Jess

•  My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships;

Forming tutor/student & family relationships is the best part of being a tutor or teacher and the most important in terms of making progress over time. I have been fully committed to every single student that I have taught throughout my career and have been commended on this, even when working in busy schools with many students. I am proud to have made a positive impact on my students in their formative, teenage years and they often email me to tell me about how they are getting on. 

•  My experience working with young people with ASC (autism); 

I have lived experience of both brain injury and autism within my immediate family and this means that I work extremely well with children and young people with SEN and autism. I have a patient and firm yet calm demeanour with my students and I have taught young people with autism in a range of specialist settings and 1-1 tutoring environments. Within my tutoring sessions I create relevant and purposeful learning experiences for my students, whilst keeping to routine and use symbols and visual aids where appropriate. 

•  My experience working with young people with anxiety;

Most of the children and young people that I have worked with, have been anxious or have been suffering from varying levels of an anxiety disorder. I will have approached this differently for each group or individual but have always done so with kindness and compassion. As a teacher, I am solution focussed and come up with different creative strategies to address the mental health needs of my students, which could include; considering the sensory environment, breathing/relaxation techniques, movement or yoga, mindful drawing and journaling, developing trust and using humour.  

•  My experience working with young people with SEMH/mental health needs;

I have experience of teaching students with SEMH/mental health needs, including trauma and I offer a child -led, low demand approach. I deliver sessions that consider a students needs and build upon their progress in small steps. I also understand that for SEMH children, progress may not be conventional and can present itself in a non-linear way.

•  My experience teaching study skills;

My experience in mainstream, combined with my years in a special school, gives me a unique skill set and I have developed students’ executive functioning skills in a variety of ways. This includes building up their confidence to; follow 2-step or multi-step instructions, complete core Literacy/Maths tasks independently, develop self-control and the skills to recognise ‘what is being asked of them’. In a formal learning sense, this also includes supporting the student to; build up their own glossaries & vocabulary banks, apply the oral and written strategies that work for them and to be able to ask for help when they are struggling.

I am a qualified Art teacher and can teach a range of ages, from the National Curriculum to A-Level Art and FE. I have developed methods and techniques to teach online, including using new technology. pre-made packs and other techniques. I have an art studio in my own home and this is my teaching space, which is well equipped, calm and inviting. I personalise my teaching to the needs of each student and make sure that the subject matter is relevant and motivating, whilst teaching key art skills or associated skills such as executive functioning/ study skills.

•  My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem;

I believe that kindness, encouragement, and enthusiasm are the most important starting points when building a young person’s confidence and self-esteem. It is vital that a tutor can adapt to the individual needs of a young person and ensure that they feel ‘heard’ and ‘seen’. To go the extra mile for them, especially when they may have been let down so much before. As a teacher, I am solution focussed and come up with different creative strategies to ensure that the student feels proud of their achievements.

•  My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning.

I have 14 years of experience within either a creative or SEN holistic learning environment and I make my tutoring sessions engaging and relevant to the needs of the student. During the pandemic I was responsible for the online/remote learning for 15 students with a Severe Learning Disability (SLD), including Autism. I led sessions online that were well planned and interactive. I went above and beyond by sending out learning ‘packs’ of resources, rather than just electronically, and students loved getting these through the post! I ran group lessons and 1-2-1 sessions during a very turbulent time, with a focus on engagement, wellbeing and recovery.

•  My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence

I believe that developing a student’s independence is one of the most fundamental aspects of my job and it is integral to not just their learning but to their life chances and prospects. It is something that needs to be built up gradually and I have experience of doing this through writing schemes of work, delivering lessons and creating holistic learning opportunities. Revision strategies and learning logs need to be developed with the young person and they need to feel as if they have ownership of the process. The same strategies will not work for everyone, and it is about being patient and flexible.