Victoria Downes

My career in education began on completion of my BTEC National Diploma, over 20 years ago. I always knew that I wanted to work with children, and began working as an Early Years Practitioner in a Private Day Nursery, teaching the Foundation Stage Curriculum. I thoroughly enjoyed planning exciting opportunities to allow children to explore new experiences to learn through play.

In 2003, I relocated to Staffordshire, and gained employment Early Years Practitioner and HLTA within a Primary School. This position, required me to teach children age three to eleven, covering classes throughout the school in a variety of primary subjects. This post allowed me to gain an excellent understanding of the primary curriculum and the innovative, and exciting ways classes can be taught to engage children of all ages. Working in school inspired me to return to education to become a qualified teacher.

In 2010 I graduated with Honours in Education Studies, and then went on to complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Since then, I have worked in a variety of educational settings including secondary schools and FE settings.

I have a passion for teaching, and learning, and dedicate much of my spare time to working with a local charity writing and delivering courses. In 2016, I gained multiple awards for my commitment to charity working, and for, improving lives through education

Throughout my career, I have taken every opportunity to improve my professional development, ensuring that my skills remain current.  I am currently studying a Master’s with the Open University in Online and Distance Learning. In addition to this, I am training to teach English as a second language.

I am motivated, enthusiastic and place learners at the heart of everything I do. I have the ability to, remain learner focused, and always strive to produce lessons which are interesting, innovative, inclusive and fun! I am really excited to embrace my role with my online ‘schooling’.

Ella Hall

My name is Ella, and I have been teaching for 4 years. After graduating in 2013, I moved to Melbourne and taught grade 6 for 2 years at a large comprehensive school. Most recently I taught in an alternative provision for students who have been excluded from mainstream education, and have qualifications in both dyslexia therapy and working with students with ASD. I am currently completing an MSc Psychology, and am looking forward to the flexibility online teaching can offer, whilst being very excited to experience a new, 21^st century style of teaching!

Donna Hanley

I have been teaching Mathematics for 24 years and I am very passionate about what I do. I have worked in secondary schools and further education colleges teaching students of all abilities. I have done a lot of one-to-one tuition ranging from KS2 to A level. My students always exceeded their expectations and this, as a teacher, is the best reward. I thoroughly enjoy all areas of my teaching and I feel that I pass this onto my students. My subject knowledge is vast and I am a very organised, committed person who cares about the success of her students, all of which I think makes me a good teacher. Over the last few years, I have written resources for Letts aimed at Year 2 pupils and those studying the 11+. I started my teaching career as a TEFL teacher in Spain and this gave me the confidence to retrain from an accountant to Mathematics teacher – the subject I love most.

Thea Davies

After many fantastic years working as a research scientist and following the birth of my first child, I trained to become a biology lecturer. I have taught science and maths since 2006 in primary and secondary schools, further education colleges and university. I currently also work part-time, as a University Teacher, at Cardiff University. For eight years I worked at the University of South Wales (formerly University of Wales, Newport), where I taught on the Initial Teacher Training, Secondary Science programme this enhanced my understanding of good teaching strategies in secondary science education. I have a lot of experience of working with children and adults with additional learning support needs and have spent many years working with learners who may need support accessing education as a result of physical disabilities.

I live with my family in the Wye Valley, on the English-Welsh border. I enjoy spending time in the countryside with my kids and dogs.

Tom Crombie

I was educated in Edinburgh before beginning an undergraduate degree at the University of Glasgow. In the latter years at Glasgow University I soon discovered his desire to enter the world of Education. After completing my degree I returned home to Edinburgh where I worked in the Special Needs sector before beginning my postgraduate study in Primary Education at the University of Edinburgh. I graduated from Edinburgh with a distinction in P.G.D.E. Primary.

After four and a half years teaching in the state sector in Scotland, I moved, to Auckand, New Zealand and was immediately appointed as a teacher and Curriculum Leader of Science and Information and Communication Technology at large independent school. During my time at the school I taught and developed many areas of the Cambridge International Curriculum. It was at this school where I was nominated for ‘A Day Made Good’ Award which aims to recognise exceptional teachers.

In 2007, 2011 and 2016 I traveled to Uganda to teach in a local, disadvantaged primary school in the outskirts of the capital city, Kampala. These visits not only included time in the classroom and sports field but also opportunities to collaborate with teachers and other professionals with the aim of improving teaching practice in the school.

In association with my visits to Uganda, I also run, support and manage a charity that supports local communities disadvantaged primary schools in Uganda. I took part in fundraising initiatives and visited a number of these schools in 2007, 2011 and 2016. My aim for the charity is to allow the primary schools in this region to become self-sufficient through community-run programmes which aim to generate an income to support schools.

After more than ten years of experience in the education profession I decided to further my career in establishing MyOnlineSchooling.com, with one simple aim: to improve the educational possibilities of young people, whoever they are and wherever they are in the world.

Marianne Kavanagh

Bonjour! I am a qualified and experienced teacher of French having gained my degree in 1999 and PGCE in 2003 and worked eight years in both primary and secondary schools in the UK. I also trained as an EFL teacher and taught English to both adults and children home and abroad. I gained a Master’s in translation in 2012 and worked as a freelancer on the translation of academic, commercial and legal texts. I am also a storyteller from the oral tradition and tell stories at UK events and workshops. Furthermore, I am trained as a ‘Translation Skills’ workshop facilitator as part of a course run by The Stephen Spender Trust which involves going into schools to teach translation skills to primary and secondary aged children.

My focus is very much on keeping language learning fun and fluid allowing children to explore and express their ideas and creativity with language.

Ash Guzowski

I have taught English and Media Studies, for ages 11 to 18, for five years, and am passionate about helping young people to understand and critically engage with the world around them, through analysis. My teaching experience began in rural Cornwall, working with students who often had limited experiences of the world outside the county, and I worked to help them gain valuable understanding of wider society. From here, my work has taken me to Buckinghamshire and on to Wales. My teaching philosophy is that we remember best when we have positive memories associated with the learning, so I always work to make lessons interesting and incorporate topics and subjects that students find engaging, and adapting my teaching style to suit the students’ needs. I also believe it is really important to emphasis and build on students’ successes, using verbal praise and rewards to help them understand their strengths.

Helen Tatlow

I graduated with a first class degree in Geography from Keble College, Oxford University, in 2016, and with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Edinburgh in 2017. I am currently working towards my Mountain Leader Assessment, I am a voluntary outdoor youth worker with a charity called Venture Scotland, and I am training to be an expedition leader. I have worked as a youth worker for the National Citizen Service and as a watersports and bushcraft instructor. In 2017 I went to Uganda, the French Alps, and Canada whitewater kayaking, and I am currently training for a marathon.

Sam Palmer

I am a Geography and English as a Second Language teacher, with Geography as a primary passion. The Geography journey began in 2006 when I was introduced to speleology, becoming a cave mine leader instructing groups around local cave systems.

After completing the BSc degree in Geography at Bath Spa University I chose to move to Spain and train as a teacher the Professional Graduate in Education was achieved in 2090

After working extensively in the field of English as a Second Language with the Spanish Military and companies such as Santander and Siemens, a move was made to Dexway, where with the help of a global team of tutors both ‘flesh and bone’ and the human touch was created for the Dexway brand of Computer Based Learning. Whilst in this role of coaching and tutoring, assisting thousands of students to reach their goal, unique content for forums and the Dexway Magazine was written.

In 2014 I completed English teaching certificate and a submission was made of the BSc Dissertation to the speleology journal Cave and Karst Science