I actually struggled in School based learning initially, not learning to read really properly until I was 11. I could read enough to fly under teacher’s radar, they assumed I ‘could try harder’, truth was I had missed out on learning decoding, phonetics and my life was full of chaos so concentration was a difficult skill to develop.  Although I knew I loved learning and had wanted to be a teacher since I was 3 years old I didn’t arrive where I am through conventional channels.

Going from the bottom of the class to the top the next year, studying a tertiary level class in Office Practice, Computer Skills and Keyboarding while still in high school, sadly having my final exam efforts undermined when my high grades were scaled down due to another student failing in our class after they …well let’s just say they stuffed it up for others in the last days of High School and turned marks for three students from 93-97% to 60%.

As a consequence I missed out on University and was forced to attend Art School for 2 years to gain extra qualifications to get into Uni. I received A grades until one Teacher failed me based on him not getting into an exhibition my mother curated at a City Art Gallery. I fought back and with my local MPs support the school allowed me to complete my Associate Diploma in 6 months extra time and this time they passed me. Perhaps my disclosure that I was aware they had hired two unqualified teachers and that my MP had ministerial papers drawn up helped? We’ll never know, one things for sure – the system is not perfect!

I attended the University of Newcastle for four years and have a integrated double bachelor degree in Primary Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in History. I’ve studied Montessori education with MWEI, attended Post Graduate classes at University and have a swag of other in-service certificates, work experiences and life experiences including working as a Waitress, Secretary, Tutor since 1990 in subjects from Piano, English, Maths, Science, Geography…list goes on..French, Japanese! (and I don’t speak very much French or any Japanese thus proving my theory, you really don’t need to know a subject to tutor someone in it, you just need to know how to tutor), I’ve been an exhibiting Artist, Photographer, Teacher and now…

Since 2006 I’ve been in the job, role and position my life has prepared me for – I have the pleasure and privileged of observing and helping my two children acquire an education from the world, from each other, from their family, friends and community. There is no scaling system, no bullying, no teachers with egos – they are totally free to learn what they want, when they want. Because they are not limited they thrive. Because they are happy, normal, social, curious and active beings they drink in their world through their senses. Because they are free to learn without limitation they are free to be themselves, to enjoy life and learning, to live with joy on a daily basis.

So here is my website. In 2007 I began tutoryourownchild.com, a web based consulting business. I turned something I had been doing for free, at that stage for about 10 years, into a ‘stay at home business’.  Currently I only ‘sell’ consultation time via Skype, on request via email. Most of my activity with Tutor Your Own Child is giving free hints, tips, links, feedback. The only time I charge for, really, is the time taken away from my children… at the moment my biz is running on ‘my time’ so I’m keeping it pretty freeeeeeee! What do I offer? Well that depends on what your needs are. My aim and passion is to help children feel really listened to, understood and loved. To know they are supported by the people who chose to create them in the first place – their parents. What I offer you the parent/caregiver is a way of doing that through the use of ‘tutoring your child’. Of course you’ll help their grades at school, their understanding of what’s being taught but you’ll also be giving them so much more than that. Something more valuable that an ‘A’….  Your time. I help parents to bridge that gap from frustration and angst into that feeling you had when you first had them and first fell in love with them. When you can reconnect to that raw, real and loving connection helping them understand anything becomes joyful!

This site is part blog part notes taken from the field. Ever expanding and learning, I hope my journey provides you with some resources, encouragement and support. If you have a question or request please send me an email, connect via twitter, Facebook or post a message.

Thanks for reading

Tamara Kidd