Sing a Book

I am a senior teacher of 14 years. I have taught mainly in inner-city schools, where most of the children are under-performing and come from disadvantage backgrounds. Teaching in these school have been most challenging but also the most rewarding. Using literacy, drama and music I have seen children's confidence, knowledge and self-worth grow. It's been like watching a caterpillar transform into a beautiful butterfly - amazing! During my 14 years of teaching I have led the following curriculum areas: maths, literacy, creative curriculum development, performing arts and music, which included setting up and leading choirs in a number of schools.

Student centered teaching, allows my students to take an active role in lessons. In my experience children learn better when they have an experience to draw upon. Hence, the importance of drama and reading whole books which lessons can be developed around. Children should be given the opportunity to explore character feelings and thoughts in depth. I have achieved this through role-play, music and character studies.

BA (Hons) Tourism & Leisure Management; PGCE in Primary School Education; TESOL (Teach English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate; PPD (Personal Performance Diploma) in Coaching.

Primary school; seconary school including sixth form; university

As motivational coach I unlock children's potential to maximize their performance. As a teacher I bring music and life to class books and the children give assemblies that the whole school talk about. Through an in-depth study of books children of all abilities can develop a greater understanding of characters, setting and authors' view-point. This gives them the opportunity to perform and articulate the impact a book has on them as the reader, which can also develop their writing. I have used my love of books and my song writing ability to create ‘Sing a Book’. My aim is to support my fellow colleagues create memorable and exciting assemblies and/or performances based on books studied as a class during the course of a term. I have written songs to compliment a range of books, which I have used to enhance class assemblies allowing children to demonstrate their passion and understanding of the written word.