Buddy

Teachers use a range of ideas to assist students both academically and socially. Buddy systems can be in a whole class situation where older students mentor younger students in areas such as reading, writing, art, pe, dance or music. To teach, one needs to have greater skills and deeper undertstandings, so buddy systems assist the teacher and the learner at the same time. Another way of using buddies is an older student helping a student making friends on the playground, keeping the younger one out of trouble or coaching them how to make new friends.

Teachers also use buddy classes to assist a student who has behaviour that is disrupting their teaching learning environment. The teacher will establish a buddy class by seeking a colleague to take a break with the disruptive student until emotions are once again under control and the problem can be solved calmly.

Buddy systems can work in a positive way for the students and the teachers