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Katrina's Story, South Lanarkshire
Jane Stratton • Jun 28, 2020
KATRINA'S STORY; FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE
Towards the end of the school year 2019, Mrs Lewis
contacted me looking for support for her daughter, Katrina. She described a girl who was really struggling in biology but was keen to do well and was nearing the end of her third year in secondary school. Despite working hard, Katrina’s marks were poor, and her confidence was desperately low….in short, she believed that she couldn’t hope to pass her National 5 in a year’s time. Mrs Lewis told me that she wanted to give her daughter the best chance and asked me if I could help.
When I met Katrina, she was very polite with a kind nature, but she seemed shy, highly anxious and very lacking in confidence. She admitted that she was badly failing all her school tests and was panicking that nothing she did seemed to make a difference. She worked for hours and hours, but nothing seemed to stick. Her mum contacted me after our first session,
“What a difference after just one hour………. [we]were delighted when she came out happy and feeling so much more positive.”
My initial plan was to get to know Katrina, find out where her skills lay and build up her confidence. This was a gradual process as she was very sensitive, her self-esteem extremely low and anxiety very high. I discovered that she had competed at National Level in acrobatics; this told me about dedication, discipline and perseverance, along with a clear and admirable talent. I used this to help teach biological concepts and also assure her that if she could reach such an elite level in one discipline, there was no reason why she couldn’t reach a high level in biology.
Despite my belief in her, Katrina doubted every aspect of her academic ability and it became clear that she was struggling in nearly all her subjects. I strongly felt that this didn’t need to be the case and took every opportunity to use encouragement, praise and reassurance. Gradually, her marks began to climb.
One of Katrina’s biggest challenges aside from her confidence was her memory. I could tell her new facts, introduce a concept or work through a diagram, ensuring her understanding, yet within the space of a session she could forget it. This embarrassed her and reduced her to tears on occasion. I repeatedly reassured her that it was okay and that together we would work on strategies to help. I explained the concepts of working memory, short term memory and executive function and helped her see that this was not her ‘fault’; nor was she ‘useless’, which is what she thought.
Looking back, she made this comment,
“I was really struggling to understand and remember information because I had no confidence. It made me think I would never improve or be able to do well in biology.”
We tried various strategies including mind-map apps, past papers, National 5 flash cards, until we hit the jackpot! We used flipper cards and she wrote the name of a concept, definition or process on one side with a very brief description in her own words on the back. These were fixed on a ring and she was able to remove a card when she no longer needed to check the answer. It worked! The first week she tried it, out of 20 concepts, she was able to recall 17! It was a system that reinforced memory and understanding as she was writing it down herself, while also being visual due to the use of coloured pens and card, along with the reduction in card number, signifying success.
Of her biggest challenge, she says,
“My biggest difficultly was my lack of confidence. I made myself believe I would never improve and that it wasn’t possible for me, which made me want to give up.”
Katrina felt her confidence and self-esteem grow, her anxiety reduce and her marks in school began to rise above a pass, to a C, to a B, and finally to an A by Christmas time. She had changed the way she studied too; avoiding hours and hours of reading text but breaking it up into manageable periods and alternating between, writing, reading, past paper questions and her flipper cards.
Katrina’s dedication was never in doubt and she should be extremely proud of herself for her perseverance. Many youngsters may have been tempted to give up, but she never did. I believed in her from the very beginning and slowly but surely, she began to believe in herself. Her other subjects have seen an improvement too which is great.
As she grew in confidence, she began to see that,
“my confidence has improved immensely; I know if I keep trying my hardest I will eventually do well in the subject.”
Despite the cancellation of her National 5 exam, for which I predicted her an A, Katrina has continued with the subject and right away asked me to move on to Higher Human Biology with her. Due to her phenomenal work ethic during lockdown, Katrina has done exceptionally well so far and has covered nearly a third of the course! We have introduced short videos to her learning, and she likes to use diagrams and bullet points for new concepts. She is looking forward to returning to school, knowing that she WILL be able to cope with the next stage in her education.
“I am now enjoying learning about biology and have a much better understanding of the subject. I know if I keep working hard I will get the result I want.”
When I think back to the girl who walked through my door a year ago and compare her to the Katrina I see now, the transformation is incredible. She will always be a caring, sensitive and humble youngster but she is no longer timid, highly anxious, tearful or full of self-doubt. I know for sure that whatever Katrina goes on to do in the future, she will be a success and knowing that learning can be a struggle at times, she will be a very nurturing and understanding person for others to be around.
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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