Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools NVQ Level 3

STL18 Support pupilsâ learning activities

K13 The sorts of problems that might occur when supporting learning activities
and how to deal with these
. When I am supporting learning acitivities, there are a number of potential pro
blems, including:
Insufficient resources
A learning task usually requires resources, eg, pencils, paper, worksheets, math
s apparatus, paint pots, paint brushes etc... if there are not enough resources
for each child, the learning activity would be disrupted, as someone would have
to leave the room to collect more resources, which wastes valuable learning tim
e. A way of preventing this from occuring is by collecting enough resources to
go around. It is important also to check that equipment is safe and working an
d is not broken in any way and that I am aware of how to use it safely.
The learning environment
If children are working on an activity that requires a lot of space, eg paiting,
and there is not enough room for them to have access to the paint, they may qu
ickly lose their focus on the task, so it is essential that I ensure there is en
ough room for the and the equipment. One way of dealing with such problems is t
o have a special painting table for a group of children to use, whilst the other
children are doing a different activity and await their turn with the paints.
A lot of noise will be a distraction whether it is from other children in the ro
om, from some kind of outside disturbance such as grass cutting, or from a diffe
rent area of the school, eg, the corridor or small hall. I deal with these situ
ations by reminding the children to work as quietly as possible, and by shutting
windows and doors to minimise the disruption.
Pupilsâ ability to learn
If any children are not focused on the task due to poor behaviour, I intervene s
traight away, and I always praise good behaviour using team points, stickers, t
elling the class teacher how well they have done, in accordance with the school
behaviour policy. I deal with situations like this by encouraging the children
to ammend their behaviour, but if they do not I will inform the class teacher of
the situation as soon as possible.
Sometimes children with low self esteem may think that they are unable to comple
te the task and give up trying to do so. I deal with this by giving them lots
of encouragement and praise for trying . I would also adapt the explanation so
they understand.
I always encourage children to do their best. I am aware of how long children c
an concentrate on one task, which is the reason why the staff within schools ada
pt their planning to incorporate the different learning styles of children to k
eep their attention on the task.

I work with small groups who often have a range of abilities. I overcome this p
roblem by making sure that the activities have been differentiated for all abili
ties. When working with a mixed ability range of children I extend the activity
for children who finish first in order to keep them on task.