If you’re reading this blog you are already on the right track to becoming a great SEN teacher, after all the desire to be great for your students is the first step.

Teaching in an SEN school can be difficult as each child is unique and teaching techniques can’t be as generalised as in mainstream schools. As an education recruitment agency, we work with multiple SEN schools across London and even have Sidney, an experienced ex-SEN school staff member as one of our recruitment consultants, so we know what makes a great SEN teacher.

Here are a few tips to be the best teacher you can be for your students.

TIP 1: Take small steps

Try breaking up learning into smaller steps and consistently check your student’s progress. This way you can ensure each child is developing their learning at a good rate and any problems with learning can be addressed as soon as they arise. Being able to monitor each student’s progress also allows you to differentiate their work so those working at a higher level than others can be given work to fit their learning level. This is such a useful method of teaching when working with SEN students as they can all be so different.

TIP 2: Praise the effort and not just the result

A lot of SEN children are used to having a limiting mindset and can be often heard saying that they can’t do certain things. As their teacher, it is so important to encourage any progress they make and celebrate the effort they are putting in rather than the result. This helps to promote a growth mindset making your students more resilient and able to learn from their mistakes whilst also spreading the love of learning.

TIP 3: Work closely with SENCo

Make the most out of the support you are given. For example, in the classroom, your teaching assistant will make teaching that much easier when you have a class of students that may need that extra attention when learning. We also recommend working closely with SENCo, familiarising yourself with the SEND register and strategies provided by SENco.

TIP 4: Share good practice with your colleagues

Sharing your knowledge and techniques you have found to work can lead to a better learning environment in all of your student's classes and could help your colleagues if they are struggling with any of their student’s learning. Think about how helpful it would be to hear about others’ findings and to be able to see yourself as part of something larger than just your classes.

We hope these tips will help you be the best teacher your students could have. Also, if you haven’t been completely convinced about how rewarding working in an SEN school can be read our blog on the top five reasons you should work in an SEN school.

If you want to make a difference in an SEN child’s learning have a look at our latest roles.