About me

I graduated from the University of Crete, Greece (Department of Philology), in 2010. My Bachelor is related to Greek Literature and Language (Ancient and Modern), Latin, History and Linguistics. Apart from the compulsory courses, I chose to study modules related to Psychology, Education and Pedagogy. In 2014 I completed a Master of Arts in Special Needs at the University of Nottingham, UK. By studying in depth issues about Special Education, I became more sensitive towards children’s needs and even more motivated to help students overcome their difficulties. I have also been trained in Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).

Since 2009 I have been working in tuition and educational centres in Greece, tutoring students with or without learning difficulties of ages from 4 to 18 (all levels of Education in Greece) in Ancient and Modern Greek Language, History, Literature and English. I also worked as tutor for individual families providing educational and engaging activities and tasks, such as songs, stories, media, structured games, art and outdoor activities for enhancing children’s ability to communicate in the Greek and English language. Furtheremore, I have worked voluntarily in a special school in Nottingham, completing Teaching Assistant responsibilities, working one-to-one and with small group of students, as well as supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Severe Learning Difficulties and Challenging Behaviour. Apart from these, I have worked in a bilingual day care centre in Amsterdam where I was responsible for the baby group. There, while implementing the principles of the pedagogical approach of Reggio Emilia, my job, among other, was to familiarize children with the sounds of English language. Later, I worked in an International School in Hoofdorp as a Drama teacher for 3-to-11-year old children and at the same time as an English Teacher in a Dutch playschool. Currently, I am on the first year of my PhD studies at the University of Edinburgh. My study is an ethnography on students with ADHD.

I believe that children reflect the innocence, the optimism and hope that grownups tend to lose and that we all need in our everyday life. And this is the reason that I decided to work with children and have a daily contact with their world. Working with children with special needs is a challenging but very fulfilling job. I feel great satisfaction helping and educating children who are facing difficulties and see them progress in their life.

You can find more information about my educational background as well as my working experience here: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/kalokyri .