Local primary school teacher creates virtual classrooms catering for various incomes

A local primary school teacher is offering online tutoring sessions for children who are missing a big chunk of school education due to the coronavirus crisis.

Emmy has set up a virtual world of learning and teacher interaction through one-to-one sessions or in small groups.

This means kids can partake in an educational experience, 'away from the home' so to speak, within a virtual classroom.

She has tailored the service to try and accommodate varying incomes, in the hope of providing for as many families as possible.

Emmy was a teacher at Honiton Primary School for six years, before taking leave to travel. Since returning she worked as a supply teacher, with the view to 'try out' different schools before settling in the right one.

Obviously, given recent developments in dealing with a global pandemic, supply teaching is not currently required and both Emmy and her partner, who is trained in the same profession, have found themselves without work.

"It's all very new at the moment and I think people are still trying to find their feet," Emmy told Nub News.

"I'm on a zero-hours contract, so as soon as the school's shut I was out of work. straight away I was thinking 'what else can I do?'.

"Teaching is my passion, I love the energy and excitement that comes with working with kids.

"I also have good experience, both in classrooms and as a private tutor, so it made sense to take my skills online.

"I use the video conferencing software, Zoom, for tutoring sessions and then follow up with an email, or phone call, to ensure a good understanding.

"I'm also really trying to make it accessible for all incomes.

"Obviously I have to earn a living, but I've tailored it so that people can pay in accordance with what they can afford.

"A lot of parents will be overwhelmed suddenly having to work from home, or out of work completely, and feeling under-pressure to adopt the role of home schooler.

"It can put a lot of strain on the parent-child relationship," Emmy explained.

"It's also important for kids to have social interaction outside of the home, so by providing an educational online environment - which can be shared with friends - it can really help families effectively cope with this strange and potentially stressful situation.

"Parents' time and energy is then freed up to enjoy downtime with their children, without worrying about them missing out on key educational developments."

For more information, check out the Online Tutoring for Children with Emmy Facebook page.