I couldn't stay away!
Hello and Welcome! I'm Carla, mum of three and founder of Think Clearly Tuition. I thought I would tell you a little about how we began.
I had a wonderful career in secondary education and had progressed into senior leadership which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, having three young children of my own, made my priorities change. Mainstream school is very time-consuming even after the last bell has rung, and I missed some of my own children's milestones because I was working hard to ensure that other children achieved theirs. That was my job, my role and I loved it but I didn't want to miss a single thing when it came to my own children. So, as a family, we decided that I would put my career on hold and be a stay-at-home mum.
Not too long after we made this decision, my own children were all about to start or had started their own primary educational journey which meant I was now going to be free most of the day. I spent one-half term doing my own thing during the day but I missed the interaction with young people, felt like I wasn't utilising my experience, and missed the buzz of a classroom. I had a void in my life and I needed to get back into education. I was lucky enough to make a connection and began tutoring home-educated children. I also undertook some short-term roles in local schools and as a freelance educator which were great experiences and I was also able to negotiate my hours. Both of these opportunities meant I was able to do the school run and remain in education. I couldn't believe it - I now had the best of both worlds!
When I was in mainstream school many of my students would ask me why I hadn't set up my own business as I was a Business Studies teacher. My response was always the same - I had no major passion for anything other than working with young people so teaching was my chosen career. I love seeing learners' faces when they 'get' a concept they have been struggling with and in addition to 'learning the curriculum', I have a real commitment to the pastoral aspect of education, which shaped my career. I believe in building strong relationships with young people, inspiring them to reach for the stars, and encouraging them not to let any adversity they may have faced limit their potential. I am so grateful that I have met a wide range of families with such exceptional children.
Although I was now tutoring through a fabulous organisation and had taken up the short-term role as an Interim Deputy Headteacher in a wonderful school, I couldn't get the question of my previous students out of my head. Therefore, I decided to take the leap into being my own boss, and Think Clearly Tuition was born. If I see any of these students, I will be able to tell them that I have made the step into business, and the best thing about it is still having my primary passion at its very heart - young people!
Think Clearly Tuition aims to make education a stress-free and enjoyable journey in a community where you can Learn, Laugh and be Limitless. All of our group sessions are between 45 and 55 minutes long, recorded, and delivered via Zoom so you can continue to access the content after the session has finished. This is a great way to help learners revise or review a topic. Learners are free to engage as much or as little as they are comfortable with. They may wish to use the chat function or speak on camera. Cameras are optional and no learner will be visible on any recording. Some learners may not want to join the live sessions and therefore recordings only can be purchased. Small group, one-to-one and paired sessions can also be booked and tailored to meet individual personal and curriculum needs.
Think Clearly Tuition celebrated its 1st Birthday in August 2024 and had its first set of IGCSE Business results with a 100% pass rate. We aim to grow the business in the future which will enable us to offer a wider range of courses. We have many exciting things planned and can't wait for you to join us. Cx