Page 21 - PTC Catalogue November 2020

MRS MURPHY: A MESSAGE FROM THE TUTOR
My adventure in education began in the late nineties when I was studying linguistics and philology at university. Since completing my BA (Hons) studies in 2001 and becoming a qualified teacher, I have taught children and young people in international schools, colleges and universities in the UK, France and Portugal.
Initially, my professional interests encompassed language teaching, first and second language acquisition and literacy development. I taught English language and literature in Devon and London before moving to teach Russian language and culture at the Oxford University Language Centre and Oxford Tutorial College.
But, as the years went by and I met increasingly unique learners whose needs were not addressed by their educational environments. I started to look for answers about what it was that was holding them back. Why were some children and young people failing academically, socially or emotionally despite being bright and remarkably skilled in some aspects of their lives? I adopted a more holistic approach to teaching and learning, looking far beyond the academic side and trying to understand the full person and what was needed to help them to blossom. I went on to deepen my knowledge in education and special educational needs, earning a Master's of Education (Distinction) and training in the neurodevelopmental approach to learning and behaviour as well as dyslexia and co-occuring difficulties.
I now work with learners who have additional educational needs, advancing their development through different intervention programmes ranging from mainstream to qualitatively different approaches such as neurodevelopmental approach which includes assessment for retained primitive reflexes, addressing auditory processing difficulties and sensory regulation. My goal is to empower learners facing additional challenges with techniques and study skills to manage their learning more effectively and thrive, through tried and tested methods.