Rethinking Teaching and Learning to Impact Behaviour and Engagement | Jessica Lacey

In this episode, Senior Team Teach trainer and Director at JML Consultancy, Jessica Lacey, explains how rethinking our approach to teaching and learning can positively impact engagement and behaviour.

Jessica highlights the importance of getting to know students well, so that we know when and how to create tasks that are tailored to meet individual need. She also talks about the power of parallel play and how we can use children’s interests and curiosity as a starting point for building engagement, sparking joy, and minimising the likelihood of behaviour.

Jessica Lacey is a qualified teacher who has worked in mainstream and special schools, including a residential special school for pupils with SEMH. After completing a Masters in SEND, she returned to education as a deputy head in a maintained special school for pupils with severe communication and cognition needs. It was here that she trained as a Team Teach trainer and led both behaviour and curriculum across the school.

Jessica is a Senior Team Teach trainer and also runs a consultancy business, supporting settings to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

Jessica shares three tips during the episode:

• Start with the pupil when deciding on appropriate teaching and learning tasks.
• During teaching and learning tasks, pay close attention to children’s reactions and responses, to determine what is being communicated.
• Consider the ‘why’ of any learning activities, reflecting on their relevance and purpose.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.