Caroline

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 Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Speech and Language Delay, Anxiety, SPD, ADHD, Autism, 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.

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. 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.

Mentoring, Study 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 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.