The Power of Being Authentic In Education
A lovely colleague recently said to me: “You are authentic.” I initially didn’t think much of it, but then I realised what a genuine compliment it was. It made me wonder: Has this always been the case? Finding My Strengths When I first started teaching, I often followed every new trend. I’d try to copy […]
Why We Need Our ADHD Teachers!
It’s been three years since I was diagnosed with ADHD, and it has been a game changer. My greater understanding of ADHD allowed me to identify my biggest challenges in teaching and seek help (ongoing process). What I have been working on 🌱I’ve been working on building my organisational skills and learning new ways to […]
A Leap of Faith: My New Life in the Netherlands
Six and a half years ago, I took a leap of faith and moved to the Netherlands by myself. Why? Before this, I had lost my direction after moving back to Scotland from Malaysia. After living abroad with my partner at the time, I just couldn’t quite fit back into life there. 👉My move to […]
The Unspoken Classroom: Let’s really understand what neurodiverse children are saying!
After being diagnosed with ADHD three years ago, I embarked on a journey to better understand how my brain works. This path included coaching, therapy, a neurodiversity coaching certification course, and a lot of reading—something I had to work hard to do. As a teacher, this personal journey has inspired me to work harder to […]
Learning Outdoors: A Digital-Natural Blend
I often get asked about my approach to learning outdoors. While I’m advocate for hands-on discovery with natural materials, I’ve also enjoyed combining edtech—specifically, the iPad. I find it a useful tool for bridging the gap between the outdoors and the classroom, creating an engaging experience for learners. Here’s how I use iPads to enhance […]
Learning English Outdoors: Phonics Fun in the Sun 🌞
The suns out!!! It’s the perfect time to take learning outdoors! Today, our brilliant KS1 EAL(English ad a second language) learners embarked on an exciting alphabet hunt across the playground! But the fun didn’t stop there! We brought the learning full circle by using our trusty phonics disks to build different words. This hands-on approach […]
Creating Inclusive Outdoor Learning Experiences for Diverse Learners
Discover how outdoor learning can be used and adapted to embrace and support diverse learners’ unique needs and abilities, providing an inclusive educational environment. This blog will spotlight the versatility of outdoor learning, highlighting its benefits and the various strategies that make it accessible for all students. From sensory activities to kinesthetic tasks, we’ll explore […]
Discovering Math in Nature Through Patterns, Shapes, Natural Materials and More…
Venture outside the classroom and into the natural world, where mathematics isn’t just numbers on paper but a visible part of our environment. This blog will explore learning math outside through finding patterns in nature, using scavenger hunts to enhance learning, using natural materials for number work and revealing how symmetry and shapes manifest in […]
Quality Outdoor Learning Staff Training Experiences
I’ve been fortunate to be in the position to participate in Outdoor Learning Continual Professional Development (CPD) and have also had the opportunity to deliver CPD. I have helped facilitate study days for my school organisations, given workshops and lectures to University students, and given online presentations. Elliot et al. (2011) advise that good quality […]
Forest Schools: Offering A Fresh Approach To Learning
I am currently completing a portfolio of work to gain my Forest School Leader 3 qualification. Recently, I was lucky enough to participate in Forest School Practical Training with the outdoors group, which has a forest school training centre based in Exmouth. The week-long course was a wonderful experience. I learned the practical skills needed […]