Rachael W

About me, my expertise, qualifications and SEND experience

After completing the PGCE for secondary education in Business and Economics, I gained QTS in my local secondary school and remained there for 10 years.  I then specialised in providing one-to-one support, and worked closely with various local authorities and families, teaching children with additional needs.  I have successfully taught A Levels, BTEC, GCSEs, Functional Skills Levels 1 and 2, ELC, ASDAN, Makaton Sign.  I create and deliver bespoke student learning plans based on curriculum content from Pre-Key Stage One to Key Stage Five.

How I adapt to different learning Styles

I assess students’ learning styles and adopt a multifaceted teaching approach involving visual, kinaesthetic, auditory, and verbal methods.  My sensory lessons include different textures, smells, and experiences, linking the subject’s content to everyday life.  This enables autistic students to understand what they are learning and how it relates to their everyday lives.  Learning through rhyme alongside images is easy to remember, and I often use pegging.  For example, I link a memorable rhyme or image, easily accessible to the student, to an academic concept or fact.  Follow-up activities and homework are designed to easily connect and fit into their daily routine.  My teaching method includes regular recaps, observation assessments and curriculum reviews.  Students celebrate their progress or receive assurance that support is readily available to provide more practice and explanation.

How I teach Math

I have successfully prepared students for Year 6 SATs, KS2 math exams, and Functional Skills levels 1 and 2. My teaching methods for maths are facilitated through online maths games, websites, and workbooks. My strategy for teaching maths is to teach the concept, complete practice questions, enable the student to practice independently, review progress, and revisit concepts as needed.

How I teach English

I am passionate about teaching English, and individual teaching plans may include implementing early literacy skills and knowledge such as alphabet knowledge, phonics, rhyming words, and tricky words.  It also includes building confidence through reading for fun, discussing and fostering imagination using pictures and film to create storyboards.  It may include creative writing with scaffolded writing opportunities and word banks, experimenting with words, ideas, and language.  It also may involve writing endings to existing stories or focusing on English language skills, including spelling, punctuation and grammar.  I adopt a modern approach to teaching and learning, using interactive technologies to widen vocabulary and understand keywords and subject-specific language.  I empower students to self-review, self-correct, and have a voice in their next steps.  My lessons are tailored around student’s interests and passions to foster a love for learning.

How I teach students who struggle with focus and attention

When students have focus and concentration difficulties, I develop a rapport between myself and the student to create a safe learning environment where they feel confident to express their feelings about learning. This way, we work together to find a resolution that meets both the learning objectives and what they want to gain from their learning experience.  I provide a salad of curriculum-based activities for students to choose from, encourage independent listening and speaking skills, and create a culture where reasonable requests such as regular breaks are granted.   In such situations, familiarity, routine excitement, and opportunities to use initiative are very important.  A break may involve a fun, relaxing activity such as counting bubbles or a stretching non-academic memory game.

How I nurture students’ self-esteem and confidence

All children deserve to be valued through positive conversation, encouragement and reassurance.  Their successes should be celebrated no matter how small.  This principle resonates in my lessons and feedback.  My schemes of work are designed to support the student’s dreams and goals and to provide practical steps and support to get there.  I teach students to navigate modern tools to access practical and relevant resources relevant to their learning needs.  Students continue to learn independently to find meaning in their learning.  I use 360° feedback, and a small portion of my lesson is dedicated to questioning students about their satisfaction, enjoyment, and wants and needs to make progress.

How I incorporate students’ special interests into lessons

My lessons incorporate students’ favourite objects, topics, activities, and interests. This can range from reading about a special interest for comprehension, listing the pros and cons of their passion, debating and discussing current affairs, or planning and writing a critique of their favourite song.  Mixing colours, learning to roll or throw a ball or demonstrating fractions using jelly cubes are all possibilities.   My lessons always include guessing, creating, solving, describing, analysing, and drawing conclusions for verbal and nonverbal students of all ability levels.  Fostering students’ interests supports the creation of a safe learning space.  This builds confidence and willingness to explore new learning materials.

How I develop students’ independence

Developing independence can range from writing their name and remembering their address to independently conducting research for an essay, assignment, project or career choice.  Lesson activities created to ‘develop independence’ feed into the learning plan and support the student’s academic level, next steps, and wider goals and aspirations.  My experience in teaching ASDAN alongside my secondary school experience enables me to understand that ‘developing independence’ can look very different from child to child.  In each case, I create a learning environment where objectives are explained and students are stretched, praised, and rewarded for their efforts.