Andrea

I am a Primary School teacher and I graduated as a mature student in 1999. I have worked in the primary sector since 1999 in the bproughs of Wandsworth, Croydon and Lambeth. I have a fun approach to learning and enjoy teaching children especially when they find areas of the curriculum difficult to grasp.

I completed my induction at Franciscan Primary School which was a good 3 form entry primary school in Wandsworth. I did not have any curriculum responsibility as it was my first year of teaching. On average there were 28 children in my class and a typical range of ability was from levels 2c to 4a, EAL and SEN requirements were broadly average.

While at Kensington Avenue Primary School I taught Year 3 for 7 years and Year 4 for a year. Behaviour in the school was on the whole quite good although a hard line had to be imposed to ensure that cheeky and disruptive behaviour was kept in check. Ability levels were considerable below the national average and language and communication skills were still at a low level even in year 4. I took on additional responsibility for Co-ordinating music, assessment for art, music and DT and the distribution of musical instruments. I also ran the school choir which was very successful and a source of great pride within the school and the borough. I left the school to seek a fresh challenge after teaching in year 3 for 7 years.

I was the 3rd teacher to teach that class and arrived at the beginning of the Second term. I was the only teacher that year who was able to get a handle of the behaviour of the class. The class consisted of 25 children whose ability ranged from 2b to 5c. There were minimal SEN needs in the group and EAL issues was largely being dealt with through effective TA and separate teaching provision in the school. The main challenges were to regain the ground lost over the course of the year prior to me joining the school in the run up to the SAT’s and to get pupils on task and behaving in an acceptable manner.

During my time a the school I taught a class of 24 pupils who ranged in ability from 2b to 5c, 2 of whom were statemented and 6 of whom had EAL needs for reading and writing. On tip of class teaching responsibilities I took control of devising, setting up and running a whole school programme for gifted and talented pupils, taking year 5 after school booster classes and undertaking a research project on V.A.K. I have fond memories of the school and really enjoyed the creative atmosphere that existed and the encouragement that I received during my time at the school.

Tutoring Experience

I have experience in working in KS2, more recently in year 6. A variety of teaching style are essential to my teaching both individual and whole class. Variation leads to more creative ideas. The more diverse the better inspiration. Every teacher should have a range of teaching styles which they draw from depending on the content to be learnt mainly but also the class and their own knowledge. I try to ensure that activities are as interactive as possible and the new framework for literacy lends itself well. It promotes note taking, drama, and more discussion. This also enables Assessment for learning to take place with paired, group, and class discussion. Every child knows how they are doing, and understands what they need to do to improve and how to get there. They get the support they need to be motivated, independent learners on an ambitious trajectory of improvement. This enables me to teach to the children’s needs. I usually set targets directly as soon as I have a class or group of children. It is essential as part of Assessment for learning to know and for the children to know where they are as individuals or a group and where they are going. On occasions I have used football teams to enable a good maths lesson for data handling. This encouraged the children to take part. I have also used ‘Youtube’ to enable story for literacy. I find that tapping into their world gives greater access to and for their learning. All areas of ICT are valid including children recording their own stories and making music. This also enables an inclusion for children to know that I understand where they are coming from. Engaging each child in my class enables me to be successful with inclusion. I am mindful of the various stages of inclusion procedures and the need to work closely with all those involved with the child. This includes Inclusion co-ordinators, previous teachers, teachers who have had similar children with similar needs and LSA’s in addition to working with parents or carers, thus acting on concerns in order to make multi-team assessments and reviews on the progress of the child, in conjunction with written policies and procedures.

Tutoring Approach

I am sympathetic with the inclusive character and values of each learning establishment i have taught in. I have taught children with special needs most years within my career. ADHD, Aspergens, dyspraxia, dyslexia, stigmatism (visual), Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, global delay, different levels of autism and hearing impairment. These children were differentiated within every lesson according to ability. Special allowances were also made e.g. my child with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy was taken out of class once a day for exercise by My LSA and Larger prints of text was supplied for my child with visual impairment as well as a slanted desk was provided by the LEA. At all times I managed to maintain good management of the Special Needs children as well as the rest of the children within the learning environment. I feel therefore, that it is imperative for all children and in particular, those with special education needs be provided with suitable activities and resources to match individual learning needs. This included differentiation, where possible, to develop and extend academic and non academic capabilities of each child. I also feel that by having the ability to recognise a child’s strengths and weaknesses, learning, learning can become more effective, allowing for rapid feedback and building self esteem.