Hello there!
I am a Year 4 class teacher and the English lead at a junior school in West Sussex. During my 10 years’ teaching experience, I have been a Key Stage leader and an English lead in two different schools. I have recently returned from a two-year sabbatical as a teacher in Bangkok, where I had the opportunity to work with children from ages 2 to 18. It was an incredible experience, rich in collaborative opportunities across the school. Living in a culture so different to the one I grew up in was a priceless experience and one that has helped me shape my practice and approaches in the classroom.
Since completing an MA in Education a few years ago at the University of Sussex, I have found that due to the mounting day-to-day pressures of the classroom, keeping up to date with recent educational developments has often had to take a backseat. It has only been relatively recently that I have found the headspace to give my professional development the focus it needed. Thanks to the Edutwitter community, I have reflected, learnt and improved a great deal. There is always something fabulously creative and brilliant to engage with on this platform.
My passion lies in helping children to see themselves as readers and fostering a reading culture in schools (among both staff and children) and in the local community. Stories are one of the most magical gifts we can give our pupils and we are lucky that there are so many talented authors and illustrators out there.
I am delighted to join the UKLA as one of the Regional Reps as I can already see that there are so many benefits to being part of such a supportive and enthusiastic community. I am looking forward to working collaboratively with other educators to share and develop exciting literacy practice in our region.
If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me on Twitter. I tweet @MeakerR.