Sam

I have over five years of experience working in educational and clinical settings. Much of my time has been spent 1:1 with individuals with various abilities/needs (e.g., dyslexia, ADHD, autism, ODD 'gifted'). What is apparent to me is that the component of 1:1 teaching that can be absent in the classroom is the ability to adapt teaching to the individual. I have learned to utilise the adaptability of 1:1 teaching to create bespoke programmes for my students.

It is often the case that individuals with dyslexia or ADHD dislike school and struggle with confidence, frequently resulting in a general lack of academic engagement (I did this when I was younger, too!). The resulting relationship between these students and their weaker subjects is complex. For instance, the student often exhibits coping behaviours such as devaluing the subject, claiming: 'Maths is boring', or 'English is pointless'. When teaching such students, I might begin by presenting the work in an atypical format or combining it with an area they feel more competent in (e.g., presenting it in their favourite video game format or embedding it in a preferred subject). In most cases, once their resistance is reduced or even eliminated, I often find they outperform their usual standard of work. Repeat positive experiences (which can be highlighted to them) will allow the student to build their confidence slowly. Over the years, I've seen multiple students who once refused work get to a point where they can engage in work without prompting/encouragement.

'Gifted' students have their own needs, which are often overlooked and only start to show later in life. Picture a child that, throughout their early academic experience, doesn't have to do much revision, is rarely challenged/'fails' and is used to being one of the 'best' in a cohort. A more typical student spends time learning the skills associated with revision and being challenged, such as organisation, time management, and perseverance. Eventually, high achievers get to a level where they will experience these unfamiliar challenges and often struggle to navigate them as a result. When working with able students, I focus on building up their deficient skills and delivering lessons (in their chosen subject) that maximise their long-term potential.

Above all, I aim to individualise my lessons and make them engaging and fun!