People I feel influenced by:

Claxton – recently read the Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind book and really felt that this described how I’m feeling about my class at the moment. I’m trying hard to analyse what they are doing, what they should be doing etc and didn’t listen to my ‘gut feeling’ or intuition that they needed something else, something more social to ease them into the day.

Bettleheim – read the psychology book The Awe of Enchantment and really was intrigued by his comments that children need to read and hear fairy tales often, that without this they will find it difficult to understand their own lives and thoughts. That fairy tales are so unambiguous (where everything else in their life is completely ambiguous) and they therefore need to learn through these experiences. Particularly important due to the story making project my class is taking part in.

Wallace – TASC always seems like a lot of hard work (!!!) but in the right context I’ve found it really useful. Planning some projects this term using TASC, particularly ICT and Science.

Mosley – Circle Time is really important, particularly when you have a class with lots of different social issues. I find the Jenny Mosley books really useful and full of practical ideas to use in the classroom.

MISA – Massage in schools was fantastic last year and I desperately need to start this with my current class – they need it SO MUCH, but there is part of me that is scared to start this at the moment. I’m going to get over this fear and start as I know that it will help them in their relationships with one another and also (hopefully) help me to live my values (I don’t feel as if I am at the moment.)

Maslow – The Hierarchy of Needs just makes sense to me. I look at the basic needs of a human and then the children I teach with particular difficulties and I can see where they are ‘missing’ an element. I try hard to try to help them ‘fill’ this but it can be difficult.