Hertfordshire

I have been a qualified teacher for 20 years.  I originally qualified as a secondary Art teacher, however I have spent the majority of this time leading alternative education provisions working with SEN and SEMH young people.  As well as being a teacher, I am also a yoga therapist specialising in mental health.  I use this knowledge to support my work with young people with SEMH needs. I have experience working with primary age children through to post 16 and young adults.

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships enabling them to engage;

I have extensive experience building trusting and meaningful relationships with young people.  I have run two alternative provisions and three specialist provisions in mainstream school for Autism and SEMH.  The key to working with young people who have mental health difficulties is building a safe relationship.  I do this by being warm, using humour listening carefully and responding to their energy.

My experience supporting young people with anxiety;

I have substantial experience working with you people who are experiencing anxiety. During my different roles within education I have offered 1:1 wellbeing sessions with my students to support managing anxiety, exploring relationships and enabling them to manage better in school.  This is my area of specialism.  I use a variety of ways to support young people to communicate; I have found using visual supports such as comic strip conversations or drawing and talking to be effective.  I am experienced at being able to reflect back and interpret what they say when the young person is finding it difficult to express themselves. I also use my mind/body therapeutic experience as a way to support young people experiencing anxiety, including mindfulness, movement and relaxation into my sessions.

My experience supporting young people with SEMH/Mental Health needs;

My specialism is working with young people who have SEMH.  I have run two alternative education provisions and a provision in a mainstream school for SEMH.  I am a grounded person so and am able to build safe relationships with young people in which they feel seen.  I have had therapeutic training, counselling skills and yoga therapy for mental health so I have in depth knowledge and understanding of mental health difficulties, with a specific emphasis on the mind body connection.  I have supported many young people over the years with their mental health.

My experience working with young people with complex and/or medical needs;

Many of the young people I have worked with over the years have had a complex range of needs.  I have found it is really important to take this into account that some days may be more physically challenging than others.  Therefore a flexible approach is required so that I can meet the young persons needs from day to day.  It is also important to see the whole person not just their medical needs, and focus on what they can do.

My experience teaching Functional Skills English and maths;

Many of the young people I have worked with have found the functional skills qualifications suit them better than GCSEs so I have experience teaching them.

My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem;

Most of the young people I have worked with over the years have had a lack of confidence and self-esteem that significantly impacts their learning. I have extensive experience in supporting young people to develop their self-esteem.  I do this by offering a nurturing approach to education that supports the young person to develop at their own pace. 

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning;

Having worked in alternative education provisions the students I have worked with have often found it difficult to engage in learning. This means that I have had to find interesting and creative ways to support them to be able to learn, working in collaboration with the young person to make the learning meaningful to them. Often this means using the young persons interests as a vehicle for learning.  I really enjoy learning in an explorative way together.

My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence.

The focus of my work with young people is often centred on developing independence. I have worked extensively with young people with mental health difficulties, and understand the difficulty that exploring independence during adolescence can create; it has to be managed sensitively.  I have supported young people to develop the confidence and skills to engage with the community for example supporting them to travel on public transport.

I have over 20 years of experience teaching in mainstream, specialist and tuition settings. In that time, I have fulfilled many different roles including Class Teacher of SEND, Pastoral Lead, Behaviour Lead, SENCo, Tutor of Dyslexia, Designated Teacher of Looked After Children and Computing Lead. Each role has given me valuable insight into the challenges of children and young people with additional needs but also into what their powers can be and how we can spotlight those skills.

Building strong, respectful and purposeful relationships with the child or young person, and their families is one of my strengths. Being able to communicate clearly, honestly and empathetically is key to building great relationships and I take this aspect of my role very seriously.

In many cases, the various difficulties and challenges can overlap or co-exist and so a personalised and tailored learning program is fundamental in providing the right support. That’s why I do not offer a one-size-fits-all approach and whilst my skills and teaching strategies, as listed below, are an indication of what may be expected, it is more likely that a program will be a melody of strategies that best suit the individual. The programs of support that I deliver are backed by comprehensive research to ensure the greatest impact.

My specialist experience working with students with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships:  Developing a trusting relationship is always my priority when working with children and young people to help them feel safe. I achieve this from the values PACE (Dan Hughes) Playfulness (playing games, communicating lightly and sharing fun times) Acceptance (accepting the inner feelings and emotions of the individual, even when the outward behaviour is not accepted) Curiosity - showing a genuine interest in their lives and their inner self. Empathy (hearing the child and how they are feeling and reacting).

My experience teaching young people with autism: I have a wealth of experience tutoring children with ASC (autism), however as this condition manifests differently from individual to individual, the importance of remaining flexible and adaptable in planning and teaching sessions is paramount to successful sessions - it is not one-size-fits-all! Often children with ASC (autism) experience anxiety. I manage possible anxiety through patience, positivity and time. I build strong, trusted relationships with the child or young person and implement familiar, structured routines with sensory/movement breaks as needed. Embedded into sessions, can be the opportunity to address emotions; what the triggers to certain emotions are, how they present and how to manage them through visuals, social stories and activities. 

My experience teaching young people with sensory and auditory processing needs: Many of the neurodiverse children that I have worked with have had sensory and auditory processing needs alongside their other needs. An understanding of the environment and its effects on the child or young person will help how I plan and deliver lessons, from adding in sensory breaks to teaching with visuals and from ensuring the teaching space is quiet to regular check-ins on self-regulation levels. 

My experience teaching young people with speech and language needs: I have worked alongside Speech & Language therapists to deliver programs for children with speech, language and communication difficulties. Using programmes such as PECS, Elklan, attuned-play and colourful semantics, I have supported children and young people to develop spoken sounds, improve their receptive and expressive language skills and develop their social-communication skills.

My experience teaching young people with anxiety: I adopt a therapeutic approach to behaviour, social and emotional difficulties. Behaviour, whether prosocial or antisocial, is a form of communication. Having this understanding, allows me to be curious as to why the behaviour is being presented and work on ways to overcome these barriers. In sessions, I may work with a child or young person on exploring emotions, how these can present and how the child or young person can manage them to prevent dysregulation using a five-point scale or similar. We may work on having positive experiences that lead to positive feelings and so prosocial behaviours. We may also work on feeling and keeping safe, self-confidence, social skills and intrinsic motivation. Which again, are woven into our learning

My experience teaching young people with challenging behaviour: I adopt a therapeutic approach in my teaching and tuition – always trying to understand why the child or young person is expressing themselves in any particular way. Making a connection with a young person is paramount to them being able to learn – therefore we work on building that trust and connection first by setting routines and expectations through curiosity and kindness.  

My approach to inspiring a love of learning and supporting independence through developing self-esteem and confidence: My teaching philosophy states that I teach with the objective of children or young people becoming confident, independent and curious, so that they may take ownership of their learning and grow into being the lifelong learners they are capable of being.

I view it as my mission to unlock interests, skills and abilities and allow young people and young people to flourish and shine. My approach is to teach with kindness and flexibility, with the values of confidence, curiosity and independence woven through the nurturing lessons I plan and deliver.

My experience teaching young people with a PDA profile: Creating an environment that is predictable yet flexible is a key ingredient to successfully working with children and young people with PDA. Lessons are adapted to suit the needs and anxiety levels of the individual on the day and I will always clearly communicate our intentions to minimise demands and anxiety levels. Part of the work I complete with a child is to develop children and young people's own understanding of their emotions, brains and behaviours. 

My specialist experience with ADHD: Children and young people with ADHD may find it difficult to begin tasks, maintain focus and complete tasks; organise themselves, follow a series of instructions and remain motivated. To address these challenges, I use short segmented tasks and activities of high interest with structure, routine and scaffolded support which are key strategies in being able to engage children and young people with ADHD in their learning.

My specialist experience teaching young people with working memory difficulties: Many children and young people experience challenges with their executive functioning skills, including working memory. I use visuals and supporting resources to reduce the demand on these areas of the brain which helps to scaffold learning in other subject areas such as maths or writing tasks. In addition, prioritising learning experiences that develop executive function skills helps improve concentration, comprehension, inference, and working memory. And doing so is key to helping children and young people build study skills and lifelong learning patterns. 

My experience teaching maths and English: I have taught maths and English throughout my twenty-year career as a teacher and from Early Years through to key stage 3. I have an equal passion for both subjects and deliver them with enthusiasm and gusto. In English, I like to take a wholesome approach, delving into stories and their characters to provide a deep understanding of the text and improve comprehension, reading and writing skills through discussion, exploration, mind mapping, experimentation, role play and more. I have completed several writing courses and very much enjoy the creativity that English brings. 

Having taken A-level maths at school, my knowledge and understanding of the subject is robust. Through various topics, I use manipulatives, pictorial representations and games to help children and young people develop their understanding of concepts. But I also like to take a more practical approach to maths, by taking the learning outside, combining maths with other topics, and putting the maths into real-life scenarios, such as working out the ingredients for a cake or planning an imaginary event. 

My experience teaching young people with dyslexia: For several years, I tutored with a local Dyslexia Association. Here, I learned how to implement the multi-sensory approach and alternative strategies for children and young people who struggle in this area. Using the Alpha to Omega scheme, phonics schemes, whole word reading, colourful semantics and mind mapping and writing tools, can help children and young people overcome challenges in reading, writing, spelling and organisational skills. 

My specialist experience with global learning delay: Global learning delay can present many difficulties for children and young people. Alongside academic and speech delays, individuals may also experience difficulties with memory, social skills and emotional literacy. Taking a holistic approach to learning allows for these developmental skills to be worked on. For example, turning a learning objective into a game, using role-play and stories or simply taking our learning away from the ‘classroom’.

My experience teaching young people with SEMH/mental health needs:  I work with a great deal of understanding when teaching children and young people with SEMH and/or mental health needs, adopting an approach laden with curiosity where feelings and experiences are considered and explored. Having empathy for children and young people can help children and young people find a connection and feel safe in their learning environment. I teach with compassion, kindness and patience.

My experience teaching young people with challenging behaviour: I believe and adopt a therapeutic approach to behaviour where the values of pro-social behaviours are taught through experience and understanding. Undesirable behaviour is challenged in a non-threatening way and always when a child or young person has returned to a regulated state and can digest what is being discussed. This could be achieved through social stories, role-play, or reflection strategies. 

My experience of teaching science: Having taught the science curriculum from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 3, I am well-versed in providing engaging and practical experiences with a combined emphasis on the investigational skills and the subject knowledge of biology, physics and chemistry. 

Using technology to support learning: Technology is here to stay and can be a great asset to engaging our children and young people and unlocking learning. A more recent role that I held as Computing Lead has led to the discovery of many assistive and educational technologies (including Text-to-Speech, Scanning Pens, Clicker, Purple Mash, Communicate inPrint and many more). I make use of technology within lessons to foster engagement, independence and learning when it is appropriate to do so.

I have over 15 years’ experience in education which has included teaching in both mainstream and special schools and as a Specialist Advisory Teacher for Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties for the local authority.

My approach to tutoring is personalised and adaptable, tailored to meet the unique needs and learning styles of each student. Whether it's boosting confidence in reading, writing, and spelling, having hands on science lessons, or making maths learning fun. I strive to create a supportive and engaging learning environment where my students can thrive.

I believe that education goes beyond simply imparting knowledge; it's about empowering students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners. Through patience, encouragement, and dedication, I aim to instil not only a deeper understanding of the material but also a love for learning itself.

My specialist experience of working with students with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships: Developing a trusting and meaningful relationship with a student is very important to me. I approach all interactions with empathy, actively listening to their thoughts and concerns, and understanding their unique strengths and challenges, whilst at the same time remaining positive and friendly. By celebrating their achievements and providing encouragement, I aim to create a safe and nurturing space where they feel valued and motivated.

My skills and experience teaching young people with ASC: I have worked with autistic students both in mainstream and special schools. I understand the importance of fully understanding the student and adapting my teaching to their individual needs and interests. I give clear instructions on how the lesson will be and what the objectives are, and this is supported with a visual timetable and now and next board. I support all instructions with visual aids, adapt my use of vocabulary and scaffold support to enable the task to be completed successfully thus increasing motivation.

My experience of teaching students with ADHD: When teaching students with ADHD I know how important it is to have movement breaks and for the lesson to be engaging and exciting. I support teaching with learning aids including visuals and timers. If appropriate, I use the zones of regulation to support the student to manage their emotions.

My experience of teaching Primary English and maths: I have taught whole classes, small groups and one-to-one in both mainstream and special schools. My experience is from Year 1 up to Year 6. I use a range of resources, teaching styles and activities to engage and foster a creative and dynamic environment. I ensure students understand the value of what they are learning and how they will use this knowledge in their everyday lives. I know how important it is to have movement breaks and for learning to be engaging and exciting. I support teaching with high quality resources, hands on activities, laughter, and lots of opportunities for overlearning. 

My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem: Establishing a trusting relationship with a student links closely with boosting their self-esteem and confidence. When teaching I give ongoing support and encouragement with specific and meaningful praise.  I create a supportive and engaging learning environment where my students can thrive and feel the exhilaration of success which in turn helps them grow in confidence.

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to provide a love of learning: Most students love learning once they feel that they are good at it and it’s fun. I share my own love of learning, and this can be contagious. I ensure my lessons are fast paced, fun, with just the right amount of challenge.

My skills and experience supporting students to develop their independence: I spend time getting to know a student so that I can provide tailored opportunities to enable them to become an independent learner. I encourage, and fully support, self-assessment, goal setting and reflection.

My experience of teaching young people with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties: I have additional accredited Level 7 training in teaching students with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties which has equipped me with the knowledge and strategies to help students reach their full potential and thrive academically. I incorporate multisensory techniques, personalised programmes, and differentiated instruction with lots of overlearning to ensure that learning is retained. I use assistive technology and resources to enhance the learning experience for students with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties. From text-to-speech software to speech recognition programs, I incorporate technology in innovative and fun ways to accommodate diverse learning needs and promote independence.

My experience in developing meaningful and trusting relationship with children with SEN: 

AUTISM: I have worked closely with children with SEN, particularly Autism for many years. Understandably, it takes time for a child to trust someone who they have not worked with before and I am respectful of the time it takes for a student to ‘warm up’. Strategies I like to use and have found successful, include bringing some items/photos about myself and my life to share with the child. I also share my likes and dislikes and stories about myself that I think are relatable and relevant to the child I am working with. During initial sessions, I like to have the session where the child feels comfortable, and the session is carried out in a relaxed and casual manner (even if it includes sitting down or lying down on the floor!)

I have found through experience of working with children with autism, it is so important to find out and encourage my students to tell me their likes and dislikes and show me their favourite items too. By basing lessons around their ‘likes’ or by using their ‘likes’ as incentives to complete an activity, I have found lessons are a lot more successful. For example, one of my students loves anything to do with flowers and so every time he tries to complete an activity with great effort I reward him with flower stickers that he gets to stick on every piece of work; this makes him immensely happy and proud of his own achievements which I believe is highly beneficial in supporting the child want to learn and engage.

I also write schedules up on a whiteboard at the start of a session, to ensure that the child feels in control and also so that there are no sudden surprises that can cause discomfort. When children are feeling particularly anxious or not ready for the lesson, I wait patiently until they are calm and ready. This has been a successful technique, particularly when working with children with Autism. For some children who are not comfortable with sharing their thoughts with me, I like to use a puppet or cuddly toy as I find some children are more comfortable talking to the toy and find it easier to open up. Once trust is gained between myself and the student, the puppet/toy is generally no longer necessary. Lessons and activities are planned around the child’s interests and the level of work is built up over some time, to ensure the child feels success from the start. It may seem the difficulty of work is ‘too easy’ at first, but this strategy is to help encourage the child to keep going and to build confidence.

For autistic children who struggle with unexpected changes, I always keep to the same schedule e.g. starting with Phonics and reading, moving into writing then Maths and ending with a story. Knowing the schedule and what to expect can greatly reduce the anxiety children may feel and by supporting the child with feeling more in control, the lessons often run smoothly.

AUTISM- HIGH-FUNCTIONING: My skills and experience supporting students with HF Autism: I have worked in the primary educational setting for ten years and within these years, I have trained and worked in both mainstream schools and a special school supporting children with HF Autism, as a teacher, interventions teacher and as a teaching assistant. Recently, I have been a class teacher and Year Leader in a North London junior school where I planned and taught tailored lessons and interventions for SEN-D children. I worked closely with the school SENCO to create learning plans to suit the needs of the children; this involved accurate assessments, setting achievable targets and the development of a tailored curriculum. I have also worked as a tutor for many years, and in this time, I have worked with a number of children with ASD; I tailor my strategies and approaches according to each child’s individual needs and use a range of resources such as visual timetables, PECS, colourful semantics, writing frames and many other manipulatives such as Numicon, dienes etc. to support children’s learning and understanding. I also use the children’s interests to help me plan engaging and interesting activities suitable for the individual child.

ADHD: I have worked for many years as a class teacher and as a tutor for children with ADHD. Strategies that I like to use include simple instruction and steps to avoid confusion and overload. As it can be difficult for children with ADHD to listen and engage, calmly repeating questions and reminding children to ‘zone in’ on the question that is being asked can help children to focus. Also, allowing children some time to talk about what is on their mind, will help relieve the anxiety or the intensity of their thoughts – this may be a set time at the beginning or end of the lesson and one in the middle of the session as sometimes it is these thoughts that need to be vocalised, in order for the child to regain attention and not let their burning thoughts/questions consume them and prevent them from learning or hearing instructions.

I have also used mindfulness techniques to support learning and often use the children’s interests to plan for lessons. Other tools can be used to support the need for movement, such as squishy toys and tactile materials for sensory needs. It is important to set boundaries early on and to encourage with positivity. I have also used incentive schemes to encourage attention and concentration.

DYSLEXIA: My skills and experience teaching children with dyslexia; Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that children have in the classroom. I have had many years of experience supporting children who benefit from a special dyslexia- friendly font, reading rulers and overlays. Children with dyslexia often find phonics difficult so I also adopt a repetitive sight-reading technique to help them memorise the whole look of words rather than just digraphs/ trigraphs which can become confusing for the child. I am familiar with the Toe by Toe program and have used it in my classroom with dyslexic children. This is a repetitive, daily program used to help children familiarise with spelling patterns. Often when reading, I use a reading ruler with the dyslexic student and add sound buttons to the words by segmenting the words into their phonemes. This encourages children to break down the word into more manageable chunks. Using word frames can also be helpful for children to recognise and visualise the shape of words and to remember the letters in order. Mnemonics are also a fun and encouraging way to learn tricky spelling words!

EARLY YEARS/ KEY STAGE 1: My skills and experience supporting students in Early Years and KS1: I have worked as an interventions teacher in Reception and Year 1 supporting children with Phonics and writing. I designed, planned and taught units of lessons to help under-achieving children to catch up with their peers in these subjects. In addition, I have tutored a number of children in KS1 and Reception; lessons primarily focused on Phonics, mathematics and writing, all tailored to suit the needs and age of the child. Having been a Year 3 teacher (Lower KS2), it was clear that there were a number of children who benefitted from working through a KS1 curriculum, particularly children whose education has been affected by the pandemic. I planned using KS1 materials and resources and set targets from the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1. I have also worked in Summer Camps too which incorporated the use of fun, play-based learning activities (dancing, singing, drawing, arts and crafts, baking, board games etc) which creates an enjoyable, effective and memorable way for children to learn and a style I incorporate when teaching.

ENGLISH, READING, WRITING & SPELLING: My skills and experience supporting students with English, Reading, Writing & Spelling: English, reading, writing and spelling are lessons of high importance to me. When I was a teacher, I taught literacy skills on a daily basis, in school, and I often planned my literacy units from scratch, using the Pie Corbett structure- Talk for Writing or by using The Write Stuff (Jane Considine model). The structure of one of my Literacy units include: Writing a cold task- to assess the writing needs of the student; familiarising with a model text and unpicking the specific key features used to write the piece of text; creating and drawing a story map and retelling the text to learn and hear how it should be structured; planning and writing a hot task which involves writing up the plan, using mini success criteria to guide the student. Finally, the writing is ‘published’ and written up on beautiful, bordered paper so the student has a final copy of their work. This is an important part of the unit as helping the child become proud of their writing, is an essential element of successful learning.

In addition, I teach spelling/phonics through a variety of ways, often using Phonics Play to guide my planning. Using spelling apps also makes spelling more engaging and fun and encourages children to practise their spellings!

Reading & Comprehension are again, very important to a child’s learning and I taught this subject daily with my class. For children who struggle with vocabulary and text structure, I often separate comprehension lessons into sections e.g. Section 1- read text and identity new vocabulary; Section 2- sketch the text to make sense of the text, Section 3- verbal and written comprehension questions, Section 4- activities to practise inferencing skills. I also read to children in addition to listening to children read to me, as I believe it is highly important for children to hear how punctuation is acknowledged when reading, plus intonations and use of expression also needs to be modelled to help a student read successfully.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, ORGANISATION AND INDEPENDENCE: My skills and experience teaching executive functions including organisation, planning and time management skills to develop independence: I have taught many children who have had difficulties with organisation, planning and time management skills. Sometimes, it has been due to their age and personality, but it can be a real difficulty for some children who find organisation extremely challenging and frustrating. I have used visual timetables and ‘Now and Next’ boards to support children in knowing what to expect and to allow them time to be mentally and physically prepared for activities. When children are ready to move on, I add on an extra step ‘Now, Next and After that’ to help them to familiarise with planning and to ease the anticipation of following activities. I have also created labelled boxes to encourage children to organise themselves better, particularly with their belongings. For example, this may involve a large box only used for personal belongings, such as a coat and a bag, and it is made part of the session/lesson. The lesson begins with a reminder to the child to take off their coat and place it into the box, until they can carry this activity out independently and without reminders. I have also written a colourful checklist to help children remember what they need to do, and they tick off each activity once they have completed it. Again, this strengthens their organisational skills.

I have had experience teaching children who consistently lose their pencils and stationery- I support with their organisation by placing their items in a tray (with lips) to stop them from rolling off the side of the table; sometimes the simplest techniques are the most effective! We count the items at the start, middle and at the end of the session to make sure that they are being mindful about their belongings.

To support with time management, first, I let the child know how long a minute is, as often we expect children to understand a length of time without making sure they can estimate it first. Some of my techniques involve counting to sixty seconds, sitting in silence through a minute, seeing how many jumps we can do in a minute etc. so children can estimate the length of a minute. Slowly, we build on this estimation by saying ‘Now we will do something for half a minute’, or for 2 mins.

Occasionally, I set a timer and tell the child that a particular task needs to end when the timer ends at a certain time. I give them reminders every few minutes of how much time is left. This is all done casually and without pressure but helps the child to estimate the length of time they need for a required task.

It is important to let the child know of any plans, in advance, particularly if there are any big changes to their normal schedule. This is so that the child can prepare themselves mentally. I like to encourage children to have things ready in folders or bags etc. and to group similar items together so that they are prepared for a particular session and so that they do not waste time searching for the right materials and resources. E.g. an art box, maths box, pencil case.

I encourage independence throughout all my lessons; from spotting their mistakes to rubbing out their own work and picking up their fallen pencil. It is always important to make sure children are given the space to grow and it is all too easy for us adults to jump in and help. After modelling how to do something, I like to observe and give friendly prompts to support the child with the activity and then letting them attempt it themselves. The modelling aspect is key to showing a child how to do something which helps them to learn and try it out for themselves. Over time and consistency, children develop independence.

FOCUS AND ATTENTION: My skills and experience helping students to develop focus and concentration: Having worked with children in specialist settings and lower KS year groups and Early Years, developing attention, focus and organisational skills is something that is part of my every day practise. I encourage independence where possible and use visual cues frequently to engage learners. I also have a bank of resources that are used to develop attention skills. I tailor lessons to suit the interests of the child and I find this is a very effective way to maintain the learner’s focus and concentration.

FRIENDSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS: My skills and experience teaching social skills including friendship development and conflict resolution skills: I have been working in education settings for over ten years and have dealt with many children’s social difficulties over that time. I use a range of resources which include mindfulness tasks and social stories to support children with their understanding of how to make friends and deal with conflict. One of my favourite books is ‘My Strong Mind’ by Niels Van Hove which the children love listening to and it teaches children techniques to calm themselves down before reacting to certain negative situations. I also like to let children solve their own conflicts by allowing them to tell me what they think is the right thing to do, what they think they should do and what they actually want to do. It is important to let the child come up with their own ideas and to make their decision themselves as children need to have ownership over the reaction and decision so that they can learn how to deal with situations independently and correctly.

HANDWRITING: My skills and experience teaching children handwriting: Having taught reception, KS1 year groups and Year 3 and 4, handwriting has been an essential daily lesson. I use books with double lines to help children form their letters and control the size of their letters. I also like to use whiteboards and fingers to trace around letters to ensure the correct formation, in a fun and engaging way. Depending on the child’s control and fine motor skills, I look for ways to support pencil-holding e.g. using pencil grips, changing the thickness of the pencils or by using different types of pencils to help the child with pencil pressure.

HELPING WITH HOMEWORK: My experience supporting children to complete their homework: My tutoring sessions are usually after school or during the weekends and parents have often asked me to help their child complete their homework. Firstly, I ask the parents and child, the method/strategy that has been taught at school so I can continue using the same method. This is important as a new strategy may confuse the student. Sometimes, this requires looking up the strategies on the school’s website e.g. at their newsletter, curriculum map or calculation policy to ensure teaching strategies are consistent.

KEY STAGE 2: My skills and experience supporting students in KS2: I have worked as Year 3 teacher and Year leader for 4 years, developing the curriculum and overseeing the planning and teaching for my Year group. I often find that grammar becomes difficult in KS2 and it has been a strong focus for many of my tutoring lessons.

I have also completed school-based training in Year 5 and have tutored children aged between 4-14 years. I have taught children to prepare them for the 11+ exams too (Maths, Literacy- Verbal Reasoning, grammar) and I am familiar with the GL Exam papers.

MATHS: My skills and experience supporting students with Maths: I have developed and adapted a Maths Curriculum for Year 3 and Year 4, over a number of years and I have tweaked lessons daily to suit the needs of all the children in the class. In addition, I have Mathematics Specialism with my teaching degree and have run Maths Intervention groups for over 6 years for children who find Maths and mathematical concepts challenging. The use of manipulatives such as Numicon, Dienes Blocks, fraction walls, tens frames and place value charts is a key element of my teaching as I find it really helps children to visualise and make sense of the calculations. Revising the basic key concepts and four operations of maths is fundamental and is vital to securing a solid understanding of mathematical concepts. I have also incorporated fun role play activities when tutoring children in Maths such as playing ‘shopkeepers’ to learn how to add and subtract, familiarise with money and giving and receiving change; cooking & baking to practise the skills of measuring, reading scales and understanding the concept of fractions; plus making structures which involve estimation and calculation.

MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT: My skills and experience developing motivation and engagement in learning: I am an animated and energetic teacher! I motivate the children I work with, through a variety of ways, including praise, rewards, games, singing songs and friendly competitions. I am passionate about helping children to develop a growth mindset, a can-do attitude and a love of learning. This is the core of all my lessons, including the development of resilience and perseverance. All of these things need to be consistently built into a lesson, which I believe I achieve, in every lesson that I teach.

PROCESSING AND MEMORY DIFFICULTIES: My skills and experience teaching children with processing and memory difficulties: I have worked with a number of children with processing and memory difficulties. I support these children by encouraging them to draw mind maps and I use a technique called ‘dual coding’ which is a method designed to support the working memory. For example, when planning a piece of writing, we look at a written piece and draw the story out, act out scenes and plot the story down in its most simplest structure. Then we plan the story, first by jotting down ideas and then, through dual coding, which can be by drawing ideas out and then by verbalising them too. We do this again and again to help the child memorise through other means than just writing. Consistent retrieval activities are also in place in all my teaching sessions, as retrieval tasks not only allows me to assess their knowledge but also helps the child to retrieve the learnt knowledge from their memory and apply it. I believe it is the act of application which jolts the working memory into action to encourage better long-term memory. It is also a skill which needs to be trained. For children who find processing particularly difficult, I often use simple and short sentences to phrase questions. I often ask the student to repeat the question that I have asked to ensure that they have understood the task and are clear on what they are expected to do. If children find it hard to process information verbally, I will draw or write down the question/task and often will repeat the question in the same way- different ways of saying the same question can confuse the child further.

SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE: My skills and experience boosting students’ self-esteem and confidence: My favourite classroom motto is ‘Mistakes are proof that you are trying!’ I welcome mistakes with open arms and often thank children for their ‘boo-boos!’ I believe it is highly important to show children that it is ok to make mistakes and often deliberately make them myself to show that it is something to embrace. Learning without mistakes is not really learning after all! From my past experience, I have encountered many children who are quite harsh on themselves, which in turn has affected their self-esteem and confidence. Through consistent approaches and praise, I have seen and witnessed children develop a growth mindset and assertiveness. There have been incredible moments in my teaching career, but the growth in confidence is definitely one of the most special ones.

SENSORY/AUDITORY PROCESSING NEEDS: Some people with SEN may experience sensory differences. This can be over-sensitive or under-sensitive to specific sights, sounds, smells or textures and as an educator, you must be aware that these sensory needs cause distress or discomfort. When working with a child, I will always speak to parents about each individuals’ needs particularly surrounding this area as I believe parents know their children best. By being able to be flexible around a child’s needs, whether it be printing sheet with fonts of a particular colour, not wearing a certain perfume, having calming music playing at a particular volume, I am happy to adapt lessons to suit the sensory needs of the student.

In addition, sensory differences and auditory processing needs could be how a child processes sensory information and it is important to find out when the ‘overload’ point is or where the ‘information overload’ point is. As a teacher, this is often learned through experience of working with the individual as no two children are the same and each teaching and learning experience is unique. It is also important to know how to support a child who is having a meltdown or have suddenly become distant due to anxiety caused by overload; by being aware and prepared of any possible difficulties and by being creative to guide the student back to a positive experience. This includes removing any noises that are causing discomfort and by repeating questions or giving spoken instruction in a way that is clear and comforting for the student.

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE NEEDS: Many children today suffer with speech and language needs, which is learning how to speak, understand, verbally communicate and process verbal information. Some parents are aware their children have S&L needs and they usually have a copy of the S&L assessments from a S&L therapist for me to read; the assessments always have targets to work on and I discuss with parents which targets I will support the child with and incorporate it into the lessons. I regularly update the parent on what targets the child is finding difficult or has achieved so that the report can be updated more regularly with more suitable targets.

Sometimes, parents are unaware their child are showing signs of S&L needs and it is my responsibility to pick up on these signs and relay to parents so that they can find a professional S&L therapist to assess and diagnose.

Teaching children with S&L needs requires the tutor to adapt the way they speak, in order for the child to understand. Through experience and time working with the child, I can adapt the way information is given – this may be combined with drawings, text, videos or hand gestures and I often try out a variety of methods until I know which way supports the child best with their S&L needs.

I have also worked with children with echolalia and it is important for me as a tutor to be aware of this and use their echolalia in a positive way. Often, it can be clear which phrases or words produce a positive feeling in the child, and which ones create a negative feeling. By using the phrases in the correct context, it can help the child to learn the meaning of the phrases to support their language development and understanding.

WORKING WITH FAMILIES AND CHILDREN: My skills and experience working with families and children to help them unlock and reach their potential: I have worked with many families and children over the years, both when tutoring and as a class teacher. At the end of every tutoring session, I provide feedback of the lesson, and give targets for parents and carers to work on, to ensure we are all working towards the same goal, in a consistent manner. It is also important for the family and I to understand the strategies we will jointly use and to create the sense of a ‘team’. Families know their own children so well and any information becomes invaluable knowledge for tutors as understandably, good and trusting relationships take a little time to develop.

WRITING RESISTANCE: My skills and experience teaching children with writing resistance: Often, there are children who find writing a struggle and have some resistance to picking up a pen and writing. I help to encourage the generation of ideas through exciting lessons, tailored to the children’s likes and interests and create mind maps and box up plans to help them jot down their ideas. Through drama, drawing, games and cloze activities, the children learn to write, in smaller chunks. Slowly, the children chunk together a bigger piece. With longer pieces, I allow children to type their stories and create their stories on story apps. I have found these apps really help boost the student’s love of writing and to help the children become proud of the work. For more reluctant writers, I like to ‘share’ the writing and scribe parts of the text for them to make the task seem less daunting.

Children in Control of their own Learning due to Personalising the Learning in a Safe, Supportive Environment that Builds Trust and Creates a Meaningful Relationship between Pupil and Teacher:

I am currently, during the school day, a Year 6 teacher in a non-selective SEN school with a mainstream curriculum for children who need specialist input because of a specific educational need, including Autistic Spectrum Condition, PDA, ADD, ADHD, SPD, Speech and Language needs, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Working Memory / Processing Difficulties. The self-confidence that I see develop in the learner, coming from feeling in control of the learning, is a joy for me to be part of helping.

With a class and with individual pupils, I teach by breaking down the tasks into completely manageable chunks and by jointly building the skills needed for independence in ways that interest, engage and make the learning come from the learner so that it doesn't feel as though the learner is being 'taught.' This in itself lessens and even removes anxiety. Confidence in own abilities with a relaxed, fun, 'together' approach then enables skills to develop very quickly. My approach to teaching individuals with a specific education need of both primary and secondary age with always helps as a matter of course all individuals of all ages: engaging the senses to connect with reading and writing; building skills in systematic and sequential steps; reinforcing individual skill strengths and involving individuals in what, why and how they are learning are strategies that I have used with hugely positive results, creating a trusting positive relationship between teacher and pupil, resulting in high self-esteem and enjoyment of the self in the learning process. My whole teaching approach is centred around the learner.

Support for Children with Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Speech and Language Delay, Anxiety, SPD, ADHD, PDA:

I am extremely aware of the importance of overlearning a process until it becomes a known strategy that can be used to reach an end goal that initially seemed overwhelming. Each session that I teach is structured to build the required academic skills as well as to boost confidence, practise fine-motor skills and aid social interactions. I specialise in supporting children with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Anxiety, SPD, ADHD, Speech and Language Delay, Autism and PDA to engage with and to feel really good about their learning by building trust and by carefully taking or creating a learning task to an area or level where there is interest. I always try to ensuring that skills are being developed without it seeming like ‘learning’ or ‘doing a task.’ I currently teach a class of Year 6 children who each have a specific educational need. To build vocabulary and to nurture socialisation, I provide each individual with safe interaction opportunities that encourage curiosity in language and enjoyment in interactions.  The clear expectations, visual schedules, visual cues, coordination games, built-in brain breaks and use of visuals in making choices -each learning activity is offered with choices- enables each individual's provision to be effective, with wonderful productive learning as a matter of course.

Working Memory and Processing Skills:

To help working memory and processing skills, I have helped pupils of both primary and secondary age to be an effective listener, to manage self-expectations dependent on a task and to take pressure off themselves, aiming for quality of task completion with full comprehension and confidence. By presenting information in a way that always keeps the pupils as an active participant in the learning, I have found that all pupils find excitement in their learning, connect with the learning content and more easily commit ideas to memory.

Homework and Exam Question Skills:

I currently tutor in 11+ and GCSE English exam preparation for the Language and the Literature papers. With each pupil, we jointly create an adaptable written answer format that can help if the mind panics under exam conditions. Repeated practice of written answer structures builds the confidence to form ideas in response to questions, secure in the knowledge that the ideas will fit into the learnt and practised written answer structures that the muscle memory will reproduce.  Understanding how to incorporate quotations into sentences that support each idea brings a joyful confidence to pupils as the importance of providing evidence for their ideas is explored and used with understanding.

Social Skills, Language Skills and Executive Functioning:

I have many years of mentoring pupils which naturally brings in helping to manage self-esteem and confidence academically as well as socially. I do believe that helping pupils to develop strong executive functioning skills is a key pathway to success in all subject areas as well as in all aspects of life. From providing opportunities to think about and activate their brains to plan their time or plan a task, initiate a task, organise their materials, keep their focus, maintain a positive mindset to be open to learn from mistakes and to try new strategies when stuck, I have regularly enjoyed watching and hearing about how my pupils have persevered until the completion of a goal in all situations including new ones, often expressing enjoyment of seeing themselves come through something that they didn’t initially feel able to do. It is my belief that all children have the ability to learn; I do believe that it is the environment in which making a mistake is valued as part of the learning process that enables children to make progress with confidence, self-esteem and independence.

Fun Sessions that Develop Self-Esteem, Love of Learning and Independence:

I break the learning down into addressing each need as it arises and then it is by using the learner’s strengths, interests and challenges that I create a learning environment in which the children can feel valued, safe and super interested in their learning! It is my belief that all learning is fun when it is interesting. I teach through a lot more than just games, although games do come into each session. Essentially, by carefully creating resources and ensuring that the learning comes from the child, it becomes a joy for me to facilitate the learning, monitor the progress and support the learner in achieving their desired targets. I address each need to make each learner feel good about themselves and to encourage independence in learning. By making the learning environment less about the ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’ and more of a ‘shared learning’ experience, my pupils develop their learning almost without realising that it is happening, taking part and taking the lead because they feel truly good about what they are doing.

Mainstream English and Maths Teaching with Preparation for Examinations:

I have also taught a mainstream English and Maths curriculum to age 7-18 learners in international British and IB as well as UK schools. To help the learner enjoy the process of learning literacy, study and maths skills by establishing their understandings, taking the learning to their individual starting point, facilitating the self-talk to express the learning and building upon each acquired skill is my aim for each and every child. I have always seen self-esteem, confidence and independence grow and become useful in all aspects of life when the learning that is undertaken by my pupils has been made possible. My teaching style is continually positive, including the positive learning experience that can come from making mistakes. I give praise constantly for good, purposeful reasons. I share the aims of each learning session with each individual child, enabling them to understand and appreciate each important step.

I currently tutor in 11+ and GCSE English exam preparation for the Language and the Literature papers. With each pupil, we jointly create an adaptable written answer format that can help if the mind panics under exam conditions. Repeated practice of written answer structures builds the confidence to form ideas in response to questions, secure in the knowledge that the ideas will fit into the learnt and practised written answer structures that the muscle memory will reproduce. I break down the learning of Maths into each element, often jointly creating new questions using discovered patterns with newly-found knowledge and then, with decreasing support, methodically work through strategies that use each learner’s strengths. Understanding how to incorporate quotations into sentences that support each idea brings a joyful confidence to pupils as the importance of providing evidence for their ideas is explored and used with understanding. Language exam practice includes inference skills and a creative written response to a stimulus, learning how to create an image or an atmosphere with words that can bring an emotional response to the reader - the examiner.

Communication with Parents:

For tutoring, I work closely with parents, reporting to them on each session's progress, advising and guiding them on how to support their child in between sessions. I have been involved in many annual reviews, the writing of EHC plans and Individual Progress Plans. Progress comes quickly with the right learning environment.