14 minute read
The evolution of one-to-one mentoring to virtual tuition due to a Global Pandemic
by Synergy
Cassandra Rollett-May
This article is a personal reflection on how the pandemic has affected educational provision, focusing on my personal experiences of having to adapt my teaching methods to become a virtual educator.
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To contextualise the education I provide, my background over the past twenty years is in the Primary Education sector which led me to Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) education. I would describe myself as neurodiverse (my learning needs do not just fit in one specific category) with a Dyslexia diagnosis - this provides a unique understanding of the workings and differences of the brain and how these impact learning. My own early diagnosis, learning journey and teaching experiences have shown me that understanding, owning and positively explaining your SEND to others leads to the identification of unique skill sets. Therefore, my goal is to support learners in adapting their negative mindsets into positive self-awareness.
Currently, I am an independent practitioner; consulting on SEND education and providing one-to-one (1:1) mentoring to support students from Primary to Secondary, who find learning challenging. Fundamentally, a learner needs to know their struggles are not their fault and with Dyslexia, for example, know it is due to a genetic, neurological difference. My belief on formal education is that it should be engaging, pupil led and delivered in a way that supports all learning styles. I feel that our education system does not always suit the learning styles and developmental needs of learners who are neurodiverse. There have been major developments in understanding and teaching, but this does not always filter through into the mainstream education sector for a number of reasons, including finance and lack of training – learners are not always being taught in a way that supports their learning style or fosters achievement, their self-belief can be irreparably damaged. Therefore, my approach involves creating a multi-sensory, small stepped, cumulative method to teaching school subjects, in conjunction with developing metacognition to build confidence and awareness of self. The lessons I deliver are usually carried out in the learner’s home or school environment, mostly as 1:1’s, scheduled around the needs and attention capabilities of the learner, generally an hour in length. The structure aids attention and focus through short learning tasks with direct teaching using practical resources,
interspersed with ‘brain break’ activities, that to the learner appear more like a game, but in actuality continue to build skills, all be it through a more relaxed medium. Favourites include: the card game ‘Swap’ and ‘Nessy’ apps for phonics development, ‘Car Factory’ app for spelling, ‘Stile’ books and trays for maths and English. In addition, learners often compile toolkits where prompts are creatively recorded to aid memory in spelling, English or maths - for other skills like organisation, metacognition or emotional understanding a personalised journal is often collated. A termly plan based on assessments, discussions with the learner, their adults and often school, leads to lesson outlines (with supporting resources), however, these can be quickly adapted if I determine that the learner is struggling with a different concept or emotional response. I always fine-tune my practice to meet requirements from settings and the needs of my students; they all grow in confidence and make progress. This is how my provision had been working successfully for over 7 years, then March 2020 arrived…
Due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown seeing students within a setting was not viable anymore. Initially I was sceptical about how to move my work online as the success of my business could be attributed to it being tailored to each learner, working side-by-side, helping them with their focus, demonstrating practically and creatively to aid understanding. Crucially, being able to read emotional responses, judge moods and tailor sessions accordingly would be more challenging. How could this style of teaching and learning become virtual, (particularly as I was not overly technologically minded)? The adaptation began by looking at a platform that was accessible to all my students and would work with my teaching style. This was a relatively easy transition, although all my technology needed updating -- a new laptop and internet booster became a priority to increase speed and connectivity (I live in a very rural location, so appreciate the ability to shop online with home delivery). Resources were audited and categorised to consider their viability for working online, new online programmes were also identified. During the first lockdown, initial contact with parents about taking lessons online had two main responses either: “that’s so helpful – we all need support” or “my child is struggling to cope with interactions online, so no more lessons for now” (no one was expecting it to last for long, so most said, “see you in a few weeks!”). Between April and September my register fluctuated, as sadly, some students could not be supported via an online platform, yet new students were gained as other families requiring support made contact.
Home-education is usually a parental choice, made after a lot of research, time and effort is put into the decision to home-school, including identifying the right approach and resources. From March 2020 home-schooling was not a choice, but a necessity. Therefore, I feel it should have been titled ‘school-distance’ learning, as many families felt lost, knowing they were not teachers - wording can be powerful and the terms used, home-education or home-schooling, made some families feel that they were not doing a good enough job at supporting their child’s development. In its infancy schools had to determine how to educate the majority of students at home in a swift and innovative way. Some sent home or created downloadable packs of activities and worksheets, this made some parents anxious, with many questions; as to how long it should take, level of independence of the learners and if they had to complete it all, in addition they were at odds with their own understanding and the methods their children had been taught to use, particularly in maths. Other establishments very quickly utilised technology (a steep learning curve not only for the families but for teachers too) however, complications arose with regard to internet access, the requirement for multiple devices (when multi-child households were required to be online at the same time) and children finding it challenging to adapt to using technology or communicating with their teachers and class via a screen.
By the end of summer 2020 many teething problems had been overcome, lessons had been learnt and effective ways forward were being developed – and there was the hope of no further lockdowns. However, as I write this article we are in another extensive lockdown period (learning at home for all, except keyworkers), schooldistanced learning in some form may be likely for the foreseeable future. Over the past year, locally, schools have been open solely for keyworkers or with managed partial schooling, as lockdowns were eased (in line with government guidelines, initially this was for specific age groups), throughout this time, schools have developed a number of ways to engage learners at home, using a variety of online platforms. From conversations with parents and fellow teachers things are different this time round - a greater awareness of the constraints and access to technology; families balancing work and learning from home and most importantly a shared consciousness and understanding of our children’s mental health and capabilities during these unprecedented times. However, for the families I support the pandemic has compounded or generated a range of emotional responses from guilt and frustration, anger and concern to an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. They often feel misunderstood or unsupported by the educational system, they are concerned about their child’s academic progress but are more fearful for their emotional wellbeing. For all learners, but especially those with SEND, working online can bring about a change to routine, which is unsettling and difficult to master, using technology all day and communicating in a different form is exhausting and requires another level of skills. An inability to interpret a teacher’s body language and words via a screen increases stress levels and decreases understanding. Although parents are grateful for online learning, as it reduces their level of input, it comes with another set of complications – some of which are very difficult to overcome. Accessing support, having assessments or appointments with professionals also has new challenges. Some students do enjoy the online learning and find working from home without whole class distractions beneficial, those who love technology and interacting via a screen have at times excelled, however some have found the independent tasks or lack of teacher support taxing and distressing. For example; one of my students has found viewing her school work online more accessible, using a USB pen to annotate her work makes recording easier and she also commented on her ability to concentrate
more due to muting all other online participants, except the speaker, creating a quieter working environment. Whereas, one of my slightly younger learners has found the whole process of online learning immensely challenging, he struggles with processing, with fewer examples and minimal practical tasks, he is quickly lost and then becomes extremely anxious that he is not participating and is falling behind his peers. There are no easy solutions to the current situation. Progress and adaptability continues to take place, however, the pandemic has highlighted the inequalities within society and the education system. Therefore, as educators it is our role to be mindful of these challenges and continue to learn from these experiences, amending provision and accessibility for all. This global pandemic has impacted on us all differently and to varying degrees, as it still continues there is hope and light at the end of this year’s long tunnel, but the ramifications will be felt throughout society from: health, especially mental health; economic and social wellbeing to education and our professions for the foreseeable future. We must endeavour to be mindful of all young people and the way we respond is vital as we move forward. I strongly believe this has provided us with an opportunity to reimagine the education system, its structure and ethos. It is imperative that the initial focus of schooling teaches our children about resilience, tolerance and personal awareness in their learning journey in order to build understanding of not only themselves, but to have increased empathy towards others.
A key focus should be on learners owning their own life story, developing their narrative, for example; those with Dyslexia may experience difficulty with reading, writing, remembering and organisation (which can all be subdivided into more specific areas of need) at varying degrees, but if they create a narrative, having selfawareness of themselves as learners - achievement and progress can be fostered. A narrative can be recorded in numerous ways and formats, building on similar ideas to the Early Years Learning Journey or a SEND One Plan, including themes of: an appropriate definition of learning needs; strengths and talents; learning style strategies; support mechanisms and goals.
Returning to my pandemic teaching experience, over the last ten months my provision continues to be adapted, responding to the needs and requirements of the families I support. As predicted it can be challenging to decipher the more subtle body language tells of anxiety, but I am generally able to read a student’s responses and react effectively. One downside to virtual learning is when students need to move around to stay focused, it is not the moving that is troublesome, normally I encourage this; it is because they become inaudible the further they are from the device. Another difficulty is when lessons buffer or connection is lost, it can be a challenge for my students to refocus. However, lessons are only thirty minutes long - enabling students to remain on task and maintain enjoyment (I do believe that working virtually creates more fatigue). I have maintained contact with all my learners over the past year, a high proportion continue to have weekly sessions, whilst a number have dipped in and out of my provision as lockdown and schooling have altered. Several of those who found it difficult to work virtually, continue to find it a challenge, especially now that some school provision is online for the whole school day, therefore, I have reduced my time with them to create more balance in their routine. Others have joined for a few sessions to be supported with a specific learning target, whereas some have required no additional support. The emphasis of my sessions is working on developing strategies and memory hooks to support their school work or building on the basic foundations in English and maths, this is achieved through an interactive whiteboard, worksheet style tasks, games and activities.
To enable success for the learner, whether it is virtual or within the home or school setting I have found the following to be extremely beneficial: • Consider the outcome of the task – what needs to be achieved (big picture thinking).
Break this down into manageable steps (make
it bitesize, it might seem like more work but the results and the confidence boost are amazing). If these are recorded the steps can be crossed off when completed or reviewed. Make learning into a journey - one step at a time – choose ways that work towards a learner’s strengths. • Foster an encouraging, pragmatic atmosphere – enabling learners to develop strategies to overcome challenges, enabling progress. • Use different senses in the learning process – make it fun, colourful, practical and active. • Repetition, using a range of activities to cement the concept is key. • Encourage making links, creating clues or memory hooks. For example: the English language term personification needs to be identified and used from the end of Key Stage
One, but for some learners remembering such terms is challenging. So, think PERSONification. • For all learners (especially as learning is predominantly via a screen for a considerable length of time) create breaks, space out tasks, provide extra time as learning can be tiring. I conclude with a personal reflection regarding the future, post pandemic. I have long held the viewpoint that we are shaped by our past and upbringing; our experiences and our education and as a result we all interpret things differently - this pandemic has highlighted how resourceful, determined and compassionate we can be - so whatever we have been through, we can use the testing times as our testimony; building optimism and ownership of our differences, enabling the future generation to be more confident in their uniqueness and find their future passions, niches and even careers.
I intend to continue mentoring virtually for the foreseeable future, it has become viable, there are some amazing online resources and interactions with my students are positive and progress is being made. I believe we are always learning, and I strive to find ways to make a greater difference
in building awareness and understanding within SEND. The pandemic has provided me with the opportunity to reach a wider audience through online and social media, using continued professional development to build a greater business presence, including developing resources for learners and teachers and especially for parents/carers. Therefore, I have created a free Facebook group, its symbol is a lighthouse as this represents safety, enabling navigation through illumination, offering guidance through steadfast endurance (a symbol for our current times and that of people searching to understand SEND) - the group, all be it in its infancy, is a community, a place to transform views into more encouraging thoughts and actions – a platform available to share concerns, whilst encouraging strategies for positive outcomes to build confidence. This has been my journey so far through the Covid-19 pandemic, reworking tangible 1:1 coaching to virtual tuition, continuing to offer support (including advising parents who found themselves as home-educators) and enriching learning, predominantly to those who find learning a challenge, locally and now nationally. I close with grateful acknowledgement and the upmost respect for all frontline and keyworkers for their continued hard work above and beyond normal expectations, we are indebted and to all those in the educational sector and all parents/ carers for their overwhelming effort and skills in adapting the learning experience for our future generations during a global pandemic.
