The ADHD Teacher 2024 - Present
I always knew that I wanted to combine my experience and qualifications to help others. Then when I was diagnosed with ADHD in January 2025, many things fell into place. There was no question that I would choose to work with young people and their parents. They say that when you’re on the right path, you feel good about moving forward and that clarity has shaped the direction of my work today. My experience now underpins the insight, empathy and drive I bring to supporting young people and their families.
Learning Support Mentor & Coach 2022 - 2024
Before I knew it, learning about the brain became the thing I came back to and I enrolled to study a master’s conversion degree in psychology. This was a steep learning curve but so satisfying to be able to devote my time formally to studying conditions like ADHD, dyslexia and autism in greater depth. Soon after, I enrolled to be an ADHD coach and I became a mentor in a sixth form college. This role really opened my eyes to what life was like post 16 for neurodivergent students. I continued to train teaching and pastoral staff about ADHD and this gave me valuable insight into education after GCSEs and some of the associated pressures.
Head of Faculty 2017 - 2022
In 2017, I became a head of faculty overseeing three departments. I threw myself into this role finally feeling that I could progress my career now that my children were a little older. I embraced it all, aware that I had been silently ready for promotion for a long time. I implemented reading and vocabulary initiatives intent on getting reluctant readers to the bookshelves, which worked! Then I began volunteering to train my peers in ADHD. This then led to speaking at other events, including the Leeds Teacher Conference. Having battled to keep my son in school, I was passionate about training teachers in the practical strategies that would have a huge impact on students.
Classroom Teacher 1998 - 2017
Over the course of nineteen years, I worked in four different secondary schools as a mainstream English teacher. Here’s where I discovered the importance of relationships and the impact kindness and authenticity have on learning. It was also the BEST part of the job! I also became a mum and even though juggling a full time career was tricky, I did gain experience as a second in department, an examiner and as a gifted and talented coordinator. It was in this final role that I started to develop an interest in psychology, specifically metacognition and how children respond to the pressures of education.
Qualified Teacher 1998
One of my first jobs was working with special needs children and young adults at the renowned Beaumont College in Lancaster. I knew very early on that I wanted to help people. After a few years of travelling, I became an assistant housemistress for a year at a boarding school. Here is where I got my first taste of what it might be like to be a teacher. The following year I began my PGCE determined to become an English teacher.
I always knew that I wanted to combine my experience and qualifications to help others. Then when I was diagnosed with ADHD in January 2025, many things fell into place. There was no question that I would choose to work with young people and their parents. They say that when you’re on the right path, you feel good about moving forward and that clarity has shaped the direction of my work today. My experience now underpins the insight, empathy and drive I bring to supporting young people and their families.
Learning Support Mentor & Coach 2022 - 2024
Before I knew it, learning about the brain became the thing I came back to and I enrolled to study a master’s conversion degree in psychology. This was a steep learning curve but so satisfying to be able to devote my time formally to studying conditions like ADHD, dyslexia and autism in greater depth. Soon after, I enrolled to be an ADHD coach and I became a mentor in a sixth form college. This role really opened my eyes to what life was like post 16 for neurodivergent students. I continued to train teaching and pastoral staff about ADHD and this gave me valuable insight into education after GCSEs and some of the associated pressures.
Head of Faculty 2017 - 2022
In 2017, I became a head of faculty overseeing three departments. I threw myself into this role finally feeling that I could progress my career now that my children were a little older. I embraced it all, aware that I had been silently ready for promotion for a long time. I implemented reading and vocabulary initiatives intent on getting reluctant readers to the bookshelves, which worked! Then I began volunteering to train my peers in ADHD. This then led to speaking at other events, including the Leeds Teacher Conference. Having battled to keep my son in school, I was passionate about training teachers in the practical strategies that would have a huge impact on students.
Classroom Teacher 1998 - 2017
Over the course of nineteen years, I worked in four different secondary schools as a mainstream English teacher. Here’s where I discovered the importance of relationships and the impact kindness and authenticity have on learning. It was also the BEST part of the job! I also became a mum and even though juggling a full time career was tricky, I did gain experience as a second in department, an examiner and as a gifted and talented coordinator. It was in this final role that I started to develop an interest in psychology, specifically metacognition and how children respond to the pressures of education.
Qualified Teacher 1998
One of my first jobs was working with special needs children and young adults at the renowned Beaumont College in Lancaster. I knew very early on that I wanted to help people. After a few years of travelling, I became an assistant housemistress for a year at a boarding school. Here is where I got my first taste of what it might be like to be a teacher. The following year I began my PGCE determined to become an English teacher.
