​

  

I emerged from my own childhood feeling certain that my life would be about children,  always feeling  a sense of solidarity with the intense emotions and experiences that children have, which are so often misunderstood. 

 

I grew up in Africa, with a big, loving family and whilst I was the kind of child you would find rolling around in mud and seeking out adventure, I was also highly anxious. We moved around frequently, so in my school life I was always the new child, a lost soul wandering around, not knowing who I was or what I was supposed to be doing.

I was lonely, bullied and confused.

 

These early childhood experiences, really ignited a desire in me to want to help other children have a different and kinder experience. It feels deeply right to me that children deserve and respond so well to an empathic and respectful approach.

With this sentiment firmly engraved in my heart, I began taking steps towards becoming a teacher. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

My plans were abruptly shaken when I suffered a deeply saddening personal loss. Up until that point I think like so many people, I was a mix of being broken and being strong. Grief dismantles everything that you are in an instant, and then the incredible resilience of being human kicks in and you find yourself searching for the pieces you need in order to grow again. 

​

I sought recovery in what I knew would always light me up and I became a teaching assistant before then qualifying as a primary school teacher in 2010.

During those following years my heart connected so strongly to each and every child I worked with. I could intuitively sense what they seemed to be feeling, and helping them find their way felt like I had found my place in the world.

 

Over the years I worked with children who were going through lukemia, anxiety, ADHD, Autism, sensory processing issues, grief, abuse, adoption and also of course, all the children who didn’t have additional challenges but were still trying to navigate their way through their emotions and experiences. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

On a personal level, teaching was always one part of me, and after a long journey with infertility, I finally fulfilled the other and became a mum to my two wonderful girls. 

 

I have learned so far in my life that we all collect feelings and experiences in our invisible bags, and we carry them with us through life. As children we are so much more open to be able to choose the treasures to keep and learn incredible skills from the things that have tested us. We all have a story behind us that makes us who we are. 

 

I truly believe every single person has value and worth, and that the more we can nurture that sentiment in our children the better our world will be. 

​

​

​

​