class is 6 and usually 2 teachers look after them. (It is little bit different in the groups where disapbled children are, because there more, teachers, helpers needed.)
In the morning we started in teacher’s room; there was a meeting with the headmaster and we also was introduced to the teachers, pedagogs and helpers. After that we went to the the „great hall”, where usually the morning singing take place. The headmaster projected the text of two songs to the wall, one of the teacher played at guitar and all of the children, teachers, pedagogs, helpers were singing. One song was an old Danish song, one is the „alphabet” song and the last one was a „welcome” song for us, what the children knew by heart. We had to go to the „stage”, next to the headmaster and the children just were singig. It really impressed me, and it was touching.
Then every groups went their own classroom, and the work has started. In this building, where the hyperactiv children are, the doors of each classrooms have to leave opened, because it makes the children being in silent. This is the way they can show to respect the other groups. There are 8 children suffering in ADHD.
At the beginning one of the teacher – Debby – collected the mobile phones from those children, who couldn’t behave yourselves during the singing and she also had a word with them. It is a kind of punishment.
The work was started with a sort of „recitation” about the name of the months, order of the month (numbers), how the months belong to the seasons. It was hard for them to put all these things together. The children can decide to join to the class and work together or not so. There is an other place, which called: silent room. In this place every children have an own table, chair, notice board…etc. separeted by panels. There is not allowed to speak: if somebody has a question, he needs to stick a little green card to the side of the panel and from this sign the teacher knows somebody has a problem. Children can put their favorite posters, draws onto the notice board, but it is a privilege; if someone can’t behave all stuff from the board being removed. All of children have an individual „note” from the teacher on their boards, such as: „Be yourself. Please do not act.”, „Please do not speak so loud and fast.” It works like a „motto”; when they look up, they can see it all the time.
So this boy has to study here and when he feels better, he can join to the class again.
Each boy has a different rules, what they need to learn.
They also study 6 new Danish word each they, but they also need to repeat the words what they learnt before by word games.
After this lesson they had gymnastics with the other teacher – Lars - , but with Debby assistance. They started with warm-up exercises; one of the guys showed the exercises to the others and after the it has changed. Then they get back to the „starting-point”, the middle of the grounds to discuss the rules of the special ballgame, what was the next task. The two groups had to play against each other and placing the ball with special sticks – soft material in the end – to the goals. During the game they can learn how can they interact and cope with each other. The game also helps to rid of the lots of energy and stress they have. They finished by relaxation; they had to lye ont he ground with closed eyes, without any movements. Lars said this is the hardest part of the activity for these children.
Afterwards they had their breakfast. In this time is not allowed to speak; a little red card usually placed onto the board; after a while the teacher is take it off and a little conversation is allowed from that time.Then they have a break outside, where you can play under the contol of teachers. Most of the groups have breaktime in different time to ignore conflicts between children.
After the breaktime they were watching a cartoon in the theatre room with an another group. The teacher, who after 3-4 minutes stopped the movie, tried to make them understand what’s happening. They watched the cartoon in small parts and they had to summarise what happened the last few minutes. This method also make them focus on one thing.
During this time Lars showed us the whole school, introduced us in the different classes, and explained the methods what they have as well. We visited the cookery school, handcraft activity, technique room, library and all of the other buildings. We have been in other classes, where hyperative children are and we also visited that buildings, where the autistic children are. First we went two extremely autistic children, who are separated from the others by a separated building and playground. Each child has an own teacher. One of the children had her lunch, when we arrived and the other one was watching a cartoon in a separate room. Both of the children became nervous within few seconds, because they noticed something is different, which means danger for them.
Then we visited the other authistic groups, where the silence is one of the most important thing and the other: to keep the daily routine. Small pictograms show what is the schedule for the day, and when one activity is over, one pictogram is taken off. They have group activites to make them „social”. Each child has his/her own colour. This colour – sticker - has to be on his/her chair, on that part of the round table, which belongs him/her, the side of the panel, where each child studies. Those children’s photoes, who are missing have to be placed onto the board, otherwise their classmates would completely forget about them. Most of the authistic children really smart, but they uncapable to use this knowledge.
We also have seen two physiotherapists, who worked with authistic children that time.
After that we visited the group of children with learning difficulties. When we arrived they were painting apples. Before they started to paint them, they tasted and smelt them.
Children with disabilities are the same building, so we went there next. They try to learn to cope with the everyday life, such as using toilet, washing hand, eating with fork and knife, clearing away (table), sweeping the floor…etc. Each child has his/her own tasks and it changes day by day.
After we visited all of the buildings, we get back „our” class. They had already finished watching the cartoon, and they had 15 minutes reading. Lars tries to challenge them all the time. They have an agreement: the members of the class – added together - has to read more pages, than Larsen. Otherwise – if Lars wins – the children have to learn a coreography and dance front of the whole school. They don’t want this latter, that’s way they read a lot, so it works!
Then they had lunch and long(er) break outside – again.
Finally they had a Danish lesson, where they had to read again. Everyone has to read two pages and the teacher write an estimation into the report book. They don’t have grades; this book helps to keep contact with families to report what’s going on in the school during the day, if they have problems with children, if the child forget to bring something…etc.
They don’t have any structure, curriculum; because it could be difficult for these children. But if something goes wrong – e.g. they don’t behave themselves - , they have to learn only math, Danish, and they can’t go for swimming, gymnesium, playing outside – so all of those „subjects”, which fun for them.
One of the theachers – from the other class – showed which games the children usually like to play – special puzzles, LEGO,…etc. He also took out a box full of with fossils from the cupboard to show what he collected with children from seaside. There are lots of them on the shore, but it is hard to find them, so this „exercise” also makes them concentrated.

I was very suprised, when the same teacher told us most of the children have a medication; mostly Ritalin, which is a prescribed phsychostimulant. It is a kind of downer, which makes the child calmer, but it is a drug int he same time! Although it is „only” supplemental treatment - methods are also important - , but I just simply can’t imagine how children manage to learn, when a strong drug effects their bodies. It is hard to separate the staidness of children is the result of the methods or the medication.

The school finishes at 2 o’clock. The smaller children stay in „afterschool”, the older one can go home on their own or special minibuses take them home.
All in all it really seemed to me all of teachers do they best, make a very much effort in their job and they love to work with these children.

Visit to the Favrfritten

On 5th of February Lilla and me visited to Favrfritten, which is an afterschool for children the age of 6-10. Even it's an afterschool and not a "normal" one, I could see the differences immediately:

• the physical condition of the school: the place is really commodious and diveded to 4 bigger places by the arrangements of furniture -there are lots of little corners for different activities
• there are 8-10 teachers/pedagogs for 83 children and this fact make the atmosphere more personal
• teachers let the pupils to do all kind of activites:

1. cooking/baking
2. making handcrafts
3. playing with: games, dolls, playstation (but limitation in the last one: only 30 minutes/day : )...etc.
   
4. making drawings
5. dance...etc.

• pupils concentrated, focused on the activity and all of them participated in one activity - at least.
• pupils followed the teacher's instruction, I haven't seen any conflicts between them
  
• freedom of pupils: they could decide in choosing an activity and they also could go outside without any supervision
• emphasising the importance of teaching/learning cooking
• at 3pm the majority of children left already; just a few of them stayed until 4pm, when the afterschool usually closes (in Hungary the afterschools close around 6pm)

We played snooker with children and we used our body language to understand each other.
We realised those children who are immigrants could understand English and they already known a couple of words, expressions.
Even pupils have their own lunch boxes, they also eat what they cook/bake.

We also have afterschool in our country, but each classes stays their own rooms, they're not contracted. In Hungary afterschool is about:

• have a break after 'normal' school, which is about 1,5 hours (pupils most of the time go outside)
• in rest of the time do the homework, which checked by the teacher
• there are not too many choices in activities

Even this was only an afterschool, what we visited, the differences between the two educational systems are conspicuous...

(The picture above from Lilla.)