A bit about Jo B

I have been teaching for more than two decades and was a senior leader for more than half of that time and a headteacher for almost two years. I have taught across Reception, KS1 & KS2 and have done a short time in a special school. I teach all primary subjects and work with children with SEN and those who want support in working towards entrance exams including 11+. I have just completed my MSc in Psychology so have an in depth understanding of mental health issues which affect children’s learning so can support with these issues too. I also teach Psychology GCSE & A Level. I specialise in primary Maths and English but have a Psychology masters degree too. I teach any primary subject and also provide support for children in KS3. Additionally, I can teach Psychology to GCSE & A Level students. After an initial chat with parents and students, I informally assess my students in the first session and plan my lessons around the needs identified. I ensure my lessons are fun and as practical as possible but always with an element of challenge relevant to the needs of my students. I started tutoring in September 2021. I love facilitating learning, engendering a culture of self-belief and seeing children blossom as their confidence develops! As a primary teacher, I understand how important it is to drill down to find barriers to children’s learning and developing strategies to help children to overcome these. This is important in all primary subjects. I also believe that this theory is relevant to all learners, no matter what their age so always try to initially identify barriers to learning so that I can build on this. My lesson plans are very structured but I am flexible and always try to take a child led approach. In other words, if children do not understand a concept, I will change my teaching approach to accommodate their needs. I try to vary my teaching styles according to leaning needs but generally am a creative practitioner and always try to take a practical and fun approach. I love to see the fast progress children make when learning in small groups. I also love building relationships with children and gaining their trust so that they can learn more effectively. Students need an environment which is supportive and positive and where mistakes are celebrated and used as learning opportunities. I also believe in having high expectations of all students relative to their abilities. If students find work easy then are they even learning? I think students love that they have permission to make mistakes and love seeing me make mistakes myself. They also really enjoy the creativity and practical aspects of my teaching style and that I have a good sense of humour. I have much success from a formal perspective, Year 6 children achieving their expected standards in SATs and other classes of children meeting their age related expectations but my greatest successes are not measurable! These are when, for example, children with learning needs such as autism, develop a sense of belonging because of how they have been nurtured and their learning has been personalised to meet their needs. They have been able to access learning in a way which has never been achieved before. I have a BA (HONS) with QTS and an MSc in Psychology. I also have an National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership (NPQSL). I found learning difficult when I was a child. I was very shy and found it very difficult to approach teachers to ask for help. I wanted to do something to change this narrative to ensure that every child/student knows their worth and that all children/students no matter what their differences have the same rights to a high quality education. I wanted to be an integral part of education to play my part. I love reading and I enjoy running I teach all year groups across the primary age range and have also tutored Year 7 children.