Special Needs Assistant – Level 5

Position: SNA & Early Years Lecturer

Limin Bai’s Story

I grew up in China, was educated in Ireland and graduated from Portobello Institute. Without Portobello tutors’ care and love, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Portobello helped me succeed in my career and the tutors ignited the passion I have for Special Needs Assisting.

I am an ASD teacher during the day and a lecturer in the evening. My on-the-job experience helps to support my teaching and my students love to hear all the stories and interactions I tell them as they are real-life scenarios that SNAs will face in the workplace.  I love sharing my own experiences and getting feedback from my students about their experiences.

I write children’s books for Chinese children, it is very fun but equally so interesting to understand why children act the way they do. I write my own blog, and I have over 800 followers all of whom are parents and I receive excellent feedback from this. I help parents understand what is appropriate education and behaviour for their children.

Limin’s Teaching Philosophy 

Students do not only need theories, they need support and guidance and they need to feel listened to. I instil confidence in my students always encouraging them not to give up and I give extra assistance if and when required.

I have students ranging from 18 to 65, they are all special to me, it doesn’t matter where they have worked before, or what experience they have I will give them the skills and tools required to complete the course and gain a job in the sector. I am creative in my teaching methods and this helps me to motivate my students to succeed and to keep them engaged in my classes.

What Limin’s Students Say

“We all had to adapt to a new way of communicating and learning.  It is my first time doing a course like this let alone online and it has been a great informative experience which I have to say is down to Limin.  Her classes were engaging, informative and enjoyable.  She is a person who is gifted in many ways, one of which is teaching, be it to a child or an adult. I would have no hesitation in attending her of your future classes or recommending her and the Portobello Institute. Any child in her presence is bound to feel nurtured that is a gift in itself.”   – Regina Ainsworth (SNA 5 student)

Position: SNA and ECCE Tutor

“Early Childhood Education is the key to the betterment of our society.” – Maria Montessori

I am passionate about all aspects of Early Childhood Education. I have been fortunate to meet some equally passionate students along the way. The Early Childhood sector has improved so much over the last 20 years and continues to improve through the education and devotion of its committed workforce.

About Clare

I have a background in Early Years Education, specialising in Early Intervention. I currently teach under 6’s with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Global Developmental Delays. I have been working in Adult Education for over 16 years.

Clare’s Teaching Philosophy

My classes are fun, informative, and interactive. I like students to feel like they go away from class confident that they can complete the assignments required for each module.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) Training and Education
• HNC Childcare and Education
• University Certificate in ASD
• Montessori Certificate in Special Education

Research/Industry Participation

• Member of the Teaching Council of Ireland
• Member of Autplay Therapists

What modules do you teach and what value do you feel this brings to the students?

Module: Special Needs Assisting

Value: Prepares the student for working with children with additional needs. Provides them with a knowledge of special educational needs, the role of the SNA and Irish legislation.

Module: Child Development

Value: Equips the student with an understanding of holistic development, an overview of the work of important theorists and the knowledge to carry out a variety of observations in the workplace.

Module: Child Psychology

Value: Provides the learner with theoretical knowledge of psychology relevant to childhood, as well as helping students to develop new ideas and improve their own interaction with the children they work with.

Position: Special Needs Assisting lecturer

 ‘The heartfelt hero, using their talents to help students discover their own. Dedicating their time and energy each day to the students in their care, and doing it all while meeting the individual needs of many.’

About Fran Trehy 

As I am a Special Needs Assistant for the past 16 years, I feel I can give the student a true insight into the classroom environment.  I went back to education myself in later life and after completing my Arts and Humanity degree focusing on Family Studies, the urge to stay as an SNA was so strong, so when Portobello came up to teach the Level 5 and Level 6 Special Needs assisting courses, it was a dream come true In so many ways. I have had a very eventful life to date, travelling the world, working in very varied work environments for example Dublin Airport, Hospitals, and an array of other careers, one of which is being a mother to three teenager/young adults,  I had a child with special needs myself who passed away very early in life so Special needs is very close to my heart.  I have a passion for the career and the children in my care.  I hope anyone that I am lucky enough to teach will benefit from that passion. 

Since taking the position of Tutor with Portobello I have encountered so many people with the same ethos as myself not only with colleagues but with students alike, to be Special Needs Assistant takes a very special person, to change children’s lives for the better is so rewarding. I could not have chosen a better college to teach in and I am truly grateful to assist as many people as possible to progress in this challenging, rewarding career.

Fran’s Teaching Philosophy

 I am a very relaxed Educator, I like to make students feel comfortable and to be in an environment where no question is a silly question, I like to exude passion for special needs children and for all children in education.  I would love my students to leave the course with all the knowledge necessary to become the best they can be. I also want students to have the urge and longing to progress and further their education after completing the course and to make sure they have the confidence to pursue that. I believe that teachers should create a positive and safe atmosphere for all their students, and be the best teacher they can be by using different teaching strategies, being prepared for any situation, and always doing what’s best for the students.

Qualifications

• BA Hons, Arts and Humanity focusing on family studies
• Special Needs Assisting Level5 and Level 6
• Dyslexia, Dyspraxia awareness certificates
• PECS and ABA Certificates 

Position: Tutor/lecturer MA in Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs

“The purpose of adult education is to help people to learn, not to teach them all you know and thus stop them from learning,” – Carl Rogers.

About Colm O’Donovan

I am a committed educator with fifteen years of experience working in a DEIS primary school in Dublin 12. In my time there I have been placed in a variety of roles including class teacher, Special Education Teacher, Home School Community Liaison (HCSL) and Deputy Principal. Working in a DEIS school is hugely rewarding even if it has its own challenges. Among the many benefits are that the staff are exposed to professional development in a wide variety of areas such as emotional regulation, behaviour strategies and a huge scope of literacy and numeracy programmes beyond the reach of traditional primary education.

In particular, my time as an HSCL meant I worked much more with parents and the wider school community and through this, I gained true insight into the importance of parental involvement in children’s education. Through this role, I developed a greater interest in adult education.

In 2021/22 I completed a Post Graduate qualification in Inclusive and Special Education and was exposed to a huge amount of knowledge and skills both from my lecturers and tutors and my fellow adult learners. It brought a completely new perspective to my work and for the current school year, I took a career break from my school to explore that further.

I am now enjoying increasing my exposure to different areas in the field of education and am currently working as a lecturer/tutor with Portobello Institute and School Placement Tutor with Hibernia College among other roles.

Before becoming a teacher I worked a variety of different jobs in my 20s including four years as a sports journalist with a number of national newspapers.

Colm’s Teaching Philosophy

I am very early in my career in third-level education but I am learning a huge amount all the time from my colleagues and the adult learners I have had the privilege to teach in my courses. I aim to be a collaborative teacher at this level, and given the wealth of experience and the level of commitment any adult choosing to do a course has already shown, it would be foolish to be anything else.

I try to bring elements of my varied experience to the table and to help learners to identify their own strengths and weaknesses so we can move forward together.

Qualifications 

• Higher Diploma in Primary Education, Hibernia College
• Post Graduate Diploma Inclusive and Special Education, UCD
• Graduate Certificate in Literacy, DCU
• Master of Journalism and Applied Communication, NUIG
• Bachelor of Arts, UCD
• Trained Parents Plus Facilitator, Trained in Incredible Years, Rainbows Programme, Pax Behaviour, Words their Way spelling among others

Position: Early Years lecturer

“Early years education lays the foundation for a child’s life-long learning journey.”

About Natasha 

My name is Natasha Murphy, I am a manager in an inner-city, diverse Montessori School with 13 nationalities and I am an Early Years Tutor. This year brought a whole new level of teaching, as everything was moved online – online lectures and also online Live Circle times to stay connected with students, children and families.

I come from a family of early years practitioners, Montessori teachers and secondary school teachers, so I have always had a passion for working with children.

As I was growing up, I realised the importance of early childhood care and education, it is the first insight into learning for a child and that is how I decided to become an early years practitioner. I want to be part of each child’s early learning journey and support them to grow and learn in a fun and meaningful way.

While studying, I gained an interest in transitions. I implemented home visits prior to a child starting in my setting. I arranged an hour-long home visit with each child and their family. This helped me to build a respectful and reciprocal relationship with the child and family, which eased the settling-in process.

I was invited to travel to Sweden to talk about transitions with Early Childhood Ireland in March 2020, but due to COVID-19, it was cancelled. I have spent a summer in Spain teaching children aged 4-15 years old, and I travelled to Pune in India with Portobello Institute to volunteer in a number of orphanages and outreach community centres.

Working as an early years practitioner has allowed me to link theory to practice when giving a lecture. This has been very beneficial to students as they can relate and begin to see how their learning can be linked to their own settings too. As I completed my own studies through blended learning, I can understand how students feel trying to balance, work, home and study life.

Natasha’s Teaching Philosophy

My main goal when delivering a lecture is to share my passion and knowledge of early years with students so they can mirror this and gain a willingness to learn and understand the course modules.

While teaching, I always use real-life examples from my own experiences to support the theory, this creates an opportunity for students to become active in their learning and share their own experiences, thoughts, and idea or simply, ask a question.

A lecture for me is best taught through an interactive approach. I like to hear the students’ voices. This builds a collaborative approach within the class.

I present all information relating to the module by using the spoken and written word, PowerPoint with visual aids to try and accommodate all types of learners. I tutor the Level 6 QQI Early Childhood Care and Education Course and the Special Needs Assisting courses at Level 5 and Level 6.

Graduate attributes I hope to instil in my students are to embrace the learning and find ways to implement this newfound knowledge into their career/early years’ setting, team work, good communication skills, confidence and to have the ability to work independently and in a group.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies
• MA in Early Childhood Studies

Modules Taught by Natasha 

• Child Development – Early Childhood Care and Education

Students gain knowledge and understanding of child development theories and learn to apply them in a practical way. Skills of observation, evaluation and reflection are explored and the importance of using information as a basis for planning curricular activities suitable to the child’s interests, needs and level of development.

• Early Childhood Curriculum – Early Childhood Care and Education

Students get the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations as they learn to plan suitable, interesting, fun and stimulating curricula. They gain an understanding that curriculum is more than just planning. Knowledge of Aistear the early years curriculum framework and Síolta, the quality framework for early childhood, alongside current theories of the curriculum is gained. 

• Social Legal and Health – Early Childhood Care and Education

The students will study the historical timeline and social policy which has led to early years education what it is today.

Children First 2015 put child protection on a legislative footing therefore all practitioners must have a knowledge of how to protect and safeguard children in their setting, through policy, practice and reporting.

Equality is vital within our diverse society, however, it does not mean treating everyone the same! The student will gain knowledge of the law, guidance, policies, provision and practice which address equality and diversity in settings.

• Personal and Professional Development – Early Childhood Care and Education

This module allows the student to assess their personal and professional strengths and areas for development and plan accordingly. This allows the student to become self-aware, to be more motivated, with the ability to manage their time and procrastinate less. This in turn relieves stress.

Students also learn how to arrange, lead and manage meetings e.g. writing an agenda, meeting etiquette, recording minutes and supporting and following through on decision-making.

The students gain the skills and knowledge to complete a presentation, from topic choice to rationale to presentation with visual aids to self-evaluation. This module provides the student will a tool for planning and improvement personally and professionally.