1. What is the purpose of the ruMAD2?
process?
It's a tool that teachers may find helpful in the classroom as a
new way of communicating with their children, something they may
not have thought of before.
It is a tool that helps teachers to communicate with the
children in their class in such a way so as to engage each child
directly with the topic at hand and in doing so, build up the
child's self-esteem and involvement with (and understanding of)
their syllabus. The ruMAD process is also a way of reaching
difficult and reserved children by helping the teacher understand
the particular language and behaviour needed to inspire a positive
response from each individual child within the class.
To enable teachers to find the root and tap into what motivates
a child (children) in the class in order to help them realise their
goals and support them in achieving them.
2. What is the purpose of the ruMAD Film?
To invite teachers and heads to join in and to help develop the
process.
3. Can you explain the purpose of the ruMAD2?
map?
Part of the purpose of the ruMAD process is to develop
aspiration, optimism and resilience in the children, as well as to
develop an understanding of the language needed to communicate
successfully and positively with individual children in the
class.
4. The LAB questions developed by Shelle R Charvet seem key to
the process - can you explain?.
These are the questions teachers can ask, to help them to
communicate with their children in a different way. They are to
find the motivating patterns of the child for each individual task
they are undertaking.
5. The Bus Stop is significant to Shelle's process can you
explain this for us?
Everyone has a unique 'model of the world' and by asking
specific questions and listening to children's responses it helps
us understand what is important for them, and hence, clues as to
what will help motivate them for positive outcomes.
6. Shelle talks about the LAB Profile patterns. Can you explain
possible/probable communication differences between the teacher and
the pupil that can occur?
There are many naturally occurring differences in language
between adults, as well as with children, for example, the
typically' towards' teacher who wants pupil achievement and the
'away from' pupil who doesn't want to be in school.
7. In the coaching session there also seemed to be an ambiguity
between whether the method was to be applied to the class as a
whole or particular individuals within the class. Can you clarify
this?
The whole process is designed for a group or class of young
people. When communicating to more than one young person, it is
good to be mindful of the variation of patterns within the group,
and therefore best to try and use all patterns to be most inclusive
to all C&YP.
For example (Toward/Away From), today we will look at 'writing
in sentences' so that we can get it right and avoid common
mistakes'.
Also, (Internal/ External), today we will build upon what you
know already and seek some feedback from your classmates.
When working with an individual child or young person, its
important to ask the questions, listen, and match the direction and
source of their language so that they feel heard, valued and
respected.
8. Why it is important for children to generate their own
success criteria?
We all know that good learning happens when we can make links to
prior knowledge. If learning is totally abstract and out of the
child's experience, they are more likely to forget the learning
experience. By asking 'what's important to you about…' this
question asks the child to find neural pathways that link already
known learning or experiences to the new learning experience.
Many topics within the National Curriculum lay outside the
experience of 'working class' children and these links and reasons
why the learning is important to them need to be asked and made
more explicit in order to 'narrow the gap'.
(See Mother's Day example on map to see how this can be
done).
9. The MAD process is about encouraging the individual child to
develop ideas that would benefit themselves and other? Why is this
important?
When we make a difference for ourselves we feel good. When we
make a difference for others we feel great! Relationships and a
meaningful life are key to well-being.
10. Are you encouraging the adoption of the ruMAD process
throughout the whole community, parents, teachers and children.
Yes we believe the process has huge potential - we are starting
with the teachers and children first and will be encouraging
parents to get involved through similar types of work. The Heaton
Manor School Partnership in Newcastle upon Tyne have already hosted
conferences on 'Resilience' for both staff and parents.
11. What are the benefits? (What boxes does this tick?)
- Achievement and standards
- Narrowing the Gap
- Pupil voice
- Social cohesion
- Positive contribution
- Developing emotional resilience
- PHCE and Citizenship
- Human Rights Convention
- Building psychological capital
- Developing the workforce to 'make a difference'
12. Can you tell us a little about the film?
The films shows Claire, a teacher at Walkergate Primary School
in Newcastle upon Tyne applying the ruMAD2 process with her class
when they begin to cover a new topic 'The Ancient Greeks', We also
see the many different ways the children have been making a
difference throughout the school, becoming actively engaged in
re-structuring their classroom environment, assisting in the design
of the new school building and contributing to the running of the
school.
The ruMAD2 cycle is a work in progress and is an invitation to
teachers, heads and all school staff to test, research, become
involved and help develop ruMAD methods.
