Little Star

When I left teaching, I wasn't intending to start tutoring nor was I intending to teach seven year olds. But, when given a challenge to help someone disenchanted with education and finding it plain tough, how could I not? This is the lad whose teacher (his mum believes) thinks is troublesome. I call him a lovable rogue (in the absolute nicest, warmest possible way). He's inquisitive, smart, motivated and has a fabulous sense of humour.

We've been building up his writing stamina and phonics ability over the last ten weeks and today was the culmination of his hard work with a treasure hunt.

Previously, he has only written two sentences at a time which we then broke up with other activities. Today, he had to write a full set of instructions to get him round treasure island (the garden) before he could begin his hunt. A whole page... all done in good style in 20 minutes!

At each point he'd planned to navigate himself around treasure island, I had hidden a QR code which he scanned with an iPad and completed an activity I'd set (more work of course!)

I doubted we'd get the lot done in an hour but finish it we did (just) and a golden treasure box awaited him when he walked the plank (our little balcony.)

I took a photo of him for his mum with the happiest of gap-tooth grins, cap on and holding a QR Code with both hands. I'd love to blip him but I don't want his mum to think I took it for my journal. You'll just have to imagine that one!