Finding Your Way To Learn
Hannah’s extensive career across education revealed the importance of inclusion in building confidence and empowering students.
"There are routes into the profession where your experiences, differences, strengths, and skills are genuine assets"
Hannah, Inclusion Co-ordinator
My journey
I am dyslexic, though I was not diagnosed until my late twenties. I moved through school and early adulthood without support, often feeling that I was underperforming, despite working hard.
For this reason, teaching and supporting others have always been central to my identity. I initially trained in Community Dance but then went on to build a career in early years, primary, secondary, further education and higher education.
Drawing on 20 years of teaching experience, I now work within an inclusion team in a sixth‑form college. My role focuses on empowering learners beyond the classroom, helping them to develop the strategies they need for learning and for life.
Turning difference into professional insight
I recognised aspects of my own learning experiences in students who were struggling, which drew me towards work that focused on supporting those needing reassurance and practical guidance.
My focus has been on helping learners build confidence and develop strategies that enable them to thrive. My preference for vocational pathways alongside more structured academic routes also shapes how I support students. I work with those whose needs are often internal, subtle, and easy to overlook, creating routes to support that help them engage fully and confidently.
This includes students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences, as well as LGBTQ+ learners — including trans and non‑binary students — whom I help access appropriate services and feel safe within the college community. My work has contributed to a wider shift in how inclusion is understood: inclusive practice does not mean lowering expectations, but ensuring every learner has equitable access to success.
The role of supportive workplace practices
Throughout my career, effective teamwork and supportive working environments have been central to my ability to work effectively and feel confident in my profession. In performing arts education, collaboration is integral, and I have worked in environments where colleagues recognise individual strengths and adapt ways of working accordingly.
Practical support, such as talking through processes, sharing approaches to workload, or reviewing written work, can make the difference between sustained professional effectiveness and staff leaving.
In my experience, reasonable adjustments and peer support do not diminish professional standards; they strengthen them. During the pandemic, the shift to text‑heavy, online ways of working made my dyslexia more visible and more challenging. While this period was difficult, it reinforced the importance of genuinely inclusive workplaces. With the support of understanding managers, trusted colleagues, appropriate adjustments, and later, improvements in assistive technology, I was able to adapt my practice and continue to thrive.
There is a place for you in teaching
To anyone considering a career in teaching who feels held back by a barrier, including a learning difference, my message is this: there are routes into the profession where your experiences, differences, strengths, and skills are genuine assets. When the environment reflects how you learn and work best, barriers fall away, and a meaningful career becomes possible.