A bit about Vikki F

I have been a Primary School Teacher for 7 years and have taught across both Key Stage 1 and 2. I have three children of my own and after returning from maternity leave I was placed in the nursery where I gained experience of the EYFS curriculum. The majority of my teaching has been in years 2 and 3 but I have also provided cover in various other year groups throughout school. I am able to support learners in both English and Maths in the Primary Curriculum and I am confident in assisting children in any year group. At the start, I like to get to know the student I am tutoring. Through discussions with the pupil and their parents, I work out which specific areas they feel they would like more support with. Then through brief assessment, I gain a deeper understanding of the key skills that need further development. I try to make sessions as exciting and inspiring for learners as possible using a range of teaching styles and tailoring the sessions to suit the individual. At the start, I recap previous learning before introducing any new concepts. At the end, I draw the key points of the learning together to assess whether it has been understood. I started tutoring last year in the summer. I love seeing children make connections and find enjoyment in learning. Encouraging them to become confident and independent learners in both subjects is important to me. Engaging them by presenting them with exciting reading material to spark their imagination in English is something I enjoy. Helping them to understand an abstract Mathematical concept by using concrete or pictorial methods and then seeing that lightbulb moment is also something I love! I like to use a range of teaching styles to support learning. The method I most often use is interactive and requires the learner to participate. Whilst I spend time explaining and modelling, I keep the time that I am talking to a minimum and provide pupils with the tools necessary to explore and investigate new concepts themselves. I structure learning so that this can be achieved and adapt sessions if necessary. My favourite thing about being a tutor is the feeling I get when a child becomes more confident and happy in their learning. Helping children realise their full potential is why I became a teacher and tutoring provides further opportunity for me to do this on a one to one basis which is so beneficial to many young children. My teaching philosophy is that all children are unique and learn in different ways and at a different pace. I create a safe learning space where children are not afraid to take risks and make mistakes and where they are able to become more confident in their abilities. My role is as a guide and pupils are provided with hands on activities that they can actively participate in. Choice is important to learners and provided wherever necessary. Students love the fact that they are able to express their views and have some choice over what they are learning. Furthermore, they enjoy the hands on nature of the learning process where they are able to test their own ideas and knowledge. My greatest success in teaching is my own growth as a teacher which I would say is due to each and every child I have taught. I have learnt a lot about teaching and child development throughout my career and am excited about expanding this further. Teaching isn't just about the concepts that need to be learnt, it is about the relationships that are built and the key skills that are taught to enable children to succeed and this is something I feel I have been able to achieve with the pupils I have taught. I am a qualified teacher who has gained QTS. I was inspired to become a teacher by the experience I had in my Primary School. Being a timid child who easily faded into the classroom environment, I have fond memories of my year 6 teacher who challenged me and noticed me. She encouraged me to provide more detail in my Writing and sat with me until I understood a concept in Maths that I was struggling with. The support made me feel safer and more confident which is so important in the learning process. Outside of teaching I enjoy spending as much of my spare time as possible with my three children! I love going for walks with them, swimming, visiting parks, softplays and playing with them! I teach Primary aged children across both key stage 1 and 2.