The Clara James Approach to learning
When it comes to learning we are all individuals.
The past 20+ years have taught me that no matter our learning style if the child is engaged and relaxed they are more likely to learn.
If we just keep giving them the same resources, varied over and over again, all we are doing is giving them one place in their brains to find the information. However, by giving them a variety of resources we can make it more interesting, more relevant, and help them to create multiple memories so that when they need to recall the information, they have more places they can go to in order to find it.
If we can boost their confidence as well as their knowledge we will make their life and ours easier.
For 20 years now I've been fascinated by different learning styles: ASD, Dyslexia, ADHD. The purpose of this podcast is to share my findings with you, so that maybe what I've learned will be of help to you too.
The Clara James Approach to learning
Follow your values when you start tutoring
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Sometimes the opportunities we say "no" to shape our future just as much as the ones we say "yes" to.
Years ago, when Clara James was still in its early days, someone very kindly offered to buy me a tutoring franchise.
They genuinely wanted to help me.
They thought it would give me the financial boost I needed at the time.
On paper, it probably made a lot of sense.
An established name.
A ready-made business.
A shortcut.
But I said no.
Not because there was anything wrong with the franchise.
Because it wasn't right for me.
The approach to tutoring didn't sit comfortably with what I believed.
I wanted learning to be engaging.
To be flexible.
To be adapted to the individual child.
The franchise's approach was much more structured and based around repetition and learning by rote.
I know that approach works well for some children.
But I also knew it wasn't the way I wanted to teach.
So I walked away.
Looking back now, I'm incredibly grateful that I did.
Because if I'd accepted that opportunity, Clara James probably wouldn't exist today.
The philosophy we've spent years building...
Putting the child before the curriculum.
Building confidence alongside knowledge.
Adapting our teaching to the individual.
Seeing labels as clues rather than conclusions.
...might never have happened.
That experience taught me something I've carried with me ever since.
When you're building something that matters to you, don't just ask:
"Will this make me successful?"
Ask:
"Does this align with what I believe?"
Because success without alignment rarely feels like success for very long.
That's true in tutoring.
It's true in business.
And I suspect it's true in life.
Sometimes the most important decision isn't knowing what to say yes to.
It's having the confidence to say no to the things that pull you away from who you want to become.
Looking back, I'm incredibly grateful I chose to build something that reflected my values rather than taking the easiest path.
If you've ever wondered whether tutoring could become something more than a job—something that genuinely changes children's lives—I'd love to tell you more about what we're building at Clara James.
Just send me a message.