Lisa

I am a caring, calm and patient primary (KS1) and SEN teacher, having over ten years experience in schools in East Sussex, Dubai, Australia and Cambodia. Having worked four years as a SEN Class Teacher in Melbourne, Australia, I have a wealth of knowledge and experience working with pupils with a variety of needs including ASD, ADHD, Down's Syndrome, social/emotional/behavioural difficulties, speech and language delay, hearing and visual impairments. My passion is teaching phonics and early literacy skills. I have also worked as a Literacy Intervention Teacher.

Tutoring Experience

Since 2014, I have gained a wealth of experience and expertise in working with pupils with special needs. From 2015-2018 I worked as a full time special needs teacher in Melbourne. I worked with pupils from the ages of 6 to 10 with a range of needs including ASD, ADHD, visual and hearing impairments, speech and language delay, Down’s Syndrome, behavioural and social/emotional difficulties. Each child had their own specific targets and the curriculum was tailored to their specific needs, learning styles and interests.

One of my key strengths is teaching literacy to pupils with SEN. Teaching phonics is one of my passions and areas of expertise. Whilst teaching in Melbourne, I implemented differentiated, streamed phonics lessons throughout KS1 and KS2. Lessons followed the key principles of teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics and were fun, active and engaging, catering for the range of needs in the group. Resources and activities were created and adapted to support particular pupils with processing issues or working memory impairments. During my last 5 months working in Melbourne, I took on the role of Literacy Intervention teacher, which involved working with small groups of pupils needing further support with reading and writing. I am passionate about teaching literacy and love bringing it to life through books, songs, rhymes, puppets, drama and role-play. I have found that this supports pupils' speech and language development, as well as increasing their confidence.

I have worked with many pupils with a speech and language delay, some of whom were non-verbal. I have worked with a speech and language team to develop a whole school initiative in order to give all pupils access to a form of communication. We designed a ‘communication board’ which included core words, signs and symbols that were taught weekly to all pupil across the school. Pupils learned to use the board by pointing to the symbols or using signs in order to build up simple sentences. All teachers carried a set of the core symbols with them at all times and the communication board was displayed throughout the school, giving all staff and pupils a way of communicating with each other, as well as instil-ling confidence and independence in individual pupils. I completed the Foundation Level in Makaton last year and I continue to practise signs with my toddler at home.

I have had experience in using a range of resources and strategies to support pupils with ASD, many of which have been adapted and individualised according to what a particular pupil needs. These have included the use of social stories, video modelling, positive behaviour plans and reward charts, self-regulation techniques, visual schedules, individually made ‘task boxes’, gross and fine motor control development activities, speech and language programmes, play therapy, and the implementation of certain resources such as slant boards, wobble cushions, weighted vests and fidget toys.

Since the COVID pandemic began, I have successfully been tutoring online via ZOOM for the past two years.

Tutoring Approach

When working with pupils, particularly those with SEN, I believe that although knowing their diagnosis can be extremely helpful and important, what is most important is getting to know the individual child and discovering how they can be best supported.
I love to bring learning to life and I believe pupils learn best when they feel secure and comfortable in their surroundings and are motivated by what interests them. I aim to capture pupils’ interests and spark their imagination in order to foster their love of learning.
I am a calm, patient and friendly person who has always developed excellent relationships with colleagues, pupils and their parents. I create engaging, hands-on learning experiences, enabling pupils to achieve their full potential, focussing on small, achievable goals.

Contact me if…
You want your child to gain confidence, feel valued and happy throughout their learning experiences.
You want someone who is willing to understand exactly what your child needs in order to make academic progress.
You want someone who is eager to engage your child in learning experiences that foster their own interests and learning style.
You would like to work with someone who listens to you and your child and wants to work together in order for them to achieve their full potential.

Please note: Hourly rate is from £30-£40 per hour. Please contact me for more information.