Information About Gail - Warrington teacher

Personal Description:

I am an international practicing visual artist with a broad and varied knowledge and skills base. I have completed numerous commissions and have exhibited successfully in Britain, Europe, America and Australia. My work is based on a personal response to space, time, emotion and memory. I produce installations and abstract paintings. I have also illustrated a children's book.

Teaching Experience:

I have 35 years working in education across the curriculum and have specialised in teaching pupils with emotional, behavioural, social difficulties and learning difficulties. I have worked advising head teacher on making school improvements and in developing systems within schools to aid effective teaching and learning for the school community.

Art can frequently hold the key to allow a journey of self discovery and in so doing raise self esteem, confidence and achievement for all pupils regardless of initial ability. In doing so this has a positive effect of raising self worth and self belief which impacts on progress and achievement across the curriculum.

Teaching Approach:

Initially there is a period of informal discussion to develop insight into the individual pupils prior learning, likes, dislikes, aspirations and ability. Learning style preference, reading and spelling age assessments are undertaken and gaps in knowledge are pinpointed and targeted to meet shortfalls. Pupils explore, experiment and research other artists in order to develop understanding of how and why artists produce artwork. This enables pupils to develop their own responses to everyday stimuli in a personal, interesting and informed manner.