My specialist experience teaching students with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships:
I have extensive experience supporting secondary school pupils and privately taught pupils with numerous SEND conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), speech and language needs and social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) challenges. My work with these students has given me a deep understanding of their unique needs and strengths, enabling me to create tailored strategies that develop their independence, academic and personal growth. I maintain high expectations and understand that building effective relationships can sometimes take time and patience. However, building a rapport can also be quite instant and I consider myself to be very strong within that capacity.
Helping pupils progress in their personal journeys is incredibly rewarding for me, and I believe that when pupils feel supported, valued, and heard, their social and academic outcomes improve significantly. This can only be achieved by building strong and sustainable relationships. I enjoy creating resources and utilising strategies that engage all students who have had previous challenges within the education system. To me, people are people and SEN children are no different to the rest of us. Students have a voice and it is our job to find it with them and allow them to express it. All pupils have distinct curiosities and passions and I find it very rewarding to use these passions to create engaging content that is relevant and bespoke to each pupil. Being an adult who is consistently there for them is very important to me. Relationships are the crux of everything that we do and establishing positivity and consistency from the get go is paramount to success.
My experience working with students with autistic needs.
I love teaching students with autism. I feel that if you tailor lessons that match their unique needs, successful outcomes are possible just as with any other pupil! I minimise sensory overload as you would expect and use visual aids to not only outline lesson structures but also link visual aids to extracts wherever possible. I really think this helps students feel secure and grasp the concepts around the flow of learning and structure of a lesson. Obviously this reduces anxiety. If you think about a play like Macbeth for example, the text is very overwhelming (let’s be honest, this applies even to somebody with a neurotypical mindset). If you couple an extract with graphics and /or visual aids, it makes the content 1000% more accessible for anybody looking at the text! I have had great success with this approach over the years.
To build on this, I think that being aware of a pupil’s personal expectations regarding lesson predictability is essential. Knowing your pupils well allows for lessons to be built with a view to earning trust. It is essential to craft an environment that is designed for pupils to feel comfortable. If a pupil knows what to expect from you before you even arrive, they can feel less worried about the session and may even look forward to it!
My specialist experience teaching students with anxiety;
In my time teaching in Sheffield, I have seen how anxiety can impact a student’s learning. To help, I provide a personalised coping toolbox filled with strategies they can use when overwhelmed. Building trust is key, so I work closely with parents to ensure we respect and validate the student’s feelings while encouraging resilience.
I focus on setting realistic expectations and celebrating all successes. Using mindfulness and calming strategies, I create a supportive environment that allows students to gradually build confidence and progress in their learning.
My experience working with students with ADD/ADHD needs:
I incorporate interactive activities into lessons to maintain engagement and focus. I provide clear, short-term goals and regular feedback to keep pupils motivated. Additionally, I collaborate closely with parents and other educators to develop or respond to Individualised Education Plans (IEPs) that address each student’s specific needs and track their progress where appropriate.
My specialist experience teaching students with working memory needs:
When working with students with working memory needs, I prioritise establishing and developing consistent routines. The use of checklists during lessons serves as a helpful visual aid, allowing students to follow along with ease. I engage students in practicing general working memory through reducing the need for multitasking .
To strengthen the learning experience, I try hard to connect their work to real-world contexts and incorporate multi-sensory elements into the lessons. I also encourage students to take the lead in activities, sharing what strategies work best for them in retaining information. This allows us to find additional ways to support their working memory.
My experience supporting young people with sensory and/or auditory processing needs:
When working with students with sensory needs, careful planning of the classroom environment and resources is essential. Sensory issues can affect every aspect of their daily lives, not just their time in the classroom. To tackle this, I incorporate starter activities designed to calm and relax students, ensuring they are in a receptive state for learning. I have used mindfulness techniques such as meditation to help students manage their sensory needs and anxiety during lessons.
My approach includes using a dulcet or monotone voice when necessary and providing clear, simple resources. These may be complemented by tools like noise-cancelling headphones or darkened rooms if appropriate. Additionally, I collaborate with parents and carers to develop individual learning plans that place the student’s needs at the heart of all planning decisions.
My skills and experience teaching students with additional speech and language needs:
I have learned, over time, that some students have difficulty giving specific answers or explanations especially within the context of English GCSE. Creating a supportive learning environment is my first priority in helping students overcome their communication challenges. Sometimes, and particularly when studying course content, pupils can struggle to communicate their ideas in the right order This makes their thoughts seem disorganised. I’ve noticed that these particular students are often better at understanding individual instructions in a short, clear and structured way which disambiguates the thought process. Additionally, there are students who find it challenging to grasp hidden meanings in texts. For instance, they may not understand that a writer has crafted a metaphor/simile to create an effect upon a reader. Visual prompts are useful here to unlock the writer’s craft. Additionally, pupils may not grasp that a writer has structured a text to establish setting, change chronological order or develop character. Chunking the texts into smaller pieces and rearranging them can be beneficial here. Overall, these observations (and others) have guided my teaching strategies to better support this specific learning need. My step-by-step approach to skill building for English GCSE is proven to work no matter what level the pupil is at: i.e. level 1-9 on the GCSE grading system.
My experience teaching young people with SEMH/mental health needs:
Working with SEMH students requires a compassionate and patient approach. As with all my tutees, I build strong, trusting relationships, providing a safe space where they feel heard and valued. I use positive reinforcement and restorative practices to manage behaviour and encourage self-regulation. With extensive experience in both mainstream and SEMH environments, I bring a wealth of expertise in supporting students with diverse social, emotional, and mental health needs. I believe that consistency, patience, and personalised support are key to helping students achieve their full potential. For my SEMH students, I tailor resources to reflect their interests, showing them that their bespoke curriculum can be flexible and engaging. By ensuring my students feel in control of their learning and genuinely heard, I have established productive working routines, even with children from the most challenging circumstances. This approach builds a positive and empowering learning environment where every student can flourish.
Mental health support, such as mindfulness exercises and relaxation techniques are also a part of my approach in the rare cases where I ever find a pupil in crisis.
Teaching Experience:
I am widely experienced in teaching: English Language and Literature (AQA, WJEC, iGCSE), Media Studies (AQA), ICT (AQA, BTEC), Computer Science (AQA) and Business Studies (AQA, BTEC). I have taught all these subjects at secondary level both in mainstream and privately. My pupils and I enjoy our successes and I have had many high points over the years. I love seeing my pupils developing not only their academic skills but also the confidence and self-esteem needed to engage with exam papers.
My Specific IT Experience:
Before I taught English as my main subject, I spent six years teaching ICT at secondary level. I taught, graphic and web design and also taught students how to navigate Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and Word. In addition to this I also taught Computer Science and worked with Scratch, Python and HTML5
My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem:
Working as an ambassador to boost the confidence and self-esteem of young people is an integral and rewarding part of this role. Guiding students to a place where they can overcome self-doubt and feel positive about themselves is all part of the learning journey. I create an environment where students can embrace challenges in a balanced way and grow in confidence and self-belief. To me, as well as celebrating success, it is just as important to accept one’s mistakes as a normal part of the learning process and not accept it as permanent failure. Success isn’t always the outcome and accepting that is key in allowing pupils to adopt a more balanced view of their output. This is so significant in terms of building self-esteem and having a realistic view of their individual capabilities.
Nurturing this balanced and positive self-view is directly transferable into the real world and extends much further than simply accessing academic subjects. Instilling a positive self-view is just as important as being able to analyse a sonnet in my opinion.
My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning:
I have an abundance of experience providing engaging lessons for pupils and this stems from being able to build strong and lasting relationships with some of the ‘hardest to reach’ young people in Sheffield. Personally, I think that lessons need to be based on inspirational content and never come across as something that must be done. Learning isn’t and shouldn’t be an arduous chore. It should be a pleasure.
I always endeavour to engage my students and provide them with the skill set they need for a successful life. One of my strengths is my resilient personality and I am also very much an ‘out-of-the-box’ thinker in terms of delivering a diverse range of engaging content; every conversation is an opportunity for learning [and teaching].
I really try to tap into the things that make my pupils tick whether it be their sporting interests, fashion, music or food. Any topic can be the starting point for an educational experience and I think this has helped create a curiosity for learning in my students which blossoms into a love of lifelong learning. I still have pupils approach me in the city centre as adults and tell me they always remember my lessons which is remarkable based on the fact that some of them were over 10 years ago!
My skills and experience supporting students to develop their independence:
Independence is a vital asset for anyone in a multitude of contexts. This extends directly into the development of students becoming independent learners and being able to be engaged in their learning in a productive way. I think that allowing children to dictate the content on the structure of the lessons we undertake, gives them not only emotional investment, but it also empowers them by way of responsibility for their learning. This can serve as a powerful motivator and a direct pathway to independence.
Admittedly, they cannot be responsible for the entirety of the content delivered but I think that giving them a certain amount of choice based upon the activities and planning of sessions, puts them in control and immerses them into their own learning process. I will always allow pupils to make suggestions for focus areas and topics for extracts for up-and-coming lessons. Again, this ties in so closely with the relationship building and engagement strands of the teaching and learning journey and is an essential part of creating an independent learner. Accountability and responsibility are wonderful assets for a young person to be a part of.
Here is an example of an inclusive scaffolding technique I use to develop independence based on extracts chosen by the learner:
Some of the exam-based techniques (language analysis), combine both visual and verbal strategies and techniques that are colour coded to begin with to simplify the required output. Then the colour coding is removed and only verbal guidance is given. Finally, neither colour coding nor verbal guidance is given as independence is achieved. Sometimes this can be achieved in one session, sometimes it takes weeks or even months for a pupil to achieve this independence.
It is just one of many ways I can develop the independence in my students and the confidence that goes with it.
Additional Content:
As a private tutor, I offer one-on-one sessions tailored to each student’s learning style and pace. This personalised attention allows me to address gaps in knowledge and build confidence in a supportive setting. My goal is to empower these students to achieve their full potential, both academically and personally.
In my time working in secondary education, I guided SEND form groups on their pastoral pathways, building strong, positive relationships. These smaller groups allowed me to focus on each pupil’s needs, fostering significant progress through consistency, patience, and a steadfast belief in their abilities.
In summary, I have years of experience working with children and young adults with additional needs in a one-to-one context. I thoroughly enjoy being an educational practitioner dedicated to empowering pupils to succeed. Making a positive difference motivates me and I love watching my pupils develop into confident individuals who are ready for the world!
