The correct learning approaches can promote well-being in emotionally vulnerable young people.
It is not always easy to identify more vulnerable pupils whose emotional needs may remain unmet. Unlike pupils who misbehave
and quickly become an issue for the teacher, these pupils are more likely to withdraw: they basically present as passive
for the majority of time.
It is therefore vital to develop an awareness of their needs and the potential risk factors that may have contributed to their
behaviours.
It is also vital to provide appropriate emotional and social support and to ensure that these pupils are able to develop the
self-help skills and strategies necessary to ensure that they can engage in learning, rather than being overwhelmed by the
emotional labour involved.
![Teacher and pupil at Bettridge school]](img/m12p140c/aBettridge_0442.jpg)
Pupils with some form of learning difficulty will experience high levels of frustration and stress within the classroom.
They often have a difficult temperament and low levels of self-esteem. Contributory factors within the family include overt
parental conflict and family breakdown.
Inconsistent or little discipline at home can make those pupils feel more vulnerable. Physical, sexual or emotional abuse
will clearly affect the child, as will criminal behaviour and alcohol or substance misuse by their parents. Pupils at risk
may also have experienced a bereavement or significant loss, including the loss of a special friendship.
Factors within the pupils’ communities include socio and economic disadvantage, homelessness, discrimination or other
significant life events. Staff in school will generally be unable to make any sort of difference to the individual pupil
on these counts, but protective factors within school, such as resources, curriculum, policies, attitudes and behaviours,
can be developed to ensure that pupils with emotional problems are supported effectively.
More vulnerable pupils need to be encouraged to make use of the language of emotions. They need to understand the emotions
that they experience both in and out of school and to distinguish between those that are uncomfortable and comfortable.
It is vital that they can identify triggers to what makes them feel uncomfortable so that they can develop mechanisms to
deal more effectively with such difficult situations.
Pupils need to be encouraged to identify when and how they express and manage their feelings and to share their ideas
within a supportive peer group. Discussing the positive and negative outcomes of stress and how they recognise, label and
manage this particular feeling will help the more emotionally vulnerable pupils.
All pupils will experience anxiety in class at various points in their school lives. Problems arise when such feelings
produce emotions that result in an inability to begin a learning task. It is important that staff in schools become aware
of what causes such situations and that they raise pupils' awareness of self-calming approaches.
Conducting a learning survey is a useful means of eliciting pupils' views and directing them towards useful calming
strategies. Providing opportunities for pupils to talk about their learning difficulties also dispels any myths or stereotypes
around those with specific special educational needs.
- Developing self awareness;
- Developing self regulation;
- Social skills;
- Increasing motivation.
Clarify the specific modes of delivery that will be of most use for your pupils.