Jackie

Hello,
Thank you for looking at my profile.
I have been a teacher for over 25 years.
It has been a privilege to encourage children, teenagers and adults to develop a love of learning , and confidence in their chosen subjects.
I have two sons, so I understand the importance of formal education being a positive and encouraging experience for every individual.

As a tutor, I can support pupils/adults in ways that are customised for them as individuals, rather than as one of a large group. It is very rewarding to observe the progress , improved exam results and confidence that they achieve.

Tutoring Experience

I taught in primary schools as a classroom teacher for over 25 years, teaching full classes in all primary subjects from Y1 to Y6 .This included supporting children who were preparing for their SATs and those preparing for 11+ exams in maths and English.
In addition, I have worked with smaller groups of children who needed intervention in specific subjects, especially maths, reading and writing.
I have also worked 1-1 in English literature, language and maths with KS3 and KS4 students preparing for their GCSE Exams. It is extremely rewarding, to watch the increase in students' confidence ,as their mock exam results move to higher levels.

Maths:
This is such a key subject for life , not just to gain passes.
My aim is to encourage pupils/adults to be confident when working with numbers, through understanding, discovery, recognition of numeric patterns and teaching of specific formulae and theorem.
It is a great pleasure to watch pupils/adults demonstrate considerable improvement and confidence, resulting in an enjoyment of the subject. With many students, I am teaching to fill the gaps in their knowledge of basic processes in maths, when this is done they make great progress.
Also I have worked with many adults who need to pass GCSE exams in order to progress in their careers, both in maths and English .

Literacy:
Along with maths, literacy is key to pupils' / adults' confidence for life.
I have attended several courses in order to use new and researched strategies to help pupils overcome their difficulties, gain confidence and develop enthusiasm for reading and writing.
These included "Write Away Together", "Reciprocal Reading" and dyslexia courses. This training has given me additional skills when working both with pupils who have specific literacy needs and to develop those who are competent in literacy.

As a tutor, I have also worked 1-1 with students considered to have dyslexia and others with autism.
I have taught many dyslexic students. I implement strategies best suited to each individual, not "one size fits all" methods.
They make great progress in confidence and hence subsequent exam results.

I would like to add that since the first lockdown in March 2020, I have presented lessons using Skype and Zoom to students in the UK, Europe and further afield. Pupils have readily embraced this form of learning. Despite not being able to meet with students in person, the use of screen sharing and real time editing has kept the lessons engaging and effective. For students with dyslexia, extra support via " immersive reader" in Microsoft Word has yielded considerable improvements.

Tutoring Approach

Having taught both full classes in primary schools and supported individual pupils/adults, I have gained considerable knowledge about the diversity of ways in which pupils learn and absorb information.
I use a variety of creative approaches to support students. As a result, they have greater confidence, positive outcomes and success.I also include more formal methods to produce specific outcomes required by the adult students and parents of younger pupils.
Each student has unique needs and I aim to target these with individual assessment and subsequent personalised support.

I keep up to date with the latest changes in education via specific websites.