With 17 years of experience as a Primary school teacher and a decade in private tutoring, my expertise includes EYFS (phonics), and I have extensive experience teaching KS1/KS2 and leading SATs intervention groups. My tutoring encompasses online and face-to-face sessions for children with specific learning needs, especially Dyslexia and ADHD.
I have led the design and execution of tailored learning programs for small groups and individual students impacted by Covid-19, focusing on those at-risk and vulnerable as part of the National Tutorship Programme.
Additionally, I have spent 10 years as a Private Tutor, delivering both in-person and online education up to GCSE level in Maths and English. With a daughter who has ADHD and dyslexia, I have gained personal insights into these learning challenges and the resources that aid such learners.
My previous role as a police officer has provided me with the skills to work with children from various backgrounds, including the disadvantaged and vulnerable.
Teaching English including phonics (to support children with Dyslexia/ Dyslexic tendencies)
In the past decade, I have worked extensively with students who had a number of language deficiencies, including language delay, impoverished vocabulary, limited understanding of grammar and syntax, as well as difficulties understanding and using spoken language. My teaching approach incorporates the use of visual aids and involves repetition, modelling and scaffolding. When introducing a new area/concept, I always try to help my students build a bridge between what they already know and what they do not know. Praise, predictability and structure are a few more ingredients for delivering a successful lesson. My lessons also incorporate a number of multisensory techniques (e.g. music, art, sensory elements) which have proven particularly effective for teaching phonics and which can also support the students to remain engaged with the task at hand. Finally, my lessons rely heavily on my students’ special interests. I always try to link my lessons to my students’ preferences and likes. For example, if one of my students has a preference for a particular comic character or book, I try to leverage this preference and include it in my lessons so I can help my students improve their learning performance.
Teaching Maths (to support children with Dyscalculia / Dyscalculia tendencies)
Maths can be a challenging area for many students with special educational needs. Concepts such as time telling, patterns, sequences, or even specific maths operations such as subtraction, can be quite difficult for children with special educational needs. In order to support my students to overcome their challenges, I employ a number of teaching strategies, including modelling, repetition and scaffolding. My teaching experience has also taught me that one of the most important skills that a child with SEN needs to develop from a young age is their ability to generalise the skills they have learned at school in a real-life context. For this reason, I place great emphasis on planning creative and meaningful lessons that involve functional Maths and hands-on activities which can help my students develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills. I also find the use of visual aids and teaching materials such as Numicon, counting cubes and number lines particularly effective.
Working with Children with Autism (ASD)
My experience of working with autistic students has taught me that staying consistent as well as reinforcing the establishment of a highly-structured routine can ease the unpredictability of unexpected changes. Another important tool that proves effective for autistic young people is the use of visual supports including the use of a visual schedule of activities, a Now & Next board as well as a Choice Board. These visual aids are essential tools that support autistic young people to understand the sequence of activities and most importantly, what to expect next. In addition to alleviating anxiety that derives from unpredictability of unexpected changes, visual tools also support autistic young people to develop a better understanding of the nature of their daily tasks and activities. While working with an autistic young person, it is also important to reward flexibility and praise them whenever they cope with a change or an unexpected event. For example, when an activity is cancelled or postponed, it is important to remind the young person how wonderful it is that they are ‘flexible’ and get the young person to associate this skill with getting something they like, like attention. Furthermore, it is essential to remember that autistic young people have their own unique way of processing information. This means that they have their own way of decoding and learning new concepts. It is always helpful to allow them additional time to process the information before proceeding to the next stage of an activity. Another strategy that has proven effective from my past experience is the provision of a short break, often called a ‘choice time’ after the completion of an activity. Since autistic young people may find it quite difficult to switch between activities, it is essential that we allow them additional time before they transition to another activity. This strategy also increases their productivity and attention, as they know that after completing an activity, they will be rewarded with an activity of their choice, e.g., listening to their favourite song, spending time on the iPad for 5 minutes, etc. Another successful teaching tool for autistic young people is the use of social stories. Social stories are a good way to let an autistic young person know regarding a future change or a visit to an unfamiliar environment, e.g., a visit to a dentist. Finally, building a relationship of trust with the autistic young person plays a major role in helping them to achieve their full potential. As a tutor, I believe that getting to know the young person really well, what their preferences, dislikes and needs are, is key to success.
Working with children with ADHD
Throughout my teaching career, I have worked extensively with children with an ADHD diagnosis. While supporting a child who has difficulty in focusing and prioritising, controlling their impulses and sustaining their attention for prolonged periods of time, the following three components are the cornerstones of my teaching method: accommodations, effective instruction, and intervention. More specifically, I design my lessons in a way that facilitates my students’ learning style. Having a positive attitude, lots of understanding and patience, I teach my students the way they prefer to learn while encouraging them to work at their own pace and supporting them to produce quality work. Due to their poor attention, students with ADHD are likely to show lack of motivation and task persistence during difficult tasks. In order to overcome these challenges, I reinforce good behaviour and quality work by providing immediate and sincere praise. My experience has taught me that among the most effective tools to motivate a student with ADHD is to offer them rewards on a point or token system. Furthermore, minimising potential distractions and disruptions, and creating a quite working area that is free of distractions are extremely important for students who experience concentration difficulties. Additionally, my lessons are characterised by a high level of rigour, drive and a clear sense of purpose. I establish clear expectations at the beginning of each lesson and I use visual aids to reinforce major learning points, including the sequence of learning activities. Keeping instructions clear and simple, as well as repeating as necessary are effective instructional strategies that help students with ADHD to remain focused and attentive. Another powerful teaching strategy is having an unobtrusive cue, such a sticky note on my students’ desk, to remind them to stay on task. Finally, my teaching experience so far has taught me that a student with ADHD learns best and flourishes when they are permitted to self-pace their learning. Students with additional needs can easily feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the fast pace of learning and the increasing learning demands. Therefore, it is important that they are given choices to explore, develop their own positive learning experiences, and self-pace through learning material taking as much time as they need before they move on to the next task.
Building Trust
As a tutor, it is always incredibly important for me to know the strengths, weaknesses, and needs of my students so I can plan my lessons accordingly and support my students to reach their full potential. One of the most effective ways I can get to know my students is through observation and regular interaction with them. Spending time with them, getting to know their likes, special interests and dislikes help me as an educator to create an educational plan that is tailored to my students’ profile and needs. Furthermore, setting clear expectations and goals, acknowledging success and praising every achievement are an integral part of my teaching approach. Regardless of how simple or small these achievements are, I believe that by acknowledging my students’ success will make them gain confidence, resilience to keep going, and a willingness to learn and improve their skills. In addition to positive praise and reinforcement, being consistent and trying to keep learning materials and routines as familiar as possible have always helped my students to feel confident and comfortable, and thus more willing to learn and try their best. Moreover, empowering my students and giving them a sense of control over their own learning are essential to supporting them to build their confidence, and become more responsible and independent. Finally, as a tutor, I firmly believe that being a good listener who shows empathy towards students’ needs and difficulties as well as someone who follows their own pace of learning are essential to building a strong connection and a robust relationship of trust with them.
