Kelly

My experience developing trusting relationships and rapport with students with SEN: As a teacher with rich experience working with students with SEN, I am naturally a nurturing and supportive practitioner when it comes to scaffolding learning. I am empathetic and always have time to listen to my students’ concerns, providing a reliable and solid person for them to interact with. Routine and regular daily events are key supporting students with special needs and I make a point to keep to planned structures while assisting understanding of change. Being a naturally friendly and fun loving person, I enjoy building these relationships of trust and reassuring my student that my support is unconditional, and I endeavour to celebrate every success regardless of size. Celebrating the success of each individual student demonstrates to a learner that I am willing to support their learning journey and take the time and care they need to progress to their next stage in learning. Having fun with my students allows us to interact and work together to approach many different and enjoyable experiences. My resilience allows me to pursue strong relationships and I am keen to work with my students through any challenges they may face.

My skills and experience teaching students with Dyslexia: I have worked in both a school and home environment with students who have Dyslexia. I am confident working alongside students to develop the necessary techniques and skills to work upon specific literacy difficulties and prepare them with strategies to access the complete curriculum. Examples include specific colouring of resources to access extended texts and teaching processing skills to deal with tricky vocabulary. Hands-on experiences, encouraging enjoyment of literacy and word games develop confidence in my learners. We use a range of assistive technology to produce text and streamline the writing process while allowing core skills to be focused on. Many of my home tuition students with Dyslexia have made great use of the tools we have studied together including taking time with reading and applying a multi-sensory approach to learning. Finding a purpose for reading and writing often speaks to my students and allows access to a wider range of materials to stimulate and engage a once reluctant reader or writer.

My specialist experience working with students with ADHD: Having worked with a number of students with ADHD in the classroom and on a one to one basis, I enjoy supporting the development and confidence of students who are facing ADHD in their learning journey. I use a range of confidence building techniques such as breaking down work into smaller goals, celebrating completion of each target and not repeating too many instructions in one activity. I ensure our work zone is clear from distractions and ensure my positive reinforcement is regular and consistent.

My experience teaching young people with working memory/processing needs: when my students are presenting with working memory and processing needs it is important to model manageable structures to support the organisation of information and day to day tasks. Often I will work with a student to approach the processing of new information in a way that best suits their individual needs. For example if auditory or language processing is a challenge, I will break the material down into shorter sound bites and present this in an environment free from external distractions. As students develop, working memory needs can be support with clear visual timetables, visual organisation structures and memory games to develop skills for recall.  When supporting students with processing needs my lessons are clearly structured to support development of a routine and goals are clearly marked for my students in a manner that is age and ability appropriate. Regular recall of lesson and life goals are crucial to supporting memory needs and this is a key part of my tuition sessions.

My experience and skills teaching secondary maths and English

I am confident in delivering the KS3 and 4 curriculum with secondary learners. I have a thorough working knowledge of the Secondary school requirements for the core subjects and have taught up to GCSE in both Maths, English and Science. I am available to provide at home support with assignments and also have experience homeschooling students for the complete programme of study. I have worked with a number of students supporting their understanding of core maths and English topics and particularly those with dyslexia and therefore, needing extra support with processing information and ensuring they are able to organise this as exams and homework deadlines approach. I feel working as a supportive mentor really gleans results with secondary students and allows them to tackle the higher level of material with confidence.

My experience teaching executive functioning/ study skills: When working with students to develop their executive functioning and study skills, I work alongside the student to develop a personalised plan that can allow their confidence to grow in organising their study and general approach to learning and organisation. We first outline our goals and what areas would be useful for support. Once goals are clear we work together to put in place a manageable plan to support progress. Using a range of devices such as note making programmes, diagrams, mind maps and priority notes we work to have clear structures to support study and learning. Together we keep updates and track progress so we can celebrate success and learn from techniques that might not have achieved the goal the first time. This collaborative and supportive approach is key to development of effective executive functioning skills.

My skills and experience boosting students’ self-esteem and confidence:  In my teaching experience, positive reinforcement has proven key to unlock a student’s confidence and ensure they are best placed to be happy and succeed at school. I celebrate every achievement with encouraging words and rewards. I feel my approachable nature means my students are happy to ask me questions when they face difficulties. My approach is to ensure children reflect upon their process as a crucial part of the learning process and set their own goals in addition to their teachers. My experience has taught me that having high yet achievable expectations for my students raises their confidence in their abilities.

My experience planning and delivering fun enjoyable sessions to inspire a love of learning: Having worked as a one to one tutor for over 15 years, I have developed a range of interactive and stimulating activities that build a passion for learning for my students. I am creative and enjoy linking a mixture of resources to plan both short and longer topic based sessions. The relationship between tutor and student is crucial to ensure sessions are engaging and I really work with my learners to use their own personal interests to develop and plan my sessions. For example, a student with a passion for Lego, created a workshop to look at area and perimeter calculations based on the size of their models. Taking part in physical activities such as scavenger hunts and creating board games really involves my students and they often comment on how much fun they have had during our session. Communication skills can be studied by creating radio shows and working towards audio visual presentations that can be celebrated by the student and their family. In the current shift to online learning, my creative skills have been challenged to find new ways to ensure my sessions are engaging when learning virtually. Particular success stories have included allowing the student to produce learning fact sheets using images and codes, building online quizzes together and creating interviews based upon web based learning programmes. My experience has taught me the key to engage and stimulate a student is to be passionate and positive about my own learning journey and share the learning challenges alongside the learner. Having fun is key!

My skills and experience working with students to develop their independence: My sessions are designed to promote independence in my learners. I make use of research based activities to ensure from the start students are investigating the topics we study and experience the process of learning from questioning to investigation. I model to my students how to plan out a schedule using visual tools such as a wall calendar and visual timetable. Giving a student ownership of their learning from a young age and developing their curiosity with interactive lessons ensures my pupils are keen to learn and know how to challenge themselves. I use a reward system to encourage independence in daily tasks for younger learners so they are in charge of their learning resources and know how to support the organisation of the classroom environment. Celebrating success in both academic and everyday achievement allows my students to become independent learners and individuals.

My specialist experience working with students with autism (ASD): During my teaching career to date I have developed extensive skills working with students with autism. This has ranged from providing specialist support in a formal classroom environment to leading and running a complete home-school environment. I have also worked with students to develop their social interaction using social stories programmes. My teaching experience has allowed me to develop clear communication techniques and this forms the basis of good relationships with my students. During a particular home school assignment, I enabled my student to access the curriculum using a range of kinaesthetic learning tools and we worked on building confidence with new ideas whilst reviewing regularly past work. I have used PECs with students to assist their understanding of the world around them and also ensure we use a range of regular established routines to help comprehension of social and academic skills. I ensure my lessons with students are paced correctly to reflect the needs of the learner and enjoy using a range of different tools such as ICT and practical hands on examples of abstract concepts to support my students with Autism.

My experience teaching children with language difficulties including expressive and receptive language needs: When working with students who have language difficulties or are non-verbal I have used a variety of techniques to communicate with my learner. This might be reading signs of body language or using visual prompts and pictures to share ideas together. Programmes such as Communicate in Print assist communication and help build a learning environment. Responding to a student’s needs and prompts requires my lessons to be reactive and I am flexible in my approach to enable learning. I ensure my conversation is clear and pay attention to the response of my student to assess whether an activity is successful or needs adjusting. When assisting students with difficulties with expressive and receptive language we work together to find effective channels of communication. Whether this is repetition of a set of instructions or using clear visual timetables, a number of adaptations can be made to the delivery and content of my lessons to allow skills to be developed at my student’s pace.

My experience teaching Maths: Teaching maths in the classroom and as a one to one tutor I have developed the skills to break down topics and present them in a clear and concise manner. Focusing on the fundamentals such as times tables and basic operational methods for addition and subtraction, I believe it is vital to ensure the basic skills are in place to build upon when advancing through the key subjects. Patience is vital at this early stage and regular repetition and interactive activities bringing numbers alive are part of my tools when teaching. As with most subjects, understanding the practical side of maths is key to understanding and as well as traditional text book methods, I enjoy setting up practical situations for students to explore maths concepts. These could include measuring items, working out the weight of items using scales and as further concepts develop, finding areas of different shapes through using squared paper to draw out shapes. Maths is a subject that often scares students and being a positive support during my students’ journey in this topic is vital to ensure they have the confidence and support to work through the necessary concepts. Work as a mathematics examiner has allowed me to understand the necessary skills and teaching approaches to allow students to explore the world of mathematics in more detail.

My experience teaching English including reading and phonics:  I have been teaching English as a class teacher up to KS4 level and have a strong grasp of the current National Curriculum requirements. I have twice worked as an examiner for the KS2 English Sats and keep up to date with recent literacy teaching methods. I enjoy working on a range of basic skills such as phonics, print making and developing a love of reading within my students. I have a range of resources to develop free writing skills, considering grammar and spelling and am particularly skilled working with reluctant writers to enhance their written work skills. When working upon story writing, I use visual prompts to allow my student to develop a creative world in their mind and assist the story writing process. We work together to build up characters and settings and I use images, virtual learning clips and other tools to scaffold the process from thoughts to the written word.

Reading is a core skill and I enjoy planning interactive sessions that develop my students’ confidence to tackle new texts and be able to engage with the subject matter at hand. Of particular interest to me is working with students to support their written work when faced with additional learning needs. Practical examples of writing and how they can be used in everyday life really stimulate my students and enhance their enjoyment of English learning. For example, writing instructions which they can then follow in a practical activity is a really interactive and fun way to engage a reluctant writer. I am knowledgeable with a number of different phonics programmes and can utilise a range of physical and written resources to teach phonetic recognition and blending skills. A wide range of resources such as songs, rhymes and poetry can be used to introduce reading and develop phonetic knowledge.

My skills and experience supporting children to access outdoor and community learning; (social clubs, farms, transport etc.): I have worked alongside a number of students to assist their access to outdoor and community learning opportunities. From designing scavenger hunts in school or personal gardens, to riding the train and bus network using time tables, I am able to create real life, enjoyable experiences in the outdoor classroom. I believe the outdoor environment is ripe with immersive sensory experiences and these can be tailored to suit a student’s needs or interests. Building confidence with the outdoor world and creating social situations is key to developing a greater understanding of the social and academic demands placed upon young people as they progress. Using community facilities such as farms and forests is a core part of any plans I devise for my students. Understanding the demands of common facilities and working alongside nature or others in the community is a crucial skill for my learners and I am able to manage the environment to move at their own pace. For younger children, we have created mud kitchens and with my older students we have engaged with different bird calls using these to link to scientific study or even used a view to inspire a conversation about communication or poetry.

My skills and experience teaching students with concentration and attention needs: During the current global pandemic, my teaching skills have evolved to enable children to access their learning online. I plan interesting and engaging lessons using a range of resources that spark their interests and foster a love of learning. Using methods such as screen movement breaks and active learning tasks, I am experienced in helping students of all age groups work towards longer periods of concentration and focus. I have extensive experience working with students who need at-home support to develop areas of confidence and general academic skills. I am skilled in introducing study routines for students who have trouble organising themselves and need general study support in order to organise their academic life.

My experience preparing students for the 11+ examinations: I have extensive experience preparing students for the 11+ exams. During this time, I have become familiar with a wide variety of exams and the current evolution of 11+ testing in this competitive arena. Many of my students have gained entry to the top London day and UK boarding schools and I am well versed in the stringent requirements of each school. I commence examination preparation with a baseline assessment to understand my students needs and strengths and then prepare a highly personalised plan for my student to follow. This focuses on the 4 areas of assessment in maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. I ensure the basic concepts are well grounded and once in place exam technique is covered alongside interview techniques. It is vital to ensure my lessons are highly personalised and most importantly fun to enable my students to enjoy the process of exam preparation.

My experience working with students who have OCD: When working with my students who have OCD, I believe a consistent and supportive approach is effective. A number of my students have required time to have breaks and feel supported in the learning environment. We have created safe spaces that allow my students to explore the learning goals yet not challenge themselves in ways that will provoke unnecessary anxiety. A collaborative approach with the student and wider team is an effective tool to support repetitive behaviours. I manage work so that it is accessible and broken into bite sized chunks to support learning. I am targeted with my praise and ensure that all success is celebrated whilst reinforcing that perfection is not required in the learning journey. Not only do we ensure the learning environment is a safe place but I take care to provide appropriate resources and materials to guide the learning process. Most importantly I am a supportive presence who works with my pupils to enable their development.

My experience working with children with SPD (sensory processing disorder): When working with students who have Auditory and Sensory Processing needs I have a toolbox of techniques that ensure lessons are fruitful and productive. From ensuring the appropriate location with no distractions, to using a range of visual stimuli for sessions, I create a calm learning environment. A patient approach to teaching is required and my sessions are clearly organised with regular repetition of concepts and check-up questions to ensure each task is understood. Using recognisable routines and having clear transitions supports my teaching and builds up confidence in my students’ learning journey. Using a mixture of resources during a session is crucial and this allows my learners to have the confidence to challenge themselves in the classroom. Personalising techniques for each and every student, I ensure my sessions cater for every learning style and building strong, trust filled relationships enables my learner to feel secure in their development.

My experience using creativity and thinking outside the box: I am a naturally creative person who enjoys using a range of different resources and experiences to develop a stimulating programme for my student that keeps them on their toes. I have planned unusual experiences such as treasure hunts using codes, designing clothes for a pet’s competition and writing our own joke books. I have a clear goal and outcome for every engaging session I plan and this allows my learner to experience a learning journey that is unique and has exciting twists and turns. Particularly exciting activities have included making circuits with edible components, nature hunts in the forest or even making home-made perfumes using flowers.

My specialist experience working with students with anxiety: During my teaching career, I have worked with students who suffer with anxiety. We work together to plan out our sessions and ensure we both are aware of the aims and goals of each session. This allows my students to be confident in what they are expected to achieve and feel like an active participant in their learning journey. By building a strong relationship with each pupil I am able to ensure they feel supported and develop a confidence to challenge themselves to achieve success in their goals. I encourage my students to express themselves through music, the written word, drawing and any other hobby which serves as an outlet for their anxiety and thought process.

My skills and experience working with students with complex needs: When working with students with complex needs, I always ensure I am well informed of my student’s particular needs by liaising with professionals such as SLTs, OTs and of course the students family. Once I am fully informed of the physical, emotional, cognitive and academic needs of my student, I prepare sessions to support and facilitate the best possible learning outcome for each student. I have worked in a classroom and tuition settings with students who have varied and complex needs and I have happily been able to provide a stimulating learning environment tailored to physical and cognitive requirements. I am extremely patient and enjoy planning learning activities that will enhance and contribute to a learning journey. Working alongside students who have complex needs has been a key component of my SEN tuition experience and I am always ready to plan and design a curriculum that best suits my learner.

My experience teaching functional and life skills: I have worked with a number of students to work upon functional and life skills. Key to my approach is to use real world scenarios to practise core skills. From using money to go shopping and chose the most appropriate item for the job or creating a shopping list we work together to learn these basic life skills. With older students, we build a list of skills that we wish to approach together and I will guide my student with suggestions about different activities they might like to complete. Recently a student and I worked together to cook a complete meal and she took great pride in presenting the results to her family after she had worked through the process of creating a shopping list, buying and budgeting for ingredients and then the practical cooking process. Celebrating these successes are vital to ensure progress is sustained and I believe in constant positive reinforcement.

My experience supporting students to transition to new schools and environments: I have worked with a number of students to prepare them for entry to a new school environment. From working alongside the family to source the most appropriate environment for my student, to accompanying the student on school visits and building initial relationships with potential teachers, I am well versed in ensuring this important journey is as smooth as possible. In our sessions, I will gradually introduce the concept and idea of a new environment and together we explore the new school and work on skills that will allow my student to acclimatise to a new learning experience. During such a challenging time with much uncertainty, my support and consistency is vital to provide additional support to the student and we will rehearse routines and explore the different outcomes of a change in school. Clearly building a strong and resilient relationship with my student is essential to provide the necessary support during this time.

My specialist experience working with students with PDA: When working with students with PDA it is crucial to understand what demands will create anxiety and stress for my student. Often working together with family and other professionals, we can develop a range of strategies to support and allow a student to access the curriculum. Learning holistic ways to cope with anxiety as a result of demands can lower stress levels and techniques such as choosing which activities to focus on and being realistic with the outcome can be helpful. In addition, I have learnt it is an important balance between giving notice of transition between activities but ensuring this in itself does not become a source of impending anxiety. Modification of activities either before or during a session is a way to allow my students to access the curriculum in a way that supports their needs. Always having a backup plan has allowed me to ensure we are able to meet our session goals on some level. Making activities seem less demanding by disguising them as part of a game or using indirect language such as “I wonder if” or “maybe we can” is another tool I have found works well. Allowing my students with PDA to have a safe space and area to relax in the learning environment is another approach which supports a successful learning experience.

My specialist experience teaching play skills: When working with students to develop their play skills I believe it is vital to use a child lead approach which allows my student to explore the world around them and develop crucial life and learning skills in an exploratory and enjoyable manner. Skills for imagination, construction, interpersonal and solitary play can be developed with a range of child lead activities planned to engage and capture the attention of my students. My activities range from those constructed to develop problem solving skills such as a colour hunt, to those designed to teach about turn taking and sharing with others. I use physical objects to allow play to explore the natural world and also plan activities to allow my students to explore their creative ideas. My sessions have allowed students with additional needs to develop their executive functioning alongside improving both receptive and expressive language. Most of all, play is fun and I love to plan a range of activities that promote fun and relaxation at the core.

My specialist experience teaching life skills: Having worked with students to develop their life skills, I am well accustomed to planning relevant and informative sessions that provide real life opportunities to develop crucial skills for life. Sessions have covered topics such as hygiene, dressing, social interaction and following instructions. I believe it is vital to create real world situations where learning can take place and frequently use a range of environments and resources to support my lessons. These include: buying tickets for travel, purchasing soap and hygiene products to then use and giving directions to peers. I always ensure my lessons are interactive and allow adequate time for practice of new skills. I believe having regular visual and audio reminders of skills such as handwashing, dressing and using money benefits my students greatly and reinforces lessons learnt. When I plan sessions to teach the skill of following instructions, I work alongside my student to create instructions for fun activities they can use independently thus allowing them to develop confidence and independence. Most importantly I create a space of trust where new concepts are learnt together and success is celebrated.

My specialist experience helping children with their homework: I have worked as an in-home tutor supporting families with school based learning programmes and supporting homework. I believe it is crucial to allow each learner to have ownership of their homework whilst being gently supported to complete work accurately and with pride. I will prepare resources that support the work being studied in class and scaffold learning so that homework is an enjoyable part of the learning process rather than a chore. I celebrate completion of homework with my students whilst guiding them to recall the concepts studied in school which should support their homework completion. When I notice a particular interest based on homework, I will provide my student the opportunity to extend their interest and research a topic further. 

My experience supporting challenging behaviour: When working with students displaying challenging behaviours, it is important for me to remain calm and provide a consistent approach with my students. I am patient and will allow my students to explore their emotions, yet I am firm with my demands and expectations. I work hard to develop a good relationship with my students so that incidents of challenging behaviour are able to be managed by a trusted teacher with whom an existing relationship is former. I am a strong believer in positive reinforcement and work alongside parents to ensure a clear system of reward is in place. Of course, the importance of consistency and clear guidelines allows my students the space and support to develop techniques to deal with the underlying issues that prompt challenging behaviour.

My experience working with students with SEMH: When working with students to support their self-regulation and coping strategies, I use a range of personalised techniques to allow my learners to develop their ability to regulate emotions. These include visual timetables to map out upcoming events and approaches to deal with possible emotions. We work together to have quick regulation check in’s and focus on different strategies throughout the day. I encourage my students to be patient with their feelings and spend time working through ways to express and explore the range of emotions they may experience. As a tutor, I am privileged to have the time and space to work intensively with students to provide personalised support and strategies to support the development of self-regulation skills.

My skills and experience working as a leading home-school teacher, inc. creating timetables, organising activities/ resources etc: Having curated and delivered numerous home school programmes I am confident in preparing a tailor made curriculum for my students. I prepare a range of stimulating sessions that take advantage of the home-school classroom and use resources to engage and encourage my learners. Thinking outside the box and creating fun learning opportunities such as baking, crafting, printing and ICT, are vital to ensuring the success of an out of school programme. Using my knowledge of the curriculum about each student’s goals from other professionals, I prepare a flexible, reactive curriculum that develops alongside the learner in order to help them achieve their goals. Keeping my student motivated and engaged as part of a home school programme is crucial and I develop excellent relationships with each student to facilitate a fun learning environment.

My experience teaching children who have suffered a brain injury: When working with students who have had a brain injury, I ensure my lessons are specifically tailored for their individual academic and physical needs. It is important to be patient and have time to explore the different areas that each student might need additional support both in the curriculum and emotionally. I am experienced working with a number of specialists to ensure a student’s cognitive and learning needs are catered for. I have also worked alongside a number of agencies including SLTs and OTs to ensure language and physical and sensory needs are met with resources and teaching support. Most crucially, it is being sensitive to a student’s social and emotional needs after a brain injury to allow them to have the confidence and self-belief to access the curriculum.

My specialist experience managing and overseeing multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs): I have managed a range of teams in educational settings comprising of: in class support workers, ABA teams, SLTs, OTs and generalist teachers. In managing a range of professionals, it is crucial to have excellent communication between the team to ensure everyone is committed and working towards the same goal. I set up online communication books for professionals to communicate and share ideas and progress reports. Encouraging an open and regular dialogue with the team and parents is also a milestone for a successful home-school team. Using each specialist’s individual skill set is a key way to ensure the best outcome with a home school programme and regular one to one check-ins ensure that every team member is able to contribute to the overall learning goals.

My experience working with students who have Dyscalculia: I have vast experience working with students who have dyscalculia to provide holistic and supportive sessions that develop their understanding and application in the maths classroom. I use a number of hands on techniques to develop number skills and allow these core ideas to support learning as the curriculum expands. My training to be a dyscalculia specialist tutor examines multi-sensory techniques that can support understanding of number. Recognising dyscalculia and providing targeted support are key to ensuring progress and confidence. A number of interventions can support learners with dyscalculia and these include breaking tasks down into smaller subsections and ideas, creating real life problems and walking through sets of numbers to bring them alive. In addition, regular review and revise sessions can support development and mastery of skills. An abundance of patience is core to investing in the learner’s development.