My specialist experience in working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships.
My 15 years of teaching have equipped me with the experience and skills I now use in my one-to-one tutoring of students of all ages and abilities across multiple subjects. It has strengthened my belief that every child can become a joyful and independent learner and reach their full potential when a trusting, meaningful relationship is developed and appropriate, skilled support is provided.
I prioritise building trust and meaningful relationships with my students by giving them time and space to show me their abilities, interests, and learning styles. I then plan lessons and activities tailored to each student. I feel confident in my ability to teach students with SEN and SEND because of my extensive specialist training and experience teaching students with cerebral palsy, physical disabilities, complex communication needs, ADHD, autism, hearing and visual impairment (CVI), epilepsy and complex medical needs.
My experience of teaching young people with ASC (autism).
I have worked with young people with autism (verbal/non-verbal) for many years and have received numerous trainings in strategies to support these individuals. I appreciate that there are some common characteristics of autism, but I know from my training and experience that every young person is unique and has their own specific interests, abilities and learning styles. I have the expertise and knowledge to adapt my lessons to support every student I am asked to teach.
My experience of teaching young people with ADHD and ADD.
I have taught many students who live with ADHD and ADD and have completed numerous training courses in strategies to support these students. I appreciate that, although there may be characteristics that students share, my priority is to adapt my teaching to the individual and work with them to find ways they can learn effectively.
My experience of teaching young people with anxiety.
I appreciate the impact anxiety has on a young person and how it can affect every aspect of their lives, particularly their ability to learn. I have a family member who lived with anxiety for many years through school. They are now thriving at university, supported by strategies they learned previously.
Due to my relation’s challenges with anxiety and my desire to support them as much as possible through school and beyond, I gained training in supporting and teaching young people with anxiety. I have taught many students of all ages and abilities who experience this issue.
In addition to supporting my family member through their anxiety, training and teaching experiences, I have a naturally calm, patient, and structured teaching style, which lends itself to teaching young people living with anxiety.
My experience teaching English
I have training and experience teaching young people at different stages: KS2-GCSE and Functional Skills in mainstream schools and special educational settings. I have noticed that many students can verbally express their opinions on different topics, tell stories, whether creative or real, and use a variety of expressions. However, when it comes to written tasks, many students struggle and almost freeze. I pride myself on using different strategies and tasks so these students gain the skills to express themselves in writing and find a love of reading, which they may have had when very young but have lost in recent years.
My experience teaching maths
I am passionate about teaching maths! I have extensive experience teaching all levels (KS1-GCSE/Functional Skills) of this subject, and I understand the importance of ensuring the foundations are in place before moving on to more complex and exciting concepts.
Maths is like a wall: the strength is in the foundations, with each brick connected and dependent upon the others. I love teaching maths: working with students who find it tricky, identifying what a student is missing, coming up with age-appropriate ways to teach the concepts, and then witnessing the light-bulb moments when they suddenly feel that everything is starting to fall into place and they begin to enjoy this great subject!
My experience of working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
My experience teaching students of all ages and abilities has shown me that a healthy level of confidence and self-esteem is key to young people learning with positivity and joy. I understand and have the knowledge and experience to teach to each student’s individual strengths and interests, building on their innate confidence and self-esteem.
I take the time to get to know each young person, their abilities and interests, and to plan and implement lessons that are at an appropriate level and relevant. Each young person is therefore motivated and sees their achievement during each lesson. This carefully planned individualised strategy provides an opportunity for each student to build their confidence and self-esteem at every step. Gradually and patiently, they become independent, joyful learners with the confidence to lead their own curiosity and exploration.
My specialist experience enables me to deliver engaging sessions that inspire a love of learning.
My responsibility is to inspire a lifelong love of learning. This is fundamental to my teaching philosophy and drives me each day to provide engaging lessons tailored to each student’s interests and abilities. My experience of teaching young people who have turned their backs on school and believe they cannot learn has shown me that every individual can develop a joy for learning if they receive engaging, individualised and varied lessons.
My skills and experience support students in developing their independence.
I have training and experience in teaching young people to be as independent as possible. I have taught students of all ages and abilities. My fundamental goal has always been to work with the young person and, in many cases, their families, to develop independence in learning, day-to-day activities, and communication.
My experience of working with young people with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).
In my role as a teacher for students unable to attend school, for example due to permanent exclusion, school refusal, or awaiting alternative provision, I have taught many students with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). When teaching students with PDA, I adapt my pace and delivery and use more visual prompts. I also tailor the content to the student’s interests and age and, above all, remain patient and understanding of the support the young person requires.
My experience of supporting young people with executive function skills and study skills.
I believe teaching young people effective executive-function and study skills is imperative for success in life. I have taught many young people who have found it difficult to retain information, remember instructions, and follow steps in daily life and school activities. Moving from one task to another can be challenging for young people, whether in their everyday lives or academically, for example, when applying different concepts in maths to answer a multi-step question.
I am passionate about teaching study skills. Whether this is effective note-taking, interpreting new information, revising, or taking an exam, I know the importance of each step. I use a variety of strategies in my daily lessons to support young people in reaching their academic potential.
My experience of teaching young people with SEMH and mental health needs.
During the last five years, I have been a teacher for students who have been unable to attend school due to mental health issues and/or SEMH. I teach students who have suffered trauma and/or abuse, who have anxiety, SEMH, PDA/ODD, working memory and processing needs and complex disabilities and/or communication needs. Although I have extensive training in teaching young people with SEMH and mental health needs, my experience working with them shows that the most important strategies are patience, structure, consistency, and flexibility.
My experience of teaching young people with speech and language difficulties.
I believe that communication is fundamental to learning and living a fulfilling and independent life.
I am passionate about this issue and consequently have specialist, comprehensive training and experience teaching students with complex communication needs. I have taught individuals who are non-verbal due to cognitive and/or physical impairment. I have also taught individuals who have experienced communication challenges due to emotional trauma and/or anxiety.
I am confident and experienced in supporting students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), such as eye-gaze devices, Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD), Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)-assisted technology, visual display boards, and single- and multiple-switch technology.
My experience of teaching young people with working memory, sensory and/or auditory processing difficulties.
Working in a special school for students with profound and multiple disabilities equipped me with the experience and knowledge to support young people who may be experiencing working memory, sensory and/or auditory processing difficulties. I use structured, flexible, and tailored strategies for each student. I adapt them to their individual interests and abilities.
My experience of working collaboratively.
I understand the importance of working with the team that supports every child with disabilities and/or complex needs. I have worked collaboratively with speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists. The most important team members are the families of the students I teach. I have worked alongside many parents, carers and extended family members to support their children in reaching their full potential and becoming as independent as possible.
My experience teaching in-person and remote lessons
I have training and extensive experience delivering one-to-one tuition, both in-person and remotely, and I have found both to be successful when delivered in a structured, yet flexible and creative manner.
