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Jack's Story, Glasgow
Jane Stratton • Jul 28, 2020
Making the Connection made all the difference
Jack’s dad contacted me in September 2016; his son had just started fourth year and was struggling with Biology. He had enjoyed the subject at the start of secondary school but had fallen out of love with it during the previous year, resulting in a fail in his third-year exam. I was happy to take him on as a pupil and looked forward to meeting him for our first session.
“I hate biology and want to drop it as soon as I can. Please can you help me get a C?”
Jack was blunt! He said he was terrible at the subject and wanted a pass in his National 5 so that his parents would let him drop it. As I always do, I asked him what his goal was, to which he replied, “a low C”.
In my experience, most pupils say an A or a B, so this was quite surprising. He was clearly capable of doing well but had given up and was not wanting persuaded to change his mind at this point.
Jack had a love of hockey, skiing and the out of doors; we had a lot in common! I managed to incorporate his interests into every session and slowly I saw his enthusiasm for Biology increase, as did his engagement. It was as if he had suddenly been given a reason to be interested; there was now a ‘point’ to the subject. He had started with a quiet, some would say sullen demeaner, but he was beginning to open up, ask questions and enjoy the sessions. When we began doing past paperwork, his marks quickly improved until he asked me if he could change his goal of a C to an A! I was so delighted to see his determination grow and his dad told me that his teacher was noticing it too! In fact, he had asked to be moved away from his friends in class so that he could concentrate better. He was answering in class and helping other pupils relate the facts they were learning to their own lives.
Strategies don’t always work, but this one did, and we continued to talk about the subject in terms of sport or nature; soon he was telling me the connections. We joked about him taking over my job and working with all my pupils! He managed to quickly alter questions in his mind to make them more relatable and then answered them using a similar method. He wrote his notes with sport or wildlife drawings in the margins to make associations and he said that it was as if the subject had, “come alive.”
In all honesty, I do this whenever possible with all my pupils, but Jack really appreciated being given the link in a way that sparked his imagination, and it was as if a switch had been flicked.
Not only did Jack get an A for his National 5 Biology, he decided to move on to the Higher Human Biology course and I was once again asked if I could support him. I was delighted of course and by this time, we had built up a very good working relationship in which sessions were upbeat, animated and a world away from how it had started the previous year. This time, Jack told me that his goal was to achieve an A in Higher, and he was considering a career as a Physiotherapist! Gone was the defeatist Jack and here to stay was the driven, achieving Jack was! In fact, the same was being seen in all his subjects. Jack worked very hard for his Higher and once again in Biology, he achieved an A.
Having said goodbye to this transformed youngster, I was delighted to hear from Jack again in September 2018 to say that he was now doing Advanced Higher as he hadn’t been enjoying school any more without Biology! I was asked to tutor him again, and he worked incredibly hard at the theory while absolutely loving the practical side of the course. I taught him the scientific skills required for his project and he spent months on a very interesting piece of work relating to his aspiration of becoming a physiotherapist. Jack gained a high B in his Advanced Higher, outstanding considering he entered the course late.
I never forget any of my pupils, and Jack will always stick in my mind as a reminder not ever to give up on a pupil who says they “hate” a subject. I am so encouraged by his change in focus and enjoyment (or lack of at the start) of Biology. Teenagers find subjects very difficult when they can’t find a link to their own experiences of life. If we can find that link and encourage them to see it, it can truly make all the difference.
Jack is excelling in a Physiotherapist course and dreams of working with teenagers in sport! I have no doubt that he will achieve his goal.
Please read Lewis’s story
here.
WOW!
JUST WOW!
Imagine me open-mouthed and lost for words! Quite difficult? That’s because it doesn’t happen often.
However, that was exactly what happened at the end of the most amazing workshop I attended yesterday at the ITAKOM conference.
Hands down, it was the most effective and informative session about neurodiversity I have ever attended (and I have attended quite a few).
The reason it was so good? It was delivered by a group of neurodiverse young adults from the Neuropoint Stakeholders Group from the Salvesen Mindroom.
It's hard to believe that I've been doing this for a year now. Sitting down at my computer a few times a week and getting to speak to unique, intelligent and wonderful young people who all want to push themselves that little bit further. In light of this, It feels only right to reflect on what I've learned myself in this time. Spoiler alert; it's far more than I thought I would. Expect the unexpected It's safe to say I didn't think I was going to end up doing this, and I think that's a big part of what has made the experience so special. Life is so unpredictable, and for someone who loves to plan, it's huge for me to even say those words. But, more often than not, unpredictability leads to where you were meant to go. Don't fear trying something new, you might like where it gets you. Be willing to ask for help The only reason I am where I am is through the support of others. Be it Jane , for helping me get started with the business, to my family supporting me through it, and even to my friends for reassuring me when I wasn't sure if I could do it. Asking and offering help is, as we have all learned in the past year and a half, one of the most essential parts of our humanity. We undeniably need each other, and shouldn't be afraid to admit it. Never Underestimate Young People This is the second biggest lesson I learned. Every single young person I had the joy of interacting with over this first year has disproven every stereotype the world puts out there. They are all bright, brilliant communicators, funny, unique and caring. There wasn't one session where they didn't also ask me how I was before we started. Each one of them proved to me that they didn't deserve to be underestimated in the slightest. Pulling their grades up through hard work, teaching me something I didn't know, creating masterful pieces of writing, and even proving to themselves that they knew what they were doing. We need to listen more to our teenagers This, for me, is the biggest lesson for everyone who may come across this post. I have always valued the voices of our young people. I believe they're fundamental to our developing society and our future. Unfortunately, I know many who would rather believe the contrary. The individuals that I worked with over this year proved that young people deserve a say in their lives, their future, and their education. Many of them are passionate to take a stand for their peers, they just need the support. I love doing this. At the end of the day, it's simple. I always thought I'd be working with young people in some capacity, and here I am. Three weeks out from beginning my teaching journey, and from tutoring beginning again. I honestly cannot wait. Being able to make a difference, no matter how small, means a lot to me. I fell in love with this role over the last year, and I can't wait to keep going. So, to the Kirkwood Tutoring Class of 2021, I wish you all the luck in the world. You all deserve it 10 times over. And thank YOU, for teaching me and trusting me. I hope the world is kinder to you all this year.
Currently in my forties, heading towards my fifties, I can look back and see just how perfect this career has been for me. All my children have additional support needs and have needed a hands-on mum to advocate on their behalf and negotiate what has been to them, a stressful and damaging education system. I have gained such a wealth of knowledge of child development, neurodiversity, education systems and learning styles, both in my personal life and in my career, that I am now able to offer so much to the families and youngsters with whom I work. I bring to my tutoring, not only knowledge learned from research and qualifications but more importantly from lived experience. It has given me a confidence in what I do too, and I have been able to adapt over the years from black and white books and paper posters through the introduction of coloured books and laminated adverts (!) to eBooks, social media marketing, websites, a plethora of digital resources and a physical in-house science lab for practical experiments and monthly tutorials. With the Covid-19 situation, I have seamlessly moved to online tutoring and am actually thoroughly enjoying being able to offer my services further afield, although I also look forward to the day when I am able to see some pupils again face-to-face. Education itself has seen numerous changes over the years, with the need once again for drastic change. I have learnt so much about adapting my tutoring style as curriculum changes have been introduced and assessments have been redesigned. Many have opposed these changes but as tutors, we have to constantly adapt if we are to successfully support today’s learners. Private tutoring, with its flexibility, personal approach and adaptability lends itself well to modern learning and I just love what I do! For so many people who have recently graduated, lost their job or whose family situation has changed, employment is looking bleak. All I can say is, if you are passionate about a subject, and would love to share it whilst also improve the prospects for the next generation, give tutoring a try ; it can truly change your life!
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