Hello and welcome to Square Pegs!
The intention of this blog is to offer pragmatic advice to parents, teachers and, frankly, anyone interested in children and their development.
I am a teacher, I am also a Mum. I help children every day. This does not make me qualified to advise anyone, I know. That is not the intention here. A simple Google search can provide all manner of information about every aspect of education and child development, Special Educational Needs and teaching strategies.
The problem I hope to address is that children cannot be categorised.
The problem is that policy makers and Google do not know THIS child.
It can be difficult to relate academic papers, helpful information sheets, and the advice of healthcare and education professionals to a person.
That is my job.
I currently teach an intervention group in a mainstream school for children who are, for a very large variety of reasons, not 'getting on' with mainstream teaching. These are the children who do not 'fit' the mould. With the polarisation of teaching techniques and prescription of educational method to unprecedented levels, I can see increased panic in educational settings about children who stubbornly hold on to their individuality and refuse to 'fit'. I'm here to celebrate those children, to advocate for them and to help find a way for this success to be celebrated too.
If we stretch the 'square peg' metaphor a little further, in order to make the square peg fit the round hole, we risk chipping away at the form itself.
I firmly believe that our wonderful, unique and eccentric children should remain just that and that our educational establishments should have the flexibility to fit around and include them, to celebrate these children in all their quirky joy and that in that, we foster happiness. Essential to success.
I have been teaching for 20 years now and in that time have met thousands of children. Every single one of those children had a different approach to learning. Every single one of them is unique. I would never be so bold as to claim that every single one has made amazing educational leaps under my tutelage, that would be ridiculous, but I have learned something from every child I have met and I am able to draw on that experience to support children every day. Where I cannot support them myself, I can help parents and teachers to understand and interpret the advice and minefield of recommendations available and tailor support to individuals.
That is my aim. To share my experience. Simples.
