Maynooth was again the location for our annual conference and agm. There was as usual a great turnout from right across the country in Callan Hall. Building on our tenth anniversary conference we choose our theme to explore how the issues raised there were being progressed. 

Participants at Conference 2008

Positive Approaches to Low Level Disruption

In particular we were delighted to have Billy Redmond of the National Behaviour Support Service. It was our own Dr Maeve Martin who had authored the report – School Matters – that proposed such a service. Billy did a tour de force presentation and all of us were very well behaved as he explored the theme of Positive Behaviour Management and Low Level Disruption. He explored with us strategies to make class management positive looking at Tim O’Brien’s work around the ‘Battle Zone’ and ‘Learning Zone’. He also spent some time taking us through the work of Peter Hook and Andy Vaas on some core principles of positive interventions. The practical nature of the presentation was very well received.

The second session was led by psychologist and former teacher Shane Martin, director of moodwatchers.com – he worked through the theme of Managing the Stress: The Teacher and Discipline. He quoted Milton, ‘The mind is a powerful thing – it can make heaven out of hell, or hell out of heaven…’. He talked about what contributes to unhelpful stress and the consequences – affects judgement, health, discipline and it can breed more stress. In terms of stress he also talked about the greater importance of knowing what gets us stressed over what gets us out of a stressful situation – one is short term the other offers a more sustained outcome

Links with Northern Ireland – Pastoral Care Association

In the afternoon conference was informed by Luke Monahan, as National Coordinator, about developments in IAPCE over the last year and in particular the relationship with NAPCE Northern Ireland – more about this issue is covered elsewhere in the Newsletter. Following this overview Rosemary Briggs and Linda Heggarty of NAPCE Northern Ireland gave a presentation. Firstly Rosemary on the topic Problem Behaviours: Removing barriers to learning. Her presentation focused on very practical ways that schools can facilitate the taking of personal responsibility and looked at how schools policies in learning and behaviour can be significant resources to draw upon. It is captured in the phrase: ‘Schools can reduce low-level disruptive behaviour in a reasonably short time using simple strategies, if everyone uses them’. This presentation is on the iapce website – www.iapce.ie/presentation. Linda, who is a deputy principal of a large school in Lisburn took us through a very effective mentoring project in her school.

Tutors, Year Heads, Behaviour Committees, Pastoral Teams

The day ended with a session led by Luke Monahan who explored the roles of Class Tutor, Year Head, Pastoral and Behaviour Teams. His practical presentation looked at the importance of clarity of role with reasonable expectations of the core pastoral roles. He looked at team building and concrete strategies to address the common concerns of time, communication, role clarification, information, effective meetings, conflict management…His presentation is also on the IAPCE website. In addition a comprehensive handout pack was given to each participant giving further ideas and reading suggestions.

New Programme available to schools:
Positive Behaviour – Dealing with the Real Issues

A two to three hour facilitated session to assist staff review the present reality and crucially put in place an effectiveseries of responses in the areas of discipline, positive behaviour, dealing with challening students and situations. An approach to behaviour that actually deals with the specific issues of the reality is the only approach that will prove effective. More information in the IAPCE Programme section.