My general specialist experience working with students with SEN/SEND to develop trusting and meaningful relationships: Developing meaningful and trusting relationships with my pupils is something I pride myself on. I believe that building an effective relationship between the teacher and the student is fundamental in order to guarantee a sense of safety and security for the child; only when this relationship is established, can the student begin to learn and make progress. I aim to break down barriers and build these relationships with my students, particularly those with SEND, through warmth, kindness and openness. I will always celebrate every step of progress, no matter how small, and encourage my students to reflect and evaluate their learning too. Learners in my care have always been encouraged to take risks, make mistakes, push boundaries and ask questions; I believe it’s also really important for children to realise that adults aren’t perfect and do all of these things too!
Another effective way in which I develop relationships with my learners with SEND is through a child-centred, highly personalised approach to teaching and learning. Within my practice, I meet the needs of my pupils by allowing room for a flexible, child-led approach to my sessions. For some children who are anxious or reliant on routines, they may benefit from a highly structured session where expectations are clear from the start. Some students may prefer to have more input and autonomy over their learning, with flexibility to choose their schedule of activities. However, for other children, it may be a case of reducing all demands and expectations and focusing on a play-based curriculum tailored entirely to their interests. Ultimately, I believe that taking time to listen, reflect and adapt to my students is key to developing trusting, meaningful relationships. From my experience, if my pupils feel they are supported and listened to, the learning will follow.
My experience teaching autistic young people: I have been teaching verbal and pre-verbal autistic learners for over eight years within a variety of settings, including special schools, mainstream schools and resource bases as well as 1:1 tutoring. Throughout my teaching practice, I have supported pupils with both high-functioning and low-functioning autism in order to develop social communication skills through a range of teaching approaches including AAC, Intensive Interaction, Makaton and Attention Autism. I consistently use visual timetables, social stories and transition boards in order to provide structure and to reduce anxiety for autistic learners. Using my knowledge of the individual pupil, I am constantly thinking ahead and ensuring that supports are in place to minimise sensory overwhelm, provide a safe space and reduce the likelihood of triggering anxiety wherever possible. It’s also fundamental to consider what regulation may look like for the individual child and to ensure that these strategies are put in place, as well as being flexible within sessions e.g. adapting learning if the child needs a movement break or specific sensory input. I believe that it’s essential to promote independence for autistic pupils at all times; I develop these foundations through achievable activities which build confidence, consolidation and motivation prior to introducing new child-led learning opportunities.
My experience teaching young people with PDA (demand avoidance): When working with pupils with PDA, it is key that sessions are based entirely on their interests, with a focus on building trust, rapport and autonomy for the child. I apply a range of strategies to support anxiety and demand avoidance, however it is important to remember that not all of these will work consistently. An approach which works for the learner one day may be ineffective the next day, so I am very flexible according to the needs of the child and have a Plan B as well as a C, D and E. As children with PDA can become very anxious and find changes difficult to manage, it is important to prepare them and involve them in any way possible, which may include making choices and having ownership over their learning, showing visuals, drawing pictures, signing or using now and next timetables. These approaches may also need to be broken down further; e.g. if there are changes or if I am not going to be teaching them at a certain time, it’s imperative to think ahead and pre-empt any difficulties the child could face due to these changes. Additionally, my experience has led me to consider PDA in a variety of situations, not solely based on the demands of school and work. If a child is given praise, this can also be difficult as it may manifest as a demand to accept the praise, potentially causing the child distress. When I have built a strong relationship with the child, it is more likely that I can recognise any probable triggers and de-escalate them e.g. instead of offering direct praise, it may look like writing a compliment and leaving it in a nominated tray for the child to read at their own discretion, pass praise to the child’s favourite toy instead of them directly, or the child could nominate a toy or a friend to receive their certificate on their behalf.
My experience teaching young people with sensory needs: Many learners I have worked with have sensory needs and I ensure that my teaching style always reflects a multisensory approach. Some pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities require sessions with a high level of sensory input in order to ensure the learning is accessible and engaging, however some students can become overwhelmed with too much sensory input and require a learning environment which is not overly stimulating. The sensory input is sometimes modified specifically e.g. a focus on oral motor skills as well as more general alerting, organising or calming activities within a sensory circuit, where appropriate. Additionally, some children benefit from specialist sensory equipment for learning, such as sloped cushions on a chair to support proprioceptive input, having a mat created from a range of textures under their feet or learning whilst bouncing on a space hopper. The way the child learns best, is the way I teach them!
I pride myself on being flexible and adaptable to each student’s needs, ensuring I engage all senses and also enabling sensory programmes to be interwoven within planning and teaching. This also illustrates the importance of multi-disciplinary liaison and involving a balance of therapeutic interventions within cognitive tasks. I enjoy being creative with sensory integration programmes and ensuring they are incorporated within sessions in a meaningful way. Furthermore, it’s so important to be aware of potential situations which could have a profound impact on a child’s sensory dysregulation and to support them to learn the tools and techniques for self-regulating.
My experience teaching young people with speech and language needs: I specialise in teaching students with speech, language and communication difficulties and I have extensive experience in this area. When working with pupils with speech and language needs, it is key to use minimal language and allow processing time so as not to overwhelm the child and cause cognitive overload; instructions should be clear and matched carefully to their Blanks level of understanding. Throughout my practice, I consistently use Makaton signing alongside aids such as visual timetables, objects of reference, audio cues, talking mats, visual checklists, social stories, now and next boards, AAC boards, vocabulary books, Colourful Semantics and software such as Clicker in order to support a total communication approach. Whether a student communicates by gesturing, signing, vocalising, with eye contact or through AAC devices, it is fundamental for the team around the child to recognise and respond to every attempt at communication. If the child feels supported and listened to, this will not only impact positively on their mental health but they will likely want to persevere with their communication and make rapid progress.
When children struggle with their communication, this can lead to emotional and behavioural challenges due to frustration at not being understood. Alongside therapists, I have developed and applied strategies such as emotional toolboxes, in order to help learners regulate themselves and begin to identify and express their feelings. To support this emotional wellbeing and development of social skills, it is important to model turn-taking at every opportunity.
When introducing new vocabulary, I explicitly teach and follow the Elklan model through concrete objects, applying context and generalisation within games. This encourages my students to make phonological links well as being given the opportunity to recognise and practise their speech sounds. As part of the teaching of new vocabulary, repetition and language input in a pressure-free environment helps to build confidence in children with speech and language needs. Pupils are given the opportunity to repeatedly hear and explore the new vocabulary in a safe space as well as extending their own language and sentence structures.
My experience developing social interaction/friendship skills: I have supported many students to develop social interaction and friendship skills through a range of strategies and approaches. As a starting point, I encourage work on understanding and identifying emotions through the Zones of Regulation as well as creating individual emotional toolboxes for my pupils. These toolboxes are personalised according to my knowledge of the child along with their needs, their favourite toys and preferred emotional regulation strategies. Examples of interventions in which I have supported students to develop their friendship skills include sharing and turn taking, negotiation with peers and conflict resolution through motivational child-led games. Moreover, I have recently worked with a PATHS coach from Barnardo’s in order to develop and differentiate their PATHS programme to include accessible and inclusive PSHE/PSED sessions for learners with SEND. Within these PATHS sessions, I have discretely taught problem-solving, emotional awareness, social exchanges and empathy skills using aids such as social stories, puppets and favourite toys or characters.
My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem: Encouraging positive mental health and developing a sense of self-belief is key when having the privilege to teach children. When working with learners with SEND, confidence can often be low, therefore it’s imperative to celebrate small steps of achievement as well as big milestones, providing praise in whichever form works for the pupil and sharing successes with parents, carers and professionals when appropriate. As well as receiving praise and verbal feedback, students should always be supported and encouraged to reflect on their learning; I like to use evaluations in favour of positive vocabulary e.g. two stars and a wish or choosing a favourite activity from a session. I find it helpful not to over-mark work and instead mark in conjunction with the student or if this is not possible, provide just one challenge; if a child looks at their work and sees lots of mistakes which have been corrected, this can have a negative impact on self-esteem. Additionally, on a personal level, I find that being vulnerable and showing weaknesses to the pupil can help boost their self-esteem as it reminds them that adults are not perfect and are always still learning too!
My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning: Inspiring a love of learning is fundamental to motivating students, particularly those children with SEND. Adding multisensory elements to teaching sessions, e.g. learning outdoors, listening to music, using story props and experiencing dance or movement breaks can keep engagement levels high, as the activities will appeal to a range of learning styles. These multisensory opportunities also help to deepen knowledge, embed prior learning and encourage consolidation and generalisation of skills. Within my teaching, I have always merged multisensory components within my lessons and adapted the national curriculum where necessary to allow this.
Before meeting the child, it’s important to speak with their family or carer about their preferences and interests in order to incorporate these into an initial session. I find that if this first introduction involves engaging and motivating activities (not formally labelled as ‘learning’), the pupil will be much more responsive to building a relationship with me as a tutor. If a child is motivated and engaged, they are going to naturally develop a love of learning and look forward to the next session. During my teaching career, I have developed curricula based entirely around children’s individual pets, Minions and the Teletubbies among many more! Within my teaching practice, building learning opportunities around child-centred planning has always shown the highest levels of engagement and progress.
My skills and experience supporting students to develop their independence: Independence and life skills underpin my teaching practice and I strive to ensure opportunities for developing these skills are prevalent within my tutoring sessions. I actively encourage my students to develop their independence through making choices, having autonomy and taking ownership over their learning. I always honour a total communication approach, so the pupil can communicate in whichever way is most appropriate for them and know that they will be listened to.
I have been fortunate enough to teach independence skills to learners with SEND throughout both primary and secondary settings. In the early years, examples of this could be learning how to transition between activities with objects of reference or visuals as well as supporting children to learn daily routines e.g. brushing their teeth, toileting and getting dressed. Moving into the primary age range, I have facilitated children to develop their independence by learning to self-regulate, using tools such as emotion toolboxes to request if they need a movement break, a sensory object, a favourite toy, a drink or a snack. During my experience working with learners in a secondary special school, examples of how I developed my pupils’ independence included creating independent TEACCH structures and visual timetables within work experience opportunities in the local community. Whilst leading a KS4 Shakespeare production, I also worked with theatre technicians in order to incorporate my non-verbal students’ AAC devices; this empowered and supported my learners as they were able to independently build their sentences on a tablet and have their voices heard.
My experience teaching young people with ADHD/ADD: During my teaching career, I have worked with many children who have either received an ADHD diagnosis or who have shown difficulties in maintaining attention, concentrating on tasks, self-regulating and controlling impulsivity. My experience of incorporating successful teaching strategies to support students with ADHD allows plenty of flexibility; adaptations including sensory toys and cushions, movement breaks and a low-distraction environment such as a workstation can be highly effective for these learners. As it can be difficult for students with ADHD to maintain focus, it is important to have a workspace with limited distractions and defined expectations. Strategies to support with establishing these boundaries include visual schedules, tick charts, now and next boards and offering a sand timer so students are able to visualise the length of time required to complete a task. However, it is also important to adapt to the needs of the individual and consider that not all pupils will learn best using a time constraint; some students will work better when they are able to pace their learning and spend time producing a higher quality piece of work.
For pupils with ADHD, I have always found it helpful to provide a visual schedule and break down tasks in order for the child to achieve an instant sense of gratification. Building the child’s attention through motivating and personalised activities which are broken down into smaller steps and scaffolded where appropriate, allows the pupil to improve their confidence and feel an intrinsic motivation to learn. It is crucial to gradually develop attention and engagement through the child’s interests and preferred learning style, ensuring they have access to a modelled strategy, independent application and repetition to consolidate their learning.
My experience teaching English and literacy, including reading and writing: Since studying English literature at degree level, I have worked with many learners who have an array of literacy challenges, ranging from fine motor and writing difficulties, phonological disorders, reading complexities and speech, language and communication needs. My experience teaching in a speech and language unit enabled me to support pupils to learn new vocabulary through Makaton signing and visual aids such as talking mats, whilst learning to compose sentences using high and low tech AAC devices, Colourful Semantics and shape coding. For emergent readers and writers, I have always found it helpful to adapt favourite stories with multisensory elements and to ensure there are corresponding sensory writing and fine motor opportunities in order to maintain motivation and engagement. When teaching reading inference and comprehension, I use the Blanks levels of questioning to assess and build reading techniques, bringing in skills from Elklan in order to support language development. I have previously made adaptations to phonics schemes such as Read Write Inc., Jolly Phonics and Letters and Sounds for learners with SEND and have seen pre-verbal learners begin to segment and blend words (one of the highlights of my teaching career!).
My experience teaching Maths: When teaching Maths to students with SEND, the use of concrete resources and involvement of sensory opportunities is significant in order to teach pupils with visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles. Resources such as tens frames, 2D and 3D shapes, Numicon, Dienes and multilink cubes can be invaluable in supporting students, as they encourage children to problem solve with more independence, identify patterns, make connections between numbers and consolidate key mathematical concepts. In my experience of teaching students who are developmentally working at an early years or primary level, my most successful sessions have always been creative and multisensory, encouraging pupils to generalise their learning outside the classroom. As a huge advocate for outdoor learning, I am passionate about including as many outdoor opportunities as possible, e.g. in a recent woodland session, my pupils built a place value grid out of sticks and gathered natural resources such as acorns and conkers to learn number bonds. Furthermore, I believe it is fundamental to immerse personalised learning within core skills from the national curriculum e.g. teaching patterns, sequencing, addition and subtraction incorporating the child’s favourite toys or characters.
My experience teaching young people with dyslexia: Whether working with students who are either showing indicators of dyslexia or have a confirmed diagnosis, I consistently apply a range of multisensory teaching strategies in order to engage my pupils and thoroughly embed learning. As children with dyslexia can struggle with phonological awareness, word reading, spelling, letter formation and spoken language, it is crucial for teachers to employ strategies and adaptations which help consolidate knowledge to the child’s long-term memory. When teaching learners with literacy difficulties, I utilise resources such as tactile letters, alphabet arcs and coloured overlays in conjunction with allowing plenty of time and flexibility for the child to express their thoughts and correct any errors in a low-pressure environment.
Children with dyslexia can often lack self-esteem due to not being given the tools to express themselves. I aim to boost the confidence of my pupils by offering options for written expression; this could look like sensory writing, writing on a tablet, whiteboard or window, recording ideas on an audio device, using assistive technology on a laptop, linking visuals and mnemonics or even the student dictating their ideas as I scribe. As the writing is only temporary, these techniques remove some of the pressure which can be felt by the child as any mistakes can be easily erased.
My experience teaching study skills and executive functioning skills: In my experience, when supporting students to develop study skills and executive functioning, it is important to break tasks down into smaller steps and teach effective ways in which the child can plan and organise their ideas. It can be overwhelming for children with SEND to manage their time, maintain focused and to work independently, therefore it is useful to support pupils with visual aids, checklists and games or mnemonics to serve as reminders. Checklists can range from two steps to twenty or even a planner if it’s a big project; it’s important to be flexible and adaptable when creating visual supports for each individual child. During sessions with my pupils, it regularly helps to model and talk through techniques of planning and prioritising the actual session, using games or a personalised planner to keep motivation high. In order to build confidence and sustain attention, I find it helpful to teach my students to complete shorter, easier tasks first before attempting more complicated tasks. It is fundamental to develop the child’s self-esteem and gradually build in further steps to support executive functioning; without this self-belief, the child may be so overwhelmed that they may struggle to begin the task at all or focus too much on potential errors, wanting to start again. Moreover, when teaching students with executive functioning difficulties, it’s imperative to model making mistakes so as to normalise errors.
