Catherine Douglas
They say that teaching is a calling. I never actually understood this phrase until entering this profession. I was lucky to have wonderful teachers that inspired and moulded me into the person that I am today, which is a very big reason why I chose this career. However, I may have been very naïve in my decision to teach. I went in with the mind set of “how hard can it be”? I quickly realised that it is one of the most difficult, yet gratifying jobs out there.
I studied my B.Ed in Foundation Phase at the University of Pretoria, but while completing my Teaching Practical’s in the various schools that I had applied to, I saw there was a significant need for Remedial Education. Unfortunately, being an inexperienced teacher, I did not have the correct training or skills to work with these children. People have the assumption that Remedial Education is solely for children that are born with or develop “Special Needs”. Remedial teaching is identifying children that need some extra support and providing them with the necessary guidance to help them overcome their challenges in the classroom, after identifying their areas of difficulty. There are so many children that struggle in a mainstream classroom and just need the extra help. This was when I decided to complete my Honours Degree in Learning Support and Special Needs so that I was able to identify these specific children and then use the correct techniques to assist them in the classroom.
I have ten years of teaching experience where I have had the privilege of teaching in both Government and Private schools. I use a holistic approach to teaching which allows me to focus on the child as a whole. I have now branched out to assist children in the afternoons with remedial tutoring, extra tutoring and study skills. I strive to develop and maintain a good rapport with parents as they need to be involved in their children’s education. I like to include them in portions of the tutoring so that they can see how to assist their children at home when completing homework. Children will always have their preferred method of studying when preparing for tests and exams and it is important that parents focus on these methods to help make learning fun and effective.
Qualifications:
B.Ed Foundation Phase – University of Pretoria (Majored in Learning Support and Special Needs Education) (2010)
B.Ed Honours: Learning Support and Special Needs Education – University of Pretoria (2011)
Services offered
Tutoring:
Grade 1 – Grade 5: English, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Science, Life Orientation.
Grade 6 and Grade 7: English, Natural Science, Social Science, Life Orientation
Remedial Tutoring:
Grade 1 – Grade 4
Study Skills
Grade 4 – Grade 7