From Self-Doubt to Direction
Yvette's commitment to FE is grounded in her own experiences as a Black woman with dyslexia.
"With dedication to the work and a willingness to keep learning about yourself, FE can become a place of real purpose and belonging."
Yvette Brown, Counsellor at King Edwards VI College
Discovering what was possible
I did not begin my working life believing that education was a place where I belonged. My experience of school left me with a lasting sense that I was not academically capable.
Undiagnosed dyslexia, and growing up in the 1980s, meant I internalised the belief that struggling with reading and writing equated to a lack of intelligence. College, in my mind, was for other people, not for me.
My early aspirations were in performing arts, where I wanted to work creatively and pursue acting. While the idea of teaching drama occasionally crossed my mind, it felt beyond reach given my own educational experiences. Over time, I worked in a range of roles, often people-focused, but without a clear sense of direction.
A Turning Point
That changed in my late twenties when I enrolled on a course supporting adults with dyslexic traits. For the first time, my experiences were understood in context. The course addressed both practical strategies and the emotional impact of dyslexia, and my confidence began to grow.
Being taught by a dyslexic tutor was transformative. It showed me that success does not depend on learning or thinking in one prescribed way. When he encouraged me to reconsider teaching, it still felt daunting, but for the first time, it felt possible.
From creativity to teaching and counselling
I began cautiously, enrolling on a short introductory teaching course alongside a basic counselling course, initially to better understand my own experiences. What I quickly recognised was how closely the two disciplines aligned. Both were rooted in listening, empathy and seeing the whole person rather than a single difficulty.
An unexpected turning point came when I was invited to read a poem I had written about dyslexia at the course graduation. The piece reflected the shift from being told what you cannot do to reclaiming confidence. The response led directly to an interview and my first teaching role, supporting adults with dyslexia.
Teaching adult learners was powerful but demanding. At that stage, I lacked the confidence and skills I needed. I stepped away temporarily, not through lack of ability but through self-doubt, and took time out to work on rebuilding my confidence.
Belonging in further education
My return to further education (FE) began with a fixed‑term role managing counselling services across two college campuses. I applied without expectation of success, but I thrived in the role; the service grew quickly, learner engagement increased, and I developed strong advocacy across the college. I was invited to remain and teach counselling alongside managing the service.
Teaching counselling brought together all strands of my experience — creativity, dyslexia, therapy and lived experience. As a dyslexic teacher, I prioritise understanding before progression, and my approach is intentionally accessible, creative and relational. I now work fulltime in FE — a place I once feared — and have done so for nine years.
Being present, doing the work
I am a Black woman with dyslexia, and throughout much of my career I have often been one of very few — and at times the only — Black member of staff within an organisation. Whilst this has not always been my conscious focus, I am aware of the responsibility that visibility carries and see myself primarily as a professional committed to doing my job well.
However, I also recognise that, for many learners, seeing a Black woman in a position of responsibility can shift what feels impossible. Some have shared that they have actively sought my support because they felt understood without needing to explain their background. Alongside this, I have led staff training on unconscious bias, encouraging reflection on who is present in the room and what learners bring with them, including trauma, identity and lived experience.
Staying and growing in further education
My commitment to FE is sustained by belief — in learners, in the work itself, and in the capacity of people to change their lives when given the right support — a belief grounded in my own experience.
I have stayed at my current college because of its culture: a genuine sense of care for learners and for one another, underpinned by leadership that is visible, approachable and grounded in both humility and ambition. In a sector where pastoral demands of the role are part of everyday practice, environment matters. With dedication to the work and a willingness to keep learning about yourself, FE can become a place of real purpose and belonging.