Barrie James

Over 10 years experience as a class teacher (ages 7 to 13).
Over 20 years experience as an IT trainer/consultant in the corporate and Government world.
Over 7 years as a Substitute teacher (ages 5 to 13) and Personal Tutor (ages 5 to 16).
Having worked outside of the classroom, I bring huge amounts of business proven experience to my classroom practice and lesson designs.

My focus is tasks that challenge the brain in ways that are different and fun.
Calm, organized, professional, patient :-)
I am comfortable with being flexible and adaptable in my teaching, with the goal of always trying to cater for individual learning styles. I am an extremely calm, balanced, patient, empathetic and imaginative teacher, determined to motivate and enthuse the children.

I have huge experience in the world of education (with both little children and bigger children - adults) together with a lifetime in the world outside of the classroom - a great combination for a teacher.

BA(hons) Social Psychology with Statistics.
Post Graduate Certificate in Education.
Higher National Certificate in Advanced Microprocessor Technology.
Certified Lotus Professional.
Microsoft Certified Specialist.

I spent my first few years after graduation working first in adult psychiatric units, and then in SEN units.
Having gained this invaluable experience, I realized that teaching was my passion, and then spent nearly a decade as a classroom teacher, confidently teaching the full range of subjects to children aged 7 through to 13. During this period, I had special responsibility for Science, Games, Multi-Cultural studies and ICT, and ran out-of-school clubs for computing, reading for pleasure, creative writing, rugby, soccer and badminton.
When an opportunity arose to travel and teach in India and Nepal for a year, I moved on and on my homecoming, decided to combine my passion for teaching with my interest in computers, and embarked on a new career, first as an IT trainer, and then as an IT consultant. I have now returned to teaching, bringing a lifetime of real world experience.