WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680 Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:06.160 teacher from the UK. I share my passion for everything 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:09.119 communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.660 ideas for my classroom of disabled pupils aged 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:15.300 4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:17.640 the field answering your questions and sharing 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:19.559 our knowledge and experience working alongside 00:00:19.559 --> 00:00:22.559 our beautiful young people. Let's get started. 00:00:27.500 --> 00:00:29.839 Hello everybody and welcome back to the Sensory 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:32.840 Classroom podcast. My name is Jordan and today 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:35.340 I am joined by Jess who's a secondary school 00:00:35.340 --> 00:00:39.280 SENCO and I was very lucky enough to be on her 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.899 podcast a couple of months ago and I couldn't 00:00:41.899 --> 00:00:44.039 wait to have her back. We've definitely got more 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:45.799 to talk about haven't we Jess? I'm looking forward 00:00:45.799 --> 00:00:48.000 to this podcast so much. We've got so much to 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.479 chat about. I know as professions we're both 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:52.539 teachers but I can imagine our roles are very 00:00:52.539 --> 00:00:53.979 different so I'm looking forward to getting into 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:55.920 it. That's exactly what I wanted you on here. 00:00:56.570 --> 00:00:58.130 had lots of speech and language therapists. We've 00:00:58.130 --> 00:01:01.310 had lots of special education teachers, occupational 00:01:01.310 --> 00:01:04.930 therapists, but we haven't had any mainstream 00:01:04.930 --> 00:01:07.510 secondary school teachers. And the fact that 00:01:07.510 --> 00:01:09.430 you're a SENCO as well, it is so aligned and 00:01:09.430 --> 00:01:11.950 there are so many similarities. Let's get into 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:14.530 the differences. I know lots of people that listen 00:01:14.530 --> 00:01:17.670 to my podcast have children of all ages that 00:01:17.670 --> 00:01:20.209 they teach and all abilities. So yeah, I thought 00:01:20.209 --> 00:01:22.730 it would be really important, but it is different. 00:01:22.870 --> 00:01:25.920 So can you describe a little bit about... what 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:28.120 you do in the school what your role is and then 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:30.900 the level of need that you support as well of 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:34.019 course so I'm a secondary school science teacher 00:01:34.019 --> 00:01:36.480 so that's who I trained what I trained as so 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.700 I went through the PGCE route so that was what 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:42.239 I became first and I teach teenagers GCSE and 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:45.510 A -levels which is has its different challenges 00:01:45.510 --> 00:01:48.530 in itself, as you can imagine, dealing with the 00:01:48.530 --> 00:01:51.090 teenage boys and teenage girls and all the hormones. 00:01:51.230 --> 00:01:53.569 It's very fun. It's really interesting because 00:01:53.569 --> 00:01:55.209 when I chat to primary school teachers, often 00:01:55.209 --> 00:01:57.030 they say to me, oh my gosh, I could not deal 00:01:57.030 --> 00:01:59.250 with that age group. But I'm the exact opposite. 00:01:59.530 --> 00:02:03.590 I couldn't deal with little children. So I love 00:02:03.590 --> 00:02:05.930 dealing with the teenagers and actually... I 00:02:05.930 --> 00:02:09.030 teach 11 to 18 and I always prefer teaching the 00:02:09.030 --> 00:02:12.289 16 to 18 year olds. I absolutely love it. That's 00:02:12.289 --> 00:02:14.289 amazing. And then what about level of need as 00:02:14.289 --> 00:02:17.550 well? Because some of our pupils in mainstream 00:02:17.550 --> 00:02:20.509 primary schools aren't able to get a special 00:02:20.509 --> 00:02:22.969 education place. So they are going to secondary 00:02:22.969 --> 00:02:24.590 schools. Is that something you're seeing? Are 00:02:24.590 --> 00:02:27.189 you seeing an increase in quite complex learning 00:02:27.189 --> 00:02:30.689 needs? Yeah. So if we boil it down to what it 00:02:30.689 --> 00:02:34.710 used to be like. So in the 2000s, 3 % of kids. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:37.120 At secondary school, mainstream education were 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:40.599 classes being on the SEND register. In 2014, 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:45.639 that increased to 14%. And then in 2018, just 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:49.539 before COVID, it was around 15. And now it's 00:02:49.539 --> 00:02:53.180 gone up even more to 18, 19%. So nearly 20 % 00:02:53.180 --> 00:02:56.120 of our kids now are on the SCN register. In a 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:58.599 really short time. In such a short space of time, 00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:02.110 which is... amazing because it means that we 00:03:02.110 --> 00:03:04.330 are giving kids access to these diagnosis that 00:03:04.330 --> 00:03:07.289 previously we never talked about and were never 00:03:07.289 --> 00:03:11.210 assessed for like it's great um it's a shame 00:03:11.210 --> 00:03:13.909 that when teachers for secondary school are going 00:03:13.909 --> 00:03:16.789 through their training that we're not having 00:03:16.789 --> 00:03:19.250 more training on special educational needs and 00:03:19.250 --> 00:03:21.969 disabilities because we've got 20 of our kids 00:03:21.969 --> 00:03:24.810 that fall in that bracket now yeah 20 of our 00:03:24.810 --> 00:03:27.530 training should be on special education right 00:03:27.530 --> 00:03:31.759 exactly And the biggest group within that is 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:35.460 children that are on social, emotional, mental 00:03:35.460 --> 00:03:39.580 health. So that is actually the growing category. 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:43.740 So it's quite a grey area for a long time of 00:03:43.740 --> 00:03:47.360 what had to be in place for a pupil with social, 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:50.020 emotional, mental health. It used to be that 00:03:50.020 --> 00:03:53.759 a GP diagnosis of anxiety was enough. um to have 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:55.580 that on the school register and then we can provide 00:03:55.580 --> 00:03:58.460 the support that they need actually now it's 00:03:58.460 --> 00:04:00.840 only coming recently it has to be um done by 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:04.719 a ed psych or a psychologist so it's not enough 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.939 just to have a gp diagnosis anymore so yeah we're 00:04:07.939 --> 00:04:10.759 seeing we're seeing massive growths in secondary 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:13.680 school with people on this end register um it's 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:17.850 gone up 20 nearly 20 percent in in 25 years does 00:04:17.850 --> 00:04:19.709 the fact that it has to be done by an educational 00:04:19.709 --> 00:04:22.709 psychologist mean longer waiting times now because 00:04:22.709 --> 00:04:24.110 they're really hard to get hold of aren't they 00:04:24.110 --> 00:04:25.810 because i know you need that for the autism diagnosis 00:04:25.810 --> 00:04:28.689 and there's a two to four year wait for an autism 00:04:28.689 --> 00:04:30.810 diagnosis is is that going to become an issue 00:04:30.810 --> 00:04:33.990 do you think for seeing getting some emotional 00:04:33.990 --> 00:04:38.209 support as well yeah yeah absolutely the word 00:04:38.209 --> 00:04:41.350 anxiety say the way you talk about it in secondary 00:04:41.350 --> 00:04:44.110 school they say that how we used to talk about 00:04:44.110 --> 00:04:47.420 stress is how kids now talk about anxiety. And 00:04:47.420 --> 00:04:49.379 there's a lot of education in schools at the 00:04:49.379 --> 00:04:52.079 moment about teaching kids about feeling anxious 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:54.500 and being diagnosed with anxiety and different 00:04:54.500 --> 00:04:57.160 things. So we're trying to educate the kids on, 00:04:57.199 --> 00:04:59.079 you know, what those two different things are. 00:04:59.879 --> 00:05:03.300 It's actually quite normal to feel anxious around 00:05:03.300 --> 00:05:06.019 your exams and to feel a little bit stressed 00:05:06.019 --> 00:05:07.519 and your heart racing. That's actually quite 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:09.279 a normal feeling because it means you care about 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:12.019 what's about to happen. But it's the point where... 00:05:12.269 --> 00:05:14.290 Someone is diagnosed with anxiety that actually 00:05:14.290 --> 00:05:17.069 hinders their results and hinders their ability 00:05:17.069 --> 00:05:19.769 to sit exams. You're right. There's a massive 00:05:19.769 --> 00:05:22.670 wait list. And it is about a two to three year 00:05:22.670 --> 00:05:25.970 wait at the moment to see anyone. Unless, of 00:05:25.970 --> 00:05:28.310 course, you have money to pay for it privately, 00:05:28.470 --> 00:05:30.310 which most people don't. And that's the same 00:05:30.310 --> 00:05:33.389 across all of the need, to be honest. So dyslexia 00:05:33.389 --> 00:05:35.550 is the shortest wait at the moment, but it's 00:05:35.550 --> 00:05:38.180 still about. two to three years ADHD and autism 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:39.879 we're looking at two to four years depending 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:41.939 on where you are in the country same with anxiety 00:05:41.939 --> 00:05:44.579 two to four years really but if you pay for it 00:05:44.579 --> 00:05:47.160 privately you know a dyslexia diagnosis is a 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:50.439 thousand pounds whereas ADHD and autism you're 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:53.480 looking at minimum two and a half grand so again 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:56.139 it's really difficult if you have the money then 00:05:56.139 --> 00:05:58.120 great but unfortunately most people don't and 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.879 so for example If a child came to me and said, 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:03.939 you know, I think I may have ADHD, for example, 00:06:03.939 --> 00:06:06.500 I'd love to go get assessed to then see what 00:06:06.500 --> 00:06:09.579 exam access arrangement we can offer them. For 00:06:09.579 --> 00:06:12.779 example, extra time or giving them access to 00:06:12.779 --> 00:06:15.920 a smaller room or having a prompt. Those are 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.740 all great things. But we need that, you know, 00:06:18.740 --> 00:06:23.139 paperwork to say that they have this need. So 00:06:23.139 --> 00:06:26.430 they come to me in year 10. There's a three -year 00:06:26.430 --> 00:06:27.949 waiting list. They've already gone through their 00:06:27.949 --> 00:06:30.069 exams before they get the diagnosis. And obviously 00:06:30.069 --> 00:06:32.970 they take their exams in year 11. There are things 00:06:32.970 --> 00:06:36.110 schools can do, obviously, without the diagnosis 00:06:36.110 --> 00:06:38.790 officially on paper, but it does make it a lot 00:06:38.790 --> 00:06:40.670 harder for schools and it takes up a lot more 00:06:40.670 --> 00:06:42.990 time and resources. Yeah, I was going to say, 00:06:42.990 --> 00:06:47.470 what do you do in that instance? Do you pair 00:06:47.470 --> 00:06:51.050 them together, provide that anyway? Surely there's 00:06:51.050 --> 00:06:52.790 a limit, isn't there? Is it the financial budget? 00:06:53.549 --> 00:06:56.569 tangible limit to how much a school can do without 00:06:56.569 --> 00:07:02.029 that backing yeah it's it's yeah it is it's a 00:07:02.029 --> 00:07:04.149 lot of a lot of the school issues though in the 00:07:04.149 --> 00:07:07.550 uk do come down to budget unfortunately so it'd 00:07:07.550 --> 00:07:09.290 be no surprise any teacher listening to this 00:07:09.290 --> 00:07:13.290 hearing that but yeah it's it will come we can 00:07:13.290 --> 00:07:17.110 do things uh it's just a lot easier um when you've 00:07:17.110 --> 00:07:20.910 got a paper diagnosis the way it works is we 00:07:20.910 --> 00:07:25.529 can't just award any child 25 % extra time because 00:07:25.529 --> 00:07:28.509 there needs to be some sort of regulation throughout 00:07:28.509 --> 00:07:31.629 the whole country about how this is done because 00:07:31.629 --> 00:07:33.569 otherwise you can hand it out to anyone you just 00:07:33.569 --> 00:07:35.829 be like oh that we think that people need it 00:07:35.829 --> 00:07:39.089 so there has to be some sort of regulation yeah 00:07:39.089 --> 00:07:42.370 we have to apply for it which is quite a surprise 00:07:42.370 --> 00:07:45.949 to a lot of parents or or even teachers listening 00:07:45.949 --> 00:07:48.350 you have to apply for it so we would say this 00:07:48.350 --> 00:07:54.300 pupil needs um 25 % extra time and a laptop, 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:58.339 for example. And we have to collect evidence 00:07:58.339 --> 00:08:00.620 for about six months. We have to do mini assessments 00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:02.899 with them. We have to put forward their paperwork 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:05.720 and their diagnosis. We have to put notes that 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:07.860 this is what teachers also believe. We apply 00:08:07.860 --> 00:08:12.220 for it to JCQ, the exam board, and they can say 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:14.579 yes or no based on the evidence we provide. That 00:08:14.579 --> 00:08:18.100 is a really long process. yeah I had no idea 00:08:18.100 --> 00:08:20.300 about this I had no idea is this what you spend 00:08:20.300 --> 00:08:23.959 a lot of your time doing is compiling this evidence 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:27.439 yeah yeah so it takes it takes ages so then you 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:29.180 have to apply and they can reject it if it's 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:32.200 not sufficient enough it sounds a lot of work 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:34.759 and it is but I completely understand why that 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:37.269 process has to be in place Because it needs to 00:08:37.269 --> 00:08:39.730 be a fair system. Exam access arrangements are 00:08:39.730 --> 00:08:42.370 fantastic because it's trying to equal out the 00:08:42.370 --> 00:08:44.190 playing field as much as it can. Like it's there 00:08:44.190 --> 00:08:46.710 for a good reason. So they need to have some 00:08:46.710 --> 00:08:49.629 sort of control over how they're doing it. Yeah, 00:08:49.649 --> 00:08:52.409 because otherwise some crooked schools would 00:08:52.409 --> 00:08:55.149 suggest that lots would have their 25%. Well, 00:08:55.149 --> 00:08:58.990 then that takes away your actual 25%, doesn't 00:08:58.990 --> 00:09:01.070 it? Because that's not an equal playing field. 00:09:01.309 --> 00:09:05.350 That's equality, not equity. Exactly. Yeah. And 00:09:05.350 --> 00:09:10.120 you know. In a world where, unfortunately, results 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:13.200 are perceived as the most important thing to 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:16.740 a school, because parents will decide a lot about 00:09:16.740 --> 00:09:18.519 where they send their kids based on what results 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:21.019 are on their website, that sort of thing can 00:09:21.019 --> 00:09:23.840 and would happen. So it's absolutely needed. 00:09:24.259 --> 00:09:28.539 The hardest exam access arrangement to get and 00:09:28.539 --> 00:09:32.019 apply for is 25 % extra time, regardless of what 00:09:32.019 --> 00:09:35.059 your profile is. everyone would benefit from 00:09:35.059 --> 00:09:37.500 25 extra time like everyone would regardless 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:40.840 to whether they had a diagnosis not everyone 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:42.299 would benefit so it's actually the hardest one 00:09:42.299 --> 00:09:45.639 to get but it's obviously the one that most people 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:48.019 want as well is it the one that has the most 00:09:48.019 --> 00:09:51.740 impact as well for for all people that need it 00:09:51.740 --> 00:09:55.159 it really depends you know we thought you could 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:59.320 have pupils that just need a need a prompt need 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:02.120 a refocus they they they don't struggle with 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:04.840 their handwriting speed or timing or recalling 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:07.340 information they just have these moments where 00:10:07.340 --> 00:10:10.220 they zone out so all they need is that one person 00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:12.120 to be in the room and all you do is tap the desk 00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:14.139 and they're like sorry yeah back on it miss don't 00:10:14.139 --> 00:10:17.120 worry they really benefit from that so it really 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:20.639 depends the most um the one that's becoming really 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:23.740 popular which actually you guys that work in 00:10:23.740 --> 00:10:27.480 primary will obviously know about is loops so 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:30.259 previously obviously teenagers being teenagers 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:33.740 didn't want to wear anything in their ears wasn't 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.639 cool you know you're at that age where you start 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:38.559 comparing yourself to other people like it's 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:40.679 actually a really natural process they become 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:43.279 very comparative so wearing these things in your 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:47.960 ears was not cool but then the apple i ear pods 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:50.279 air pods air pods came out so then it became 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:52.659 cool to have things in your ears now it's actually 00:10:52.659 --> 00:10:56.279 becoming a cool thing apparently this is what 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:57.679 the kids are telling me a cool thing to have 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:00.840 loops in so they're like ear defenders right 00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:03.899 yeah so loops it and mini ear defenders they 00:11:03.899 --> 00:11:05.740 look really cool they just sit in your ears you 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:09.799 can get different colors so previously I had 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:12.659 Senkos have had such a problem with getting kids 00:11:12.659 --> 00:11:14.899 to wear ear defenders when they become overstimulated 00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:17.799 especially actually in exams when people hyper 00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:20.220 focus on other people writing All that little 00:11:20.220 --> 00:11:23.480 noise of the exam invigilator, you know, writing 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:25.580 down something. That can be a massive distraction 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:27.820 for some people, which makes sense. His room 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:29.980 is like silent apart from little tiny squeaks 00:11:29.980 --> 00:11:33.299 and noises. And so getting pupils to wear ear 00:11:33.299 --> 00:11:35.399 defenders was not cool. You know, they didn't 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:37.000 want to sit there. They didn't want to look different. 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:39.500 They're at that age. They're 16 years old. You 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:41.100 know, probably the person that they're dating 00:11:41.100 --> 00:11:43.379 is across the room. It's a whole thing with them. 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:48.629 So, but now loops are really cool. So you can 00:11:48.629 --> 00:11:51.409 suggest loops now and pupils really want to wear 00:11:51.409 --> 00:11:54.049 them. Do you need permission for that or is that 00:11:54.049 --> 00:11:57.990 something? No, you don't have to apply for loops, 00:11:58.230 --> 00:12:00.950 which is great because it makes the process so 00:12:00.950 --> 00:12:03.870 much easier to apply for. You don't have to apply 00:12:03.870 --> 00:12:06.649 for it. It got me thinking about some of the 00:12:06.649 --> 00:12:11.350 biggest challenges that SENCOs face is that society... 00:12:12.059 --> 00:12:15.080 And kids being teenagers, you know, they don't 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:17.919 want to be different. They are at that age where 00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:20.360 they've come out of primary school and, you know, 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:23.179 they start getting their hormones and they're 00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:26.779 growing up and, you know, they start dating other 00:12:26.779 --> 00:12:31.179 people and they become so worried about what 00:12:31.179 --> 00:12:34.039 they appear like that, you know, these little 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:38.220 strategies that came into place. In primary school, 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:40.279 you know, using their fidget toys, you know, 00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:42.440 having the elastic bands under the table, those 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:44.919 sorts of things, they actually stop using completely 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:47.360 just because they don't want to be compared. 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:50.379 It just got me thinking, now we've come over 00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:52.519 this social barrier that actually these loops 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:54.399 are now a cool thing to wear. A lot of people 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:56.639 that do come out, a lot of pupils that do come 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:58.840 out of primary school when they'd use their fidget 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:00.340 toys and they'd have their elastic bands and 00:13:00.340 --> 00:13:03.519 things that they became confident using actually 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:07.100 was really beneficial to them. just that no it's 00:13:07.100 --> 00:13:09.639 it they won't you and obviously senkos will chat 00:13:09.639 --> 00:13:12.080 to them say you know you used to really benefit 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:13.960 from this it'd be great and they're like absolutely 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:17.240 not missed no not using it no you find not they 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:19.759 do other things though like chew their sleeves 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:23.240 or fill with pens two pens like what kind of 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:26.379 things are you seeing that show that tells you 00:13:26.379 --> 00:13:31.710 this young person needs these tools there's little 00:13:31.710 --> 00:13:34.129 tells like that like the chewing of the um the 00:13:34.129 --> 00:13:36.690 sleeve is one or picking of their nails is one 00:13:36.690 --> 00:13:39.590 but actually in the teenage years it's more acting 00:13:39.590 --> 00:13:43.830 out because it builds up yeah it builds up because 00:13:43.830 --> 00:13:46.110 they're not having that release during the day 00:13:46.110 --> 00:13:47.889 it builds up and then it comes out as behavior 00:13:47.889 --> 00:13:50.830 which is obviously can lead to things like removing 00:13:50.830 --> 00:13:52.649 from the classroom and then they're affecting 00:13:52.649 --> 00:13:54.669 their learning and that's actually the start 00:13:54.669 --> 00:13:57.759 of the spiral so It's really hard as a Senko 00:13:57.759 --> 00:13:59.620 to have those conversations with the kids when 00:13:59.620 --> 00:14:01.360 they're at that stage where the most important 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:03.960 thing to them is how they look in school, you 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:06.759 know, what their peers and their friends think 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:08.320 about them. That's the most important thing to 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:12.399 a teenager at that point. It's so hard for Senkos 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.799 because you just want to say to them, let's do 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:18.440 it, it's going to help you. I used to do it or 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.500 I know this isn't the coolest thing, but, you 00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:24.299 know, and that is. probably the biggest challenge 00:14:24.299 --> 00:14:28.120 of working with teenagers so with the loops now 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:30.240 they're cool we don't have any problems with 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:35.799 them but it's interesting how it's these society 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:39.460 norms that we if I could if I could just click 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:41.980 my fingers and think right if I could just make 00:14:41.980 --> 00:14:46.080 fidget toys cool I would because it would solve 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:49.360 so many so many challenges that we have as Senkos 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.700 but also help the kids so much because they're 00:14:51.700 --> 00:14:53.580 so worried about what they look like as teenagers 00:14:53.580 --> 00:14:56.000 yeah so I suppose the difference with loops was 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:00.279 that it was seen as cool because they might have 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:03.120 seen influencers or celebrities wearing them 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:05.659 they're expensive they're a high class like high 00:15:05.659 --> 00:15:09.200 desired item um they're seen as being fashionable 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.200 just like certain trainers are just like certain 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:14.870 brands and designs are So maybe the sensory toy 00:15:14.870 --> 00:15:17.210 business is missing a trick here. We need to 00:15:17.210 --> 00:15:19.750 be like getting the celebrities to be wearing 00:15:19.750 --> 00:15:23.649 big ear defenders and like using some fidget 00:15:23.649 --> 00:15:26.149 toys and then maybe, yeah. If they're on TikTok, 00:15:26.330 --> 00:15:28.909 the kids will wear them, buy them. It's so funny. 00:15:29.110 --> 00:15:31.590 Any of these influencer TikTok dancers need to 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:33.309 get on the fidget toys because it makes my life 00:15:33.309 --> 00:15:37.370 so much easier. That's amazing. And that's so 00:15:37.370 --> 00:15:38.610 interesting as well because we actually have 00:15:38.610 --> 00:15:40.870 the opposite problem in primary school. They 00:15:40.870 --> 00:15:44.909 are very much seen as... toys rather than resources 00:15:44.909 --> 00:15:50.870 so if a child sees a peer fiddling or twiddling 00:15:50.870 --> 00:15:55.549 with a fidget or whatever they will want it and 00:15:55.549 --> 00:15:58.809 then the teacher's in this weird space where 00:15:58.809 --> 00:16:01.850 they want to be affirming to their needs you 00:16:01.850 --> 00:16:03.889 know maybe they do need it who am i to say they 00:16:03.889 --> 00:16:07.269 don't need it To having 33 kids in the class 00:16:07.269 --> 00:16:09.610 that half of them are getting something out of 00:16:09.610 --> 00:16:11.710 it, or actually technically it'll be 25 % are 00:16:11.710 --> 00:16:14.370 getting something out of it. And 75 % are completely 00:16:14.370 --> 00:16:16.149 distracted because they don't actually need it 00:16:16.149 --> 00:16:19.289 in the first place. So it's so different, isn't 00:16:19.289 --> 00:16:22.289 it? Yeah, no, that's the complete opposite of 00:16:22.289 --> 00:16:25.590 my problem. I remember being that age though. 00:16:26.110 --> 00:16:28.549 I remember being in those teenage years and you 00:16:28.549 --> 00:16:30.809 just live in your bubble and all you cared about 00:16:30.809 --> 00:16:32.990 was what was happening after school. It matters 00:16:32.990 --> 00:16:37.470 so much. I do feel like secondary school is really 00:16:37.470 --> 00:16:40.570 crucial for teaching the important stuff. It 00:16:40.570 --> 00:16:43.570 really is the academic stuff. But I think completely 00:16:43.570 --> 00:16:46.549 equal with that is learning about how to be in 00:16:46.549 --> 00:16:49.289 a social dynamic, how to make friends, how to... 00:16:50.009 --> 00:16:53.370 you'll form your identity how to form positive 00:16:53.370 --> 00:16:55.669 relationships and to break negative relationships 00:16:55.669 --> 00:16:57.750 you're learning so much important stuff that 00:16:57.750 --> 00:17:01.669 will also benefit you in adulthood too and it's 00:17:01.669 --> 00:17:04.730 it's when those two things are trying to be together 00:17:04.730 --> 00:17:07.430 I mean secondary school is an absolute minefield 00:17:07.430 --> 00:17:10.849 isn't it you've got hormones as well you've got 00:17:10.849 --> 00:17:14.349 oh my goodness yeah yeah your job is not for 00:17:14.349 --> 00:17:18.150 the weak -hearted for sure it is I mean I I do 00:17:18.150 --> 00:17:20.029 love it I used to not be a teacher and then I 00:17:20.029 --> 00:17:22.309 came into teaching and I do love it and I'm glad 00:17:22.309 --> 00:17:25.250 I chose secondary is it is a crazy world to work 00:17:25.250 --> 00:17:31.089 in it's um it's interesting because I think I 00:17:31.089 --> 00:17:32.869 see these I mean I see these on Instagram all 00:17:32.869 --> 00:17:35.910 the time when you talked about your classroom 00:17:35.910 --> 00:17:39.589 on my podcast um a few months ago I we still 00:17:39.589 --> 00:17:42.950 teaching with kids set in rows We still teach 00:17:42.950 --> 00:17:45.569 with kids having one exercise book for the whole 00:17:45.569 --> 00:17:48.609 class. We still teach with, you know, hands up. 00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:50.529 And I see it on Instagram all the time where 00:17:50.529 --> 00:17:53.450 it's, you know, the, how they used to train, 00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:55.930 sorry, how they used to school back in the 60s 00:17:55.930 --> 00:17:58.690 and 70s. It's exactly the same as what we do 00:17:58.690 --> 00:18:00.970 now. Even since I was at school, school has got 00:18:00.970 --> 00:18:04.170 so much harder. So much harder for kids. The 00:18:04.170 --> 00:18:06.170 exams that they sit and the intensity at which 00:18:06.170 --> 00:18:09.369 they sit them has got so much worse. So when 00:18:09.369 --> 00:18:12.690 did I sit my GCSEs? 2007? And my science exam 00:18:12.690 --> 00:18:16.269 was a multiple choice test. Yeah. Now it's done. 00:18:16.390 --> 00:18:19.470 It was 25 minutes. Now it's an hour and 15. And 00:18:19.470 --> 00:18:22.309 that's just one subject. And these kids are sitting 00:18:22.309 --> 00:18:27.289 11. Wow. Intensity at which they work. And they, 00:18:27.390 --> 00:18:30.009 you know, they come in, they sit at their desk, 00:18:30.150 --> 00:18:31.970 they listen to the teacher, they engage in whatever 00:18:31.970 --> 00:18:34.549 activity the teacher's set, but it will be at 00:18:34.549 --> 00:18:36.809 the desk, most likely, majority of the time anyway, 00:18:36.990 --> 00:18:39.430 will be at the desk. And, you know, hands up. 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:42.460 write your notes move on to the next lesson unless 00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:45.259 you're doing drama of course but you know english 00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:47.799 math science science you can do some practicals 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:51.880 definitely but the curriculum is so heavy that 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:53.900 you do have to do quite a lot of theory work 00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:56.319 what is the benefit of that because as a country 00:18:56.319 --> 00:19:00.819 we want better results and if they feel like 00:19:00.819 --> 00:19:03.039 they're going to get better results doing more 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:05.720 practical keeping kids engaged then why are they 00:19:05.720 --> 00:19:10.079 going the opposite of that do you know Can you 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:11.400 answer? I don't know. Maybe you can't even answer 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:13.660 that question. No, because there's such a breakdown 00:19:13.660 --> 00:19:15.859 in the understanding. I think, you know, all 00:19:15.859 --> 00:19:19.779 the people in charge of, I mean, who's the education 00:19:19.779 --> 00:19:22.259 secretary? It changes so often. Are they a teacher? 00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:25.000 Probably not. No, never. They're a businessman. 00:19:25.259 --> 00:19:27.980 Yeah. I don't even follow politics because it 00:19:27.980 --> 00:19:29.940 drives me insane. But I can't imagine they're 00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:32.460 ever a teacher or someone that stepped into a 00:19:32.460 --> 00:19:35.039 mainstream 2 ,000 kids secondary educational 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:37.710 school. I doubt that they're that person. They 00:19:37.710 --> 00:19:39.589 could be an apologies if I'm wrong. I don't think 00:19:39.589 --> 00:19:42.529 you're wrong. I just, it's teachers are under 00:19:42.529 --> 00:19:45.210 so much stress. Like when I think of the science 00:19:45.210 --> 00:19:47.910 curriculum and what I have to teach kids and 00:19:47.910 --> 00:19:50.470 it's just a memory game and a knowledge application 00:19:50.470 --> 00:19:53.630 game and it's passing an exam and it's just - 00:19:53.630 --> 00:19:55.990 We support some people. Some people learn that 00:19:55.990 --> 00:19:59.450 way. Some people are very like book -led people. 00:19:59.650 --> 00:20:02.029 They can retain information. They can regurgitate 00:20:02.029 --> 00:20:05.710 information and they remember it. Does that make 00:20:05.710 --> 00:20:08.130 them standing citizens? And I don't think that's 00:20:08.130 --> 00:20:09.950 another question, but they can get through their 00:20:09.950 --> 00:20:13.529 exam. But for so many children, whether they've 00:20:13.529 --> 00:20:15.890 got a diagnosis or not, that would feel like 00:20:15.890 --> 00:20:18.069 an impossible task. I was one of them. I am an 00:20:18.069 --> 00:20:21.569 incredibly intelligent person. I have a six -figure 00:20:21.569 --> 00:20:27.069 business. I am on it. But I really, really just 00:20:27.069 --> 00:20:32.269 scraped a C's in my GCSE. And I have only got 00:20:32.269 --> 00:20:34.779 a degree because I chose acting. which was all 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:39.480 practical, no essay writing. And because it didn't 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:43.460 work for me. But as an adult, I found success 00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:45.059 and I feel like children should have the opportunity 00:20:45.059 --> 00:20:47.619 too. And I feel like because the school system 00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:50.740 is so built around one way of learning, it's 00:20:50.740 --> 00:20:54.539 putting people off from further education and 00:20:54.539 --> 00:20:59.059 any kind of academia or any kind of like teaching, 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:01.380 for example, like any kind of career in a way. 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:05.819 because they are so tired of feeling stupid, 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:08.980 honestly. That's what it comes down to. Yeah, 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:11.200 no, and it is putting people off further education, 00:21:11.380 --> 00:21:13.400 but then we also live in a society where a degree 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:16.579 is always expected now. Yeah. So that really 00:21:16.579 --> 00:21:20.420 conflicts itself. Yeah. Because you're setting 00:21:20.420 --> 00:21:23.180 up an education system which favours a very small 00:21:23.180 --> 00:21:26.539 percentage of people, and then you're saying, 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:28.579 well, you need a degree. And if you don't have 00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:31.180 a degree these days, people are like... okay 00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:34.299 you don't get an interview it's and these jobs 00:21:34.299 --> 00:21:37.960 so I can't remember which one in a bank so my 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:40.660 mum used to work in a bank and she had one O 00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:43.319 level now you need to agree to have that job 00:21:43.319 --> 00:21:46.779 wow and that was we're talking what 30 years 00:21:46.779 --> 00:21:49.359 ago she was incredible at her job incredible 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:53.420 at her job yeah incredible and it just it just 00:21:53.420 --> 00:21:55.400 frustrates me because the conversations I have 00:21:55.400 --> 00:21:58.019 to have with kids What do you want to do in the 00:21:58.019 --> 00:21:59.680 future? You know, they're choosing their GCSEs. 00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:01.200 They're choosing their A -levels. Choosing your 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:02.980 A -levels determines what universities you're 00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:04.420 going to apply for. You're talking to kids about 00:22:04.420 --> 00:22:07.680 what they want to do in the future. Every single 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:09.940 one of them expects them. They have to get a 00:22:09.940 --> 00:22:12.599 degree. Like, they have to. Like, there's no 00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:14.960 alternative. And if you do anything else, then 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:19.700 it's a failure. But university was, again, was 00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:22.700 created for a very small, very academic group 00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:25.190 of people, you know? You sit in a lecture theatre 00:22:25.190 --> 00:22:27.470 for two hours and listen to someone and take 00:22:27.470 --> 00:22:30.049 notes? How many people could actually concentrate 00:22:30.049 --> 00:22:31.950 for that long? And it's self -motivated as well, 00:22:31.970 --> 00:22:35.029 isn't it? Yeah, regardless of your profile. God, 00:22:35.109 --> 00:22:38.390 that's a long time to sit there. So again, not 00:22:38.390 --> 00:22:40.710 everyone was meant to go to university. It was 00:22:40.710 --> 00:22:42.650 not meant to be a thing where everyone was meant 00:22:42.650 --> 00:22:44.690 to get a degree because not everyone's on that 00:22:44.690 --> 00:22:47.960 level. The world wouldn't turn. Like we knew 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:51.200 COVID was a perfect example. Everybody who had 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.920 that kind of academic job was out of work. Who 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:55.779 did we actually need? Or I suppose apart from 00:22:55.779 --> 00:22:59.299 nurses, bless them. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, who 00:22:59.299 --> 00:23:01.599 did we actually need? We needed on the ground 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.680 skilled workers that are incredible, that have 00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:06.960 such great intelligence. It's just not academic 00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:10.789 intelligence. They are practical. problem solvers 00:23:10.789 --> 00:23:14.410 that are really hardworking and deserve so much 00:23:14.410 --> 00:23:18.130 more than often they get but they that's brilliant 00:23:18.130 --> 00:23:20.869 minds too so often I don't know if they still 00:23:20.869 --> 00:23:23.349 do this actually in my secondary school um the 00:23:23.349 --> 00:23:27.509 children or the teenagers that may not get or 00:23:27.509 --> 00:23:30.769 equivalent to cgcse I don't know what it's called 00:23:30.769 --> 00:23:33.490 now it's all numbers now I think apprenticeships 00:23:33.490 --> 00:23:35.690 like plumbing electricians and that was kind 00:23:35.690 --> 00:23:38.769 of seen as a great alternative But I don't know 00:23:38.769 --> 00:23:40.430 if those apprenticeships even exist anymore. 00:23:40.650 --> 00:23:44.710 How do you support the children that you know 00:23:44.710 --> 00:23:47.609 won't go to university, may not even go and do 00:23:47.609 --> 00:23:51.049 A -levels? What is the option for those brilliant 00:23:51.049 --> 00:23:55.569 brains to get into work? Firstly, with these 00:23:55.569 --> 00:23:58.990 beautiful, amazing brains, that we need to find 00:23:58.990 --> 00:24:02.869 the right path for them. The first thing that 00:24:02.869 --> 00:24:05.349 schools need to get right is... framing that 00:24:05.349 --> 00:24:08.410 conversation because you can't frame it as I 00:24:08.410 --> 00:24:09.869 know you're not going to get into university 00:24:09.869 --> 00:24:12.589 so let's look at other things that's the first 00:24:12.589 --> 00:24:15.730 thing because it does happen it needs to be the 00:24:15.730 --> 00:24:18.289 schools need to make sure it's framed well to 00:24:18.289 --> 00:24:21.950 celebrate it celebrate it yeah and it's such 00:24:21.950 --> 00:24:24.309 a big change because you know I think society 00:24:24.309 --> 00:24:27.150 like I said earlier just expects degrees as a 00:24:27.150 --> 00:24:29.369 minimum so I think naturally the way people phrase 00:24:29.369 --> 00:24:31.869 things are university first everything else second 00:24:31.869 --> 00:24:34.759 so it is a complete culture shift in a school 00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:38.819 there are some incredible apprenticeships now 00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:41.720 like so much more than where they were 20 years 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:44.039 ago and I think the narrative is changing which 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:46.640 is really positive but for example where I live 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:49.440 in the Midlands the most competitive apprenticeships 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:52.420 are the ones with Aston Martin and Jaguar Land 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:54.619 Rover so they're the most popular ones in my 00:24:54.619 --> 00:24:56.880 area thousands of kids apply and it's incredible 00:24:56.880 --> 00:24:59.500 because on these apprenticeships these pupils 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:02.740 can join at 16 or 18 I think it's 18 now actually 00:25:02.740 --> 00:25:05.640 I think they raised it um they can join at 18 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:08.640 and they get straight into work you know start 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:10.460 earning money straight away as well which is 00:25:10.460 --> 00:25:13.700 great um and they get to shoot like try out loads 00:25:13.700 --> 00:25:16.529 of different practical parts of the business 00:25:16.529 --> 00:25:19.250 so you know obviously Aston Martin is a luxury 00:25:19.250 --> 00:25:23.349 car so they could be trying out spraying paint 00:25:23.349 --> 00:25:26.730 is one um thing that they try and they basically 00:25:26.730 --> 00:25:28.009 just go through the different elements of the 00:25:28.009 --> 00:25:29.970 business it's all practical based and it's so 00:25:29.970 --> 00:25:31.529 progression they're like they can progress through 00:25:31.529 --> 00:25:34.190 their career and they could be a top top salesman 00:25:34.190 --> 00:25:37.029 or the top mechanic and I'm probably earning 00:25:37.029 --> 00:25:39.549 maybe more than the people that have a degree 00:25:39.549 --> 00:25:44.809 that end up as teachers yeah Everyone I know 00:25:44.809 --> 00:25:46.769 that's gone one of these incredible apprenticeships 00:25:46.769 --> 00:25:50.170 has completely thrived because they found an 00:25:50.170 --> 00:25:52.890 environment that totally works for them, like 00:25:52.890 --> 00:25:55.329 completely hands -on, completely practical, and 00:25:55.329 --> 00:25:57.809 they've just absolutely thrived and been super 00:25:57.809 --> 00:26:01.089 successful. Whatever your measure of success 00:26:01.089 --> 00:26:03.890 is, you know, everyone's is different. These 00:26:03.890 --> 00:26:05.769 people that I know have done it have been financially 00:26:05.769 --> 00:26:08.150 successful as well as really happy. Way happier 00:26:08.150 --> 00:26:09.769 than they were in school when they were putting 00:26:09.769 --> 00:26:12.309 their hand up to answer a question on the board 00:26:12.309 --> 00:26:15.970 again. Like so much happier. So there are so 00:26:15.970 --> 00:26:20.029 many more options now. Another great one for 00:26:20.029 --> 00:26:23.289 a lot of pupils with a diagnosis is agricultural. 00:26:24.630 --> 00:26:28.269 So a lot of them will be like working on the 00:26:28.269 --> 00:26:30.849 farms and things like that, which again is perfect. 00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:34.339 just being out in nature and like being hands 00:26:34.339 --> 00:26:37.460 -on and open fields, like all the weathers, like 00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:38.880 people just love getting stuck in with that sort 00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:41.519 of thing. So agricultural colleges is great as 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:45.660 well. So crucial to our whole society. Yeah, 00:26:45.740 --> 00:26:49.079 exactly. And again, it's become really popular 00:26:49.079 --> 00:26:51.819 because of Clarkson's Farm. Kids are so influenced 00:26:51.819 --> 00:26:55.920 by social media, TV. So Clarkson's Farm has obviously 00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:00.720 been super popular since COVID and it's all farmers. 00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:04.480 in schools now are like the cool ones especially 00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:08.240 the ones hilarious that Jeremy Clarkson of all 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:12.359 people is making farming cool like that is actually 00:27:12.359 --> 00:27:17.759 so funny to me we had a we had a few Jeremy Clarkson's 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:21.019 actually for world book day which is amazing 00:27:21.019 --> 00:27:24.440 yeah that's amazing they were like he does have 00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:29.980 a book I was like okay yeah yeah amazing The 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:32.380 converse of all of this, of course, is that actually, 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:36.559 and I was this pupil at school, you have kids 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:39.680 that are really academic, but have a diagnosis 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:43.660 as well. So I would consider myself someone that 00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:46.200 is academic. I was diagnosed with dyslexia very 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:51.019 late in life. So I was 20, 20. Yeah, 20 when 00:27:51.019 --> 00:27:52.380 I got home. You left school. You left college. 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:57.579 Yeah, I had done my GCSEs. I went to college. 00:27:57.579 --> 00:28:01.140 I did A -levels and then I went to university 00:28:01.140 --> 00:28:03.619 and I went to the University of Bath and I was 00:28:03.619 --> 00:28:06.940 so, so happy to get into that university. I kind 00:28:06.940 --> 00:28:10.039 of got through education thinking I definitely 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:12.579 struggle more than my friends. I definitely have 00:28:12.579 --> 00:28:14.819 to try harder. I couldn't really know why. I 00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:17.619 just thought and what I said to myself for years 00:28:17.619 --> 00:28:20.279 was they're just, I think they're just smarter 00:28:20.279 --> 00:28:22.200 than me. I think that's the word I use. They're 00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:24.000 just smarter than me. I just have to try harder. 00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:27.720 And because... no none of this was ever a conversation 00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:31.460 when we we were young um I was just that's what 00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:33.059 my parents said you know just just try a bit 00:28:33.059 --> 00:28:35.660 harder like it sucks but you know you just gotta 00:28:35.660 --> 00:28:39.220 try a bit more and then it got to um I did statistics 00:28:39.220 --> 00:28:43.160 as part of my degree and this I failed the statistics 00:28:43.160 --> 00:28:46.539 exam I got four percent it's awful I was like 00:28:46.539 --> 00:28:49.579 I had to had a list of numbers and then a computer 00:28:49.579 --> 00:28:53.509 and I had to run some stats and some guy one 00:28:53.509 --> 00:28:55.250 of the lecturers looked at my work and I had 00:28:55.250 --> 00:28:58.130 basically flipped the last numbers round and 00:28:58.130 --> 00:29:01.450 everything which is like classic text dyslexia 00:29:01.450 --> 00:29:05.089 and and yeah he he was like you should you should 00:29:05.089 --> 00:29:07.490 have a look at whether you're dyslexic and I 00:29:07.490 --> 00:29:09.990 knew no one that was dyslexic didn't even really 00:29:09.990 --> 00:29:12.190 know what it was heard of it what do you think 00:29:12.190 --> 00:29:13.930 like well like but I can read I've gotten this 00:29:13.930 --> 00:29:16.509 far like surely I'm not as well a little bit 00:29:16.509 --> 00:29:20.799 yeah because to get To get that far without anyone 00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:25.039 picking it up and to get that far with, yeah. 00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:28.680 And to get, obviously I was at, I was third year 00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:31.039 university as well. So I got through quite far, 00:29:31.180 --> 00:29:34.140 but you reach a, you do reach a threshold where 00:29:34.140 --> 00:29:37.960 your methods, so I developed my own methods of 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:41.259 self -coping, disguised by I'll just try harder. 00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:44.119 I developed my own methods of coping with it 00:29:44.119 --> 00:29:47.049 and adapting and just trying to pass this. game 00:29:47.049 --> 00:29:49.170 that i call the education system but you reach 00:29:49.170 --> 00:29:51.869 a threshold of your academic ability where someone 00:29:51.869 --> 00:29:54.210 needs to step in and help and this was mine it 00:29:54.210 --> 00:29:57.289 can come at any any stage you know it can come 00:29:57.289 --> 00:29:59.670 at when someone gets to their a levels that might 00:29:59.670 --> 00:30:01.309 be the threshold that they hit and they're like 00:30:01.309 --> 00:30:04.769 i'm actually really need some help now sometimes 00:30:04.769 --> 00:30:07.789 it's year one when all of a sudden the big words 00:30:07.789 --> 00:30:09.769 are getting smaller on the page and they started 00:30:09.769 --> 00:30:12.269 to jump around and letters get flipped and all 00:30:12.269 --> 00:30:14.349 of a sudden that becomes too much doesn't it 00:30:14.349 --> 00:30:17.150 that's the threshold Exactly. And it can come 00:30:17.150 --> 00:30:19.750 whenever. It could hit people, you know, even 00:30:19.750 --> 00:30:21.470 when they do further education than I did, like 00:30:21.470 --> 00:30:24.609 a PhD, suddenly they need to help stuff in. And 00:30:24.609 --> 00:30:28.670 yeah, I got a diagnosis quite soon after that. 00:30:29.369 --> 00:30:31.650 Did you feel them? How did you feel with your 00:30:31.650 --> 00:30:33.430 diagnosis? Did you feel relieved? Did you feel 00:30:33.430 --> 00:30:35.809 more pressure? Did you feel, I don't know, how 00:30:35.809 --> 00:30:39.670 did that sit with you? Felt like nothing when 00:30:39.670 --> 00:30:42.190 they told me. It was the weirdest thing. Because 00:30:42.190 --> 00:30:44.490 I cried to the whole assessment. It was like 00:30:44.490 --> 00:30:47.710 two hours of someone made me do something that 00:30:47.710 --> 00:30:50.549 I knew I was bad at. So the assessment was me 00:30:50.549 --> 00:30:53.990 reading unseen text out loud. I hadn't done that 00:30:53.990 --> 00:30:56.670 in the whole time I was at university. Because 00:30:56.670 --> 00:30:59.329 you avoided it. I avoided it. And my method of 00:30:59.329 --> 00:31:03.809 coping was memorizing. And at the time, I didn't 00:31:03.809 --> 00:31:05.869 think, I have dyslexia, so I'm going to memorize 00:31:05.869 --> 00:31:09.250 this. My coping was, I'm not smart enough to 00:31:09.250 --> 00:31:13.160 read this. I need to memorize it. So it's really 00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:15.619 interesting when I look back. So when they said 00:31:15.619 --> 00:31:17.980 it to me, I cried through the whole assessment. 00:31:18.059 --> 00:31:20.680 They made me spell stuff. I was like, my spelling's 00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:21.940 awful. I can't believe they're making me do this. 00:31:22.039 --> 00:31:24.720 I cried. And then they told me and I felt nothing. 00:31:24.839 --> 00:31:27.279 It was the weirdest thing. It was one of the 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:29.440 first times I struggled to process information 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:33.900 because then you start going through every exam 00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:38.160 you sat in. You know, I remember even now a GCSE 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:43.650 science exam when... I read a question, oh my 00:31:43.650 --> 00:31:45.910 gosh, 10 times. I was like, what is this saying? 00:31:45.990 --> 00:31:47.910 What is this saying? I read it, read it, read 00:31:47.910 --> 00:31:50.269 it, read it again. And I was like, I can't process 00:31:50.269 --> 00:31:54.450 what this sentence is. And I was 16 and I still 00:31:54.450 --> 00:31:58.029 remember that moment. And then as a 20 -year 00:31:58.029 --> 00:32:00.950 -old going back to that thinking, my God, that 00:32:00.950 --> 00:32:04.309 was why. That was why I couldn't process that. 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:06.920 and then then obviously the more you read it 00:32:06.920 --> 00:32:08.660 the worse it gets but I was running out of time 00:32:08.660 --> 00:32:10.420 in that exam because I didn't have the extra 00:32:10.420 --> 00:32:12.579 time at the time so that was making it worse 00:32:12.579 --> 00:32:15.059 you know as a 20 year old going through all of 00:32:15.059 --> 00:32:19.539 those moments where something happened and then 00:32:19.539 --> 00:32:21.920 being the person I was I just tried to find a 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:24.119 better way to cope with it and you'd made it 00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:25.740 your identity if you tell yourself something 00:32:25.740 --> 00:32:28.420 enough it becomes your identity so I guess in 00:32:28.420 --> 00:32:31.339 that moment of being told you're dyslexic you 00:32:31.339 --> 00:32:34.059 were reliving those moments and thinking I was 00:32:34.059 --> 00:32:36.359 never that. It was never me. It was this, it 00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:38.519 was this, it was this, it was this. You've got 00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:41.299 a lot of unlearning to do about who you are. 00:32:41.880 --> 00:32:46.099 Yeah. The crazy thing as well, that exam that 00:32:46.099 --> 00:32:50.500 I got 4 % on had to stay on my record because 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:55.059 my diagnosis came after. I wasn't allowed, you're 00:32:55.059 --> 00:32:57.380 not allowed to re -sit an exam if you were diagnosed 00:32:57.380 --> 00:33:01.259 after. So that was quite a hard thing to process 00:33:01.259 --> 00:33:07.200 as well. I realized that I had mixed up all those 00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:09.619 numbers and got it wrong. And now you know why. 00:33:10.259 --> 00:33:13.440 Yeah, now I know why and I couldn't fix it because 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:17.000 I couldn't reset it. But following that diagnosis, 00:33:17.259 --> 00:33:21.240 I got extra time on a laptop. And up until that 00:33:21.240 --> 00:33:23.759 point in university, I was getting two ones on 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:26.539 everything. I could not get that first. Every 00:33:26.539 --> 00:33:28.599 time. It got to the point where I'd get my friend 00:33:28.599 --> 00:33:30.240 to open my results because I was like, it's going 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:31.779 to be a two. Just tell me it's a two one because 00:33:31.779 --> 00:33:33.039 I know it's a two one. Whereas really with your 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:36.680 IQ, you should be getting first. I just thought. 00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:39.759 You should. I was like, I should be. What am 00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:42.380 I doing? But then I go back to, but you're just 00:33:42.380 --> 00:33:44.079 not as clever. It's always been like this, Jess. 00:33:44.259 --> 00:33:46.400 It's always been like this. You've got to go 00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:48.119 for it. You're not going to get it first because 00:33:48.119 --> 00:33:51.750 I just couldn't. And then, yeah, I got the final 00:33:51.750 --> 00:33:54.750 year of university. I got extra time, which was 00:33:54.750 --> 00:33:57.650 incredible for me because I do read so slow compared 00:33:57.650 --> 00:34:01.990 to my peers. I do read a lot slower and I'd have 00:34:01.990 --> 00:34:05.390 to reread things quite a lot as well. And I got 00:34:05.390 --> 00:34:09.869 a laptop, which was amazing because I avoided 00:34:09.869 --> 00:34:14.250 GCSE English so bad. So my sentence structure 00:34:14.250 --> 00:34:16.469 was really not where it should be for the... 00:34:16.670 --> 00:34:19.730 So the fact that I had access to a laptop meant 00:34:19.730 --> 00:34:22.010 that I could type everything out and then I could 00:34:22.010 --> 00:34:26.550 move things around, which made my essays so much 00:34:26.550 --> 00:34:30.570 better. The two things they gave me, I also started 00:34:30.570 --> 00:34:33.989 reading off of yellow paper as well, which really 00:34:33.989 --> 00:34:37.369 reduced my eye strain. And I ended up getting 00:34:37.369 --> 00:34:41.739 firsts all of that year. And I won, I wrote my 00:34:41.739 --> 00:34:43.579 dissertation that year as well. And then I won 00:34:43.579 --> 00:34:46.360 an award for my dissertation because it was the 00:34:46.360 --> 00:34:49.619 best psychology dissertation that year. And that 00:34:49.619 --> 00:34:53.860 is why it's so important for children to have 00:34:53.860 --> 00:34:56.380 a diagnosis or young people to have a diagnosis 00:34:56.380 --> 00:35:00.039 or adults have a diagnosis and relevant accommodations. 00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:03.679 That's why. Because it wasn't because you had 00:35:03.679 --> 00:35:08.000 extra time. It was because you have dyslexia. 00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:11.099 yeah isn't it you didn't get that first because 00:35:11.099 --> 00:35:13.099 you had extra time that's not that's not what 00:35:13.099 --> 00:35:15.059 happened you got a first because you can get 00:35:15.059 --> 00:35:17.840 a first you just need the scaffolding yeah in 00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:21.820 order to to allow you to show your what you can 00:35:21.820 --> 00:35:25.079 really do isn't yeah absolutely yeah and that's 00:35:25.079 --> 00:35:29.500 why I do what I do now is it is that why so you 00:35:29.500 --> 00:35:33.920 you went from that diagnosed at 20 you had your 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:38.429 degree you did work you fell into teaching Did 00:35:38.429 --> 00:35:41.570 you? Had a job in between. Yeah. So were you 00:35:41.570 --> 00:35:44.789 a science teacher first and then the SENCO job 00:35:44.789 --> 00:35:46.510 came up and you thought I could do this because 00:35:46.510 --> 00:35:48.690 I can really relate to the children or how did 00:35:48.690 --> 00:35:52.409 that kind of come about? I got a graduate scheme 00:35:52.409 --> 00:35:55.929 after university. It was the most incredible 00:35:55.929 --> 00:36:01.889 experience. It lived in London. I did 800 and 00:36:01.889 --> 00:36:03.730 over 800 people applied for the job and there 00:36:03.730 --> 00:36:07.010 was two positions and I got the one. And my university 00:36:07.010 --> 00:36:08.730 were incredible at supporting me getting that 00:36:08.730 --> 00:36:11.090 graduate scheme. They were amazing. And I had 00:36:11.090 --> 00:36:16.150 the best two years in London. I just felt so 00:36:16.150 --> 00:36:19.610 much draw to be a teacher. I always went to university 00:36:19.610 --> 00:36:21.769 to be a teacher anyway. But I got this graduate 00:36:21.769 --> 00:36:23.630 scheme and, you know, so many people applied. 00:36:23.989 --> 00:36:26.789 I was like, I've got to do this. Like, I've got 00:36:26.789 --> 00:36:28.489 to do this graduate scheme. So many people wanted 00:36:28.489 --> 00:36:31.010 it. I did it. And then two years in, I was like, 00:36:31.090 --> 00:36:33.489 I'm going to go train to be a teacher. I just 00:36:33.489 --> 00:36:36.789 know that that's what I want to do. Brave. It's 00:36:36.789 --> 00:36:39.989 really brave. It was really scary. I had a pros 00:36:39.989 --> 00:36:42.429 and cons list written out for a good six months 00:36:42.429 --> 00:36:44.869 before I made the decision, but it was the best 00:36:44.869 --> 00:36:47.130 decision I ever made. And I'm so much happier 00:36:47.130 --> 00:36:50.289 now in teaching. But going through teacher training, 00:36:50.469 --> 00:36:55.309 obviously my brain is always thinking. what about 00:36:55.309 --> 00:36:57.070 special educational needs what about special 00:36:57.070 --> 00:36:58.949 educational needs and there's just not enough 00:36:58.949 --> 00:37:01.110 training on it when you train to be a secondary 00:37:01.110 --> 00:37:02.750 school teacher I don't know if there's more important 00:37:02.750 --> 00:37:05.150 I learned about dyslexia so no there's nothing 00:37:05.150 --> 00:37:08.090 it's it's rubbish yeah and that's going through 00:37:08.090 --> 00:37:10.590 my head the whole time my head the whole time 00:37:10.590 --> 00:37:14.289 because my experience was there's so many I know 00:37:14.289 --> 00:37:16.110 there's going to be kids out there like me I 00:37:16.110 --> 00:37:18.969 know there's going to be so I at least you know 00:37:18.969 --> 00:37:23.800 they're lucky if they get to 20 before it gets 00:37:23.800 --> 00:37:25.619 picked up. I mean, not lucky at all. Of course, 00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:28.800 that's a stupid way of saying it. But, you know, 00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:32.000 so many children can't struggle at early years, 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:34.539 year one, two, three, you know, all the way up. 00:37:34.599 --> 00:37:37.119 There is so much need. And especially for those 00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:39.739 teenagers, you know, those teenagers that... 00:37:40.059 --> 00:37:43.000 are high masking that like you were doing making 00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:44.860 accommodations for themselves telling themselves 00:37:44.860 --> 00:37:46.599 they're not good enough or they're not working 00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:49.099 hard enough yeah making accommodations for themselves 00:37:49.099 --> 00:37:52.239 but maybe they're not the easiest way or maybe 00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:54.480 going a roundabout way of actually just completing 00:37:54.480 --> 00:37:56.599 the task when actually they could just need loop 00:37:56.599 --> 00:37:59.599 but loop headphones or they just need extra time 00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:01.500 or they just need an ipad or they just need a 00:38:01.500 --> 00:38:05.170 prompt it seems unfair I'll never know the impact 00:38:05.170 --> 00:38:08.369 that it had on me in terms of that negative mindset 00:38:08.369 --> 00:38:10.550 because I did always say that to myself you're 00:38:10.550 --> 00:38:12.550 just not as clever work harder you've got to 00:38:12.550 --> 00:38:14.190 put in more work you're just not as smart as 00:38:14.190 --> 00:38:18.530 them I would never know the impact of my what 00:38:18.530 --> 00:38:20.329 I would view myself as if I didn't have that 00:38:20.329 --> 00:38:22.710 you never know but I can only imagine that it 00:38:22.710 --> 00:38:24.610 would have been a positive thing but obviously 00:38:24.610 --> 00:38:26.789 the most influential person that's ever one of 00:38:26.789 --> 00:38:28.130 the most influential people that's been in my 00:38:28.130 --> 00:38:30.329 life is that lecturer that turned around to me 00:38:30.329 --> 00:38:34.199 and said have you had a dyslexia diagnosis yeah 00:38:34.199 --> 00:38:37.400 and I was like no that just that one that one 00:38:37.400 --> 00:38:41.579 teacher just taking that time just to or having 00:38:41.579 --> 00:38:44.239 the knowledge to recognize that that was a sign 00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:47.559 completely changed the course of my fork in your 00:38:47.559 --> 00:38:50.280 road wasn't it in the path of your life and now 00:38:50.280 --> 00:38:52.460 you are that teacher and it makes sense to me 00:38:52.460 --> 00:38:56.000 that you would want to be that because that was 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:59.349 pivotal in your whole journey and everything 00:38:59.349 --> 00:39:02.309 you are and have become it makes sense that you 00:39:02.309 --> 00:39:05.869 would want to be that for other teenagers yeah 00:39:05.869 --> 00:39:09.550 and you know I so I'll come into contact with 00:39:09.550 --> 00:39:14.110 nearly I think over 100 pupils a week because 00:39:14.110 --> 00:39:18.690 obviously I have nine classes so many kids because 00:39:18.690 --> 00:39:20.949 you you're not obviously you guys got to have 00:39:20.949 --> 00:39:23.250 your kids all day which is lovely but I'll touch 00:39:23.250 --> 00:39:27.010 so many different people's lives And, you know, 00:39:27.030 --> 00:39:30.030 one of those is going to be, oh, 20 % should 00:39:30.030 --> 00:39:34.210 be. So many of those are going to go undiagnosed 00:39:34.210 --> 00:39:36.969 or are not going to be around people in their 00:39:36.969 --> 00:39:38.570 life that have the knowledge or experience in 00:39:38.570 --> 00:39:41.610 this field. So they just need to cross paths 00:39:41.610 --> 00:39:43.750 with me and I'll notice it. Like I have the opportunity 00:39:43.750 --> 00:39:48.170 to do that for someone that did it for me. And 00:39:48.170 --> 00:39:53.739 the impact that had. I only had a year left of 00:39:53.739 --> 00:39:56.579 uni. Having that support and realising that I 00:39:56.579 --> 00:39:58.559 could now reach my full potential that I kind 00:39:58.559 --> 00:40:01.000 of knew was there. I was always frustrated with 00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:02.679 myself because I was like, I just feel like I 00:40:02.679 --> 00:40:05.420 can do this. I'm just running out of time. The 00:40:05.420 --> 00:40:09.360 fact that I only had, I mean, nine months probably 00:40:09.360 --> 00:40:12.460 with the full support changed so much for me. 00:40:12.500 --> 00:40:15.280 My confidence just grew so much. I'd stopped 00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:18.739 looking at things. I'm not sure I can do that. 00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:23.000 to walking into an interview where i knew other 00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:25.219 800 people who applied for and having the confidence 00:40:25.219 --> 00:40:27.599 yeah because i do think if i was in that mindset 00:40:27.599 --> 00:40:30.219 i was in two years ago i don't think i would 00:40:30.219 --> 00:40:32.400 have gone in with the same no i can do this attitude 00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:35.519 then the earlier you get that realization surely 00:40:35.519 --> 00:40:39.079 the better because then you're not limiting yourself 00:40:39.079 --> 00:40:41.800 in any way or the environment or the people around 00:40:41.800 --> 00:40:43.659 you aren't limiting you like the conversation 00:40:43.659 --> 00:40:45.500 we were saying earlier oh I don't think you should 00:40:45.500 --> 00:40:47.940 go to university maybe try this well actually 00:40:47.940 --> 00:40:49.420 maybe those conversations would look a bit different 00:40:49.420 --> 00:40:52.320 if they understood the whys behind these things 00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:54.900 you know and then put accommodations in place 00:40:54.900 --> 00:40:57.480 maybe maybe they could be that thing that they've 00:40:57.480 --> 00:41:01.840 always wanted to be yeah regardless of because 00:41:01.840 --> 00:41:05.460 I had a lot of unlearning to do whereas if you 00:41:05.460 --> 00:41:08.119 catch it early and you diagnose early, they're 00:41:08.119 --> 00:41:09.480 never going to have those learnings that I had 00:41:09.480 --> 00:41:13.539 in place. And learning that started from 18, 00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:18.199 I mean, so 11 years old to 20 years old, they're 00:41:18.199 --> 00:41:20.960 such crucial years. And I was lucky, you know, 00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:25.420 I came from an amazing supportive family. Again, 00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:27.519 some people aren't lucky enough to have that. 00:41:27.619 --> 00:41:30.280 So if they had my personal experience, plus a 00:41:30.280 --> 00:41:32.699 family that wasn't there to support them through 00:41:32.699 --> 00:41:35.570 it. When they did think, oh, I'm just not clever 00:41:35.570 --> 00:41:39.409 enough. That's, yeah. I mean, I can, that's half 00:41:39.409 --> 00:41:41.730 of my, well, most of my staff team, honestly. 00:41:42.230 --> 00:41:44.989 I've got a team of eight people in my, adults 00:41:44.989 --> 00:41:46.909 in my classroom that are incredible, incredible 00:41:46.909 --> 00:41:49.170 at what they do. They are such experts in the 00:41:49.170 --> 00:41:52.110 field, but because they doubt their academic 00:41:52.110 --> 00:41:55.090 ability. They will never be speech and language 00:41:55.090 --> 00:41:57.230 therapists or occupational therapists or teachers, 00:41:57.449 --> 00:41:59.250 even though they would make the most incredible 00:41:59.250 --> 00:42:02.130 therapists. They are therapists. They are medical 00:42:02.130 --> 00:42:04.289 professionals. They just, you know, they just 00:42:04.289 --> 00:42:06.969 can't give themselves that title without that 00:42:06.969 --> 00:42:11.050 training. But you mentioned going back to school 00:42:11.050 --> 00:42:14.829 for them and you just see fear, like pure fear. 00:42:14.949 --> 00:42:17.130 I mean, even the fact, even some parents, and 00:42:17.130 --> 00:42:18.889 maybe you get this as well, coming through the 00:42:18.889 --> 00:42:21.420 gate to drop off their... children or going to 00:42:21.420 --> 00:42:23.619 parents evening some parents just walking through 00:42:23.619 --> 00:42:27.079 that gate with all their past traumatic experiences 00:42:27.079 --> 00:42:30.980 of school is huge that you can see the defense 00:42:30.980 --> 00:42:34.099 you can see that the teachers are the bad guys 00:42:34.099 --> 00:42:36.260 because they didn't get me they didn't understand 00:42:36.260 --> 00:42:38.519 it the system you know you're hearing all these 00:42:38.519 --> 00:42:40.460 words because they were just so misunderstood 00:42:41.710 --> 00:42:43.829 yeah and it does have a spiral like you said 00:42:43.829 --> 00:42:46.010 you said about the spiral earlier it has it has 00:42:46.010 --> 00:42:49.969 a real cycle of i'm not good enough therefore 00:42:49.969 --> 00:42:54.949 i can't therefore i won't but you see bad negative 00:42:54.949 --> 00:42:59.750 um unsafe behaviors um and then peer pressures 00:42:59.750 --> 00:43:03.590 for them to then join and it's spiral when really 00:43:03.590 --> 00:43:07.659 maybe they have the need because ultimately we 00:43:07.659 --> 00:43:09.860 all just want to do well and get on really there's 00:43:09.860 --> 00:43:11.679 always a need isn't there if you're seeing that 00:43:11.679 --> 00:43:13.780 kind of unsafe or disruptive behavior in your 00:43:13.780 --> 00:43:16.019 classroom there's a reason they might be under 00:43:16.019 --> 00:43:17.960 stimulated and bored because actually they're 00:43:17.960 --> 00:43:19.960 highly intelligent and your lessons are boring 00:43:19.960 --> 00:43:25.480 or actually there's an unmet need there that 00:43:25.480 --> 00:43:28.260 they can't focus they're struggling they're falling 00:43:28.260 --> 00:43:30.800 behind they're not feeling worthy One of the 00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:33.320 most powerful things I do in the classroom is 00:43:33.320 --> 00:43:35.820 genuinely, I struggle to spell words quite a 00:43:35.820 --> 00:43:37.480 lot, especially in science because they're so 00:43:37.480 --> 00:43:39.980 quite long. And there's some words which I always 00:43:39.980 --> 00:43:42.360 get a blank with. So nucleus, obviously in biology 00:43:42.360 --> 00:43:44.179 I spell nucleus all the time. But for some reason, 00:43:44.320 --> 00:43:47.079 I honestly must have written the word nucleus 00:43:47.079 --> 00:43:51.039 a thousand times more. And I still, I'm at the 00:43:51.039 --> 00:43:53.219 board sometimes. I'm like, how do I spell it? 00:43:53.860 --> 00:43:56.639 So I do it quite early on and I do it with all 00:43:56.639 --> 00:43:58.579 of my classes. Because again, you don't, you 00:43:58.579 --> 00:44:03.659 don't. know who's in you don't know if children 00:44:03.659 --> 00:44:05.199 are going to relate to us or not so I'll be writing 00:44:05.199 --> 00:44:07.579 to it on the board and I'm like they'll probably 00:44:07.579 --> 00:44:12.219 be like 14 15 years old and I'll say how do you 00:44:12.219 --> 00:44:13.960 spell nucleus again I was like I'm really sorry 00:44:13.960 --> 00:44:15.719 guys I've got dyslexia and I'm just having one 00:44:15.719 --> 00:44:18.500 of those mind blank moments and sometimes they 00:44:18.500 --> 00:44:22.739 look at me like wow did she just say that one 00:44:22.739 --> 00:44:25.900 why is she like telling us like a teacher's meant 00:44:25.900 --> 00:44:29.070 to be this like perfect knows everything person 00:44:29.070 --> 00:44:32.349 and she just asked us how to spell nucleus but 00:44:32.349 --> 00:44:34.809 then you can see some kids on their faces they 00:44:34.809 --> 00:44:37.969 think wow she's like super confident about it 00:44:37.969 --> 00:44:41.170 and then actually when you're really open like 00:44:41.170 --> 00:44:43.070 that one someone will tell me I spell nucleus 00:44:43.070 --> 00:44:44.849 which is great because I've just forgotten and 00:44:44.849 --> 00:44:48.469 two just for someone in that room that will be 00:44:48.469 --> 00:44:50.730 a moment where they're like especially teenage 00:44:50.730 --> 00:44:53.309 girls because this is how they speak to me like 00:44:53.309 --> 00:44:56.250 miss I love that like I love the confidence like 00:44:56.250 --> 00:45:00.949 own it but also somebody else will be thinking 00:45:00.949 --> 00:45:03.510 maybe I shouldn't be ashamed because I struggled 00:45:03.510 --> 00:45:05.590 so too well she's obviously doing her rights 00:45:05.590 --> 00:45:08.369 for herself she's a teacher and if and I couldn't 00:45:08.369 --> 00:45:10.250 spell that either so maybe we're not too different 00:45:10.250 --> 00:45:14.670 maybe I can have aspirations to be yeah a teacher 00:45:14.670 --> 00:45:18.349 or or different all of that comes with me just 00:45:18.349 --> 00:45:20.840 turning around and saying guys I'm really sorry 00:45:20.840 --> 00:45:22.239 I've forgotten how to spell nucleus I've got 00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:24.260 I've got dyslexia I just I want like a mind blank 00:45:24.260 --> 00:45:26.400 so much comes with that and maybe that comes 00:45:26.400 --> 00:45:29.059 also with oh sorry I'm feeling really tired today 00:45:29.059 --> 00:45:32.179 like I'm not feeling it or or sorry I'm I'm feeling 00:45:32.179 --> 00:45:33.599 a bit emotional today because you know that takes 00:45:33.599 --> 00:45:35.400 a lot of confidence for a teacher to admit that 00:45:35.400 --> 00:45:38.800 doesn't it yeah but it it embeds a philosophy 00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:43.960 of we're all human we all go through you know 00:45:43.960 --> 00:45:46.659 we're all different we all have struggles this 00:45:46.659 --> 00:45:50.099 classroom is a safe space to come with these 00:45:50.099 --> 00:45:53.739 things and to hold them together and it's safe. 00:45:53.940 --> 00:45:56.739 And even if a child doesn't have dyslexia, they 00:45:56.739 --> 00:45:58.699 might still feel safe coming to with you about 00:45:58.699 --> 00:46:01.659 a bullying incident. Because if you're okay about 00:46:01.659 --> 00:46:03.920 that, then maybe you'll be okay about this. It 00:46:03.920 --> 00:46:06.039 opens up the doors for those open conversations, 00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:12.239 doesn't it? Yeah. And it makes me very real human. 00:46:12.860 --> 00:46:16.599 With flaws. We all have flaws. Yeah, with flaws. 00:46:16.619 --> 00:46:19.880 I think there's... again like there's so many 00:46:19.880 --> 00:46:22.019 different teaching styles but I've I've never 00:46:22.019 --> 00:46:24.400 had a bad reaction to when I've done that other 00:46:24.400 --> 00:46:27.199 than they they suddenly think I'm real I just 00:46:27.199 --> 00:46:30.460 I just hope that if I when I do it that one people's 00:46:30.460 --> 00:46:33.159 thinking I'm not going to be ashamed and also 00:46:33.159 --> 00:46:35.119 dyslexia is probably also the reason you're so 00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:37.920 brilliant at science and can visualize it in 00:46:37.920 --> 00:46:40.820 practice right because let's let's face it dyslexia 00:46:40.820 --> 00:46:44.340 has its perks as well you know completely very 00:46:44.340 --> 00:46:47.679 creative mind such a visual you know learner 00:46:47.679 --> 00:46:50.340 you'd have been the ones that would survive the 00:46:50.340 --> 00:46:52.619 tiger because you'd see it first and all of those 00:46:52.619 --> 00:46:54.659 kind of things you know and it's taught it's 00:46:54.659 --> 00:46:58.079 discussing that as well isn't it yeah and everyone 00:46:58.079 --> 00:47:00.860 teaches how they want to be taught as well so 00:47:00.860 --> 00:47:03.659 I naturally teach in a way that I wish I was 00:47:03.659 --> 00:47:05.420 taught at school you know I was taught out of 00:47:05.420 --> 00:47:08.039 a textbook and for most of my science whereas 00:47:08.039 --> 00:47:10.849 I do the exact opposite of that in my lessons. 00:47:11.030 --> 00:47:14.150 So I think there's so many benefits to one, having 00:47:14.150 --> 00:47:17.230 my diagnosis with being a teacher, but also just 00:47:17.230 --> 00:47:20.510 being open about it. I feel like I am a lot better 00:47:20.510 --> 00:47:24.630 at my Senko role because I've had personal experiences 00:47:24.630 --> 00:47:27.829 going through the education system struggling 00:47:27.829 --> 00:47:31.570 and then having my year at the end where I had 00:47:31.570 --> 00:47:34.369 the help and saw the impact that it made. It 00:47:34.369 --> 00:47:37.400 makes me so much better at my job. It feels so 00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:40.119 much purpose that I didn't have when I did that 00:47:40.119 --> 00:47:42.460 whole corporate job in London. Whilst it was 00:47:42.460 --> 00:47:45.599 a great experience, I feel so much purpose and 00:47:45.599 --> 00:47:48.940 I really am so happy that I do my job now that 00:47:48.940 --> 00:47:51.940 I do. As crazy as it is working with teenagers. 00:47:52.440 --> 00:47:54.679 Yeah, I bet. That's such a great motivation. 00:47:54.800 --> 00:47:57.880 What a wonderful way to end this podcast with 00:47:57.880 --> 00:48:01.480 that motivation of, you know, share what you're 00:48:01.480 --> 00:48:04.440 feeling, share what you're going through. with 00:48:04.440 --> 00:48:07.079 your learners because and hold that space for 00:48:07.079 --> 00:48:11.239 them to then feel feel like the space is theirs 00:48:11.239 --> 00:48:13.360 as well it's how you build community isn't it 00:48:13.360 --> 00:48:15.400 absolutely thank you so much for having me I 00:48:15.400 --> 00:48:17.500 really enjoyed it when can everybody listen to 00:48:17.500 --> 00:48:19.480 your podcast and find your amazing things to 00:48:19.480 --> 00:48:22.539 hear more about such important topics as this 00:48:22.539 --> 00:48:26.579 one yeah absolutely so we are the teacher experience 00:48:26.579 --> 00:48:30.619 podcast um me and my co -host miss wild we teach 00:48:30.619 --> 00:48:32.900 well she's a science teacher as well and we just 00:48:32.900 --> 00:48:35.219 talk all things teaching much like you guys so 00:48:35.219 --> 00:48:37.000 yeah come and come and have a chat with us one 00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:38.920 day some brilliant brilliant conversations and 00:48:38.920 --> 00:48:40.920 then you get some really really exciting and 00:48:40.920 --> 00:48:43.000 interesting guests thank you so much jess for 00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:45.519 joining me today thank you so much