I have taught in the UK state system and in private international schools in Spain and the USA. I teach all Primary subjects with a specialism in English and the Creative Arts. I have a BA in English and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from UEA and have I have led many Creative Writing workshops encouraging children to write by providing fun and creative ideas taking the focus off ‘ getting it right’ to focusing on the child being able to express themselves though words, then gently correcting if need be. My passion is watching children find their way to a love of reading and writing.
I ran a nurture group in school for four years working with children with a variety of SEND needs and with those experiencing life’s challenges such as bereavement, severe anxiety and school refusers.
I combine my academic skills and 20 years teaching experience with a creative, holistic approach and develop meaningful relationships with the children and their parents/carers. I am kind, friendly and warm and I encourage the child to reach their potential through interesting and informative lessons.
My strengths are patience, creativity, warmth and a flexibility in learning approaches with a desire to see the child move forward and break through their barriers to learning. I develop strong relationships with the child built on trust so they feel safe and comfortable with me in their learning journey.
I can combine a more formal learning approach with creative activities including art, music and drama to help the child reach their potential and I use a variety of teaching resources. For children with short attention spans I am aware of creating lessons to prevent boredom and frustration. I have a good sense of when a child is becoming restless and I will change the activity accordingly by using multi sensory activities, timers and clear visual goal setting.
I encourage the child to tell me how they are feeling and when they need change and am aware if the child is experiencing sensory overload and perceived demands. I encourage listening and sharing skills which gives the child time to process information, feel empowered and gain confidence in feeling an equal. I encourage debate and highly value the child’s input. I encourage children to think for themselves and ‘try things out’. I do not like the concept of failing and work towards taking this pressure off the child so they can thrive.
I have twenty years of teaching all Primary subjects both in the state and private system in the UK and abroad and offer a unique and bespoke approach tailored to your child’s needs. For the past two years I have predominately worked with primary age children on a one to one basis teaching English and Maths.
My rate is £120 per hour
HOW CAN I HELP?
Support for anxiety, self-esteem and confidence and specialist experience with SEN children to develop trusting and meaningful relationships
Having nearly 20 years Primary age teaching experience, I have worked with many children who have low confidence and anxiety around learning or generalised anxiety. For the past two and a half years I have worked solely as a one to one tutor with SEND children who cannot attend formal education often caused by their anxiety around formal learning environments or about their ability to keep up with their peers. This can lead to a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. I use a variety of techniques and methods to reduce anxiety around learning. I often remove all barriers about ‘performance’ and introduce fun and creative ways back to learning to remind the child that learning is fun and personal to them and encourage a ‘have a go’ attitude. The environment I create is calm, creative and non-judgemental, gently encouraging a child to find their way back to loving learning.
I have developed a flexible approach to prevent the child feeling anxious and I combine my empathetic approach with clear target setting based on my informed knowledge of curriculum subjects. I ‘meet the child where they are’ in terms of their learning abilities and gently encourage a love of learning which builds confidence and gives the child the skills they need. I have a good sense of humour and enjoy making the lessons fun, informative and creative
I use many techniques to take the pressure from the child such as distraction, anxiety reducing activities using sensory work, breathing techniques, mindfulness, helping them to recognise their triggers and implementing strategies to manage these. I praise all success however small and aim to raise confidence and self-esteem by encouraging self belief in their abilities which they may have lost. I listen carefully and am trained to recognise cues to see when a child is losing focus or retreating. I create a strong bond of trust where the child can feel safe and comfortable to express and recognise how they are feeling and explore ways of managing those feelings so they can regain their sense of confidence in their learning abilities.
Support for teaching autistic young people
For over two years I have been working solely as a SEND tutor on a one to one basis. I have worked with many young people who have autism from children who are non verbal to children who are high functioning and recognise that every child is different and therefore I provide a bespoke teaching experience designed to help your child. I have developed a teaching style which focuses around the interests of the child and build different subject lessons incorporating these interests e.g. learning shapes, colours and counting by using dinosaur toys or writing words to describe different trains.
Sensory and movement breaks are often necessary to avoid overwhelm or perceived demands so I will frequently adapt activities to meet the needs of the child. I support the child in developing not only their academic skills but also their communication and language, social skills and behavioural needs. We look at the different learning styles and create a unique learning experience for your child in an environment where they feel heard, safe and comfortable.
Support for teaching study skills and executive functioning support
I employ a variety of techniques to develop the study skills and the executive functioning of the child if this is required. These include using checklists, prioritising tasks, attempting challenging tasks, creating routines, using timers, using calendars and planners, using rewards and encouragement for efforts and helping to develop a growth mindset.
I encourage the child to take pride in their achievements and through exploring different techniques to help them study, they gain confidence and self belief in their learning abilities.
Support in teaching Primary English and Maths
Having taught Primary age children for over 20 years here in the UK and abroad, I have extensive experience with teaching the Primary Curriculum and employ lessons which incorporate many different ways of learning.
I help children develop their reasoning and problem solving skills in Maths by employing many different methods and working with games, puzzles, blocks, cards and models. Many children are anxious about their handwriting with letters and numbers eg. confusing the direction of ‘b’ and ‘d’ and I encourage ways to support this by making letters in sand, making clay letters and other sensory ways of letter and number making which doesn’t focus on the pencil therefore reducing anxiety, yet the child gains knowledge and familiarity with the correct letter and number shapes.
There are many hands on activities to promote counting, addition, subtraction and multiplication which do not require a pencil and paper at first to build the child’s confidence if they have lost confidence in their book work.
I have a BA in English and an MA in Creative Writing and alongside my extensive teaching experience in English, I have also led many Creative Writing workshops for all ages which provide a safe and comfortable environment to rediscover a love of words. I passionately believe reading and writing should be accessible to everyone and I work hard to break down barriers children have with English. My approach is unique and successful, taking away all pressure about the final outcome, but rather enjoying the process of storytelling, poetry, non-fiction writing and more. I foster a love of words and encourage a sense of ownership in the children that they too can enjoy and explore language. As their love of words returns, I gently introduce grammar skills when they are ready, whilst always being mindful not to thwart their confidence in English which they have developed.
Support in boosting confidence and self esteem, developing independence and creating a love of learning through engaging lessons
The most common feedback I receive from parents or carers is how the child has grown in confidence as an individual and in their learning abilities. One of my strengths is in creating a safe and positive environment for the child to grow. It is a learning environment which fosters a ‘give it a go’ mentality, rejecting the idea of failing and creating opportunities for the child to thrive. Praise is at the heart of my teaching as many SEN children have lost a sense of pride in their work and abilities through possibly struggling in a mainstream environment. They often feel they can’t get something right which in turn leads to shutting down and not trying. Helping to build the self confidence of a child is at the heart of my teaching. It can help them in all areas of their life, not just academic. My lessons are bespoke for the needs of the child and are engaging and support independent learning so a child can once again participate and thrive in their learning journey.
