Testimonials from Teachers
Testimonials from teachers
Dear 5energies,
I believe that education has the potential to transform children regarding the way they think about things, to open their eyes to new ideas, to challenge what they know and extend them to become the best they can by providing them with opportunities for advancement and fulfilment. In my role as learning support teacher I believe it is my responsibility to redress inequalities and injustices in children’s educational experiences to enhance the opportunities of children with learning difficulties and challenges so they can achieve these goals.
My search for assistance to help equalise educational opportunities for all children led me to 5energies where I met a team of experts who have developed a program that assists children, parents and teachers to become team players.
Often parents of children with learning difficulties and challenges are left with a feeling of sinking in a sea of academia which they have little knowledge of. While a learning support teacher can assist them to the best of their abilities their knowledge is limited and when they join forces with the 5energies team the professional input ten folds. There are few opportunities to develop a working partnership between families, professionals and schools and 5energies has opened the doors to this powerful practice.
Since completing my training at 5energies I have been able to assess students at my College using the “FILTA” provided by them. This invaluable tool has filled the void that basic literacy, numeracy and academic assessment had left. The FILTA assessment provides an insight into areas of needs that may not otherwise be recognised until too late. Areas that can negatively affect academic growth and achievement such as auditory processing, visual processing, receptive and expressive language, fine and gross motor skills can be acknowledged as possible areas of need when using the “FILTA” assessment. This means a recommendation to a professional such as a speech pathologist, occupational therapist or who ever is the most relevant specialist can be suggested without expense incurred by the family.
Our early intervention process now incorporates the use of the “Filta” assessment and we are over the moon with the children’s progress as they work with their personal support team from home, 5energies and the college. The “Filta” is also useful for older students and addressing their individual needs.
Thank you 5energies for your dedication to the development of a “whole person” approach to educational assistance for children
with learning difficulties and challenges. The parents, teachers and children at St. Michaels College are delighted with the success of your “FILTA” assessment, learning programs, professional support and team approach. We look forward to many productive years of quality educational practices with a great team at 5energies.
Yours sincerely
Anne-Marie Loi
Learning Support Teacher
Dip Ed Teaching, Grad Dip Early Ed, MEd Learning Support
Dear 5energies,
After completing my three day training in the ten components underpinning learning in a classroom, I have been using the FILTA for almost a year. I have found that it assists me to gain an overall picture of each child’s achievements, but also fine-tunes my understandings of where a child is experiencing difficulties.
I have now used the screening tool with a number of children, and in discussions with other teachers, it has enabled them to fine-tune their programs. It also makes parent-teacher interviews much more effective, as it provides me with more detailed information to discuss the individual needs of each child, and whether the child needs in-school support or professional support from someone such as a speech pathologist or occupational therapist.
This is a screening tool and program for teachers, designed by teachers and developed for teachers to use in their class. I enjoyed the three days of training as it provided me with a range of perspectives on literacy and numeracy acquisition. I had an epiphany moment where I realised that the ten underpinning learning domains, as identified by 5energies, underpinned other PD that I was attending on literacy and numeracy – and enhanced them immeasurably. The strategies that we explored were practical and user-friendly.
Olivia T (Senior Teacher, Sunshine Coast)
Testimonial about the Screening Tool
Thank you so much! I know there are other screening tools available, but this is the first that I can use with selected children, or my whole class – and it gives so much information! It has made planning for individual needs so much easier. I am so looking forward to the screening tool for younger learners, and want to share that one with my child’s childcare centre.
Melissa T (Classroom Teacher, Morayfield)
Testimonial about Workshops
I cannot thank you enough for the interesting and worthwhile workshop that you facilitated on ‘untangling the learning pathways’. Quite sincerely, it was one of the best workshops I have ever attended, in a fifteen year teaching career. Not only was it interactive, and it made complete sense, it meant that I could go home and analyse my own teaching strategies and fine-tune some of them to be more effective. As presenters, you were professional, a lot of fun and so very knowledgeable…
Yaro S (Classroom Teacher, Burpengary)
I wish I had discovered 5energies much earlier in my teaching career. Your FILTA has picked up on so many children who need urgent assistance and the teachers at our school are planning much more targeted programs as a direct result.
The training was superb – I will never look at children in my class in the same way, and the energy from the training was infectious. I was feeling dispirited about my teaching program but now I am approaching each day as a new day to make a difference. My principal is very pleased with the information that the FILTA is giving us, and the potential to change these children’s lives in a very meaningful way.
Helen B (Sunshine Coast region)
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You guys Rock!
I was almost going to quit teaching, as I had hit the wall in terms of trying to figure out why some kids just had so much difficulty learning. I had varied my approach, sought resources, got assistance, worked hard to try to find answers. Your training made it all come together. You accepted my experience and valued it, but you added so much to my understanding of where the kids actually are in their thinking. You run the best interactive PD I have ever attended, and I returned to class enthusiastic, energised and so much more aware of some of the underlying issues. Just a big thank you…
Janet D (Pine Rivers)
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Oh you wonderful people!
I have been looking for your sort of teaching for quite some time. It has been so frustrating to me to see glimpses of problems with children in my class, but feel powerless to identify exactly what was happening, and how to help that child. Thank you for your PD, thank you for your insights into how children tick, and thank you helping me to become the best teacher I can be.
Patty M (Caboolture)