My general experience working with children with SEN, learning difficulties and additional needs: I am a skilled, qualified SEN teacher with over 13 years’ experience gained in mainstream primary and specialist settings. The pupils with SEN that I have worked with have included: global delay, dyslexia, speech & language delay/difficulties, Autism (ASD), moderate & specific learning difficulties, medical needs, dyscalculia, challenging behaviour, ADD, OCD, ADHD, PDA, anxiety, Tourette, sensory processing disorder, attachment disorders plus memory & processing difficulties. As well as supporting children socially and educationally I have supported their parents to attain a diagnosis and/or put an EHCP in place. I have helped many children facing difficulties accessing the curriculum alongside trying to navigate their way through the social aspects to school life. I am passionate that each and every child, regardless of obstacles and difficulties, is able to achieve their best possible outcome. I do not believe in placing glass ceilings on a child, difficulties/disability should not define them. Through patience, encouragement and fun lessons, children are engaged and able to build their self-confidence. Once their self-esteem starts to grow they will have the confidence to start to using strategies that allow for greater independence.
My skills and experience teaching children with autism: When supporting and teaching children with autism the first thing I do is spend time gaining an in depth understanding of their strengths, interests, likes, dislikes and areas that they need support. Secondly, look at how they learn, visually, kinetically or auditory. As with everything in education, what works well for one child does not always do the same for another, so gaining a solid appreciation of an individual allows me to use teaching methods and strategies best suited for that child. Then working alongside the parents and child (depending on their age) plan very achievable goals to work towards. With each goal achieved the child builds confidence, self-esteem and hopefully and increased enjoyment for learning. I will always tailor my teaching to each child’s interest, this helps to engage the child in leaning and keep them focused for longer periods of time.
My skills and experience working with students to develop their independence, focus and concentration: One of my ultimate goals when working with all children is to develop independence. I will model how to carry out exercises/games using strategies we have learnt such as using visual reminders etc, then scaffold the level of support I give them. Initially games and activities are very short which allows the child to fully complete the task. Through developing independence student gain a sense of ownership over their learning or ability to do things, they become far more confident and will start to challenge themselves. At this point we can start to slowly increase the amount of time tasks take. Independence can often be built through repetition, lots of praise and encouragement.
My skills and experience building trusting and meaningful relationships with children: Building trusting and meaningful relationships with children is the foundation to their emotional and social development. To achieve this with the children I teach, it is essential to create an environment where the child feels safe, valued, and understood. Active listening is key—taking the time to genuinely hear their thoughts and feelings shows respect and builds trust. Consistency in actions and responses also plays a significant role; children need to know they can rely on the adults in their lives. Additionally, showing empathy and providing positive reinforcement helps to foster self-esteem and mutual respect. I feel that engaging in shared activities, being patient, and showing genuine interest in a child’s hobbies and experiences further strengthens these bonds. By building such relationships, we create a supportive framework that encourages children to thrive both emotionally and academically. Working with children and young people who have Special Educational Needs (SEN) requires not only specialist experience and knowledge, but, empathy, patience and most importantly the ability to develop trusting and meaningful relationships. Without these relationships teach becoming very challenging.
My skills and experience developing a love of learning: Fostering a love of learning in children involves creating an environment that nurtures curiosity, encourages exploration, and makes learning enjoyable. Here are some strategies I have used to help children develop a love of learning:
1. Encourage Curiosity and Questions – Answer Questions: Be patient and enthusiastic when children ask questions. Encourage them to find answers through books, experiments, or other resources. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Stimulate thinking by asking questions that don’t have straightforward answers, prompting children to explore and think critically.
2. Model a Love of Learning – Show your own enthusiasm for learning by reading, exploring new hobbies, and discussing interesting topics with your children. Share Your Learning Experiences: Talk about what you’re learning and why it excites you.
3. Make Learning Fun – Incorporate educational games, puzzles, and hands-on activities that make learning enjoyable. Incorporate Technology: Use educational apps and websites to make learning interactive and engaging.
4. Connect Learning to Interests – Identify what excites your child and provide resources and opportunities related to those interests. Integrate Interests into Learning: Connect academic subjects to real-world applications and your child’s passions (e.g., using a love of animals to teach biology).
5. Provide Opportunities for Exploration – Allow children to explore their surroundings, experiment with new things, and pursue their interests independently. Offer Diverse Experiences: Take children to museums, libraries, science centers, and nature parks to expose them to a wide range of topics.
6. Promote Reading – Read Together, make reading a shared activity by reading aloud to your children and encouraging them to read to you. Visit Libraries: Make regular trips to the library to explore new books and participate in reading programs.
My skills and experience working with students with ADHD: I have worked with a vast number of children with ADHD. Through patience, creativity and consistency I have found strategies to help the children focus, stay on task and learn to their fully capacity. Many children I have worked with can become overwhelmed so thinking about their learning environment, distractions, how much information is provided to them at a time etc is very important. Additionally, repeating instructions and giving visual cues to support the tasks, using charts pictures or colour coding. The recommendations and strategies are endless, but as with everything in life, what works for one child may not work for another. In addition, what is working well one week for a child may not work as well the following. So, building strong, trusting relationships with the child and really getting to know them is the most important first step.
My skill and experience developing confidence and self-esteem: A child with low self-esteem and confidence is extremely detrimental for all aspects of their lives. Building these attributes of a child is critical. Methods I have found successful in the past have been; Helping the child learn to do things e.g. ride a bike, bake a cake, this will give them a sense of achievement and feel proud. Praise efforts – I will always try to avoid praising results. Instead, focus on effort, progress, and attitude. Telling a child “I’m proud of you for practicing drawing — you’ve really stuck with it.” With this kind of praise, children put effort into things, work toward goals, and try. This makes them more likely to succeed. I will always avoid being critical. The messages children hear about themselves from others often affect how they feel about themselves. Negative statements do not motivate and can hurt their self-esteem. Correct with patience. I like to focus on a child’s strengths and what they do well and enjoy. By focusing more on strengths than weaknesses the child can feel good about themselves.
My skills and experience teaching children with medical needs: I have worked with a number of children with medical conditions. Through experience I have seen how these can have a significant impact on a child’s confidence, self-esteem, independence and cognitive ability. I am currently working with a student with who is out of education due to his epilepsy. As an older student they have formed a significant part of the process of setting goals and targets, working on learning styles and strategies. These have been both academic and non-academic. We have discovered that they have a flare for cooking so through this I am able to teach reading, writing and maths, plus the functional skills of shopping. Cooking has enabled them to grow in confidence and really helped build their self-esteem. Initially they did not want to share their success’ in the kitchen, but they are now at a point where they are planning what to cook for friends and family.
My skills and experience teaching Maths and English: I have had a lot of experience working with children who have difficulties in both Maths and English. These difficulties often coincide with anxieties around the subject and/or lack of confidence. My initial step is to find out what level the child is working at, through assessments, school feedback and/or other professionals’ feedback. In addition, what the child’s thoughts and feelings are on the subject, what they like/dislike. Once all this information is gathered, I would then carefully plan the most suitable approach to supporting the student. When teaching spelling, reading and writing, there are so many methods and what works well for one child does not for another. It is important to establish the best learning styles for each student. Assessments throughout the sessions would then inform planning for the next steps. I like to make sure all learning is fun and engaging through the use of concrete objects, technology, multi-sensory approaches, visuals, appropriate scaffolding and special interests. If football or animals are motivating, these will feature heavily in our lessons. I often find that children are incredibly creative and through encouraging this, leaning becomes engaging. As a result, the child achieves academically but, most importantly, with confidence and increased self-esteem. Reading/phonic, writing and math become a positive experience. Once the child feel more comfortable with a subject, we can then build up their confidence and consequently their independence.
My skill and experience teaching the primary curriculum: My skills and experience in teaching the primary curriculum are extensive and well-rounded. During my time as a primary school teacher, I taught across all year groups from 1 through 6, allowing me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subjects and topics relevant to each stage of primary education. This experience also enabled me to develop a wide range of teaching methods and strategies that are both age-appropriate and engaging, effectively meeting the diverse needs of young learners.
As a tutor, I have leveraged the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom to create tailored learning programs that are both enjoyable and effective for my students. I prioritise student-driven learning, adapting my approach to align with each child’s unique interests and learning style. Additionally, I emphasise cross-curricular learning, integrating subjects in creative ways—for example, teaching mathematics through cooking or encouraging writing through scientific exploration. This approach not only enhances understanding but also makes learning more relevant and exciting for the students.
