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‘R-TIME’ TAKES OFF IN THE MIDLANDS
Thousands
of pupils and teachers
across the uk could benefit.
An
exciting and simple new concept of building classroom relationships,
‘R-Time’, has been enthusiastically received in recent trials
at schools in the Midlands.
An
ever-growing number of applicants are signing up to attend training
courses for R-Time which many believe is a major breakthrough for education
with potential benefits for thousands of teachers and pupils across
the UK.
“Initial
interest has been very encouraging,” says R-Time author, originator
and coach, Greg Sampson, who has already filled six seminars at the
Nettle Hill Training and Conference centre outside Coventry.
Greg,
himself a retired Coventry head teacher says that R-time is proving
to be successful because it is proven to effective in the live classroom
situation. “The government is always looking for value-add and
we’ve shown how a very simple series of constructive interventions
can in fact contribute to delivering the national curriculum,”
he says.
A
variety of techniques are designed help to break down the cliques which
exist within a typical class of 30 pupils. For example, children are
paired off at random and asked to perform a simple activity, which could
be practical or imaginary, and then report back on the result and their
experience of activity, in a plenary session.
Feedback
from the children is almost always positive – with one wide-eyed
child reporting this about her partner : “I was really frightened
of him, but now he is my friend !”
This
is just the sort of response that continues to inspire Greg, a progressive
innovator who however believes that the future of relationship building
in the classroom must be based on ‘good old-fashioned values’
such as respect and courtesy.
The
programme acts directly to remove blockages to learning such as classroom
disruption, addressing and diffusing difficult behaviour situations
such as bullying and rowdiness.
“Although
primarily designed for the child-to-child relationship building in the
classroom, R-Time has almost universal application, with benefits within
any number of behaviour support situations and is readily implemented
and effective outside of the standard classroom,” says Greg.
Six
seminars have already been held at the Nettle Hill Training and Conference
Centre – HQ for the R-Time training programme - which is ideally
located in a peaceful rural setting which Greg finds helps to ‘leave
the classroom behind’ to focus on course content.
“Nettle
Hill has helped create an environment out of the city which helps to
convey and underpin the values and ethos of the R-Time programme. It’s
very important for our facilitors to be able to remove themselves from
the confines of the classroom to appreciate the values and principles
we try to instill through the course,” he said.
R-Time
facilitors’ training courses can accommodate up 15 candidates
each. At the end of the day-long seminar, which is very informal, our
trained facilitators leave, fully equipped to implement the R-Time programme,
supported by a comprehensive instruction and reference manual.
“Each
trained facilitor will always have ongoing access to myself and other
course leaders, should they need any further advice or support,”
said Greg.
To
make further enquries about the R-Time programme, please make contact
Greg by email at gregsrtime@hotmail.com,
telephone him at 024-7665-9393 or 07946-333321, or write to him at 55
Garth Crescent, Binley, Coventry CV3 2PP.
Ends
Enquiries
:
Wayne
Asher – 01926 748004
wayne@marketingman.co.uk
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