Three Coleg Sir Gâr lecturers have received recognition for their dedication to teaching from Pearson National Teachers Awards.
Louise Fensome, lecturer in public services, Vicky Davies, performing arts and music technology lecturer and Lowri Bugg, performing arts and digital media lecturer all received a certificate of excellence for the Further Education Lecturer of the Year award.
The Pearson National Teaching Awards recognise and celebrate excellence in education and raises the profile of the teaching professional by highlighting the positive impact that teachers have in nurturing pupils, supporting parents and the wider community.
With a vision of becoming the centre of excellence for post-compulsory educational research in Wales, Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion are developing an inspiring and innovative teaching and learning culture, underpinned by staff research.
Louise delivers a level one introductory course in public services as well as a BTEC First and a BTEC level two in preparation for public services and has been teaching for 10 years.
She has a unique ability to engage lower level learners and support them through a journey that builds confidence, instils self-belief and progress.
Being flexible in her approach ensures that every learner has the opportunity to thrive and her experience allows her to pick-up on the most subtle of cues from learners which allows her to address any issues that may be affecting their progress.
She spends time fostering supportive relationships with parents, carers and external support agencies in a collaborative approach to ensure the best for her learners.
During her time at the college, Louise has worked with learners who have experienced emotional and psychological trauma and has used education to turn lives around which is a reflection of her non-judgmental, empathetic and kind nature.
In a new peer mentor role, Louise will share her experiences in supporting vulnerable learners and learners living in challenging environments.
Vicky Davies delivers a level two extended certificate in performing arts and is course leader for music technology where she teaches on the level three course.
It’s been a challenging year for delivering practical courses due to remote learning but Vicky ensured that all learners’ home situations were taken into consideration and recorded backing tracks for performing arts students to practice singing and ensured they could also record and upload their own work for assessment.
Vicky’s strength is her ability to track and monitor learners, meeting them one-to-one to set targets for them to aim high, not only in their main qualification but in literacy and numeracy.
She ensures that every student’s progress is tracked and introduces interventions to support their learning which includes building up positive relationships with learners and their home support network.
As part of the college’s Teaching and Learning team, Vicky is wholeheartedly committed to the development of teaching and learning in order to ensure that she is able to give her learners the best experience and stretch her own abilities at the same time.
Outside of the classroom, Vicky has been part of the college’s FE Action Research Programme which drives a culture of curiosity and research and has been exploring the role of enrichment in a time of online learning.
Leading the choir and working with performing arts and music technology students, Vicky has helped learners to create a series of online performances that have allowed her to offer enrichment opportunities whilst also sharing their work with the wider college community.
Lowri is course leader for a level two extended certificate in performing arts and for a level one course in digital media.
She has demonstrated a unique ability to nurture and keep lower-level learners engaged and supported through an unpredictable lockdown year.
Lowri communicates in a way that inspires confidence and self-belief in her students through her nurturing and approachable manner.
It is obvious to all staff and students that Lowri cares about each and every learner, and that she wants them to believe in their ability to achieve.
During each online class, whilst delivering the lesson, Lowri also has a google chat function open for any learner to send her a private message if they do not feel comfortable to post publicly.
Lowri’s background is in performing arts and media and she is constantly reflecting on her teaching, marrying it up with the needs and abilities of her learners.
She is known by her colleagues as “The Musical Theatre Queen” due to her knowledge of musicals and quest to disseminate her passion in this area to her peers and students.
She finds ways to motivate and engage learners, encouraging them to find their own areas of interest and supports them in their chosen path, whether it be dance, acting, singing, animation, cinematography or poster-making.
Lowri has one-to-one meetings with learners every week to check up on their progress and wellbeing and works effortlessly with other departments in the college to create a network of support if she feels they may be at risk of falling behind.
She has been approached on several occasions this year by students who are transitioning, and she has dealt with these situations in a kind, caring, supportive, non-judgemental and empathic way proving trust in her students to approach her on such an emotive subject.
Feature image: The Pearson trio (front, from left) Vicky Davies, Louise Fensome and Lowri Bugg with their managers who nominated them (back, from left) Claire MacKerras and Kim Nicholas
