Larissa Charles

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Larissa Charles

I have recently taught the aboriginal Jakun children basic literacy skills by staying with them in their village for a month. Prior to this, I taught early years children online during the Covid 19...view moreI have recently taught the aboriginal Jakun children basic literacy skills by staying with them in their village for a month. Prior to this, I taught early years children online during the Covid 19 crisis whilst attached to an International School. I served as a Supervisor and Lead Teacher in a nursery in England, where I was in charge of overseeing the day to day running of the school. I have trained pre-service teachers by providing literacy training sessions, monitoring growth of the teachers using a tracker as well as through classroom observations and debriefs in Malaysia. As an educator, I have had the chance to work with a diverse group of children ranging from ages 0-8 for the past ten years. I have also worked with children with special needs and children from non-English speaking backgrounds. As a result, I have gained a profound knowledge of accommodating to different styles of learners and incorporating effective methods to meet children’s unique needs.One of my greatest strengths as a teacher is the ability to use a creative approach towards teaching. I also have a good understanding of the EYFS as I have used it as the basis for report writing, observations and learning journeys. I have an in-depth knowledge of the Jolly Phonics program and have given the foundation for many children to read and write through this program as well as through literacy games and the Montessori literacy series. I have spearheaded a few projects such as ‘The Outdoor Project’ and ‘The Literacy Project’. I also have experience in doing the termly ‘Theme Planning’ for the indoors and outdoors. I have attended many professional development courses to further my skills and knowledge in early childhood education. Additionally, I actively use EYLog to keep track of my key children’s progress and keep records of their observations. I have recently been featured in the Brent Conference Poster as my language instruction was highly regarded and used as an exemplar of best practice in Brent Council.Having a diploma in Montessori pedagogy and degree in Early Childhood Education has taught me to combine various theories and pedagogies in my teaching strategies, thus enabling me to enhance the learning experiences of children. I also promote learning by designing creative learning centers, hands-on experiences, fun manipulatives, use of various technology, art and craft experiences and music and movement. These experiences stimulate children’s physical, language, social, emotional and intellectual growth. Moreover, these teaching methods help introduce new ideas and make connections between school and everyday life. It also fosters an encouraging atmosphere and teaches basic skills. Along with these academic skills, I also possess eight years of teaching experience.I recently acquired a Masters in Arts with the University College of London. I specialised in Literacy Learning and Literacy Difficulties. In this program, I learnt about research methods in literacy, various theories of literacy development, spelling and reading difficulties and literacy practice in reading comprehension and writing. My research project for this masters course is based on the research question ‘How does the provision support and motivate boys’ emergent writing skills?’ From this masters program, I have gained a deep insight into the research, practice and theoretical framework of Literacy. It has always been my passion to deepen my understanding in this field. This is because I strongly believe that literacy is every child’s right and I would love to support children in gaining this life skill. Therefore, it is my hope to raise children’s literacy standards by planning, assessments, managing progression of literacy through creative and engaging instruction and employing current research and practice.view less